Macy’s recently announced plans to close roughly 150 of its underperforming stores nationwide; however, the Macy’s at the Santa Maria Town Center is here to stay.
In a statement, a Macy’s spokesperson told KSBY that the looming store closures come as the company works to return to profitable growth.
Santa Maria Macy’s shoppers we spoke with said they were relieved to hear the store would be sticking around.
“Well, I am glad they are going to stay open. I like shopping there,” said Lorraine Calvert.
“I would assume that little old Santa Maria would get closed, but they are keeping it open and that is great because this is the only Macy’s we have,” added Beau Cram.
According to the company, 50 Macy’s stores will close for good by the end of the year, with 100 more to follow through 2026.
Kenneth Guge, who has owned a business at the Town Center mall since 2004, admitted he was a bit surprised to hear his local Macy’s survived the cut.
“I have seen a lot of stores come and go,” Guge said.
Guge tells KSBY that Macy’s is the last remaining anchor store at the mall after Sears closed in 2020, and while he was reassured to know Santa Maria wouldn’t be losing its Macy’s, Guge says he understands the challenges of keeping a business running for the long haul.
“A lot of people, a lot of competitors have opened in town, and we are still here. I see those guys come and go too,” he explained. “We are still managing to plug away.”
Though mall officials were unavailable for an interview Monday, they say Battle Axes was the Town Center’s most recent closure, which shut its doors less than a year after opening.
Cram, meanwhile, says he would likely stop coming to the mall if Macy’s were to close down, too.
“Closing this Macy’s would make an impact. We wouldn't be here today if that Macy’s wasn't open today,” he said.
On Monday, we also asked Macy’s representatives if their store at La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara was on their list of locations that would be closing. They told us that the store would be staying open as well.
