tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post4996764290482806818..comments2024-03-26T21:06:08.519-07:00Comments on Sky City: Retail History: Macy's Has Lost Its Magic: Speculation on Macy's Plan to Close 100 Stores in the Southeast and Mid-AtlanticJ.T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04208881715255029485noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-55842202088137370092018-01-05T17:59:36.743-08:002018-01-05T17:59:36.743-08:00Riverchase Galleria was a great store back around ...Riverchase Galleria was a great store back around 1990. I worked there in a management position and we would fly to Houston, New Orleans, Slidell, and Atlanta for meetings and such. I even went to the store in New York once and was toured all over the store. It was a fun time. When Macys South was split and went to Macys East and West the writing was on the wall. I remember a huge shake up in divisional management in Atlanta with all of the New York boys coming in and restructuring everything. Fortunately, I left around that time. The store went down very fast and was closed and moved later to a smaller store in the same mall. Later, the big store was torn down and another chain came in. It was a really fun time back then and its sad to see the demise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-90773691005610681892017-07-16T15:24:52.969-07:002017-07-16T15:24:52.969-07:00I tried to access the list on macysnet.com, but go...I tried to access the list on macysnet.com, but got an error. Can anyone show me the list?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137325334242778272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-11670431983405766182017-01-09T16:21:11.555-08:002017-01-09T16:21:11.555-08:00Well. As of now, Neshaminy mall is closing their m...Well. As of now, Neshaminy mall is closing their macys as of 2017.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03257976241254584116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-48790962097306347132017-01-04T17:03:24.870-08:002017-01-04T17:03:24.870-08:00Well, we finally got a round of Macy's closing...Well, we finally got a round of Macy's closings in which just four of these stores will be saying sayonara: Georgia Square, Voorhees Town Center, Plymouth Meeting and Northgate in Durham.Raymie Humberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06747579682034335386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-41444209553205405342016-11-02T17:03:51.738-07:002016-11-02T17:03:51.738-07:00This is a very thorough and well written article. ...This is a very thorough and well written article. I surely hope that Macy's does not close the Manassas Mall location - there is no other Macy's in Prince William County. baconboy59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15421739277175859541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-7862807437355471882016-11-01T13:26:54.519-07:002016-11-01T13:26:54.519-07:00Macy's is closing at Carolina Place Mall in Pi...Macy's is closing at Carolina Place Mall in Pineville, NC and Greenwood Mall in Bowling Green, KY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-56726714867469293042016-09-23T08:33:08.102-07:002016-09-23T08:33:08.102-07:00Curious about your inclusion of Center City Philad...Curious about your inclusion of Center City Philadelphia's store as "likely closing." It is a "Platinum" Top-Door store, one of three such locations in all of the Northeast which also includes the flagship Herald Square location. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18384364848827400188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-49760427687115050662016-09-22T15:19:11.888-07:002016-09-22T15:19:11.888-07:00Center City Philly is one of their better performe...Center City Philly is one of their better performers, and is on their Platinum list, as one of their Top 150 Doors to be updated by 2020. I hope that you have read this report before making any predictions. Further they do not own the Wanamaker Building they are simply a tenant of the first 3 floors with a very favorable lease. Other downtown stores that they closed, like Pittsbugh where way too large (Center City is actually a small store for them, with about 175,000 sq/ft of actual used selling space), and they owned the Pittsburgh building, most of which they did not need.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08991812356405520522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-47426628838355359822016-09-21T15:37:33.678-07:002016-09-21T15:37:33.678-07:00There aren't any Macy's in Arkansas either...There aren't any Macy's in Arkansas either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-79909292585343291462016-09-19T10:21:15.001-07:002016-09-19T10:21:15.001-07:00CenterCity ???
macy*s itself lists this as one of...CenterCity ???<br /><br />macy*s itself lists this as one of their top-performing stores<br />https://macysnet.com/mdocweb/documents.aspx?document=Omnichannel - Top Doors Initiative<br /><br />It's also one of their few "Visitor Center" stores<br /><br />I would say UNlikely closing is more like it.Notcomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13177488045591108123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-45773083584743640692016-09-19T05:54:36.481-07:002016-09-19T05:54:36.481-07:00I think you're way off base in predicting the ...I think you're way off base in predicting the closure of Macy's Center City Philadelphia. Macy's Center City has performed well and is in the top tier (Platinum) of their Top Doors Initiative.<br /><br />Jayfarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14025370357770631420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-23183158319814737122016-09-03T19:50:58.512-07:002016-09-03T19:50:58.512-07:00Ballston is across the street from a Metro station...Ballston is across the street from a Metro station and has parking, plus it's not far from I-66. Access is not a problem and it has a captive audience by virtue of being surrounded by office buildings. The redevelopment of Ballston Mall and the nearby Virginia Square area is meant to connect it to the booming Clarendon corridor further East and focus on street level retail. The mall doesn't work, but plenty of retail works at street level in Clarendon. The two major problems with this store are the proximity to Pentagon City and size of the building---it's way too big, even when it was still Hecht's, they used a lot of space for their regional offices. Pentagon City is a largish store, too, and that mall is quite successful, although the Nordstrom has been downgraded a bit and no longer sells some of the more expensive lines.<br /><br />Metro Center in DC is in an area that has finally, after many years, shown signs of renewed life as a retail district and the building has paying tenants above the retail level. The new uber upscale CityCenter complex nearby (developed by the Kuwaitis) hasn't done well, but other retail is filling in storefronts along F Street (once the main shopping street in DC) that have been empty for many years. Some is upscale like Alden shoes, but a lot is the kind of retail that has given Macy problems--fast fashion places and off price retail like Nordstrom rack (soon to open), so the area has promise overall but could be difficult for Macy.<br /><br /><br />Marlow Heights is already on a death watch. I would be more concerned with Wheaton than Lake Forest. Wheaton's really makes no sense as a mall anymore--it's lost its classic mall tenants and the anchors draw a different clientele than the inline stores--and the efforts to make the area more of an urban live-work destination would be more successful if they basically tore down the mall (which is weirdly laid out among other things), kept the anchors, and made some effort to make the parking areas work better in relation to the surrounding streets and pedestrian patterns between them and Metro and whatever is left of the mall.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-69962779094472490632016-09-03T19:50:44.381-07:002016-09-03T19:50:44.381-07:00One issue is how they will approach representation...One issue is how they will approach representation in markets--will they go the Dillard route and leave gaping holes in metro area (this is esp. true in northern markets where they have always struggled) and what they will do in smaller markets. <br /><br />There are probably some malls like SouthPark where they will stay simply because its the dominant shopping area for the metro area. <br /><br />If they close Gwinett and Northlake's owner has some idea what they're doing (probably a demalling and retenanting with stores that better fit the immediate area), they might stay at Northlake---that area has benefited from a new generation of people taking advantage of a well-kept housing stock on often large, wooded lots. It's in better shape than many inner suburban areas of Atlanta. <br /><br />South DeKalb used to be a big volume store even after Stonecrest opened, but the housing bust kept the area from fulfilling its promise---gentrification had marching toward it from Avondale, Decatur & East Atlanta, coupled with new developments targeting middle class African Americans nearby, plus the area has a surprising amount of unbuilt land as well as aging rental properties are probably ready for redevelopment. A smart redevelopment of the mall--basically get rid of the enclosed mall and attract some middle brow chains might work there. Closing North DeKalb should have benefited this store and Northlake. Arbor Crest never should have been built and places like Peachtree City and Newnan will never be able to support a mall---no one is building new malls these days and, if they did, they have to draw from a much larger area and the upscale communities are too small and scattered to make an upscale lifestyle center work. The real problem is that Atlanta is overmalled and too many malls were built even after few were being built elsewhere. Most of the areas S of I-20 outside of Atlanta proper are unlikely to grow very much in the future and I wouldn't be surprised if the area becomes something of a retail desert for a lot of things.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-31947719486397717162016-09-01T16:13:55.391-07:002016-09-01T16:13:55.391-07:00I'd cross-check this list against Macy's o...I'd cross-check this list against Macy's own list of its top stores (called "doors" on the list; it's available online). If I recall correctly, Center City Philadelphia was listed as one of the chain's top performers and is targeted for additional investment, not closing.Chris E.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-81330008902260772232016-09-01T13:59:53.608-07:002016-09-01T13:59:53.608-07:00Out of the locations listed above, the only one I ...Out of the locations listed above, the only one I visited was the Gwinnett Place Mall Rich's back in 2004. I am not 100% sure but I think that location was a Rich's/Macy's when I visited. At that point the mall was still mostly full, but you could tell that it was beginning to struggle. It sounds like some of these areas have way too many Macy's hanging on in dying malls. <br /><br />The comments above about the Houston market are spot on, Houston was Foley's main market. Macy's has been a huge disappointment here since taking over the Foley's stores. Nearly every mall in the area had a Foley's, but Macy's has been unable to keep stores open in some of the lower tier malls such as Foley's was. <br /><br />Really the only locations that are safe in the area are located at the better malls of the area such as Baybrook, Deerbrook, Galleria, Pearland (town center development), Willowbrok (main store), Woodlands, and First Colony. Dillard's has done a better job of marketing to the locals and Macy's could close a lot of stores in this area. Beaumont Texas (Parkdale Mall) is another candidate for closing as well since the second floor was closed off and the nearby Lake Charles Louisiana Macy's which was located at a healthy mall closed several years ago. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-37876249213053112612016-08-26T19:42:19.818-07:002016-08-26T19:42:19.818-07:00Part II:
Houston locations that could close:
1. ...<i>Part II:</i><br /><br />Houston locations that could close:<br /><br />1. Almeda Mall - This mall is not far from Plaza Paseo, but it's in a better location. This store was quite big (it was a twin to the demised Northwest Mall location), but it was downsized and completely renovated after Hurricane Ike damage in 2008. Unlike Plaza Paseo, it does not sell furniture. Almeda Mall was said to be a dying mall about 10 years ago, but it has rebounded in recent years and the mall was renovated significantly last year. I don't really see this store closing especially if they close the Plaza Paseo store, but I guess they could since the strong Baybrook Mall location isn't too far away.<br /><br />2. West Oaks Mall - This is another mall developed by Federated. West Oaks seems to vacillate between being on the upswing and struggling, but the recent downturns in the oil industry could be putting a hurt on this location since the upstream oil industry is huge in the western suburbs. This location is maintained better than other non-A mall Macy's so I don't think it'll close, but perhaps Macy's will focus on their Memorial City Mall location in west Houston.<br /><br />3. Willowbrook Mall Men's Store - There's really nothing wrong with Willowbrook Mall. Nordstrom Rack and H&M recently opened at the mall and Dick's Sporting Goods is building a new location currently. That said, perhaps Macy's will want to consolidate their locations at the mall. The mall might be ok with this as that will open up a new anchor pad for potential new tenants (the store used to be a Montgomery Ward). The women's store used to contain what the men's store has so I'm sure those departments could be put back in. At one time what is now the Willowbrook women's store and the West Oaks locations were essentially carbon copies of one another, but the Willowbrook women's store was renovated more extensively so they really only look similar on the outside now. <br /><br />One curveball that Macy's may have to prepare for in the Houston market is Belk. Belk does not have locations here, but there's always speculation (or maybe wishful thinking) that they will come here sooner rather than later. It's hard to say. Will Macy's try to hang on to marginal stores here in an attempt to try to make things difficult for Belk to break into the market? Or might they close their stores in poor condition to try to improve their image here locally? It's hard to say, but it's fun to speculate about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-10844320303734017422016-08-26T19:29:58.987-07:002016-08-26T19:29:58.987-07:00Part I:
Interesting post, thanks for it. I can&#...<i>Part I:</i><br /><br />Interesting post, thanks for it. I can't speculate about the whole state of Texas, but I can speculate about possible closings in the Houston area.<br /><br />It should be noted that Macy's has already closed several locations in Houston in the past 10 years already. The 360k sq. ft. Sharpstown Mall location closed in 2008, the Northwest Mall location closed in 2008 after sustaining damage from Hurricane Ike and never reopened, the relatively young Mall of the Mainland location in Texas City closed about five years ago (the mall closed a few years later, but the Sears remains, Palais Royal moved into the ex-Macy's building along with a large upscale gym, and a local developer is trying to reopen the mall with non-retail clients), the downtown Macy's closed a few years ago and was redeveloped, and the The Galleria Macy's at Sage closed a couple of years ago as well. The latter case is an odd one as Macy's maintained two full-line stores at The Galleria for a few years. Macy's decided to keep the former Foley's store and close the "original" Macy's. It should also be noted that "original" Macy's closed all their Houston area stores in the mid-1990s except for the aforementioned Macy's at Sage location. All current Houston Macy's are former Foley's locations. <br /><br /><i>Macy's that are very likely to be closed:</i><br /><br />1. Greenspoint Mall - Greenspoint Mall, which was actually developed by Federated, has been a dying mall since the mid 1990s. Since then, JCPenney, Mervyns, and Sears have left the mall (Lord & Taylor left many years earlier). Montgomery Ward went out of business. Dillard's downgraded their store there to a clearance store many years ago. Macy's downsized the store to one floor some years ago, but it's still quite large since the building is over 300k sq.ft. in size. The store was in terrible condition during my last visit. The 2nd floor parts that overlook the 1st floor were covered in what appears to be cheap white bedsheets. The store looks like it when it opened in the mid-70s and isn't maintained very well. Say what you want to about Sears, but this store looks worse than any Sears I've seen and probably worse than most Kmarts. It's hard to imagine this one sticking around.<br /><br />2. Plaza Paseo - This mall was formerly called Pasadena Town Square until a few months ago when the mall got new ownership. The mall opened in the early 1980s, but the Foley's/Macy's is about 20 years older I do believe. The Pasadena area is an older blue collar refinery suburb of Houston. The mall's Dillard's closed about 10 years ago and now houses a non-retail business. The Sears at the mall opened in the mid-1990s and is much, much nicer looking and busier than the Macy's. The Sears is the centerpiece of the mall. The Macy's here is in similar condition to the Greenspoint location albeit smaller and maybe a little bit nicer. The 2nd floor here closed as well, but unlike the Greenspoint store, it maintained it's furniture department. The 2nd floor was in terrible shape before closing with several large sections of water stained ceiling tiles and stuff like that.<br /><br /><i>Macy's that are likely to be closed:</i><br /><br />1. San Jacinto Mall - This dying mall is also located in a blue collar refinery suburb. The mall has new ownership that plans on redeveloping the mall into an outdoor lifestyle center. This is another mall where the Sears may do better than the Macy's. I've never been to the Macy's here, but I hear that it has not changed much since it opened as Foley's in the early 1980s. Perhaps Macy's will keep this location with the hopes of a successful mall redevelopment, but I could see Macy's getting out of this situation as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-40005247222967715962016-08-25T06:55:23.449-07:002016-08-25T06:55:23.449-07:00Visited the River Ridge Mall location yesterday an...Visited the River Ridge Mall location yesterday and speaking to the associates there, they are all saying that the store is a strong performer. I mentioned that to other retail enthusiasts and they all were scratching their heads like "HOW and WHY?!" But it has been said that the Mid-Atlantic division of Macy's does well. I do know that the Virginia/North Carolina region has been exceeding lately as far sales and profits from listening to a conference call a while back. <br /><br />I do have a few theories about River Ridge and how it manages to maintain it's relevance. First of all, you have Liberty University which has alot of "clout" and "power" and I wonder what type of negotiations they will do to keep Macy's OR let it go, depending on how they feel about them. The second and most interesting observation that I have noticed (but I need data to back this up) the Belk location at River Ridge was a former Leggett Flagship HOWEVER that store is much larger and the volume of merchandise is far better than Valley View Mall and Tanglewood Mall (Roanoke locations). The JCPenney location seems to be a full volume store (even on one level) and then you have TJ Maxx (which is Macy's enemy at the moment). I wondering if Macy's would want to leave that kind of "money on the table". Granted that store hasn't seen any kind of updates other than closing off walls and space but I wonder if they have found a happy medium to justify keeping them open. <br />I do agree though, that River Ridge's competition is both Valley View Mall in Roanoke and Short Pump Town Center in Richmond. Both of those malls are classified as super regionals with a huge pull in both directions. <br /><br />Yesterday's visit there has made me put Macy's River Ridge in the "possible closing" category now! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-67965949808660496752016-08-24T10:59:45.859-07:002016-08-24T10:59:45.859-07:00Thanks. I corrected it per your information. Tha...Thanks. I corrected it per your information. That will also help on a future post about the mall.J.T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04208881715255029485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2047095566316955789.post-54545731764207579452016-08-23T15:00:16.278-07:002016-08-23T15:00:16.278-07:00Security Square Mall opened in 1972. Hecht's ...Security Square Mall opened in 1972. Hecht's (Now Macy's) was part of a 1982 addition which added the food court and moved the theatres to an outparcel. The Hechinger outparcel (Now Weis Markets) was also added at that time. This mall has been dying for years.R686SThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05794493026592509291noreply@blogger.com