Macy's Closing 3 Ohio Stores In 2021

MENTOR, OH — Macy's will close three locations in Ohio in 2021, according to USA Today.

The brand will shutter its stores at Great Lakes Mall (Mentor), Richland Mall (Mansfield), and Tri-County Mall (Cincinnati). Liquidation sales could begin this month and last eight to 12 weeks, USA Today reports.

A fourth Ohio store, in Lima, is scheduled to close in April. That store's closure was announced in 2020.

Like many other brick-and-mortar retailers, the COVID-19 pandemic has pinched Macy's business. Macy's in particular has reported a 20 percent quarterly decline in same-store sales, according to CNBC.

The company announced it planned to downsize its operations as a result of decreased sales late last year. In September 2020, the company announced it would close 125 department stores and pursue smaller spaces instead.

Gov. Mike DeWine spent the end of 2020 advocating for a COVID-19 stimulus bill to be passed by Congress. He warned that a recession could be inbound.

"Continued investment will not only allow us to dampen the economic fallout in Ohio and slow a potential recession in the coming years, but ultimately, it will also help our citizens to return to normal when the pandemic ends," DeWine said.

However, brick-and-mortar retailers were suffering economic losses pre-pandemic, largely due to the ascent of online retail giant Amazon. In early 2020, Macy's similarly announced plans to close a trio of Ohio stores, including locations in Cincinnati, Stow and St. Clairsville.