Three Robinsons-May stores in San Diego County will be shuttered next year following a planned merger between Federated Department Stores and its rival, the May Department Stores Co., the parent company of Robinsons-May.
The Escondido, Carlsbad and La Jolla stores are among 20 or more Robinsons-Mays throughout Southern California that are targeted for closure. Altogether, 68 Robinsons-May stores in California, Arizona and Nevada will be closed.
According to Federated’s executives, stores in Mission Valley and Fashion Valley will be kept open, but their nameplates could be changed to Macy’s.
In the $11 billion deal, Federated announced its intention to expand the Macy’s brand with the addition of 330 stores nationwide.
“Macy’s emerged as a premier national retailer in March 2005 when we changed Federated’s regional department store nameplates,” said Terry J. Lundgren, Federated’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We will continue that process in 2006 by converting many of the May Company’s regional store nameplates to Macy’s.
“With these additions, Macy’s will operate about 730 stores, representing virtually every major U.S. market.”
Robinsons-May has its roots in one of the first shopping malls in California, the circa-1960s Mission Valley Mall, which included a May Co. store among its anchors.
Other May Department Stores that will change their logo include: Filene’s and Hecht’s locations on the East Coast; Foleys’ in such Western states as Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and New Mexico; Kaufmann’s in Eastern and Midwestern states and Meier & Frank in Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Connie Lewis
