Black-owned brands getting Macy’s spaces

Macy’s Inc. plans to devote 15 percent of its shelf space to Black-owned brands, becoming one of the most prominent names to join the nascent movement for racial equity in the retail world.

The department store chain follows retailers such as West Elm and Sephora signing onto the 15 Percent Pledge, a grassroots effort to increase representation of Black-owned brands in stores across the country. Along with the Macy’s announcement this week, InStyle US said it would devote 15 percent of its magazine coverage to Blackowned businesses and increase diversity in the models and celebrities featured in its pages.

The 15 Percent Pledge organization, whose name refers to the percentage of Black people in the U.S. population, was launched in May to encourage large companies to devote that much of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.