Cape Girardeau Macy's to close this spring

Macy’s in Cape Girardeau, one of the original anchor stores at West Park Mall when it was known as Famous Barr, will close this spring as the national department store chain pursues a multiyear streamlining strategy.

“After careful consideration, Macy’s has decided to close our West Park Mall location,” company spokeswoman Julianne Olivo said in an email to the Southeast Missourian on Tuesday afternoon.

“The closure is part of the company’s strategy announced in early 2020,” she said.

Employees at the Cape Girardeau location have reportedly been told the store will close as early as mid-March. A specific “last day of business” has not been announced, but Olivo said a clearance sale will begin this month and run for “approximately 8-12 weeks” and the store will close following the sale.

Macy’s will be the third major retailer to close its Cape Girardeau store in just over three years. Kmart, formerly at 11 S. Kingshighway, closed in November 2018, followed by the Sears Grand store on Siemers Drive in October 2019.

At one time, Macy’s was among the largest U.S. department store chains in terms of retail sales, but by 2017 the company began downsizing its footprint, closing approximately 100 stores that year.

The New York-based retailer announced in plans in early 2020 to close another 125 locations, or about 20% of its remaining locations, and cut 2,000 jobs over several years. The company closed 30 stores in 2020, including its location in Carbondale, Illinois.

The Cape Girardeau store is reportedly among 45 locations the company plans to close this year. Olivo said a list of Macy’s 2021 store will be posted today on the Macy’s corporate website, www.macys.com.

Olivo said regular, nonseasonal Macy’s employees at the Cape Girardeau location who are unable to be reassigned to other Macy’s locations “will be eligible for severance, including outplacement resources.”

Macy’s at the West Park Mall is seen Tuesday in Cape Girardeau.Sarah Yenesel ~ sarahy@semissourian.com

When told of Macy’s closure announcement, Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner expressed disappointment, but not surprise.

“Retail is certainly changing nationally and locally,” he said. “It is sad to see this store close after so many years as part of the community. Thank you to all (Macy’s) workers, past and present.”

West Park Mall is managed by CBL Properties, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Contacted by the Southeast Missourian on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for CBL said the management company was unaware of Macy’s plans to close the West Park Mall location.

The Macy’s store at West Park Mall was originally part of the Famous Barr retail chain owned by May Department Stores. Macy’s parent company, Federated Department Stores Inc., purchased May Department Stores in 2005 and the Cape Girardeau store was rebranded as “Macy’s” the following year. Along with J.C. Penney, Famous Barr was one of the mall’s original anchor stores when the shopping center opened in 1981. Venture became the mall’s third anchor store in 1984 and operated until 1998 in a location now occupied by Ashley Furniture and Och’s Powersports.

“The decision to close a store is always a difficult one,” Olivo said. “But Macy’s West Park Mall is honored to have served our customers and the community over the past 39 years, and we look forward to continuing to do so online at www.macys.com or on the Macy’s app.”

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