Laurel Mall Macy’s Set To Close

Macy’s, Laurel Mall’s oldest anchor store, is set to shut its doors.

The Baltimore Business Journal reports that Macy’s Inc., will close its Laurel in early spring along with Bloomingdale’s at White Flint Mall on Rockville Pike in Montgomery County.

Closing the two stores would eliminate 234 jobs, though laid off associates may be offered positions at nearby stores.

Macy's has been in Laurel Mall since 1981. left Macy’s, along with Burlington Coat Factory, its only anchors. Last year, a new developer stepped in to head the but could not confirm if Macy’s would be a part of the new center.

By Wednesday, news of the store's closure had yet to reach most store workers.

Store employees contacted by Laurel Patch said they were not aware that the store was set to close.

Still, the store is expected to ramp up for a final clearance sale starting Sunday and lasting for 10 weeks. In all, Macy’s will close five stores and four Bloomingdale’s in the United States at a cost of $25-$30 million during its current fourth quarter. 

At the same time Wednesday, Penn Camera Exchange, a photography supply store headquartered in Beltsville, announced on its Web site it is closing a majority of its stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The closings include the on Domer Avenue.

“A dramatic decline in sales performance during the preceding holiday period has precipitated this action,” the store said on its web site.