New York City — Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has reported an approximately $1.1 billion loss in operating income in the first quarter, a result of both temporary and permanent store closings as well as significantly decreased patronage amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the company said Thursday. As of this week, the company has reopened approximately 190 of its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s shops and plans to reopen 80 more for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
At the close of 2019, Macy’s Inc. owned and operated a total of nearly 840 stores across its flagship and Bloomingdale’s brands. Prior to the health and economic crisis, Macy’s had announced plans to close 125 of its least productive stores over the next three years, beginning in February. As part of the plan, the retailer closed its offices in San Francisco, downtown Cincinnati and Lorain, Ohio, leaving the New York City office as its sole corporate headquarters. Macy’s stock price closed at $5.05 per share May 20, compared with $21 per share at the same time last year.