Is Macy's Leaving Eastland?

[funjon1]

While shopping at Eastland Mall tonight I heard talk that Macys is closing their store there shortly. Does anyone know if there is any truth to that rumor. As a child of Eastland[[it opened 2 1/2 years after my birth and I grew up in its shadows) I would hate to see it go.

[crawford]

I have no inside info, and have no clue how that Eastland Macys performs.

That said, I have always been amazed at the glut of Macys in metro Detroit. There are simply too many.

The following Macys seem to be highly questionable. I would guess that at least two of these four will not be with us within the next few years.

1. Northland Macys. This Macys is the second largest in the Midwest, behind only the State Street Macys in Chicago. It's the second largest mall-based Macys in the country, just barely behind Roosevelt Field Mall, outside of NYC.

Do you really need such a giant Macys in such an undesirable location? 8 Mile/Greenfield isn't exactly prime territory these days, and Northland Mall is basically completely vacated of national chain stores.

In contrast, the only other comparable mall-based Macys, at Roosevelt Field, sits smack-dab in one of the largest and most profitable malls in the country, and in the premiere retail corridor of Long Island, which is an area of 2.8 million people with a similar median income as Oakland County [[but 2.5 times the size).

2. Summit Place Mall Macys. Um, Summit Place no longer exists! The mall is now barracaded from the Macys and Sears sides!

Have you ever seen a thriving anchor store attached to abandoned mall? Me neither. I was here two Saturdays ago [[in town for a wedding) and I could park in the second row of parking spaces. There must have been 15 cars in the entire lot. Who knows? Maybe the other 14 were employees.

3. Eastland Mall Macys. I would guess this Macys is in better shape than the previous two, but this one is still way too big [[four floors, and one of the biggest mall-based Macys anywhere) and Eastland is a center in serious decline.

4. Oakland Mall Macys. I thought Oakland Mall was holding it's own, but I also visited this Macys two weeks ago [[I was searching for a different size than was available at Summit Place and Somerset), and it, again, was a ghost town. Not as bad as Summit Place, but real bad for a weekend in October. Oh, and the Somerset Macys was packed.

Does Macys really need TWO oversized stores just two miles from one another in Troy? Hell, no. One will do, and I think this one is expendable.

Another troubling sign was the mall itself. Lots of vacancies, very few chain stores [[usually this is the first sign of mall distress), and management has stuffed the vacant spaces with all sorts of temporary t-shirt shops, tattoo & piercing emporiums, and other sketchy businesses. Oakland has definitely declined.

[English]

There are FAR too many malls in Oakland County, I think. I noticed the same thing about Summit Place when I spent a month on a job out in the Pontiac area this summer.

In contrast, I can't be sure, but Briarwood is the only mall anywhere near Ann Arbor. The closest mall I can think of is the monstrous [[and massive) Twelve Oaks... but since I'm not really that into malls, Briarwood's just fine for me.

When I lived in Midtown and had to go to the mall, it was Fairlane for me. It was generally decent for what I needed to get done. How's the health of that one in general? I know that Lord & Taylor closed there a few years back... has it been replaced?

[crawford]

There are FAR too many malls in Oakland County, I think. I noticed the same thing about Summit Place when I spent a month on a job out in the Pontiac area this summer.

You're absolutely right. Oakland County, in particular, is horribly overretailed.

It's not a Macy's problem; it's a too much retail space of all kinds problem.

The only really healthy malls in Oakland County are Somerset and Twelve Oaks. The rest all have varying degrees of issues.

[dtowncitylover]

Retail [[useless) fact: The Kern's Department Store building [[where the Compuware Building stands today) was originally going to be taken over by either Macy's or Marshall Field's. But we all know what happened.

~from 20th Century Retailing in Downtown Detroit

[softailrider]

I can't figure out that Summit Place Mall Macy's either I'm not sure how they can keep that place open. I never see any cars parked out front, been that way for a couple of years at least.

[detroitsgwenivere]

In case none of you were aware, Eastland mall is one of the busiest malls Ive ever seen in my life on the weekends, especially on holidays. I will call foul on Macy's if they really decide to close, because it won't be because they make no money there. When I was there about a month ago, I could barely walk through the walkways without bumping into some group of kids with arm loads of designer cloths and boxes of Jordans, so I left to go to an 8 mile stripmall.

I DID notice, however, how segregated the malls seem to be lately. I am usually one of three white people at Eastland mall, Oakland has become Arab central, and Partridge Creek was lookin pretty WASPy the one day I was there. Maybe this is part of the problem.

[Detroitej72]

I have no inside info, and have no clue how that Eastland Macys performs.

That said, I hope they close.

That never stops you from chiming in now, does it?

Crawford now offers his limited, narrow minded opinion, combined with his hatred of anything remotely connected to Detroit.

[crawford]

That never stops you from chiming in now, does it?

Crawford now offers his limited, narrow minded opinion, combined with his hatred of anything remotely connected to Detroit.

Nice job lying!

Sure fooled us with your cunning trickery!

Next time maybe you can try not "accidentally" editing in your made-up "I hope they close" comment, which, as anyone can see, was never written in my post!

[crawford]

In case none of you were aware, Eastland mall is one of the busiest malls Ive ever seen in my life on the weekends, especially on holidays. I will call foul on Macy's if they really decide to close, because it won't be because they make no money there. When I was there about a month ago, I could barely walk through the walkways without bumping into some group of kids with arm loads of designer cloths and boxes of Jordans, so I left to go to an 8 mile stripmall.

I don't know how that Macys performs, but it's really a huge store; one of the biggest Macys in any mall in the country. This would be the biggest liability of the site.

[crawford]

I just looked up Eastland; they are owned by AAC realty here in NYC.

AAC are a outfit probably best known for "urban" shopping centers. They also own Northland.

They do not post sales per square foot for any of their properties.

[sumas]

I worked retail for way too many years. Haven't been in a mall for easily ten years. Last retail job was management for a Hallmark Store in The GP Village. GP denizens shop Somerset and would bring returns to me. Seemed a little backwards to me, GP was just pissing on its own neighborhood. It was'nt our fault Jacobsons closed.

Macys is not the warm fuzzy place depicted in movies. Best guess is, it will close. Like I said eastsiders with ready cash go to Somerset.

[313WX]

It's funny how Eastland took a step forward with Burlington Coat Factory and now it my take 2 steps back with Steve & Barry's and potentially Macy's.

It's really not the Mall or Macy's directly, but rather the demographics has shifted dramaticailly in the past 15 years. Most, if not al the shoppers now are generally young, poor and...well you know. This group is generally interested in urban wear [[low to moderately priced shoes & clothes). I don't think they're exactly Macy's target market.

Someone said Macy's Eastland does exceptionally well during the holidays. What store doesn't do relatively well around Christmas? I pretty cetain that's not what the folks at corporate look for when monitoring their store sales. The Toys R Us in Bel Air did relatively well during the Chritmas season, but the rest of the year their sales were piss poor. That's why when they ultimately closed that location they waited until immediately after the holidays [[I believe it was Janaury 25).

As for GPers, do they really have any other choice but Somerset? It's the only true mall in Metro Detroit that services their income and taste with the large concentration of upscale boutiques. Even then, they do have other alternatives on the eastside that are far beter than Eastland when it comes to store variety [[Macomb, Lakeside, Partridge Creek).

[EastSider]

As for GPers, do they really have any other choice but Somerset? It's the only true mall in Metro Detroit that services their income and taste with the large concentration of upscale boutiques. Even then, they do have other alternatives on the eastside that are far beter than Eastland when it comes to store variety [[Macomb, Lakeside, Partridge Creek).

Macomb Mall is the white folks' Eastland, where big hair and Red Wings jerseys never go out of style.

[Danny]

If Macy's in Eastland Mall left, then Eastland Mall dies. Eastland needs Macy's to survive.

[iheartthed]

1. Northland Macys. This Macys is the second largest in the Midwest, behind only the State Street Macys in Chicago. It's the second largest mall-based Macys in the country, just barely behind Roosevelt Field Mall, outside of NYC.

Do you really need such a giant Macys in such an undesirable location? 8 Mile/Greenfield isn't exactly prime territory these days, and Northland Mall is basically completely vacated of national chain stores.

Isn't the Macy's at Northland the only one in the region with an in store furniture sales floor? And doesn't it also house the regional offices for Macy's in Michigan? That would explain why it is the largest......

[Danny]

crawford sez... "Northland Macys. This Macys is the second largest in the Midwest, behind only the State Street Macys in Chicago. It's the second largest mall-based Macys in the country, just barely behind Roosevelt Field Mall, outside of NYC."

Unfortunately Northland Macy's has closed their third floor where it used to sell furniture. The employees moved their furniture dept. to the lower level.

[iheartthed]

It's really not the Mall or Macy's directly, but rather the demographics has shifted dramaticailly in the past 15 years. Most, if not al the shoppers now are generally young, poor and...well you know. This group is generally interested in urban wear [[low to moderately priced shoes & clothes). I don't think they're exactly Macy's target market.

Actually, Macy's is about 10 steps ahead of you, since they stock their stores according to shopper demographics. For instance, they will stock Northland and Eastland with Sean John and Baby Phat products because the target demographic for those products shop there and live nearby. But if you go the Macy's in Somerset North looking for Baby Phat then you won't find it, but you will be able to find all sorts of Ralph Lauren products.

This is probably the main reason that people who live in GP will drive to the Somerset Macy's instead of shopping at Eastland.

[REL]

A possible contributing reason Macy's is doing poorly is because they suck. I don't shop there anymore.

-Their "retail" prices are ridiculously inflated in order to have a permanent sale [[sound familiar, Art Van?).
-Their service has become horrible, if you can find any in the first place.

On a very related note, people lament the lack of retailers with decent service and quality goods, and yet people aren't willing to pay the prices anymore. We are getting what we pay for.

[professorscott]

Rather than talk about any specific Macy's location, let's try this chain of logic.

1. Macy's is a department store.
2. Department stores are the wave of the past.

I expect if you list the big department store chains today - Macy's, Sears, Penney's, etc. - you are concurrently making a list of companies that mostly won't exist not too many years in the future.

[iheartthed]

Rather than talk about any specific Macy's location, let's try this chain of logic.

1. Macy's is a department store.
2. Department stores are the wave of the past.

I expect if you list the big department store chains today - Macy's, Sears, Penney's, etc. - you are concurrently making a list of companies that mostly won't exist not too many years in the future.

I dunno about that... Sure, we are on the verge of a large contraction in retail, but I don't think that translates into the obsolescence of the department store model. I'd say it is malls that are more vulnerable than department stores. Department stores don't need malls to operate... OTOH, malls DO need department stores to operate.

[jackie5275]

Isn't the Macy's at Northland the only one in the region with an in store furniture sales floor?

Macy's at Southland still has furniture.

[Diehard]

Actually, Macy's is about 10 steps ahead of you, since they stock their stores according to shopper demographics. For instance, they will stock Northland and Eastland with Sean John and Baby Phat products because the target demographic for those products shop there and live nearby. But if you go the Macy's in Somerset North looking for Baby Phat then you won't find it, but you will be able to find all sorts of Ralph Lauren products.

This is probably the main reason that people who live in GP will drive to the Somerset Macy's instead of shopping at Eastland.

I was wondering if anyone else had noticed that. My husband went to Macy's Eastland looking for a shirt, and he came back frustrated - apparently every shirt in the style he wanted had a huge "Fubu" or "Sean Jean" logo on it. I asked at the handbags counter about Kate Spade purses, and they told me they only stock those at the Somerset store. They had plenty of Burberry and Vuittons, though. I guess you stock what sells, but it does explain the sense of segregation.

[kraig]

Rather than talk about any specific Macy's location, let's try this chain of logic.

1. Macy's is a department store.
2. Department stores are the wave of the past.

I expect if you list the big department store chains today - Macy's, Sears, Penney's, etc. - you are concurrently making a list of companies that mostly won't exist not too many years in the future.

The JC Penney's stand-alone stores seem to do very well. There may be a shift towards that before entire chains go under.

[EMG]

Oakland Mall Macys. I thought Oakland Mall was holding it's own, but I also visited this Macys two weeks ago [[I was searching for a different size than was available at Summit Place and Somerset), and it, again, was a ghost town. Not as bad as Summit Place, but real bad for a weekend in October.

Now that is sad. I've been out of the area since 2001, but the last I remember, Oakland Mall was still a nice place and the Marshall Field's [[which I assume is now Macy's) was a GEM that had recently been refurbished with a beautiful first floor and basement.

Eastland and Northland of course had already gone downhill by the 80's, but I was really surprised at the above news about Summit Place Mall apparently closing!!!