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                                                                    EXHIBIT 24.1


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY




    KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints Ronald W. Tysoe, Dennis J. Broderick, John R. Sims, and Padma Tatta
Cariappa, or any of them, the true and lawful attorneys-in-fact of the
undersigned, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her
and in his or her name, place and stead, to sign on his or her behalf, as a
director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Federated Department
Stores, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"), a Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") relating to the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of up to
$1,000,000,000 of debt and equity securities of the Corporation and to sign any
or all amendments and any or all post-effective amendments to the Registration
Statement, whether on Form S-3 or otherwise, and to file the same, with all
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys or
attorneys-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act
and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully
to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys or attorneys-in-fact or any of
them or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

Dated:  September 18, 2001

/s/ JAMES M. ZIMMERMAN                       /s/ EARL G. GRAVES, SR.
---------------------------------            ---------------------------------
James M. Zimmerman                           Earl G. Graves, Sr.

/s/ TERRY J. LUNDGREN                        /s/ SARA LEVINSON
---------------------------------            ---------------------------------
Terry J. Lundgren                            Sara Levinson

/s/ RONALD W. TYSOE                          /s/ JOSEPH NEUBAUER
---------------------------------            ---------------------------------
Ronald W. Tysoe                              Joseph Neubauer

/s/ THOMAS G. CODY                           /s/ JOSEPH A. PICHLER
---------------------------------            ---------------------------------
Thomas G. Cody                               Joseph A. Pichler

/s/ KAREN M. HOGUET
---------------------------------            ---------------------------------
Karen M. Hoguet                              Karl M. von der Heyden

/s/ JOEL A. BELSKY                           /s/ CRAIG E. WEATHERUP
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Joel A. Belsky                               Craig E. Weatherup

/s/ MEYER FELDBERG                           /s/ MARNA C. WHITTINGTON
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Meyer Feldberg                               Marna C. Whittington