Report: Downtown Minneapolis Macy's To Close

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After decades as a flagship department store in the downtown district, the Nicollet Mall Macy's will soon be shutting its doors, according to a report from Twin Cities Business Magazine.

The publication says Macy's informed city officials of its plans to permanently close in the first half of 2017. The rumored announcement isn't expected until after the holiday season, which means this year may be your last chance to visit the long-running Santaland attraction at the store.

A Macy's official declined to comment on the story, saying the company hasn't made any official announcement of any kind about its downtown Minneapolis store.

Rumors of the store closing have been milling around the Twin Cities for weeks, but it seems the store plans to make things official soon. The closing marks a shift in the company's strategy away from physical retail and towards online shopping.

Earlier this year, the company announced plans to close 100 of its stores, but didn't specify which ones.

The store first opened in the early 1900s as Dayton's before being rebranded as Marshall Fields in 2001, then Macy's in 2006.