Macy’s made two dark stores and is doing a hand full more. One thing I learn from this place they do things in slow motion. I think they know the mall is dead. So they still own real estate. I think this why they moved all stock people on the floor. And cut managers. Make sense now. I see why store managers are bailing. You don’t need them.
6 replies (most recent on top)
Turning a Macy's retail location into a fulfillment center only makes sense if as a poster a few replies down commented, the company is using this as a way to liquidate merchandise without having to share proceeds with the liquidator company that is usually hired to close stores. Retail properties designed for selling to the public are not setup for a productive fulfillment location configuration, which is typically aisles and rows of racks and bins. There has been zero investment into these locations, this is not a long term strategy just a way to liquidate remaining inventory while helping to meet order demand through the holiday season. There is a reason that only neighborhood locations were selected for dark stores, good for the company but if you work at one of these locations the end if near.
Dark store is a a store that is turned into a warehouse with only a section for curb side pick up and making payments. The store is now a “ dark store “ that’s where I believe they are heading. Hence the 1.5 cost saving by 2022 that’s a 1.5 years away. Which follow the Amazon buz model. There is no operational manager or visual ( cut ) no store manager ( cut). No sales / captain ( cut) only area manager and grunts You see the writing on the mall
Where are the other ones
I truly believe this is going to happen with the store I left at the beginning of the year. (Of my own accord due to a new job offer). Right after I left, they laid off half of the store and became a “neighborhood store”. Stock was already scary low before COVID. Now, it’s literally entire floor sections empty with only a rack on every corner to show the few items available in that dept. I’ve tried to shop and cannot find anything remotely close to what I need. And it looks like they only received the cheap Black Friday items for stock recently and nothing else. They are now down to about 35/40 associates and all are broken down. I’m glad i got out when I did. Totally different field and the business owners where i work are smart and treat me 1000 times better then I ever got treated at Macy’s.
So these "Dark stores" - many of them (perhaps all?) will be closed permanently after the holidays. Once you are "dark" you aren't going back to being open again. Basically this is a way for them to clear the stores of merchandise (fulfillment) before closing them. That way they don't have to do a GOB and can maintain some profit margins.
What do you mean, "dark stores", ?