Macy's Announces 100 More Closings: Will Wayne's 2 Stores Be Among Them?

WAYNE, NJ — The township's two Macy's stores, one in the Willowbrook Mall and another in the Preakness Shopping Center on Hamburg Turnpike, remain open, but that could change next year.

Macy's announced Thursday it will be closing another 100 stores by early 2017. The moves comes on the heels of the company closing 40 locations earlier this year. It is not known what stores will be affected in the newest round of closings. There is also a Macy's Furniture Gallery on Route 46 in Wayne.

Besides the two Wayne locations, there are 27 other Macy's stores in New Jersey, that, together with the company's Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury stores, employ 7,400 people, according to the company's website. There are 728 Macy's stores nationwide, most of which are "full-line" locations.

Macy's will give more attention to its "online shopping and mobile apps," and focus its resources on its highest-performing stores, a press release issued by the company stated.

The company is planning on "infusing new technology, accentuating high-potential businesses such as fine jewelry, and creating new in-store events and experiences," the release stated.

"Customers nearly everywhere in America will have easy access to Macy’s stores, with the additional convenience and increased functionality of our dynamic digital offering,” Macy's President Jeff Gennette said in the press release.

Macy's has expanded slightly in North Jersey this year. A Bluemercury store opened in Ridgewood earlier this year.

Employees who work at stores that are closing will be offered positions at nearby stores "where possible," Macy's says, and eligible part- and full-time employees will receive severance benefits.

Macy's was founded in 1858 when it opened four small department stores in Massachusetts. The company is now an iconic brand in retail nationwide and sponsors the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade through Midtown Manhattan.

Macy's announcement comes six months after Sports Authority said it would close its Wayne store as part of its bankruptcy filing.

By Marc Torrence, with additional reporting by Daniel Hubbard

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Related: Wayne Sports Authority To Close Amid Bankruptcy Filing