Macy's is planning neater, better organized and more brightly lit stores with wider aisles and a better variety of higher-quality merchandise, a company spokeswoman said Thursday.

"Utah can expect some compelling changes," said Kimberly Reason, director of media relations for Macy's Northwest in Seattle.

Many of those changes, she said, will be made after the company consults with customers via focus groups this week.

Reason was in town with a number of Macy's executives Wednesday and Thursday to tour the Utah stores, meet with community leaders and solicit customer input.

Customer insight is key to figuring out why Utah's Meier & Frank stores have performed below expectations since being taken over by May Department Stores, Reason said.

She said sales at Utah's Meier & Frank stores are lower now than they were five years ago, after May bought ZCMI, the nation's oldest department-store chain, and started operating the Utah stores under the Meier & Frank nameplate.

"The opportunity is there to turn that around," Reason said. "We see Utah as a healthy and growing market."

The change to the Macy's name stems from Federated Department Stores Inc.'s takeover of rival May Department Stores, a deal that brought nameplates such as Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor and Meier & Frank together under one corporate umbrella.

Federated will convert the Meier & Frank nameplate to Macy's as part of a strategy to create a nationwide brand that will allow it to expand marketing initiatives.

Reason said some longtime customers in Utah focus groups have waxed nostalgic for features in ZCMI stores that were eliminated when May took over, such as a popular bakery and lunch counter in the lowest floor of the downtown Salt Lake City store.

"Hearing what we have heard, we have a lot of ideas to make the stores better," Reason said. "We're aggressive about getting feedback and putting those ideas into action."

Lane Beattie, the Salt Lake Chamber's president and chief executive, said he believes Macy's will do well in Utah after meeting Wednesday with company executives.

He said many traditional ZCMI shoppers simply weren't as comfortable with the store after Meier & Frank took over, even though May invested millions to renovate ZCMI stores.

"A lot of Utahns know Macy's from around the country and I think a lot of people here are [eager] to see them come to Utah," Beattie said. "I know they will be very successful here."

lesley@sltrib.com