MIAMI (WSVN) - Macy’s has announced that their Downtown Miami location will be among 11 of their stores across the nation that will be closing this year.
According to a news release by Macy’s, the 11 stores will fully close by early 2018. Clearance sales are expected to begin around Jan. 8, and will run for eight to 12 weeks, the company said.
“It’s sad because it’s Macy’s,” said shopper Lidia Machado.
The downtown Miami location was originally the flagship Burdines store, which opened its first store 120 years ago in 1898, according to the Miami Herald. Burdines joined Federated Department Stores (now known as Macy’s) back in 1956, but didn’t get absorbed into the brand until 2004.
“I’m really sad to hear that. This has been like a staple. It’s been here forever. I remember coming here in the ’90s, and I’m going in now on my lunch hour to take care of some things,” said shopper Yvonne Pendolfo.
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Loyal downtown shoppers said the department store has been a convenient place to shop, but they see where retail is headed.
“It’s pretty sad. It’s very convenient, especially because my office is right down there,” said shopper Jorge Conforme. “It’s Amazon that’s taking them down — online retail.”
“I think the online shopping, the Amazons,” said Pendolfo. “Yeah, that’s making a huge difference. It’s a shame.”
Shoppers said the downtown location adds further inconvenience in a day and age when shopping has become instant and easy from home.
“I truly believe it’s parking. There’s nowhere to park, and the valet is $15, so it’s expensive,” said shopper Carol McCarthy. “I have my daughter driving around, so I can run in real quick.”
Macy’s says the closures are all part of the company’s growth strategy.
The company released a statement that read in part, “Our primary focus in 2017 has been to continue the strong growth of digital and mobile, stabilize our brick and mortar business and set the foundation for future growth … Looking ahead to 2018, we are focused on continuous improvement and will take the necessary steps to move faster, execute more effectively and allocate resources to invest in growth.”
Macy’s did not set an exact closing date for the Miami location. With these new closures Macy’s has now closed 124 stores since 2015.
“Just wondering what’s going to go up in this building now,” said Conforme. “Immediately think of the loss of jobs that’s going to take place right now. I think that’s probably the most consequential part.”
The list of closures along with the Downtown Miami location is as follows:
- Laguna Hills Mall, Laguna Hills, CA
- Westside Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
- Novato (Furniture), Novato, CA
- Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco, CA
- The Oaks, Gainesville, FL
- Miami (Downtown), Miami, FL
- Magic Valley Mall, Twin Falls, ID
- Honey Creek Mall, Terre Haute, IN
- Birchwood Mall, Fort Gratiot Township, MI
- Fountain Place, Cincinnati, OH
- Burlington Town Center, Burlington, VT
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