4 Michigan Macy's Stores Among 68 To Close Nationwide

DETROIT (WWJ) - Four Michigan Macy's stores — including two in metro Detroit — are slated to close.

Macy's said Wednesday named a total of 68 nationwide that will be shuttered as the department store giant battles slowing sales and online competition. These closures will affect an estimated 4,000 employees and are part of a broader plan to shut down 100 stores (a move announced last August) over the next few years.

The two Detroit stores headed for the chopping block are at Westland Mall in Westland and at Eastland Center in Harper Woods. The other two affected Michigan stores are in Lansing and at Lakeview Square Mall in Battle Creek.

"Part of this is a continuation of what we saw last year — Macy's going to where the customer is: online," reported WWJ Business Editor Murray Feldman. "They'll continue to beef up their online presence and improve their online search process."

Final clearance sales will begin Monday, Jan. 9 and run for between eight to 12 weeks, according to the company.

In the stores that will remain open, Feldman said Macy's will look to attract more customers by bringing in more brand shops and hosting in-store events — "Trying to get the customer away from computers and mobile devices and back into stores for something more than just returning items they bought online — which has been a big problem for Macy's and other retailers."

Business Insider has a complete list of Macy's stores slated to close at this link.