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Macy's on Thursday announced it plans to close 100 of its department stores across the United States.
It says it will announce the locations of the stores at a later date when it has made final decisions.
The move will bring down the number of Macy's stores in the U.S. to 628. The company says it wants to focus on the best-performing locations and online retail.
There are currently 13 Macy's in Greater Houston.
"I wouldn't really describe it as a trend," George Kelemen, president of the Texas Retailers Association, says. He doesn't think this is a sign that department stores are going the way of bookstores like Border's, which couldn't recover from sales lost to online shopping.
"In terms of whether it's them or anyone else making adjustments, and unfortunately in some cases it results in closing stores, isn't necessarily a harbinger of negative things, it just may be a reality of the business."
Kelemen says the oil downturn has affected retailers in Houston and the rest of Texas.
"But overall, as a state, I think we've weathered it pretty well," he says. "And our retailers have found a way to continue to make themselves relevant to their consumers and meet their consumers' needs."
He says retailers are using the internet to complement their in-store sales and opening stores in town centers, which he says are increasingly popular with customers.