(WKBN) — Two major retailers announced store closures to start the year.
Macy's and Kohl's store locations across the nation will soon be going dark, according to Thursday news releases from both companies.
Here's what to know.
The New York City-based Macy's will be closing 66 stores across nearly two dozen states as part of its "Bold New Chapter" strategy, describing the soon-to-be-closed locations as "non-go-forward" locations.
The new strategy, initially announced in February 2024, is designed to return the company to sustainable, profitable sales growth. In a Thursday press release, Macy's said it plans to close about 150 underproductive stores in total over a three-year period.
“Closing any store is never easy, but as part of our Bold New Chapter strategy, we are closing underproductive Macy’s stores to allow us to focus our resources and prioritize investments in our go–forward stores, where customers are already responding positively to better product offerings and elevated service,” said Tony Spring, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc.
Impacted stores, listed by state, can be found below:
While listed among the impending closures, Macy's notes that the Hillsdale Furniture location in California closed in 2024 and the furniture business relocated to a nearby full-line location. Furniture-only locations in Mission Valley, California, and Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, and South Dade, Florida, also moved to nearby full Macy's locations. Furniture-focused locations at the Streets at Southglenn in Colorado and Boca Raton, Florida, closed in 2024. The latter also relocated.
The majority of the stores above are expected to close in early 2025, but locations at the Essex Green Shopping Center in New Jersey and Queens Place in New York are slated to close mid-year.
Kohl’s announced "real estate changes" for 2025, including the closure of its San Bernardino, California, E-commerce Fulfillment Center in May and the closure of 27 underperforming stores by April 2025.
"We always take these decisions very seriously," said Tom Kingsbury, Kohl’s chief executive officer, in a press release. "As we continue to build on our long-term growth strategy, it is important that we also take difficult but necessary actions to support the health and future of our business for our customers and our teams."
Stores across 15 states will close, with the majority of closures centered in California. You can see those impacted locations, shared in a press release, below:
According to Kohl's, impacted employees were offered a severance package or the chance to apply to another open role within the company.
These closures come on the heels of a tumultuous year for many major retailers and fast-food chains. Among those that closed locations in 2024 were Advance Auto Parts and JOANN Inc. as well as bankruptcy-rattled Big Lots and Red Lobster. Some of those impacted brands expect store closures to occur in 2025.
