Bay Shore Macy's closes Sunday for razing

Shoppers have until Sunday to take advantage of clearance sales at Macy's in Bay Shore, before the department store undergoes a complete makeover.

The 318,000-square-foot building at the Westfield South Shore mall will be razed this month to make way for a new two-level, 200,000-square-foot Macy's, slated to open in fall 2013.

"The new store will be a state-of-the-art experience, a new shopping destination with better assortment," said Deanna Williams, a Macy's spokeswoman. "This particular store is 49 years old, almost 50 years old, and, in order to keep our Bay Shore customers happy, there are some changes we are going to have to make."

The new store will be a third smaller than the original building, constructed in 1963, but will have modern enhancements and won't feel smaller to shoppers, Williams said.

"How you would stock and build a store now versus then is very different," Williams said. "The idea is to make it very convenient for our customer."

All the details of the new aesthetics and amenities are not available yet, but one example is a more experiential beauty department where customers can touch and feel the products, Williams said.

The store has a staff of 180 associates. Most of those who expressed an interest in transferring to open positions in nearby Macy's stores during the construction period have been placed, Williams said.

The store has been running clearance sales since January. Sunday will be the last day it will be open to the public before it is demolished and replaced.