The Palouse Mall Macy”s will be one of 36 locations nationwide to close its doors this spring, according to an announcement released by Macy”s earlier this month. The announcement cited dropping sales in 2015 as the reason for the closures.
Alex Brizee | Argonaut
A signholder advertises the Moscow Macy”s closure.
Gina Taruscio, executive director of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, said decisions such as these are common and companies close underperforming locations frequently. She said she does not think it reflects anything about Moscow as a whole or the city”s economic health.
“The information that we have about the closure is that it was entirely a corporate decision,” Taruscio said.
Taruscio said the most immediate economic impact of the closure will be the loss of 47 jobs that were provided by the Palouse Mall Macy”s. Taruscio said the loss of Macy”s, which is Moscow”s last remaining department store, will leave fewer shopping choices for both Moscow residents and also people coming in from out of town to shop.
Yet, Taruscio said that there remain a large amount of thriving businesses in Moscow, both in the Palouse Mall and elsewhere, and said she expects those left unemployed by the closure of Macy”s will be able find employment at one of these many businesses elsewhere in the city. Taruscio said she also expects that visitors to Moscow will still be able to find a wide variety of shopping experiences here even without a department store.
“We won”t have as many retail options for the short term at our Mall, but we have great restaurants, coffeehouses, galleries and boutiques throughout our community, so visitors will continue to have an enjoyable experience in Moscow,” Taruscio said.
Taruscio said the Moscow-Pullman area is still an economically viable region, and she expects that another business will eventually come and take the place of Macy”s. Taruscio said that through the years there has often been turnover at the Palouse Mall, but that new businesses always take the place of the old ones.
Taruscio said that she expects the loss of Macy”s to only be a short-term issue for Moscow and the Palouse Mall.
“It”s unfortunate that Macys is closing, because we have had a long relationship with them,” Taruscio said. “It will be exciting to see who comes into the space.”
Ryan Locke can be reached at [email protected]