Macy’s is shuttering 2 of 6 stores in S.A. for its future
Macy’s is shuttering two of its six San Antonio stores as part of a wave of closures it announced early last year.
Clearance sales at the department chain’s Rolling Oaks Mall and Shops at Rivercenter stores start this month and will run for eight to 12 weeks.
Employees were previously told of
the closures, said Macy’s spokeswoman Lauren Phillips. Those who are not transferred to other stores in the area will be eligible for severance, including outplacement resources.
“The decision to close a store is always a difficult one, but Macy’s is honored to have served our customers and the community over the past 28 years at Macy’s Rolling Oaks and 31 years at Macy’s Rivercenter,” Phillips said.
The company will continue operating stores at South Park Mall, Ingram Park Mall, North Star Mall and the Shops at La Cantera.
In February, Macy’s announced plans to close roughly 125 stores in “lower tier malls” by 2023.
It also said it would test a smaller format, dubbed Market by Macy’s, featuring a blend of its products and local
items, food and events. The first store of that kind opened in Dallas.
Department stores were grappling with the rapid rise of online shopping, less foot traffic at some malls and competition fromamazon and discount chains before the coronavirus pandemic began.
Macy’s had been closing locations, reducing its workforce, exploring small
er formats and investing in its e-commerce operations and off-price stores. The company’s brands also include Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury.
The pandemic worsened the plight of mall-based and apparel retailers. Lockdowns and shoppers’ concerns about venturing out have dealt a blow to sales, and more people are working from home and spending less on clothing for the office and events.
In the third quarter, Macy’s reported sales of $3.99
billion and a loss of $91 million. That’s down from net sales of $5.17 billion and income of $2 million during the same period in 2019.
Digital sales rose 27 percent while comparable instore sales declined 20.2 percent.
“Customers shopped our brands across all channels in the third quarter and responded well to our expanded fulfillment offerings, such as curbside, store pickup and same-day delivery,” chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette said.
“Our digital business delivered strong growth and sales in our stores continued to recover.”
“Customers have shifted their spending to casual apparel and categories they can enjoy as they stay at home,” Gennette added. “Several of these categories, including home furnishings, jewelry and fragrance, have generated double-digit sales growth compared to last year.”