Macy's is closing another 100 stores

[Recursion]

Source: CNN

Another 100 struggling Macy's stores are disappearing.

Macy's (M) announced plans on Thursday to close about 15% of its department stores, the latest effort to adapt to shifting consumer preferences for online shopping.

Macy's did not disclose which stores it will close, but said most of them will close early in 2017.

The move comes as Macy's revealed its second-quarter sales fell less than feared. Macy's stock soared 10% in premarket trading.

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/11/investing/macys-closes-100-stores/index.html

[maxrandb]

1. Just another company the Trump has driven to ruin n/t

[melm00se]

6. Help me understand:

How so?

[maxrandb]

8. Kind of Tongue in Cheek

but Macy's used to sell his shitty a$$ clothing line.

I'm sure he's not the single reason they are closing stores, but it seems that anything he touches turns to poop.

They recently dropped his stuff due to his toxic comments, but the damage had been done. People didn't realize what a complete a$$-pickle he was when all he did was a stupid Reality TV Show and Tweet about banging the Kardashian sisters.

Once people saw him for who and what he truly is...an ugly, horrific, boorish a$$hat, even being associated with him for 2 seconds is enough to drive people away in droves.

[Sherman A1]

2. Sad

Lots of jobs will be lost.

[stopbush]

51. Really. The last couple of times I was in a Macy's

there was hardly any staff at all. No clerks to help with merchandise on the floor and registers manned by one person for an entire department.

[Sherman A1]

58. Certainly they have understaffed for a very long time

but there are still many jobs in those stores that will simply no longer be there. I suspect however the executives will end up with a nice bonus....

[brooklynite]

3. I'm guess the Macy's in the old Abraham & Straus space in Brooklyn will finally go...

The store was already being downscaled (it used to be 8 stories) to allow for residential/office development; I suspect filpping the entire property would be more profitable.

[closeupready]

16. Is that the one near the Hoyt/Schermerhorn stop, and the Federal Courthouse?

Never went inside, lol, but always pass it on my way to jury duty. Couldn't miss it, but it never seemed to fit the area; now that Brooklyn is hot again, that parcel would probably be more profitable as a parking lot, than a Macy's.

[brooklynite]

22. Yep...

...when I was growing up in Brooklyn Heights in the 60s, A&S was a classic Department Store with manually-operated glass door elevators in the central lobby, and it's own private subway entrance.

[closeupready]

25. It won't be too long before that entire area (downtown Brooklyn)

gets urban-renewaled, such is the insane pace of gentrification that's going on now here.

[Danmel]

44. My mom took us shopping there every year for back to school

We'd go to Mays for coats. And to Juniors on DeKalb Avenue for lunch & cheesecake, of course

We lived in East Flatbush. Those were great stores.

[elfin]

4. They ruined Marshall Fields In Milwauker IMO

Used to be a special place to shop with upscale goods and classy but comfortable tone. Now exhibits bargain basement behavior with constant coupons, sales and ordinary merchandise.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

9. Same in Chicago. Stores go out of business all the time but Field's was a part of the culture here.

[closeupready]

17. Field's on State Street in the 80's was amazing.

Phil Miller, wasn't that the guy's name who ran it? When he left, it just died.

[Ace Rothstein]

24. Field's started dying when Target bought it.

Macy's threw gas on the fire and cut off the water supply.

[closeupready]

26. Right, when they bought it from Federated (which is, ironically, Macy's boss).

[3catwoman3]

56. It sure was. I miss Marshall Field's.

Haven't set foot in a Macy's since they buyout, and won't be.

[SusanCalvin]

29. That's a perfect description of my local Macy's.

Plus clothes always skewed on hangers or on the floor. Classless customers plus demoralized staff, I guess.

[TexasBushwhacker]

66. I worked in retail for 13 years

I worked for Joske's which was later bought by Dillard's.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but things started going downhill when they started having one checkout station per floor instead of in each department. This means fewer staff on the floor straightening things, dusting, cleaning out dressing rooms etc. They also pack things much tighter on the floor, having more and taller fixtures. That's actually a nightmare for theft control. It makes it so much easier to steal.

[SusanCalvin]

67. I've never worked retail, but

Now that you describe it to me - yes, that's exactly what happened.

[NWCorona]

39. The same with the Bon Marche in Seattle.

[GP6971]

59. The Bon was a really

good shopping experience. We stopped going there as soon as Macy's took them over....the difference between the two was staggering.

[NWCorona]

62. Yup! When they dropped the ceilings at the flagship state in downtown Seattle I was done!

[joshcryer]

5. Didn't know they had that many open...

[Kathy M]

10. Here is a link to Macy's list all the stores they have , over the years they have bought out

many stores http://macysinc.com/for-investors/store-information/stores-by-state/default.aspx

Years ago Macy's bought two department stores in mall by me ..... Kauffmans ( sp ) and May Co

If Wiki is correct numbers they have 789 stores . Macy merged with federated department stores after Macy went through
chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1992

http://macysinc.com/for-investors/store-information/stores-by-state/default.aspx

[SusanCalvin]

30. Also Foley's, I think. nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

47. Yes, Macy's bought Foleys n/t

[milestogo]

7. Why shop Macy's when you can shop Amazon

without getting off the couch?

[SusanCalvin]

31. For clothes - I don't buy anything I can't try on. nt

[PassingFair]

43. You and me both.

I can take 12 garments into a changing booth and not have ONE item fit the way I want it to.

No way am I ordering shit on-line and then SENDING IT BACK to get another size. Sizes are so
fluid these days, I can wear anything between an 18 and an 8...

Gotta sweat it out in person!

[SusanCalvin]

45. Ain't that the simple truth! nt

[Kennah]

74. Depends what it is

Shoes I only buy when I can try them on, though I did recently buy a pair of bike sandals mail order. Followed their sizing guidelines, but still had to exchange them. Happy with the process, which was mostly painless.

Dress shirts, I know I'm 16-1/2 x 36.

Casual shirts, I buy used Eddie Bauer on EBay. Large Tall.

[SusanCalvin]

78. You're fortunate.

I can't tell how anything will look on me until I try it on. It's not just size.

Of course, men's shirts are pretty standard.

[Kennah]

79. Wife has given up saying, "You're wearing THAT?!"

It's mutual though.

[PersonNumber503602]

80. I'll buy some clothes online, but i will not buy any sort of pants.

I've never had much success with that unless it's a brand and style I'm already familiar with.

[NWCorona]

41. Macy's actually has tried to move strongly into the online market

The only drawback is the fact that now a lot of the brick and mortar stores are now fulfillment centers. This leads to a poor in store customer experience because the staff is busy filling orders and the stock on hand suffers.

[JI7]

50. they should figure out a way to do both

[NWCorona]

63. I agree with you on that

[womanofthehills]

54. Also, I have ordered online from Macy's and then get an email a few days later - item not available

[NWCorona]

64. That would be the worst! Especially when you could have ordered somewhere else.

Macy's can't rely on brand loyalty for ever.

[GOLGO 13]

11. Havent been in 1 in years.

[bluedye33139]

12. Menswear is horrible at Macy's in the western states

It's a great place to buy clothes if you want to go clubbing in Atlantic City, but their menswear is a horrible selection for every other need.

[closeupready]

18. It's horrible at their flagship store on 34th Street.

As someone else posted, why deal with it when you can shop at Amazon? I wouldn't mind dealing with the crowds and the shop clerk attitudes if there was actually good things to buy, but Amazon and online is where it's at now.

[bluedye33139]

19. Horror on 34th Street! I would watch that movie

[womanofthehills]

53. Agreed - I even buy my shoes on Amazon

If you know what brands you like and read the reviews on fit - no problem. At a department store, I might find a shoe I like and they might just carry it in one color but online I have so many color choices. The prices on Amazon go up and down so fast - one day a pair of shoes is $90, the next day it could be $30, the next $80 - all over the place. I like to put something in my basket and leave it till the price really drops, than buy it.

I live way out in the country, 180 miles round trip from a Macy's or mall, so Amazon has become my friend. Also with Prime, I have no shipping charges and Macy's has relatively high shipping charges.

[LenaBaby61]

57. Macy's is closing another 100 stores.

"I live way out in the country, 180 miles round trip from a Macy's or mall, so Amazon has become my friend. Also with Prime, I have no shipping charges and Macy's has relatively high shipping charges."

I also live way out in the "boonies" as they're called , so I like you shop on line. I'm lucky that most of the clothing I purchase runs true to my size 8-10, but if the fabric is cut small I sometimes wear a 12, but the selection of styles and colors is what I love most. Where also catch a huge break in that I wear a size 7 medium shoe, and the shoes on line are much cheaper and the selection is fantastic. I don't buy a lot of clothes because I don't work as much as I used to and besides I have enough clothes to wear, but sometimes I see a nice sale for summer clothing or I'll need to replace that red or white turtleneck and I go all in.

I remember when my late Mother used to order from Bullocks or the Broadway (Especially The Broadway because they were cheaper than the Bullocks Wilshire and their clothing, shoes, lingerie was to die for) and order her clothing via COD, and the returns were hassle-free in that the department store would send her another garment over BEFORE she sent her item back in via the COD man. Excellent credit MEANT something back-in-the-day.

I truly miss those days.

[closeupready]

65. Wow, you almost have no choice! Amazon is just terrific like that -

I feel guilty sometimes when I think about their warehouse labor policies. And I don't honestly know how to reconcile THAT, and the fact that I try to always spend my money at enterprises that reflect progressive, pro-worker policies.

[Squinch]

77. This is pretty tragic. That 34th St. store used to be just amazing for customer service.

I remember a year when I was too busy to shop till the last week before Christmas.

I worked across the street, so I went in at about 8PM on a Tuesday night, which wasn't a busy hour even at that season. A helper greeted me at the escalator on one floor, probably noting my panicked expression. She looked at my list of 15 items, called three other floors, walked me around to what was on her floor, and then sent me to the next floor where someone again greeted me at the escalator and walked me around his floor. Two more floors, same thing, each one calling ahead so someone greeted me as I got off the escalator.

In an hour the whole thing was done!

It was a true Christmas miracle!

[TlalocW]

13. Kind of a weird sadness

I've never been in one, but because of what I used to call, "The Macy Day Parade," as a kid, I always imagined it as one of those big New York stores depicted in children's stories as being very glamorous and bustling with amazing Christmas decorations during the holidays.

TlalocW

[Madam Mossfern]

73. It used to be that way

Gimbels was nearby. When my kids were small (oldest is 38-God I'm old!) I used to take them to see Santa at the Macy's on 34th Street. It was way more upscale then.

[TlalocW]

83. I'm in Kansas City

Been here for about 4 years, and some shops brought back an old tradition started in the 30s of the Fairy Princess, who was a helper to Santa. So you would talk to her about what you wanted for Xmas, and at the end, a small (and inexpensive) toy would come down a chute for the boy or girl. It was fascinating reading about the tradition in the large story in the paper.

TlalocW

[Iggo]

14. Gotta hold my breath walking in if I want to enter Macy's throught the mall entrance.

Perfume, perfume, perfume, and more fucking perfume. That department is offset by 45 degrees, too, so you can't just walk straight through. You have to make two turns and dodge a half dozen clowns in lab coats just to get into the store proper.

If the weather's nice (and in SoCal it's almost always nice), I go outside the mall and enter on the parking lot side.

Poster above is right. Men's wear is shit. I buy my chones there because I hate going to Nordstrom, but that's it.

[Grimelle]

15. Seriously

The one by me sucks...their clothes are horrible

[Danmel]

20. They have reduced their petite department too

I'm a wee little thing. I went to my local Macy's looking for some clothes and the petite department was virtually non-existent. I spoke to the manager and asked why they didn't want my money. He insisted they were doing just fine without me. Guess not.
I don't understand a business model that turns people away. Especially people like me who also buy for their spouses, kids and in-laws.
I feel sorry for the employees. Their management is clueless.

[moonscape]

21. Oddly sad. Macy's was my first credit card in NYC in the 70's and

there's one in my community in California. I think I was last in there 3-4 years ago and it would likely be another 3-4 before I'd go back. Mostly, I don't need stuff, and when I do Macy's isn't where I go.

Still - oddly - would rather ours not be one of those on the chopping block but will be shocked if it's not.

[BuddhaGirl]

23. Macy's ruined a wonderful

and historic department store chain in California - Bullock's.

The same thing happened to chains in other states as well.

[SusanCalvin]

32. They took over Bullock's as well?

[SMC22307]

69. The Hecht Company in DC, too.

Shopping was once a pleasant experience -- Hecht's, Woodward & Lothrop, Garfinckel's, Raleigh's. Macy's is anything but.

[tonyt53]

27. If discount store chains like Kohl's is having sales drops, Macy's would be worse.

Pretty easy to buy online. Oh, and before we feel too sorry for Macy's, they are up about 16% right now after announcing the closings, and will likely go higher before the end of trading today.

[scscholar]

28. Why are they allowed to do this?

They have an obligation to the people. We provided them with roads, water, power, etc., and then they backstab us like this.

[EX500rider]

34. Why is a private corporation allowed to close their stores if they want?

Because this isn't Venezuela thank god...

"We provided them with roads, water, power'
The roads are for everybody and everybody pays for them thru taxes, Macy's included.
They pay for their water and electric like everybody else.

[Freddie]

33. Haven't shopped in Macy's

Since they charged me a $25 fee on a $13 credit card balance that was 1 day late (this was before online bill paying). Called to complain and the answer was "that's in the form you signed when you took the card." Paid the bill, cut up the card, goodby Macy's. I guess they all do that and it's a lot easier to avoid if you're not depending on snail mail to get your payments timely.
I think Kohl's killed Macy's more than anything. More locations, better prices and usually not located in a mall.

[librechik]

35. since business refuses to pay a living wage, there are fewer and fewer consumers

Until they realize their own stupidity, which they won't, these conditions will continue.

[Warpy]

36. I'll be shocked if the one near me stays open

While I've run into a good sale on kitchen gadgets a couple of times, most of their stock is dowdy and overpriced. The store is usually empty except for the sales staff and people walking through it to the parking lot.

You just never know, though, the stores that did the most business here have long since closed.

[TexasBushwhacker]

49. Yeah, I'm sure some in the Houston will close

But with 12 stores in the greater Houston area, some need to close. I'm sure they'll close the one at Greenspoint Mall. Probably Almeda too.

[spiderpig]

37. 30 years ago I dressed Macy's & furnished my house Macy's

They had everything, including a cookware department (Cellar) that was second to none at the time.

Electronics, linens, luggage, mattresses, furniture...

(also a fabulous outlet store, she says, looking fondly at her end tables)

Then they started stocking only junk clothing and cosmetics. Haven't been in one in years.

[NWCorona]

42. Sears was the same way before before the Ayn Rand lover took over.

I can't even trust Craftsman tools anymore.

[spiderpig]

46. When I was single, my basic toolbox was all Craftsman

You couldn't go wrong.

[Freddie]

55. Same with Penney's

Bought our first house in the 80's and got most of the furniture and appliances at the nearby Penney's, including one of those newfangled VCRs ($400!). They even had their own private label appliances. Now it's mostly clothes, kitchen and other household stuff (bedding, towels, drapes). Also a PITA to deal with the mall stuff when you can just go to Kohl's.

[The Wizard]

38. Internet shopping has put a big dent in retail(NT)

[Kingofalldems]

40. They took over the Hecht Co. stores here in DC.

And did a terrible job. Used to enjoy browsing through Hecht's and I don't particularly like shopping.

[lanlady]

61. I miss Hecht's!

I could spend hours at the Hecht's at Tyson's Corner. Sigh.

[SMC22307]

70. Hecht's, Woodies, Garfinckel's, Raleigh's...

I may be older than you, but those were some wonderful DC stores. And Lord & Taylor at Seven Corners -- great place to buy a professional wardrobe during their killer sales.

Macy's blows!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

75. Please stop. You're making me cry.

Before starting college, I got some suits at the Raleigh's at Landmark Mall. That mall was not yet enclosed at the time. My grandmother and I used to eat at that cafeteria that was across the sidewalk from Raleigh's. S&W, according to Wikipedia. It's been a while....

Before starting my current job, I bought two pairs of slacks at the Lord & Taylor, also at Landmark Mall.

Thanks for the memories.

[SMC22307]

82. Aww, you're welcome. I shopped Landmark quite a bit in the '80s and early '90s.

Avoided Springfield Mall like the plague!

My shopping-with-grandmother memories take me to family-owned stores in SW Pennsylvania... shopping, cafes and candy counters. So civilized.

[Hekate]

48. Nuts. I guess I better return those tan pants soon.

They wrinkled badly in the wash and after half an hour trying to iron them I gave up.

I used to really like their clothing sales, especially Charter Club, but I currently have everything I need -- and the store has been allowed to run down quite a bit.

Shopping online for clothing and shoes is really not an option for me. Getting the right fit in women's clothes is problematic -- as someone mentioned upthread, sizes are all over the place, and in addition, you need to feel the fabric.

[spooky3]

52. I blame the decline in Americans' pay for the decline in the retail

experience. I remember when it was fun to shop for well made clothes of high quality fabric, planning to wear them for years. The good stores were pleasant and inviting. But now that many people can't afford to spend much (and work dress codes have changed) people seem to buy cheap and trendy, and the stores feel cheap, messy, etc.

[lanlady]

60. Macy's tried (and succeeded) in destroying the competition

Jordan Marsh in NY and CT, Hecht's and Woodies in the DC area, the list goes on and on. Filene's is gone too, I think. When I was a penniless grad student I used to shop at Filene's basement in Boston.

Macy's is the epitome of everything wrong with capitalist America - predatory, expansionist, bad to its workforce, profit-maximizing to an absurdity. Over the past decade or so, it seems to have squeezed everything out of its stores that was not geared to women below the age of 30. I won't go there anywhere, it's a waste of time! They have nothing for us ordinary, workaday women, I guess we can't afford to spend our whole paychecks on clothes that are meant to go out of style every 6 months.

For all that, their website is dreadful. It seems Macy's hasn't figured out that if you're going to appeal to a younger demographic and be competitive in Internet sales, you need an appealing, easy-to-use website.

[murielm99]

68. It has been a long time

since I have been able to find anything of decent quality in Macy's. I won't buy their cheap, poorly made clothing. I don't care if the whole chain goes away.

[Kablooie]

71. Seems like every day Macys is closing another 100 stores.

But actually I'm just reading the same post over and over.

[bobGandolf]

72. I wonder....

are the closings due increased internet sales?

[UMTerp01]

76. Makes sense. I have a Macys card but rarely go into a store

I can't remember the last time I actually went into a Macy's store. I think the last time was the one in Manhattan. I do most of my shopping online. The only time I like going out to the malls and stuff is during the holiday season because I love Christmas and the hustle and bustle of that season and the decorations. Other than that I am right on my laptop or whatever electronic device I'm using to order online. Delivered right to my door. Definitely don't mind paying for convenience.

[PersonNumber503602]

81. I guess they couldn't adapt.

I don't think I've been to a Macy's in a long time.