Downtown Macy's downsizing
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In Downtown, at least, some of the "magic" of Macy's will involve a disappearing act.
The department store, at one time a 12-floor retail behemoth, will be reduced to roughly half that size by the end of October, in time for the busy holiday shopping season.
In response to questioning by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Macy's confirmed Tuesday it will consolidate all retail, including furniture, on the first six floors of the building, plus the mezzanine level. The lone exception will be the Premier Salon, which will remain on the 11th floor.
The consolidation marks the latest change for the historic property, which housed the venerable Kaufmann's department store for much of the last century before Macy's acquired it in 2005. For years, it was the region's retail stalwart, hosting generations of shoppers and rendezvous under its famous clock.
While Macy's said that work on the store would start within the next week, evidence of consolidation already is apparent to anyone who walks the retail space.
About half of the fifth and sixth floors are vacant. The entire seventh floor has been closed off to customers. The back half of the eighth floor is empty, with couches, recliners and floor rugs occupying the rest of the floor.
Macy's has shut down two restaurants on the ninth floor, most recently a deli. A customer service area also has been closed and a candy counter was moved to the mezzanine level. Bradley's Books, an Atlas Travel center and picture framing are all that remain on the ninth floor.
The furniture department will move from the 10th floor to the sixth floor as part of the shake-up. The 12th floor, which at one time housed a hair salon, has been closed off to the public and its rickety wooden escalator shut down.
As part of changes already made, the women's department has moved from the sixth floor to the third floor. Intimate apparel has gone from six to four.
In its statement, Macy's said that it will keep all current departments and services in the store, which will remain open during the consolidation work. It also said that all 363 employees will stay on the job.
"The store is being reconfigured for better flow among departments, making shopping easier and more convenient. In doing so, the merchandise assortment will continue to be tailored for the Downtown customer," Macy's stated.
In all, retail space within the building will be cut from 775,000 square feet to about 525,000 square feet, which Macy's said still is more than double the size of a typical suburban mall store.
First Published September 21, 2011 12:00 am
