This is pretty interesting involving Macy’s iconic billboard (next to its flagship store) in the heart of New York City and Amazon. Essentially, the lease for Macy’s billboard, operated by Kaufman Organization) ended with that operating company and the billboard company was/is in talks with Amazon. In the original agreement with Macy’s and the Kaufman Organization, part of the contract was that no competitor to Macy’s can advertise on there. Well, that was agreed upon back in the day and now it’s today and Amazon was in talks to buy up that billboard advertising space. Wow! With this, is Amazon a competitor of Macy’s? They are obviously but that should have been amended by Macy’s when Amazon moved into clothing and household items.
Flash forward to January 2022, Macy’s and the property owner came to an agreed settlement to renew the lease and not to have Amazon or any other competitor advertise on it. It’s a little tricky to understand at first with the parties involved but once you figure it out, it’s figured.
NPR Article from September 2021: Macy’s Wants to Block Amazon Ads on a Billboard
The Fashion Law article from January 2022: Macy’s Settles Suit Aimed at Blocking Amazon Billboard Advertising
