What’s the vibe at Sacramento Macy’s in its final days? Longtime shoppers share
Old desks and chairs sit stacked in a vast room illuminated by fluorescent lighting. Posters of famous actress Margot Robbie are surrounded by empty display cases once filled with expensive designer perfumes. Signs standing 7 feet tall in the middle of walkways feature all-caps lettering in yellows and reds.
“CLOSING,” the signs say. “EVERYTHING MUST GO. NOTHING HELD BACK.”
The once-bustling Macy’s in downtown Sacramento at 414 K St. is nearing its end as it’s expected to close at the end of the month, ending a 62-year run anchoring the downtown mall that’s been reshaped by nearby Golden 1 Center and Downtown Commons, or DoCo. The prestigious store first opened in 1963 and now has a feeling of chaotic emptiness.
What’s next for the prime real estate beyond Macy’s closure will remain a hot topic among Sacramento’s political and business leaders. It’s believed to be a candidate for a posh hotel similar to the neighboring Kimpton Sawyer or other potential mixed uses, including restaurants, commercial real estate and housing. Whatever comes next is expected to cost in the hundreds of millions.
In the meantime, shoppers have a few days left to sift through the racks and display cases where items are discounted by as much as 85%. A mix of jewelry, clothing, rugs and furniture remained available to purchase as of Thursday afternoon.
“It’s really going to be missed because it was an icon for state workers,” said shopper Theresa Robinson. “This was the store. We’d come in here on breaks, during lunch, walk back in heels with shopping bags.”
Robinson is a former state worker, now retired who said she began shopping at the downtown Macy’s in the late 1970s.
“It’s actually bittersweet,” Robinson said. “It’s bittersweet because this is also a centralized store, and it was one of the bigger stores here in Sacramento. And so to see it disappear just kind of makes you think, okay, what’s this atmosphere going to be like now? What’s going to take the place of this big open space, and then what’s the distance that now we’ll have to travel for Macy’s? Because Macy’s is just a good store.”
The downtown Sacramento location was one of 66 stores nationwide that Macy’s planned to close this year, including another store in Citrus Heights. Employees were told as early as last June the downtown store might be closing while Macy’s faced pressures of the post-pandemic world with online shopping re-shaping the industry. Many employees were given the opportunity to transfer to other locations. However, more than 100 workers at the two Sacramento-area locations were laid off amid the two closures.
Dylan Tucker, who began working at the store in 2024 after moving to Sacramento from Los Angeles, worked behind the customer service counter. He noticed fellow employees who had been at the store much longer were emotional about the store’s demise.
“I hear a lot of people who are really sad because they’ve been coming here their whole lives,” he said. “I hear that all day long, how sad it is.”
Macy’s is one of the few retail stores in the area that was around prior to the Golden 1 Center being built and opening in 2016. Now, many of the business in the area are experience-driven — miniature golf, bowling, bars, restaurants and the like — to take advantage of the foot traffic created by Kings games.
“I was really sad to hear (of the closing) since they survived the COVID pandemic,” said shopper Rosie Perez, who said she had been going to the downtown Macy’s store for some 55 years. “They survived and they stayed open, and I thought with the arena there that they were pretty solid because it’s an anchor store.
“It’s been a long time, since I was a kid. It’s changed through the years, too. But it’s still something you recognize.”
There are a number of remaining Macy’s in the capital region, including in Elk Grove, Arden Fair mall and the Westfield Galleria in Roseville Galleria. The downtown Macy’s is expected to permanently close March 31.
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
