Macy's Announces Store Closings

There's no doubt that the traditional retail industry has been suffering in recent years. Many companies have had to make the hard decision to shutter some of their brick-and-mortar locations. Online shopping, a weaker economy and falling consumer sentiment are just some of the reasons why some of the country's biggest retail names have been closing their stores.

Macy's is no exception. The retailer, whose first store opened in 1858 on the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue in New York City, announced it would close 100 stores. The announcement was made in August 2016, and represents about 15% of all Macy's department stores.

The bulk of those planned closings — 68 stores — were announced after a 2016 holiday season marked by disappointing sales. In addition to these store closings, Macy's also reportedly sold some of the floors of its retail stores, including its massive Chicago flagship store.

In an email, a Macy's representative said the retailer would shutter eight of those 100 stores in 2019.

A Brand in Need of a Refresh

Age, longevity and legacy can be an appealing quality for shoppers, but many of the stores Macy's has closed or is planning to close bore brand resemblance to any of the Macy's flagship stores or the bright, shiny new Macy's stores that opened in 2016.

Additionally, The Motley Fool pointed out that many of Macy's competitors are different because specific products — not stores — drive their brand value. It cited Michael Kors, L Brands, Victoria's Secret and Lululemon as examples.

Store Closings Since 2016 Announcement

These are the stores Macy's has closed since its 2016 announcement:

California 

• Irvine Spectrum, Irvine 
• Country Club Plaza, Sacramento
• Westfield Century City, Los Angeles
• Simi Valley Town Center (men’s/home/kids), Simi Valley
• Mission Valley Apparel, San Diego
• Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara
• Laguna Hills Mall, Laguna Hills
• Westside Pavilion, Los Angeles (2019)
• Novato (Furniture), Novato
• Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco
• Laurel Plaza, North Hollywood
• Sunnyvale Town Center (2019)

Connecticut 

• Enfield Square (main store), Enfield 
• Enfield Square (furniture/home/men's store), Enfield

Florida

• The Oaks, Gainesville
• Miami (Downtown)
• Lakeland Square, Lakeland
• Oviedo Marketplace, Oviedo
• Sarasota Square, Sarasota
• University Square, Tampa
• CityPlace, West Palm Beach

Georgia

• North DeKalb Mall, Decatur
• Georgia Square, Athens

Hawaii

• Kailua
• Ala Moana Jewel Gallery, Honolulu

Idaho

• Palouse Mall, Moscow
• Magic Valley Mall, Twin Falls
• Nampa Gateway Center, Nampa

Illinois

• Northwoods Mall, Peoria
• Alton Square, Alton
• Stratford Square, Bloomingdale
• Eastland, Bloomington

Indiana

• Honey Creek Mall, Terre Haute
• Glendale Town Center, Indianapolis (2019)

Kentucky

• Greenwood, Bowling Green
• Jefferson, Louisville

Louisiana

• Cortana Mall, Baton Rouge
• Esplanade, Kenner

Maine

• Bangor

Maryland

• Valley Mall, Hagerstown 

Massachusetts

• Berkshire Mall, Lanesborough 
• Eastfield Mall, Springfield
• Westgate, Brockton
• Silver City Galleria, Taunton
• Swansea Mall (2019)

Michigan

• Birchwood Mall, Fort Gratiot Township
• Lakeview Square Mall, Battle Creek
• Eastland Center, Harper Woods
• Lansing, Lansing
• Westland

Minnesota

• Minneapolis Downtown

Missouri

• The Shoppes at Stadium, Columbia

Nevada

• Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas

New Jersey

• Middlesex Mall, South Plainfield
• Moorestown
• Voorhees Town Center, Voorhees
• Preakness, Wayne

New Mexico

• Cottonwood, Albuquerque

New York

• McKinley Mall (main store), Buffalo
• McKinley Mall (home store), Buffalo 
• Arnot Mall, Horsehead
• Hudson Valley Mall, Kingston
• Eastern Hills Mall, Williamsville
• Douglaston
• Great Northern, Clay
• Oakdale Mall, Johnson City
• The Marketplace, Rochester
• The Shops at Nanuet (2019)

North Carolina

• Cary Towne Center, Cary
• Carolina Place, Pineville
• Northgate, Durham

North Dakota

• Columbia, Grand Forks

Ohio

• Chapel Hill Mall, Akron
• Midway Mall, Elyria
• Mall at Tuttle Crossing (furniture/home/kids/men's), Dublin
• Fountain Place, Cincinnati
• Eastland, Columbus
• Sandusky
• Fort Steuben, Steubenville

Oklahoma 

• Quail Springs Mall, Oklahoma City
• Promenade, Tulsa

Oregon

• Pony Village Mall, North Bend
• Roseburg Valley Mall, Roseburg
• Downtown Portland
• Lancaster Mall, Salem

Pennsylvania 

• Suburban Square, Ardmore
• Century III Mall, West Mifflin
• Neshaminy, Bensalem
• Shenango Valley, Hermitage
• Beaver Valley, Monaca
• Lycoming, Muncy
• Plymouth Meeting
• Washington Crown Center, Washington

Texas

• Ridgmar Mall, Fort Worth
• Parkdale, Beaumont
• Southwest Center, Dallas
• Sunland Park, El Paso
• Greenspoint, Houston
• West Oaks Mall, Houston
• Pasadena Town Square, Pasadena
• Collin Creek, Plano
• Broadway Square, Tyler

Utah

• Valley Fair, West Valley City
• Layton Hills, Layton
• Cottonwood, Salt Lake City

Vermont

• Burlington Town Center, Burlington

Virginia

• Chesapeake Square, Chesapeake
• Virginia Center Commons, Glen Allen
• Peninsula Town Center, Hampton
• Military Circle Mall, Norfolk
• Regency Square (main store), Richmond
• Regency Square (furniture/home/men's store), Richmond
• Landmark, Alexandria
• River Ridge, Lynchburg
• Tysons Galleria, McLean (2019)

Washington

• Downtown Spokane
• Everett
• Three Rivers, Kelso
• Redmond Town Center, Redmond (2019)

Wisconsin

• Oakwood Mall, Eau Claire
• Valley View, La Crosse

Wyoming

• Casper Eastridge Mall, Casper (2019)

Macy's said that it was reducing its brick-and-mortar locations in order to focus on balancing out the remaining stores with its digital presence.

In an email, a Macy's representative said: "We are comfortable with the current store fleet and believe that every store has a role to play in our success. The decision to close a store is always a difficult one, and regular, non-seasonal employees who we are unable to place at nearby Macy’s stores will be eligible for severance, including outplacement resources."