It’s a weird time for the American mall. You walk into your local shopping center, and maybe the fountain is still gurgling, but there’s a giant "Store Closing" sign plastered over the red star.
If you’re in California, you've probably noticed it more than most. Macy’s is in the middle of a massive identity crisis—or a "Bold New Chapter," as they call it—and the Golden State is bearing the brunt of the pruning shears. It's not just about a few dusty locations anymore. We’re talking about a fundamental shift in how one of the world's most famous retailers decides who gets to stay on the map and who gets turned into luxury condos.
The 2026 Hit List: Which Macy’s Stores Are Closing in California Right Now?
Let’s get straight to the "where" because that’s what everyone is checking their GPS for. As of January 2026, the latest round of the 150-store chopping block has claimed two specific California victims. These are the ones starting their clearance sales literally this week.
The La Mesa Location (Grossmont Center)
The Macy’s anchor at Grossmont Center in La Mesa is officially on the way out. If you’ve ever shopped there, you know it’s a bit of a mid-century landmark. But by mid-March 2026, it’ll be empty. Clearance sales kicked off around January 15, and they usually run for about ten weeks. Basically, by the time spring hits, that red star is coming down.
The Tracy Location (West Valley Mall)
Up in Northern California, the West Valley Mall in Tracy is losing its Macy’s too. It’s part of the same 14-store national wave announced just a few days ago. Like the La Mesa spot, this one is looking at a final curtain call in the first quarter of 2026.
Looking Back: The 2025 California Casualties
To understand the full scope of which Macy’s stores are closing in California, you have to look at the wreckage from last year. 2025 was a brutal year for the brand’s footprint in the state.
Macy's actually shuttered 66 stores nationwide in 2025, and California had a target on its back. We saw closures or "wind-downs" in some pretty heavy-hitting areas. The San Leandro location at Bayfair Center was a big one that folks didn't see coming initially, but it fit the profile: an older mall that wasn't pulling the foot traffic it used to.
Other spots that have been phased out or are currently in the final stages of the "Bold New Chapter" exit include:
- San Mateo (Hillsdale Furniture): This was a specific furniture-only spot, which shows Macy's is moving away from standalone specialty niches that aren't hitting the numbers.
- Citrus Heights (Sunrise Mall): A classic example of a mall that has struggled for years, making the Macy's anchor untenable.
- Westminster (Westminster Mall): Another suburban casualty of the shift toward "small-format" shopping.
- Newark (Newark Mall): Shuttered as part of the consolidation.
The San Francisco Shock: What Happened to Union Square?
Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the giant department store in the square.
Back in 2024, the news broke that the iconic Union Square Macy's in San Francisco was going to close. People lost their minds. It’s a 600,000-square-foot behemoth that basically defines downtown shopping.
But here’s the twist: it’s not closing—at least not in the way we thought.
In late 2025, Macy’s struck a deal with developer TMG Partners. Instead of just locking the doors and leaving a hollow shell in the middle of SF, they’re "reimagining" it. They are staying open for the foreseeable future while the building gets sliced up into a mix of retail, housing, and maybe even office or lab space. It’s a wild experiment. It shows that for some locations, the real estate is worth more than the clothes inside, but the brand isn’t ready to give up the prestige of the address just yet.
Why Is This Happening? (It's Kinda Complicated)
Honestly, it’s not just that people are buying everything on their phones. That’s the easy answer, but it's only half the story.
Macy’s CEO Tony Spring has been pretty blunt about it. They have about 350 "go-forward" stores that actually make money. The other 150? They’re "underproductive."
Basically, the company is cannibalizing its weakest links to save the rest of the chain. They’re taking the cash from these California closures and dumping it into what they call "Reimagine" stores. If you go into a Macy’s that isn't closing, you might notice more staff in the shoe department or better lighting. That’s where the La Mesa and Tracy money is going.
The Santa Barbara Wrecking Ball
If you want to see the future of these closed stores, look at Santa Barbara. The Macy’s at La Cumbre Plaza is a done deal.
The city’s Historic Landmarks Commission recently decided the building wasn't "significant" enough to save. So, it’s going to be razed. In its place? Nearly 700 apartment units. This is the new California reality. We don't need another place to buy a $40 necktie; we need places for people to live.
Macy’s will likely vacate that spot by 2028, but the writing is on the wall. For many of these California towns, the closure of a Macy’s is the first step in a total mall-to-housing conversion.
How to Handle the Closures
If your local store is on the list for 2026, here’s the deal.
Don't expect the clearance sales to be amazing on day one. They usually start at 10-20% off and get desperate toward the end of the 10-week cycle. By week eight, the store looks like a post-apocalyptic movie, but that’s when you find the 70% off deals on high-end cookware or random furniture floor models.
Actionable Insights for the California Shopper:
✨ Don't miss: Jay Cohen Age: What Most People Get Wrong About the Betting Pioneer
- Check Your Gift Cards: If your local store is closing, use those cards now. While you can still use them online, the hassle of returns becomes a nightmare when your nearest physical location is two counties away.
- Watch the "Small Format" Shift: Keep an eye out for "Market by Macy's." These are tiny, strip-mall versions of the store. If your big mall anchor closed, a tiny version might pop up in a nearby shopping center within 18 months.
- The "Last Act" Section: Even in stores that aren't closing, Macy’s is aggressive about the "Last Act" clearance. If you’re mourning a local closure, you can often find the same deep discounts by hunting the back corners of the surviving stores.
The reality is that the list of which Macy’s stores are closing in California is probably going to grow slightly before the end of 2026. The company is at about 80% of its goal right now. If your local store feels empty and the escalator has been broken for three weeks, you might want to start looking for your next favorite spot to buy towels.