Department store to close soon.
As I hinted at in October, the Macy's at North DeKalb Mall will in fact be closing. Store employees were informed November 30th that the store will close no later than January 30th, 2016. Macy's announced in September it planned to close as many as 40 locations nationwide by late January, but has yet to publicly identify the stores destined to close.
I placed calls to other Macy's stores mentioned privately as possible closure targets, and each store associate I reached claimed their store had not been informed of any imminent closure. The stores I contacted included those at Greenbriar Mall, South DeKalb Mall, Northlake Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall and The Mall at Stonecrest.
The Macy's at North DeKalb Mall, originally built in 1965 as a Rich's, is the mall's largest and longest running tenant. Store employees indicated that the store will begin liquidation sales next Thursday, December 10th. The liquidation sale will reportedly be run by a third party liquidation company with no returns, adjustments, etc. once they take over.
(In case you want a deal now, Macy's is currently offering their "Friends & Family" discount of 25% off almost all merchandise. The deal runs until December 10th.)
Despite the imminent closure, upon my visit to the store this week, I discovered plenty of holiday merchandise and decor.
Although there have been no public statements to confirm my assertions, I stand by my research that indicates a Costco Wholesale store will be built in place of the North DeKalb Macy's. Calls placed to representatives of current North DeKalb Mall owner Lennar Commercial were not immediately returned.
As I understand it, Macy's had a deal in place (presumably it's closed by now) with mall owner Sterling Organization/Lennar Commercial to sell their property, which in turn would lease it to Costco.
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| Holiday merchandise at Macy's at North DeKalb Mall |
As I understand it, Macy's had a deal in place (presumably it's closed by now) with mall owner Sterling Organization/Lennar Commercial to sell their property, which in turn would lease it to Costco.
The current Macy's building is about 197,000 square feet, whereas an average Costco is 142,000 square feet. The outparcel Goodyear/Macy's auto center will reportedly be approximately where a Costco gas station will be built.
The joint venture of Lennar/Sterling plans to redevelop much, if not all, of the remaining portion of the mall into an open air mall, also referred to as a "lifestyle center." Given Lennar currently owns The Avenue East Cobb, Peachtree City, West Cobb and Viera (Florida), all popular suburban lifestyle centers, it's not unrealistic to think they will try to do something similar at North DeKalb.
I tend to think that key tenants like Marshalls and AMC Theatres are likely to remain during an redevelopment, but that most, if not all, other tenants will likely either not be offered leases in the new project of have their leases bought out.
Are you excited about the prospect of Costco in north DeKalb county? What else would you like to see happen at the mall? What is your favorite mall tenant, past or present?
Please share your thoughts below.
Please please please let this happen. Costco I mean
ReplyDeleteYes...Im with you. I would be ecstatic.
DeleteI think the theater will end up relocating. The whole entrance construction makes it impossible to keep open during redevelopment, and the theater is in need of massive renovation. Marshall's and Burlington could stay, but that is about it and would really depend on what the new configuration for the property will be as a lifestyle center.
ReplyDeleteThe proposed redevelopment sounds nice but I love this old mall and will miss it. This Macy's is my favorite location. Love the history there. So sad it is going to go away.
ReplyDeleteCostco has their Brookhaven, Gwinnett Place and Cumberland stores which are not all that far from Decatur. Heck, take Clairmont right to the Brookhaven store. Done. Don't tell me it's a long drive. Costco is an hour each way for me.
ReplyDeleteCostco would serve a much larger unserved area if they put a store in Newnan. Yes they still have the Costco Business Center in Morrow but that was pretty much a last shot at saving a store in what is a very dead retail area. Newnan is booming, and it is still far away from Morrow or any of the other Costcos.
Relocating the Morrow store to McDonough would be another option but Morrow isn't a normal Costco and lacks a lot of the things people expect. And it would be farther from the downtown Atlanta deliveries Costco is making.
I'm in Lithonia, so those of us that live between Decatur and Conyers would benefit Costco being in Decatur. If you live on the Outer Perimeter near Gwinnet and Norcrosd, that would be true. I've been waiting for a Costco closer to me (Decatur) for years.
DeleteMacy's corporate will likely make announcements after the Holidays on other stores. Its not there are other tenants lined up to remodel and take over like North Dekalb. Fresh merchandise won't be hitting those stores and they'll have lots of gift returns to get rid of as well. As someone who used to work at a corporate HQ for a large department store chain the sales staff and local management are typically kept in the dark till the last second. Concentration of selling and getting rid of merchandise and honestly telling customers IDK is the norm.
ReplyDeleteLike the second anon, I too am going to miss North DeKalb/Market Square the way it was. Man, I remember when it had Old Navy, KB Toys, a Dippin' Dots, all this other great stuff. I even briefly worked retail at NDM many moons ago. The Marshalls is nice right now though. I hope all the people who work at NDM Macy's can get reassigned to other locations. Otherwise, they've just been told they'll soon be out of a job...right before Christmas. Sad times.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being all the confirmation I need on the rumors floating around Facebook and Nextdoor, though!
While I understand Macy’s closing stores I stand by my contention from last month that this area could support a redeveloped mall/Macy’s. While the Macy’s has slipped somewhat I think the state of the overall mall is what keeps people away. This location can easily pull from Decatur, Lakeside area, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Lilburn, Snellville, etc. With a nice upgrade to the mall and the ongoing development in the area as a whole I believe a Macy’s location there would be more viable than some of the other locations on the list.
ReplyDeleteMacy's Northlake recently renovated the formerly closed top floor into office space and consolidated other offices into that store location, so it is unlikely that the Northlake store will close.
ReplyDeleteMacy's actually owns their location in Gwinnett Place and does not lease it, so its unlikely they will close that location as well.
Shopping at Macy's is like going to Wal-Mart. They have sh*t and clutter everywhere. It's a headache. Need a more focused retail strategy.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is not the strategy...it's the people who shop there... Coming to a mall near you.
ReplyDeletewould be neat to see this become a more out-door, better quality shopping and dining area. I'd like to see the bike path from Mason Mill extended along the creek to reach the shopping center parking lot, would also be good to have some foot bridges from the lot down to the nature preserve.
ReplyDeleteHear, hear! Bike path extension from MM or Medlock neighborhood. Terrific idea! With a path that goes around the mall perimeter. Kids in Medlock could bike to Laurel Ridge and Druid Middle by crossing at the fire station.
DeleteReally hoping the AMC stays. I don't get why so many complain about it. I don't go to the movies for the decor. Location and price are it. Anyway, a costco would be incredible!
ReplyDeleteI worked there at Rich's in the early 70's in the fabric department. I will miss that store! Northlake is not as well kept.
ReplyDeleteSad, SAd, Sad!! Macy's at North DeKalb still had the Rich's culture of valuing the customer even tho it had the Macy's name. Macy's at Northlake Mall act like they resent you for bothering them to buy something. I say a big loss.
ReplyDeleteOverall this was an interesting article. However, the author of this piece needs a proof reader.
ReplyDelete@Anon RE: Proof reader,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments on the article. What issues did you find?
Thanks!
This Macy's really represented Rich's. The customer service was great. I hope these employees find jobs at the other locations because they have a lot to offer. Northlake this is your opportunity to shine and become a better store.
ReplyDeleteIsn't ROSS moving to the new Walmart center?
ReplyDeleteNDM is home to alot of small businesses, I wonder what will happen to them, if they will be able to afford the rent (cause it will go up)? Barbershop, African goods, Chinese massage. Also I wonder when Macy's will have 70% off sale-after Christmas til closing? Costco pays their employees well-when is the hiring process start?
ReplyDeleteThis is true that Costco is coming. I was at the Perimeter Costco probably 5 years ago, and the manager there told me that Costco was moving to N. Dekalb Mall. I think this will be great for the area.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think Northlake has a great sales staff. I find them really helpful, particularly in Mens. Macy's has renovated Northlake and other than the other department stores--is really the only reason to go there. The mall is awful.
ReplyDeleteQuite excited that we may or will get a Costco and possibly an Avenue type of retail area. That will really bring up the area and bring shoppers from Decatur, Druid hills, maybe even Oakhurst etc that usually go elsewhere. I would love to see some kind of open-air area that can become a Farmers Market during the growing seasons for our area. We need that!
ReplyDeleteAlso an upgraded movie theater would be wonderful.
I agree I hope they do something like the Avenues too. They need to do something worthwhile since they are taking the best Macy's away. I'm not thrilled about another Costco.
ReplyDeleteGiven Costco's business model to build standalone stores, it's unlikely Costco would LEASE space at North DeKalb; and if they did, it would certainly surprise me.
ReplyDelete@Anon @ 12/6 9:59AM - Costco's last 2 Atlanta locations are in large retail developments - Town Brookhaven and Cumberland Mall. So this sounds like exactly the type of place they would go. Just because Macy's is connected to the mall, doesn't mean Costco will - especially based on the article saying how essentially the mall will be de-mall-ified!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Macy's chose Northlake Mall to close their store. I would have thought South DeKalb would go first. The area of Northlake Mall is so small and with traffic congestion I'm surprised Costco is wanting to build there. Costco made the Southlake store a business center. I hope Costco will build a store in the McDonough Area. The north side of town has a lot of Costco's. I like to shop at Costco, but I don't want to shop with them enough to go through all the traffic to get there north of I-20.
ReplyDeleteAnon @1:01 p.m., it's the North DeKalb (not Northlake) store that's closing.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather see a new and improved Macy's. Not a Costco. Sam's isn't far from the location. That area needs a shopping mall. Guess we'll only have South Dekalb smh. We already have Walmart with a new one being built in n the new LA fitness plaza. Keep Costco
ReplyDeletePlease stop calling the other Macy's store and asking the associates if their store will be closing. Those decisions and discussions are made corporately. The store associates are typically notified hours before closure announcements are made to the press. It's not nice to have someone calling and asking if you'll be losing your job.
ReplyDeleteI am sick of all the retail and the ugly used car lots, shabby drive-through restaurants all along Lawrenceville Hwy till Scott Blvd. The commissioners who are nothing but a bunch of whores to the developers keep rezoning every available parcel for commercial purposes. We need more Greenspace and pedestrian/bike friendly areas in this part of town. We don't want to another uglier version of Gwinnett!!!
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody remember N DeKalb Mall from a time in the late 60’s? There was a Colonial store, Woolworths’ C&C Drug store with a lunch counter, and I think a Milton Bradley toy store. I remember eating at the Magnolia room in Rich’s, there was a balcony overlooking the mall. Spent a lot of time there as my father worked in the mall barbershop.
ReplyDeleteCannot wait for mall renovation! This mall used to house upscale stores and shops, but has been going down the toilet for the last 15 years and hence has been attracting elements that are not positive and good for our community. Run-down, shabby stores equal decreased property values. No one I know shops there after dark and the same can be said for Northlake Mall. These malls will lease to anyone off the street that can pay rent, no matter what type of store they want to open. Everyone I know shops at Phipps Plaza and Perimeter Mall where we feel safer.
ReplyDeleteIs there any truth to the rumor that COSTCO has changed their mind as QT is blocking them from having another Gas Station so close to them? I wouldn't think that would be an issue. Can you find out?
ReplyDeleteThere have been rumors of a Costco at North DeKalb for years. They built at Brookhaven instead. Would love Costco at North DeKalb. It would be closer to those who live in South DeKalb.
ReplyDelete