Downtown St. Louis Macy's Store Closing, Cites Insufficient Customer Activity

Department store giant Macy's has announced that it's closing its downtown St. Louis location.

94 people work at the approximately 189,000 square-foot facility at 601 Olive St.

Credit (via Flickr/Reading Tom)

The reason? Insufficient customer activity, Macy's says.

“We deeply appreciate the loyalty of our downtown store customers, the diligence of our associates, and the concern and support of Mayor Slay and his administration over the years,” said Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief stores officer, in a statement. “We have worked hard to reinvigorate our downtown business, including remodeling, downsizing and re-focusing the store in 2011. But unfortunately, the level of customer activity we see no longer justifies keeping the store open.

As we reported back in 2005, the conversion of the location from a Famous-Barr to a Macy's was hoped to attract more shoppers downtown.

So, what will become of the building once Macy's leaves? It's unclear, but the company says they're "committed" to working with the building's owner to "transition....to a new use."

Macy's says that "going forward" Macy's will employ approximately 3,000 people in the St. Louis metro area.

The company says that those 94 people employed at the downtown location "may be offered positions in nearby stores and facilities where possible. Eligible full-time and part-time associates who are laid off due to the store closing will be offered severance benefits."

A Macy's office also left downtown St. Louis in 2008, taking 850 managerial jobs elsewhere.

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