Macy's to close 40 stores (Atlanta, Vinings: sale, 2015, apartment)

[ATLTJL]

Macy's closing up to 40 more stores - Sep. 9, 2015

If the Gwinnett Place store is on the list, that will leave nothing but Sears and Megamart.

Which might actually be good, because it could speed up redevelopment.

Or do you think they would close Greenbriar or some other store first?

This is just waxing poetic...there may not be any Atlanta area stores on the list.

[evannole]

Interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing the Cumberland store go away... The mall could really use more of an upscale anchor department store to help continue its transformation, e.g., Dillard's or Von Maur. I almost never bother with Macy's, and their Cumberland store is particularly nondescript. The area certainly could support a better store.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by evannole

Interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing the Cumberland store go away... The mall could really use more of an upscale anchor department store to help continue its transformation, e.g., Dillard's or Von Maur. I almost never bother with Macy's, and their Cumberland store is particularly nondescript. The area certainly could support a better store.

Interesting that you see Dillard's as more upscale. Dillard's here in Texas is seen as on par with Macy's, no better, no worse. Not that familiar with Von Maur, it hasn't come to this market, but I don't know that it is better, but not being bought out by a larger retailer, it probably has some of its original customer service mindset still in tact.... much like Parisian had before it got bought by Belk.

In my mind you have your JCPenney/Sears level, then your Macy's/Dillard's level and you don't really go above that until you have Nordstrom or Bloomingdales or Neimans.

My gripe with Macy's is doing away with so many venerable local retail names: Rich's and Davison's in Atlanta, Sanger Harris and Foley's in Texas, many others all over the country. It's like they down graded their own good name in the process as well.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by evannole

Interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing the Cumberland store go away... The mall could really use more of an upscale anchor department store to help continue its transformation, e.g., Dillard's or Von Maur. I almost never bother with Macy's, and their Cumberland store is particularly nondescript. The area certainly could support a better store.

I agree with your point that an upscale department store would be an improvement. However, the psychological impact and the hurt in the business reputation to Cumberland Mall would be huge if Macy's closed their store. Any department store would then think. "Why should we put in our Von Maur or Dillard's when Macy's can't make it, why should we think we can when our merchandise is even higher end?"

The reality is that at the present time, Macy's is the only thing that is holding up the smaller, inline high end stores (like Michael Kors, Pandora, etc.). If Macy's pulled out, those stores would really struggle.

Cumberland Mall is sort of an odd duck in the Metro Atlanta area as most of the other malls have several anchors that are not a Sears or JCPenney - look at Perimeter, Lenox, North Point, Town Center and The Mall of Georgia, they all have more than one anchor which is at least mid range to upper middle besides Macy's. Cumberland also has a fair number of non-national chains and has lost some basic national chains like The Gap in the past few years. Back in the 90's, a buyer for Rich's (predecessor to Macy's) told me the challenge for Cumberland is that a lot of its customer base is the apartment dwellers in the area and that is not the target demographic for the better brands that she would buy.

The problem at Cumberland occurred when JCPenney closed, it was not replaced with another anchor, but instead Costco came in out in the parking lot. That was the opportunity to get a Dillard's or Von Maur's. Unfortunately, the mall management at that time was unsuccessful in getting another dept. store and it seems the mall has suffered because of it.

In defense of Macy's at Cumberland, they have increased the number of higher end brands in the past few years.

BTW: Sears is not going to downsize their store at Cumberland and Kroger is not going in there either. I was in Sears this past weekend and a salesman informed me that nothing is changing at that Sears store.

[ATLTJL]

I don't know about upscale, but Dillard's is definitely more fashion forward than Macy's. At least for men.

[evannole]

Interesting takes. Quite honestly, I don't think that Macy's closing at Cumberland would scare another anchor off. Bloomingdale's shuttered their Perimeter store and was immediately replaced by Von Maur, which is a much better store. The department stores and other major retailers do their homework and know what the market can support. I do similar work in a completely different industry. To me, one of the best signs of what's going on with this mall and what it could support is the arrival of the Apple Store. Those guys do their homework and open stores only in places where they know they'll work. I can't recall the last time I have seen an Apple store close, if ever. If Apple is in Cumberland (and by all appearances doing very well there), the mall is on the upswing and doesn't need that tired Macy's branch - one that is pretty much empty every time I go in there, not because there's no potential clientele, but because corporate management has neglected that store for ages and it's quite uninteresting.

As to Costco, I see your point that that could have been another department store anchor, but I think that Costco was, by far, the better choice. I, for one, was overjoyed when it opened, and it's always absolutely mobbed. It may not draw a little of people into the mall itself, but I am sure it does something. I don't need a department store but every couple months or so. I need Costco every single week, and sometimes end up in the mall also.

To my friend from Texas : that's interesting that in your neck of the woods, Macy's and Dillard's are on the same plane. Here in Atlanta, most Dillard's stores are superior to most Macy's. I routinely see Hickey-Freeman suits at Dillard's - not that I cannot afford them except when on deep discount - but I have never seen anything approaching that quality at Macy's. The Macy's at Lenox might be a possible exception, but the rest of the stores are pretty pedestrian.

Von Maur is like Nordstrom in terms of merchandise quality and service, but they have much more attractive and more ongoing markdowns, whereas Nordstrom typically does a relatively modest sale twice a year and then sends their excess stock to Nordstrom Rack.

Glad to hear that the Kroger may not be coming to Cumberland after all. That seemed like a supremely stupid idea, both for Kroger and the mall (and I realize that the mall had no control as Sears owns the building). Hopefully Sears will eventually sell and a decent retailer will finally fill the entire space. The Sears store is a ghost town. They aren't even competitive on appliances anymore, and that was once their forte.

[lorilove]

Dillards wanted to come into Cumberland several years back and Rich's/Macy's kept them out.

I don't remember the details but Rich's or Macy's at the time had some type of contract that let them have input into what other anchors were allowed at the mall. So somehow they were able to specifically deny Dillards coming in. I will have to google and see if I can find the specifics but I remember reading about it years ago.

[Listennow32]

Oh man.. I hope they don't close Southlake Macy's... that would leave a gaping hole in an already struggling mall

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Listennow32

Oh man.. I hope they don't close Southlake Macy's... that would leave a gaping hole in an already struggling mall

There are too many malls in metro Atlanta, let the market decide which stay open.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by evannole

Interesting takes. Quite honestly, I don't think that Macy's closing at Cumberland would scare another anchor off. Bloomingdale's shuttered their Perimeter store and was immediately replaced by Von Maur, which is a much better store. The department stores and other major retailers do their homework and know what the market can support. I do similar work in a completely different industry. To me, one of the best signs of what's going on with this mall and what it could support is the arrival of the Apple Store. Those guys do their homework and open stores only in places where they know they'll work. I can't recall the last time I have seen an Apple store close, if ever. If Apple is in Cumberland (and by all appearances doing very well there), the mall is on the upswing and doesn't need that tired Macy's branch - one that is pretty much empty every time I go in there, not because there's no potential clientele, but because corporate management has neglected that store for ages and it's quite uninteresting.

As to Costco, I see your point that that could have been another department store anchor, but I think that Costco was, by far, the better choice. I, for one, was overjoyed when it opened, and it's always absolutely mobbed. It may not draw a little of people into the mall itself, but I am sure it does something. I don't need a department store but every couple months or so. I need Costco every single week, and sometimes end up in the mall also.

To my friend from Texas : that's interesting that in your neck of the woods, Macy's and Dillard's are on the same plane. Here in Atlanta, most Dillard's stores are superior to most Macy's. I routinely see Hickey-Freeman suits at Dillard's - not that I cannot afford them except when on deep discount - but I have never seen anything approaching that quality at Macy's. The Macy's at Lenox might be a possible exception, but the rest of the stores are pretty pedestrian.

Von Maur is like Nordstrom in terms of merchandise quality and service, but they have much more attractive and more ongoing markdowns, whereas Nordstrom typically does a relatively modest sale twice a year and then sends their excess stock to Nordstrom Rack.

Glad to hear that the Kroger may not be coming to Cumberland after all. That seemed like a supremely stupid idea, both for Kroger and the mall (and I realize that the mall had no control as Sears owns the building). Hopefully Sears will eventually sell and a decent retailer will finally fill the entire space. The Sears store is a ghost town. They aren't even competitive on appliances anymore, and that was once their forte.

You are absolutely right that Dillard's does carry higher end men's suits in both their Hickey Freeman and Hart Shaffner & Marx collections. The Macy's at Lenox doesn't carry either of these brands because they don't want to cut into the business of their sister store, Bloomingdale's.

In my opinion, the biggest opportunity for Cumberland Mall is to attract more shoppers from the "real Vinings" as well as a portion of the far west part of Buckhead. Lenox and Phipps can be very congested, but for the affluent shopper, living in the Paces Ferry Rd. area near Lovett, shopping at Cumberland might be an option if there were better brands offered in the department and other stores at the mall because there is less hassle in getting there. What I am saying is there is a small group of high dollar shoppers who keep a lot of these stores in business - for example, there aren't a lot of guys buying Hickey Freeman suits for $1,500.00. The key for malls is to figure out how to attract these shoppers (and keep them).

I had your opinion about Sears, too, until I was at the Cumberland store to make some purchases in the bedding and appliance areas and I was amazed at how busy that both departments were. They are definitely taking a more aggressive approach with shopper rewards to compete with Macy's.

If I were the owners of Cumberland Mall, I would be looking at a way to take advantage of the new Sun Trust Park by adding another department store and other smaller stores. Presently, it is underserving the surrounding community and can really up their game. Costco is nice, but it is not normally located in the same space as an indoor mall. They could have been at any strip center nearby and gotten the same business.