What does closing 150 stores mean for those of us who still work here? Well, there's the obvious. 150 stores is about 30% of the Macy's portfolio (not including Bloomies, and Blue Mercury). All of the managers and employees who work at these locations will be out of jobs. Store level employees won't be the only ones impacted. Everyone who survived the 2350 job cuts last month and were starting to feel relief and perhaps a glimmer of hope for the future will again be entering into the seemingly endless version of the Hunger Games at Macy's.
Less stores means a reduced need for divisional and support staff. Do you help the organization in HR, Facilities, Operations, Visual, Merchandising, AP, or Logistics? Did you count yourself fortunate to get one of the new field positions? Here's hoping you thrive in an environment where we ask more and more, while opportunities for real growth and development become fewer and farther between.
But hey, maybe you work in a store that isn't on the closing list, maybe even a strategic F50 door. You're job is protected right? Sure, as long as there isn't someone in a closing store that leadership would like to see in your position. Perhaps someone younger, who presents better and says what they want to hear. If you haven't been through this before, you can expect to struggle in the holiday season with multiple leadership and colleague positions held open so that jobs are available for those displaced in the January closings. This on top of the recent management reductions and stores will have less leadership than anytime in our history, making the 2024 holiday season an adventure few will forget.
It's a good thing that the company managed to find a window between the job cuts in January and the store closure announcements in February, to conduct the Pulse survey :-). Remember, the best time to consider other career options is in the spring season when most employers are hiring for the new year. Good luck to everyone still here.