You’ve probably seen the headlines: “Macy’s closing 150 stores.” It sounds like the end of an American retail icon. But if you’re picturing locked doors, going-out-of-business signs, and a complete shutdown—that’s not what’s happening.
Macy’s is still open. It’s still publicly traded. And it has a clear plan for where it’s headed. Here’s a straightforward breakdown of what’s actually going on.
Macy’s Is Not Going Out of Business—But It Is Getting Smaller
Macy’s Inc. is not in bankruptcy. It’s not liquidating. It’s executing a planned, multi-year restructuring that it announced back in early 2024.
Think of it like a restaurant chain that closes 20 underperforming locations while upgrading its best 50. The brand doesn’t disappear—it just gets leaner and more focused. That’s the situation with Macy’s right now.
The company is still actively investing in hundreds of stores and its online operations. CEO Tony Spring has been clear in public statements: this is a deliberate turnaround strategy, not a corporate collapse. Forbes has described it as a transformation, not a failure.
The “Bold New Chapter” Plan, Explained
In February 2024, Macy’s announced what it called its “Bold New Chapter” strategy. The core idea is simple: stop spreading resources thin across every location and focus on the stores that are actually performing.
The plan divides Macy’s locations into two buckets:
- About 350 “go-forward” stores — these get continued investment, updated formats, and improved merchandise and customer experience.
- About 150 “non-go-forward” stores — these are the underperforming locations being closed over time.
At the same time, Macy’s is expanding its luxury segment. Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury—both owned by Macy’s Inc.—are being grown as a parallel path. This isn’t a replacement for the core Macy’s brand. It’s a way to build revenue in a part of retail that’s holding up better than mid-tier department stores.
What’s driving all of this? Weak 2024 performance, declining demand for apparel and footwear, and intense competition from off-price retailers and online shopping. The company’s stock also took hits, which added pressure to act. The strategy is a direct response to those conditions.
How Many Stores Are Closing and Which Ones Are on the 2026 List
Here’s where the numbers stand as of early 2026.
The original plan called for closing roughly 150 underperforming locations, with about 50 shutting in the first year. After that first round of 55 closures, Macy’s closed 66 more stores in 2025. That puts the company at about 80% of its 150-store closure target heading into 2026, according to Forbes.
In 2026, Macy’s is closing 14 more stores across 12 states. Clearance sales started in mid-January, running about 10 weeks, with most of those closures completing in the first quarter.
The 14 Stores Closing in 2026
Here are the specific locations confirmed for 2026 closures:
- La Mesa, CA
- Tracy, CA
- Atlanta, GA
- Glen Burnie, MD
- Grandville, MI (Rivertown Crossings)
- St. Cloud, MN
- Newington, NH
- Livingston, NJ
- Ramsey, NJ
- Amherst, NY
- Raleigh, NC
- Tarentum, PA
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Tukwila, WA
If your local store isn’t on this list, it’s worth checking Macy’s official corporate site or recent press releases directly. Don’t rely on older news articles that may list stores from prior rounds of closures.
One Important Timeline Update
Here’s something that gets lost in most coverage: not all remaining closures will happen by the end of 2026. Macy’s CFO Tom Edwards confirmed to Fast Company that some closures from the original 150-store plan have been pushed through 2028. The reasoning is straightforward—winding down stores slowly allows the company to get more value from its assets rather than rushing through fire-sale liquidations.
So if you see a headline saying “Macy’s will close 150 stores by 2026,” that’s no longer fully accurate. The target is still around 150 total closures, but the timeline now runs through 2028 for some locations.
What This Means for Employees and Communities
Store closures have real consequences beyond the retail footprint. Macy’s restructuring includes more than 1,000 job cuts tied to the current phase of changes. That includes not just store-level staff but also workers at two major distribution and fulfillment centers in Connecticut.
The South Windsor, CT facility is expected to close by mid-2026, and the Cheshire, CT center is being phased out through April 2027, according to Newsweek. These aren’t small operations—logistics center closures affect hundreds of workers in those regions.
For communities anchored around a Macy’s—particularly in mid-size malls—a closure has a ripple effect. When Macy’s leaves a mall like Rivertown Crossings in Grandville, Michigan, for example, the remaining tenants lose a major traffic driver. Mall operators then face the challenge of backfilling that anchor space, which is a real problem that’s playing out in retail markets across the country.
What Shoppers Should Know
If your local Macy’s is on the closure list, here’s the practical reality. Stores stay open during the 10-week clearance sale period before shutting. That means you can still shop there while inventory lasts—often at steep discounts as the sale progresses.
After closure, your options are the nearest remaining Macy’s location, or macys.com. The company’s online operation is a deliberate part of its strategy going forward, not just an afterthought. The “Bold New Chapter” plan explicitly includes strengthening the digital experience alongside physical store upgrades.
For shoppers in areas where Macy’s is pulling back entirely, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury remain options—though they target a higher price point and won’t feel like a direct substitute for most Macy’s shoppers.
Is Macy’s “Dying” or Just Changing?
This is the honest question underneath all the headlines. The answer depends on how you define the brand’s future.
A Macy’s with 350 stores is still a major national retailer. For comparison, plenty of well-known retail chains operate successfully with far fewer locations. Fewer stores doesn’t mean the brand is finished—it means the company is concentrating where it can actually make money.
That said, Macy’s faces genuine, ongoing pressure. Off-price retailers like TJX and Ross continue to grow. E-commerce keeps pulling spending away from traditional department stores. Consumer habits around apparel have shifted significantly. These aren’t temporary problems—they’re structural changes in how Americans shop.
What Macy’s is betting on is that a smaller, better-run operation—with upgraded go-forward stores, a stronger luxury segment, and a tighter online presence—can survive and stabilize where a bloated, spread-thin version couldn’t. Whether that bet pays off is still being tested.
For more coverage of business strategy and what’s happening in retail and beyond, visit Alpha Business Daily.
The Bottom Line
Macy’s is not going out of business. It is, however, a meaningfully smaller company than it was five years ago—and it will likely be smaller still by 2028 when the remaining closures wrap up.
If you want to know whether your specific store is closing, check Macy’s official press releases or current reporting from credible news outlets. The 14-store 2026 closure list is confirmed, the broader 150-store plan is about 80% complete, and the remaining wind-downs now extend through 2028.
The practical takeaway: Macy’s isn’t disappearing, but it’s not the same company it was a decade ago either. It’s shrinking by design, and where that strategy lands will become clearer over the next few years.
Read Also:
