Macy’s, one of the anchor stores in the Governor’s Square Mall for more than two decades, has announced that it is closing the store as part of a nationwide reconfiguration.
In a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat, the retailer said it had alerted customers in October regarding its plans to “accelerate the expansion of our Macy’s small format stores, opening up to 30 additional locations through 2025.”
A company spokesperson said, “At Macy’s, we continue to evaluate the right number and mix of on- and off-mall locations. After careful consideration, we have decided to close our Macy’s Governor’s Square store.”
A store manager who requested to remain anonymous said, “It is a permanent close, and the store will not be a part of the expansion. There is no definite closing date, but it will occur in early spring.”
A Macy’s spokesperson told WCTV, “Approximately 40 employees will be impacted by this store closure. Those being impacted by this closure have been offered severance benefits to those who qualify.”
WCTV interviewed Sandra Smiley, who shops at Macy’s often. “I was just really sad and heartbroken that the store is closing,” Smiley said. “I think now it’s become the norm just to shop online because it’s convenient and things come right to the house, but I think we still need something in Tallahassee where people can come and shop and enjoy themselves.”
Online shopping increased during the pandemic and continued to rise. It’s convenient, caused reduced foot traffic to stores, and allows consumers to access inventory that is not available locally.
According to Wired, “The retail industry is changing partially due to fast-fashion retailers harnessing the power of internet-based technology in all aspects of their business. They are increasing and, in many cases, taking over larger spaces once occupied by big retailers. Along with convenience, these stores offer the latest styles, are reasonably priced, and are updated quickly and continuously in ways that weren’t possible before due to limitations with brick-and-mortar stores.”
Forbes stated that 20.8% of retail purchases were expected to occur online in 2023, and Amazon, the top online retailer, accounts for 37.8% of those e-commerce sales.
The liquidation sale at Macy’s in Governor’s Square has already begun. A store associate who asked not to be named said, “It’s sad to see the store become empty, but more is coming. There is a lot of merchandise in boxes, and we put out more items for sale on Thursdays.”
The store associate added, “All sales are final, and there are no returns, exchanges, or price adjustments.” Macy’s told Axios that the clearance sale at closing stores “will run for approximately 8-12 weeks.”
Macy’s invited customers to continue shopping at Macy’s online at macys.com and on the Macy’s mobile app.