Chains are closing locations nationwide. Is Fresno losing Macy’s, Family Dollar, more?

Some bad news has been hitting national chains and customers alike in recent weeks.

Headlines such as “Macy’s is closing 150 stores” and “Outback Steakhouse parent company is closing 41 locations” keep popping up.

So what does it mean for Fresno and Clovis? Are we slated to lose any stores and restaurants?

Yes. And no.

A few places have already closed. But some big names are safe.

The Bee reached out to several chains announcing closures to find out what it means for local stores. Here’s what we found.

Macy’s closing 150 stores

Macy’s department stores announced plans last month to close 150 underperforming stores, about 30% of its locations, over the next three years.

The Fresno locations do not appear to be among them.

A company representative told The Bee via email that it plans to continue doing business at its stores in River Park and Fashion Fair. It also confirmed the Macy’s Furniture Gallery on Shaw Avenue would remain open.

Macy’s is focusing on its remaining 350 stores, including full-line stores, furniture stores, stores that aren’t part of malls, and its other brands, including Bloomingdale’s, a company representative said.

The Fashion Fair Macy’s could see some changes in the near future as it’s part of the company’s newly expanded pilot program. That could include more workers on the floor helping customers and a greater emphasis on visual presentation of displays, the CEO said during an earnings conference call in February.

Successes at the pilot stores will be rolled out to other locations.

Macy’s has been at Fashion Fair for decades, though parts of the store are in separate locations within the mall. The store containing its women’s departments and cosmetics is at the west end of the mall.

Farther east in the same mall is the Macy’s Men’s and Macy’s Backstage, its discount portion of the store.

Family Dollar closing 600

Family Dollar plans to close about 600 stores this year — and at least one Fresno store is among them.

The store at Clinton and Fruit avenues is closing.

The discount store’s merchandise was about 30% off as of Wednesday.

It has not set an exact closing date.

And there could be more. The company has not released a list of stores it plans to close.

Family Dollar, which is owned by Dollar Tree, announced earlier this month that it’s closing 600 stores. Another 370 Family Dollar stores and 30 Dollar Tree stores will close when their leases expire.

The company was hit with a $41.7 million fine for a rat infestation at its Arkansas distribution center, contributing to its financial difficulties. Nearly 1,300 rodents were exterminated at the site, and a massive recall was launched that led to the temporary closure of more than 400 stores in the southeastern U.S.

The retailer is also facing more general challenges, including inflation, theft and competition from discounters such as Walmart. Spending by customers has also dropped, driven in part by the expiration of a pandemic food stamp program that cut some families’ benefits by between $90 and $250 a month.

Outback closing 41 restaurants

Last month, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse announced it would close 41 locations. The company, Bloomin’ Brands, owns Outback, along with Fleming’s Steakhouse, and a few other restaurants that aren’t in Fresno.

But so far none of its restaurants in the Fresno area are closing.

Fleming’s is telling customers it hasn’t heard any news about a closure.

And the Outback locations in California are all franchises, not company-owned locations, noted a company representative. So they are not affected by the closures coming from the company.

The Body Shop closing

The cosmetics and skin care store at Fashion Fair is dark and locked up tight. All its merchandise is still inside, but the store is closed — along with every other The Body Shop location in the United States.

The Body Shop abruptly closed all its American stores March. 1.

The British company is in deep financial trouble. In addition to the U.S. subsidiary shutting down, 33 stores in Canada are closing, along with dozens in the United Kingdom.

The Body Shop was known for its sustainability and anti-animal cruelty stance. It once had more than 2,500 locations in 80 countries, but has struggled financially in recent years with declining sales.

Michael Kors

Michael Kors also suddenly closed its store at Fashion Fair recently. The store sold high-end purses and other items in a prominent spot with rounded windows at the edge of the main plaza.

The company did not return a message seeking comment about why the Fresno store closed.

The store survived a round of closures in 2017 that shut down more than 100 stores nationwide.

Michael Kors’ parent company, Capri Holdings Limited, also owns upscale brands Versace and Jimmy Choo. Its revenue decreased nearly 6% during the latest quarter, with the CEO citing a “softening demand for luxury goods.”

Michael Kors purses and other products are still available at stores such as Macy’s.

Rite Aid closing 200 stores

Rite Aid has announced two rounds of store closures in recent months totaling around 200 stores nationwide, including at least 31 in California.

The store at Cedar and Shields avenues in Fresno closed earlier this month.

The pharmacy filed for bankruptcy in October, and is closing stores to save on rent costs.

When Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy, it cited several challenges, including decreasing sales, competing retailers and debt from lawsuits stemming from the opioid crisis. The company told the bankruptcy court it was closing stores that were “underperforming.”