Macy's to close stores due to virus outbreak

All Macy’s and Bloomingdales stores are closing temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic, their parent company said Tuesday.

Macy’s Inc.’s stores -- Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bluemercury, Macy’s Backstage, Bloomingdale's outlets and Market by Macy’s -- will be closed at the end of business Tuesday through March 31.

Online sales still will occur during that time, Macy’s Inc. said.

"The health and safety of our customers, colleagues and communities is our utmost priority. As a result of the recent COVID-19 developments, we have decided to temporarily close our stores. We will work with government and health officials to assess when we will reopen our stores and safely bring our colleagues back to work," Jeff Gennette, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s Inc., said in a statement

Employees will continue to receive pay and benefits during the shutdowns, Macy’s said.

The Manhattan-based company has 775 stores.  On Long Island, there are 10 full-line Macy’s, but in January, Macy’s said its store in Commack will close this summer and its Hicksville store would be among 29 nationwide closing in “the coming weeks.”

An employee at the Hicksville store said that location could close permanently Tuesday.

There are three Bloomingdale’s stores on Long Island – two full-price stores at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City and at Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station, and an outlet in The Gallery at Westbury Plaza in Garden City.

A host of retailers, including Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike, Williams-Sonoma and  Apple, have announced temporary store closings as part of social distancing efforts during the coronavirus outbreak.

By Tory N. Parrish

tory.parrish@newsday.comToryParrish1

Tory N. Parrish covers retail and small business for Newsday. She has worked at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y.