[ALERT] Atlanta Area Macy's One of 45 the Retailer Plans to Close in 2021

Macy's Tuesday announced its plans to shutter another 45 stores as part of its three year store closure plan that started in 2020.  The company has not yet made public a list of the affected stores, but ToNeTo Atlanta has reviewed a list (and CNBC later published the same list) that indicates the Macy's at Greenbriar Mall in southwest Atlanta will be one of the stores that is to close.  Affected stores are slated to close by mid year.  In total, Macy's plans to close 125 stores by 2023.

Macy's closure at Greenbriar will mark the loss of yet another legacy Rich's store.  The roughly 200,000 square foot, three-floor department store opened with the mall as Rich's in late 1965.  At opening, the mall was anchored by Rich's and JCPenney. (Burlington, the most recent occupant of the JCP space relocated to Camp Creek Parkway in 2019)  The Rich's store, like the legacy Rich's turned Macy's at North DeKalb Mall that closed in early 2016, originally had a Magnolia Room restaurant like the downtown flagship store.  

A notice to employees reviewed by ToNeTo Atlanta reads in part:

"A decision to close a store is never made lightly as we know closing a store impacts our colleagues and the communities we serve. Where we can, we will be looking to place colleagues in neighboring locations." 

The closure at Greenbriar comes on the heels of last year's closure of Macy's stores at South DeKalb Mall in Atlanta and at Macon Mall in Macon.  

In an oft changing retail landscape, where shifts to online retail have been accelerated by COVID-19, Macy's was perhaps more proactive than it had been previously when it announced its first round of closures last January.  Macy's no doubt needs to "right-size" their store fleet if they plan to continue as a going concern.  

The company continues to operate several Atlanta area stores including those at Lenox Square in Buckhead (flagship), Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody, Northlake Mall in Tucker, North Point Mall in Alpharetta and Cumberland Mall in Smyrna, among others.  

Are you surprised to see Macy's close at Greenbriar Mall?  What is your fondest memory of Rich's?  What department store do you shop most (either in store or online)?

Please share your thoughts below.