Stonestown store among Macy’s, Sears closures
Novato store also on list; 2 Sears, too
A department store is closing. Again.
In the latest round of closures, the Novato Macy’s Furniture Store and the Macy’s in the Stonestown Galleria will shut their doors. Sears will shutter stores in San Jose and San Rafael, the company told employees. The department store chains announced the closures Thursday. The stores will close in March and April.
Like many department stores across the country, Macy’s and
Sears have been struggling in the era of Amazon. But there are still people like 62year-old Dennis La Chapelle who refuse to shop online, and instead prefer the simplicity of walking into a store and coming out with what they need.
“If I need something, I’ll come and get it,” La Chapelle said, as he browsed the Stonestown Macy’s for a new topcoat. “I hate to see it go . ... My wife and I have shopped here for years.”
In 2016, Macy’s announced a multiyear plan to close 100 stores; at least 68 shuttered in 2017. In addition to the Bay Area stores that are closing, Macy’s said Thursday that nine other stores will shut their doors this year, in California, Florida, Idaho, Vermont, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Sears Holdings is closing 100 additional Sears and Kmart stores nationwide.
The Stonestown closure has been a long time coming. Last January, the department store chain sold its building to General Growth Properties, the owner of the rest of the Stonestown complex. In July, the owner filed a plan with the city to replace the Macy’s with a mix of smaller retail stores, restaurants and a multiplex movie theater.
On Thursday morning, few people browsed the aisles of the sprawling Stonestown Macy’s — thumbing through racks of clothes or stopping to look at watches or try on shoes. While the closure will impact the store’s regulars, District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee said he supports turning the space into something more people will use.
“If people still desired going to Macy’s, then they would’ve gone there . ... The fact that they were losing their sales there, it probably was a good thing to get rid of,” Yee said. “Stonestown was able to quickly turn around and say, ‘Well, what other areas do they need, and what would benefit the community around there?’ ”
As Amazon and other retailers make online shopping ever more seamless through different payment options and shorter delivery windows, department stores like Macy’s, Sears and J.C. Penney have announced sweeping store closures this year. At the same time, some online-only stores are opening up physical spaces.
Clothing brand Everlane, a company known for chic and simple clothing, recently opened up a physical store in New York, and has plans for another one in San Francisco. Eyewear company Warby Parker has also opened up several stores. Amazon, of course, shook up the grocery store industry this year with its monumental purchase of Whole Foods. And with the closure of many rival booksellers, Amazon now operates the fourth-largest chain of bookstores in the U.S., including locations in Walnut Creek and San Jose.
Analysts say this trend is more about stores wanting to create a “brand experience” for their customers, rather than push more sales.
“Especially with apparel retailers, physical stores are a great means of introducing a shopper to the styles, quality and fit of their clothes,” Doug Stephens, founder of the Retail Prophet, previously told The Chronicle. “From there, they can shop more confidently online.”
As Macy’s focuses on improving its online services — its Macys.com division is headquartered in San Francisco — and highlighting exclusive offerings, the company reported Thursday that it experienced some growth over the holiday season, according to the Associated Press. But those gains are still not enough to save all of its current stores.
The closures are having major consequences for jobs — a broad concern as the traditional retail industry bleeds across the board. The total impact of Macy’s closures is unclear at this point, but last year, an estimated 3,900 employees lost jobs as a result of stores shutting down.
In a statement, Macy’s spokeswoman Monica Gubrud wrote that store associates had been told of the decision and the retailer will move regular non-seasonal employees to nearby locations or offer them severance.
“We’re all pretty flipped,” said one longtime Macy’s employee, who declined to give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the media. This employee said she has built her life around working at the Stonestown store.
“It is what it is,” the employee said. “Let’s face it, no one wants to come in here. Everyone just shops online now.”
“It is what it is. Let’s face it, no one wants to come in here. Everyone just shops online now.” Longtime Macy’s Stonestown employee