Macy’s Label Automation

Transforming a 300-Hour Manual Process into Scalable Automation

Overview

Macy’s was launching a major in-store sales and pricing program involving hundreds of SKUs across 450 stores. The original fulfillment plan required over 300 labor hours per cycle—sorting, packing, labeling, and assembling nested envelopes of collateral for each location.

Role

As Creative Director and process strategist, I was tasked with streamlining this workflow. What began as a simple data merge for envelopes evolved into a full-scale automation initiative. I led the design, logic, and technical planning behind a new system that eliminated manual handling entirely.

Approach

The final solution was a custom-built, three-step automated workflow:

• Step0_prep – Converts final art into print-ready individual PDFs
• Step1_build – Lays out each SKU’s label in a 30-up printable format
• Step2_gather – Dynamically compiles per-store print sets, with page tabs separating label types, generating a single shrinkwrap-ready file per store
• Unified brand voice built around a single promise

This workflow reduced the human factor to zero for collection and assembly. No envelope stuffing. No SKU sorting. Just print, drill, wrap, and ship.

Outcome

The solution redefined how Macy’s can execute high-volume print programs. With automation in place, the team now handles what once took weeks of manual labor in a fraction of the time. Most importantly, this innovation opened the door to a $1.2 million per year opportunity by proving that the process could scale nationally.

Why It Matters

This wasn’t about speeding up a task—it was about redefining what was possible. By applying design thinking and systems logic, I helped turn a logistical nightmare into an elegant, scalable process. This is creative direction beyond design—it’s strategic problem-solving at scale.