According to Deirdre Reilly of LifeZette, brick-and-mortar shopping may soon be a “remember when …?” proposition. She writes:
Moms and dads loyal to Macy’s are distressed over the news that the company has either closed or plans to close 68 of its retail stores. Shoppers now go online more often to buy goods for their families, and the shift has taken its toll.
The holiday numbers for Macy’s are reportedly a factor in the decision.
“I just love Macy’s and this makes me sad,” mother of three Kelly Driscoll of Reading, Massachusetts, told LifeZette. “I love browsing through their store, and they offer coupons and sales. You can get a real deal if you’re smart about when and what you buy.”
The decision to shutter the stores will affect some 6,200 jobs. “We continue to experience declining traffic in our stores where the majority of our business is still transacted,” Terry Lundgren, Macy’s CEO, said in a statement. As for the store closings, Lundgren noted, “We are closing locations that are unproductive or are no longer robust shopping destinations due to changes in the local retail shopping landscape … These are never easy decisions.”