[justjim]

The Villages can forget getting a Macy's store as they just announced the closing of 100 stores. Frankly, I don't think a Macy's was coming to The Villages anyway. I know some (my wife included) were hoping for a Macy's or Dillard's. Ocala has both (for now) so they are close enough (40 minutes) or so and I doubt would build another in The Villages. The announcement today did not mention which Macy's stores would close.

[redwitch]

No surprise. Brick and mortar stores are having a hard time of it. Hard to compete with online stores that have comparatively little overhead.

[RickeyD]

I hate shopping. Amazon cured me of that.

[billybye]

There goes our mall

[John_W]

In Baltimore we had a great local department store chain called Hecht Co. They were around in one form or another for 100 years and have moved into most malls and into the mid-Atlantic region. Hecht's had clothes you actually wanted and could afford. They were high end stores, not a JC Penny or Sears, but the prices were not out of sight. I remember buying a nice 3 piece leather living room set for $2,000 that lasted 15 years. Yes, they had a furniture department.

Hecht Co. was owned by the May company and about 2005 they were bought by Federated, parent of Macys. All the Hecht stores on the east coast became Macys. What a bummer. The clothes were no better but cost a lot more, but have some celebrities name on it.

When I go in Macy's now, the only thing I look at is golf shirts, otherwise they have nothing for me. I use to like the Hecht Co, I can remember buying a great looking black sport coat, it cost about $150 but was very nice and lasted for years, in fact I still have it. I never could figure out the attraction for Macys after the nice stores we had before.

[justjim]

John W, I can remember in the Illinois and other mid-west states we had a chain of Famous-Barr stores that must have been similar to your Hecht's stores. Macy's purchased them and they were never the same. Macy's spent a lot of money just changing brands, signs and etc. I'm no expert on such things but It might have been better for Macy's to own the stores but keep the regional names.

[villagetinker]

We had Hess's in the Allentown area. There original store was across the street from where I worked, it was great. They had everything from beauty shops (men and women), to clothes, furniture, electronics, and the BEST food and a desert bar that was to die for. This store was an institution. People would come in by buses to shop there. They had fashion shows occasionally. Bought out by BonTon, and it went down hill fast.

[Nucky]

Just like Sears, Macy's was once a mighty store with fantastic customer service. We had two Macy's about 2 miles apart at Woodbridge & Menlo Park Malls. Never could figure that out. Not enough business for two stores. The other downfall other than Amazon is the credit card interest rate that they charge, It's over 25% if I remember correctly. That's just criminal. They will be missed for sure.

[mtdjed]

Just returned from a 5 week visit to the North Shore of Boston and the malls there looked as bleak as the Geezer Mall in Leesburg. The 3 Floor Sears at the Northshore mall looked like it was empty. They are closing down their TV department due to no profit. They carried inventory that people would look at and then go to the internet and buy it cheaper. My guess is that malls are a thing of the past. Even Big Box stores are going to disappear. I used HH Gregg to determine what appliances I wanted and then searched the internet and found the same thing at much less including shipping. I wouldn't look for any new Mall in our area. Our shopping experiences are likely to be online except for need now items.

[NotGolfer]

Being from the midwest....years ago the Twin Cities had Daytons (Dayton-Hudson) which was a "go-to" store of quality items. Target was their off-shoot, discount store. I don't remember when but Dayton's got sold to, I think, Marshall-Field's which got sold to Macy's. Target got sold to the French. I could be wrong...and if so I'm sure someone will correct me.

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

Being from the midwest....years ago the Twin Cities had Daytons (Dayton-Hudson) which was a "go-to" store of quality items. Target was their off-shoot, discount store. I don't remember when but Dayton's got sold to, I think, Marshall-Field's which got sold to Macy's. Target got sold to the French. I could be wrong...and if so I'm sure someone will correct me.

Macy's bought all of the Marshall Field stores in the Chicago area several years ago. When the flagship Marshall Field's store on State Street in Chicago's Loop was changed to Macy's, there were quite a few people picketing outside of the store, protesting the name change from Marshall Field's to Macy's. My thought was, if the biggest problem you have in your life is what the name of a department store is well...you don't have a lot of problems in your life.

For those of you on TOTV from the Chicago area, remember Frango mints? Marshall Fields on State Street used to sell a Frango mint ice cream pie that was to die for.

[NotGolfer]

Originally Posted by Schaumburger

Macy's bought all of the Marshall Field stores in the Chicago area several years ago. When the flagship Marshall Field's store on State Street in Chicago's Loop was changed to Macy's, there were quite a few people picketing outside of the store, protesting the name change from Marshall Field's to Macy's. My thought was, if the biggest problem you have in your life is what the name of a department store is well...you don't have a lot of problems in your life.

For those of you on TOTV from the Chicago area, remember Frango mints? Marshall Fields on State Street used to sell a Frango mint ice cream pie that was to die for.

I'm not from Chicago but did shop the M.F.'s in Madison, WI when it was there. I remember the Frango mints!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by RickeyD

I hate shopping. Amazon cured me of that.

I also hate shopping. I 'm a big fan of Amazon.
I find it amazing how much inventory is available online.
Products that I would normally buy at a drugstore are less expensive on Amazon.
And my orders almost always arrive before the earliest delivery date.

[Aloha1]

The Macys at Ocala is a "C" location. For a few minutes more, go to Millenia Mall in Orlando right off the Turnpike. It's an "A" location and won't be closing anytime soon.

Heck, make a day of it. Total Wine and Costco are right across the street.

[Allegiance]

Originally Posted by Aloha1

The Macys at Ocala is a "C" location. For a few minutes more, go to Millenia Mall in Orlando right off the Turnpike. It's an "A" location and won't be closing anytime soon.

Heck, make a day of it. Total Wine and Costco are right across the street.

Ocala macys is closing for sure?