New Macy's (M) - Get Report CEO Jeff Gennette still believes the best place for women to buy shoes is in his stores, not online.

And going forward, those female shoppers will be able to shop for shoes at Macy's in a new way as the retailer strives to cut costs. The storied department store said Thursday all of its stores will have some form of its new "open sell" shoe department by August.

In March, Macy's revealed that it would convert more of its footwear departments to what it calls "open sell" environments after finding success at several test stores last year. Open sell means customers will pull their own size and colors themselves from racks at Macy's instead of asking a shoe salesperson to fetch a pair from the backroom, as has long been the practice at most Macy's stores. In effect, the company's footwear departments will likely resemble those found at TJX Companies (TJX) - Get Report TJ Maxx and Marshall's brands, or fellow mall rivals J.C. Penney (JCP) - Get Report and Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) , where self-service reigns supreme.

"People like self-service, some just say, 'leave me alone,' " Macy's CFO Karen Hoguet explained at an investor conference in March.

Although the initiative may not work at some of Macy's busiest locations such as Herald Square in New York City-leaving pricey footwear inventory on the floor instead of the backroom may lead to theft-it could be a way for Macy's to cut out the shoe salesperson position (and save on wages) or put that person in another part of the store.

Don't miss these trending stories on TheStreet:

Jim Cramer and the AAP team hold a position in TJX Companies for their Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells TJX? Learn more now.