Why Is So Much of the Macy’s Store Empty?

What’s going on at the Macy’s store in La Cumbre Plaza? The second floor is empty and there are toys on the ground floor. —D.

The Macy’s store at La Cumbre Plaza is part of a nationwide expansion of the company’s discount brand, Macy’s Backstage. Approximately 12,600 square feet of the third floor will be given over to Backstage; the first and second floors likely have to be reconfigured in advance of the store-within-a-store’s debut on April 23. As for the toys, Macy’s has entered a partnership with Toys R Us. From USA Today last August: “Toys R Us is making yet another comeback. This time, the iconic brand is teaming with Macy’s to open toy shops in more than 400 department stores nationwide starting in 2022.”

La Cumbre Plaza is certainly in a state of flux. As you may recall, the building and some adjacent parking lots were bought by a team led by father-and-son Jim and Matt Taylor, with the goal of taking over the entire center and replacing it with a major mixed-use development. But Macy’s reportedly has six years left on its lease, and the ground lease for the Sears building has 15 to 20 more years.

You have to feel sorry for Bristol Farms and the folks responsible for leasing out the rest of the mall, who would undoubtedly prefer a more upscale atmosphere, and instead they get Macy’s Backstage and, in the old Sears building, Mattress Mike and Moving Miss Daisy Consignment.

Here are some highlights from the March 22 press release about the Backstage expansion:

Beginning April 9 and rolling out through June 2022, Macy’s will open 37 new Macy’s store-within-store Backstage locations nationwide. […] Customers can find something to fit their style in apparel for women, men, and children; a wide range of toys, housewares, beauty products, designer handbags, activewear and gifts.

Fueled by the growth of Macy’s Backstage in nearly 300 stores nationwide, Macy’s will open a Backstage inside the iconic Macy’s State Street flagship store in Chicago on April 9. The deal-friendly shopper’s paradise will also expand to Macy’s New York City flagship store, Herald Square, with over 15,000 square feet of dedicated store within store retail space in May. Customers will be able to shop from luxury to off-price all under one roof.

Macy’s accelerated its off-mall, small format expansion last year with two new free-standing Backstage locations in Dallas, TX and three Market by Macy’s locations in Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. Macy’s continues to shift its store fleet to meet the needs of changing consumer behaviors and plans to open additional off-mall locations throughout 2022.

The first set of store openings in April includes (*indicates flagship locations):

April 9, 2022:
Macy’s Kenwood Towne Centre- Cincinnati, OH
Macy’s Mall of Georgia- Buford, GA
Macy’s Mall at Greece Ridge- Rochester, NY
Macy’s Oxford Valley- Langhorne, PA
Macy’s Santa Maria Town Center- Santa Maria, CA
Macy’s State Street- Chicago, IL*
Macy’s Tyrone Square- St. Petersburg, FL

April 23, 2022:
Macy’s Chandler Fashion Center- Chandler, AZ
Macy’s Easton Town Center- Columbus, OH
Macy’s Florence Mall- Florence, KY
Macy’s Imperial Valley– El Centro, CA
Macy’s La Cumbre Plaza- Santa Barbara, CA
Macy’s North Dartmouth- Dartmouth, MA
Macy’s Peachtree Mall- Columbus, GA
Macy’s Salem Center- Salem, OR
Macy’s Sherwood Mall– Stockton, CA
Macy’s Southpark Center– Strongsville, OH
Macy’s Westfield Brandon- Brandon, FL
Macy’s Westfield North County- Escondido, CA

The following grand opening dates will be announced later this spring (*indicates flagship locations):

May 2022:
Macy’s Bolingbrook- Bolingbrook, IL
Macy’s Boise Towne Square- Boise, ID
Macy’s East Lansing- Okemos, MI
Macy’s Fashion Place- Murray, UT
Macy’s Fox Valley- Aurora, IL
Macy’s Herald Square- New York City, NY *
Macy’s Valencia Town Center- Santa Clarita, CA
Macy’s West Acres Mall- Fargo, ND

June 2022:
Macy’s At the Shops at Wiregrass- Wesley Chapel, FL
Macy’s Belden Village Mall- Canton, OH
Macy’s Cielo Vista Mall- El Paso, TX
Macy’s Coddingtown Mall- Santa Rosa, CA
Macy’s Crossroads Mall- Portage, MI
Macy’s Gurnee Mills- Gurnee, IL
Macy’s Hilldale- Madison, WI
Macy’s Manassas Mall- Manassas, VA
Macy’s Patrick Henry- Newport News, VA

Got a question you’d like investigated? Email [email protected] or text 917-209-6473.

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••• What’s the story with the half-finished lot next to the Montecito Country Mart? 

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