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‘Cool but weird’: Macy’s store transformed into school
Students commute between classes at Downtown Burlington High School, Monday, March 22, 2021, in Burlington, Vt. Students who once shopped at a downtown mall are now attending high school in the mall's former Macy's department store, taking escalators to and from classes. The existing Burlington High School was closed last August after PCBs were found in the building. The Downtown Burlington High School opened March 4, about six months after school administrators closed the existing school, just under 2 miles away, because toxic industrial chemicals known as PCBs were found in the building and soil during renovations. As school officials looked for space where students could attend school in-person, they eventually eyed the empty department store, which closed in 2018. “It's weird but cool at the same time,” said freshman Moses Doe, 15, who said he and his family shopped plenty at Macy's before it became his school.
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Macy's closes out a tough year with hope for 2021
The department store chain said Tuesday, Feb. 23 it anticipates 2021 as a recovery and rebuilding year as the company sets a foundation for growth. Still, the department store defended its physical store business, noting that online sales are two to three times higher in markets with Macy's stores. Macy's and other department stores are being threatening on multiple levels. “It could have been a terrible year for Macy’s," Jeff Gennette, Macy's CEO, told analysts on the earnings call Tuesday. It said 25% of Macy's online sales were fulfilled in its stores.
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Virus keeps Black Friday crowds thin, shoppers shift online
Black Friday shoppers wear face masks as the leave Saks Fifth Avenue flagships store empty handed, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, in New York. Crowds at stores were dramatically diminished as shoppers shifted online. Black Friday is projected to generate $10 billion in online sales, a 39% bump from the year ago period, according to Adobe. And Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, will remain the biggest online shopping day of the year with $12.7 billion in sales, a 35% jump. At a popular shopping area in St. Petersburg, Florida, several storefronts were empty, and the only line was at a plasma donation center.
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Police: 8 injured in Wisconsin mall shooting; suspect sought
Wauwatosa Police chief Barry Weber speaks at a news conference, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Wauwatosa, Wis. Multiple people were shot Friday afternoon at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wis., and police are still searching for the shooter. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)WAUWATOSA, Wis. – Police searched Friday evening for the suspect in a shooting at a suburban Milwaukee mall that left seven adults and a teenager injured. “Preliminary statements from witnesses indicate that the shooter is a white male in his 20s or 30s,” Weber told reporters. Police said Cole was fleeing from police; Mensah, who is also Black, said he shot Cole because Cole pointed a gun at him.
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Macy's loses money in 3Q; virus surges into holiday season
FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2019, file photo a shopper leaves a Macy's department store with bags in both hands during Black Friday shopping in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)NEW YORK – Macy's swung to a quarterly loss and sales tumbled 22% as the department store chain struggled to bring shoppers back to stores during a pandemic. The New York company furloughed a majority of its employees. And they are threatening traditional department stores at multiple levels. But the department store has a heavy presence in malls, which had been struggling long before COVID-19.
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Santa Claus won't be coming to Macy's this year
FILE - Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York. Macy's said Santa Claus won't be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. However, Macy's said the jolly old man will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said. Macy's has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself “The Home of Santa Claus" for decades.
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Macy's plans smaller but camera-ready Thanksgiving parade
FILE - In this Nov. 23, 1995 file photo Woody Woodpecker leads a line of other balloons and floats into New York's Times Square during the 69th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. A Macy's Thanksgiving parade reimagined for the coronavirus pandemic will feature floats, performers and giant balloons parading along a one-block stretch of 34th Street in front of the retailer's flagship Manhattan store, Macy's officials announced Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. The spectacle will be broadcast as usual from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern time on NBC and will include both live and recorded elements, Macy's officials said. The 2 1/2-mile Thanksgiving parade route will be axed in favor of a short stroll for the cameras, Macy’s spokesperson Orlando Veras said. Mayor Bill de Blasio thanked Macy's officials for their effort to stage the parade despite COVID-19 restrictions.
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Victorias Secret to close 250 stores in in the coming months
NEW YORK Late last year, Best Buy began testing curbside pickup at select stores as a way to respond to customer needs. Macys sales were down 45% and the company says it could have a loss of at least $1 billion in the quarter. Victoria's Secret said that it will be closing 250 stores about a quarter of its fleet in the next few months. Target's CEO Brian Cornell said its stores were directly involved in supplying goods for 80% of online sales. It expects another 80 Macys stores to open for Memorial Day weekend and most of its stores, including its flagship stores in Manhattan, to open in mid-June.
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Macy’s closings all stores until March 31 in response to the coronavirus
The company announced that it will temporarily close all stores by end of business Tuesday and remain closed through March 31. This closure applies to all Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bluemercury, Macy’s Backstage, Bloomingdales the Outlet and Market by Macy’s stores. During the closure, Macy’s Inc. will provide benefits and compensation to its workers. “The health and safety of our customers, colleagues and communities is our utmost priority. As a result of the recent COVID-19 developments, we have decided to temporarily close our stores.

Macy's just tested out its new Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons
A Mighty Morphin Power Ranger balloon at the 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Nov. 23, 2017. NEW YORK - It's officially November, which means if you're not talking Thanksgiving Day Parade, we're not interested. The new balloons were flight tested in New Jersey Saturday "under the direction of Macy's highly skilled flight management team," according to a press release. The balloons include the beagle Snoopy, which Macy's says got an "out-of-this-world makeover" as an astronaut this year. Macy's 93rd Thanksgiving Day Parade will be on November 28.

Mall from 'Stranger Things' season 3 is up for sale
Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Georgia decorated as the Starcourt Mall from Stranger Things 3. (CNN) - The Georgia mall featured in the third season of the Netflix show "Stranger Things" is up for sale. Though the show painted the idea of a crowded shopping center, the once bustling suburban mall in Duluth, Georgia, is so empty that a decomposing body went unnoticed for two weeks in 2017. Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District Executive Director Joe Allen confirmed the sale to The Gwinnett Daily Post. However, Moonbeam only owns the largest chunk of Gwinnett Place Mall.

Americans love Target. That's bad news for Macy's, JCPenney
Sales at Target stores open at least a year increased 3.4% during the summer quarter and profit rose, Target said Wednesday. Target beat Wall Street's predictions for the recent quarter and raised its profit forecast for the rest of the year. Macy's last week said that sales at stores open at least a year inched up but profit fell 48% during its most recent quarter. Target, Walmart and discount clothing chains such as TJMaxx are gaining market share against these retailers. Target and Walmart operate stores away from malls, an advantage because foot traffic is slowing at malls around the country.

Macy's stock tanking over too many spring sales
It's the latest sign of pressure on the battered department store sector. Macy's profit fell 48% during its spring quarter compared with the same period a year ago, the company said in earnings on Wednesday. During the spring, Macy's said it had a "fashion miss" in its key private-label athletic brand and struggled to sell warm weather gear. Sales at department stores dropped 4.3% over the past six months compared with a year prior, the Commerce Department said in July. Macy's has tried to combat the rise off discount chains by opening Macy's Backstage, its own lower-priced arm, within some stores.

Macy's pulls plates advocating against 'mom jeans' portion sizes
The decision came in response to a customer's tweet criticizing the plates' message Sunday night. The $9.50 plates, designed by a company called Pourtions, feature three circles of increasing sizes in which one might place their food. The circles are labeled "skinny jeans," "favorite jeans" and "mom jeans." She tweeted a photo and asked: "How can I get these plates from Macy's banned in all 50 states?" After reviewing the complaint, we quickly removed the plates, which were only in our STORY at Macy's location in Herald Square."