BOSTON – On Tuesday, Macy’s said it plans to close 150 of its underperforming stores over the next three years. That amounts to about 30% of its locations.
“Going to the mall was the place to be. I loved going to the mall. I live in Taunton, and they closed the whole mall, and it’s so sad,” shopper Jaylene Deslauriers said.
Jon Hurts is president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. He says Macy’s announcement aligns with many other national chain reductions, including Sears and JCPenney. “And that’s going to continue. Macy’s is one of the last ones still standing. And, you know, I think Macy’s is going to be leaner and better out of this and trying to get rid of the unproductive stores, the stores that are not making money,” Hurst said.
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There are currently 16 Macy’s stores in Massachusetts, and there’s no word if any of these will be closing just yet. The department store chain said it plans to focus on expanding its luxury brands Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury.
Macy’s said on Tuesday, “Macy’s is dedicating resources to optimize our store footprint; refresh our product assortment to ensure relevance and value; and modernize the shopping environment to offer a seamless experience across all channels with continued focus on digital excellence.”
“A big national chain might see a third or up to 50% of sales online, and, you know, you have to change with the consumer and a lot of that means cutting back on square footage and retail space,” Hurst said.
Bob and Lorraine Paglia have a condo connected to the Natick Mall.
“It was the place to be 20 years ago. That’s where you did your shopping. Now, its online,” Bob said. Over the years, the couple has seen a lot of flagship stores come and go, including Lord & Taylor and Sears. They hope Macy’s will not be next.
“It’s not good. There is nothing else left. You do have to shop a lot online. That’s the problem; I don’t like shopping online,” Lorraine said.
