Federated Department Stores is pouring $100 million into its direct-to-consumer business to support continued growth at its Macys.com, Bloomingdales.com, Macysweddingchannel.com and Bloomingdalesweddingchannel.com, as well as Bloomingdale's print catalog, writes MediaBuyerPlanner.

Online sales are continuing to grow as a result of the national expansion of Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, chairman/president/CEO Terry Lundgren said in a statement (via Multichannel Merchant).

Markets such as Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah are undergoing exceptional growth, he added.

Federated's direct sales reached about $620 million last year, and the company expects to exceed $1 billion by 2008.