2 Major Retailers Closing NJ Locations

It's game over for nearly 400 stores of a major gaming retailer, along with a dozen other stores from another department chain - with several in New Jersey.

GameStop

As of January, a list of around 390 GameStop stores was announced to have closed or will be closing later this month.

This includes nine stores in New Jersey:

• Bayonne, NJ - South Cove Plaza, 205 Lefante Way
• Deptford, NJ - Deptford Landing, 2000 Clements Bridge Rd. (1/7)
• Newark, NJ - 786 Broad St.
• North Bergen, NJ - 2100 88th St. @ Tonelle Ave (1/7)
• Rockaway, NJ - Rockaway Townsquare Mall, 301 Mt. Hope Ave. (1/14)
• S. Plainfield, NJ - Hadley S.C., 4959 Stelton Rd. (already closed)
• Somerdale, NJ - Town Square Plaza, 711 E. Evesham Ave. (1/7)
• Somers Point, NJ - Ocean Heights S.C., 15 Bethel Rd. (1/7)
• Succasunna, NJ - Roxbury Mall, 275 E. Rt. 10 E (1/14)

This isn't the first time GameStop slashed a major number of its stores. In GameStop's December Securities and Exchange Commission filing, they stated they had already closed 590 stores in its fical 2024 year.

GameStop also noted they "anticipate closing a significant number of additional stores in fiscal 2025." The fiscal year ends on Jan. 31, 2026.

This is part of a "broad store portfolio optimization" due to market shifts toward digital gaming and "underperformance."

The strategy involves reducing the brick-and-mortar footprint while also exploring new revenue streams, according to the filings.

In an earnings report released on Sept. 10, 2024, GameStop indicated revenue struggles.

It had fallen short of financial expectations for its second quarter, giving investors cause to hesitate, leading to a stock price decline. Earnings commentary also cited more gamers turning toward the use of online game stores that easily hook up with newer consoles, according to the filing.

Macys

The major retail department chain Macy’s is also moving forward with plans to close more than a dozen stores, including two in the Garden State.

New Jersey Macy's store closings include:

• Livingston: Livingston Mall, 112 Eisenhower Parkway
• Ramsey: Interstate Shopping Center, 225 Interstate Shopping Center

Clearance sales are expected to begin in mid-January and will run for around 10 weeks, the retailer told Axios.

The closures are part of a three-year plan Macy's unveiled in January 2025 called the "Bold New Chapter."

As part of the plan, the company plans to close 150 underperforming stores while at the same time investing more heavily in 350 stores that will remain open, a previous news release stated.

"In executing our strategy, we continue to review our portfolio and make careful decisions about where and how we invest, including closing underproductive stores and streamlining operations. These decisions are not made lightly. We communicated directly with affected colleagues first and are providing support, including transfer opportunities where available, as well as severance and outplacement resources where applicable," stated Macy's CEO Tony Spring said in release on Wednesday.

Spring said the "targeted changes allow us to focus where it will have the greatest impact – reimagining our best stores, enhancing customer service, expanding our luxury business, and advancing our supply chain capabilities."

In 2025, the retailer closed 66 stores, including one in New Jersey at the Essex Green Shopping Center in West Orange (459 Prospect Avenue West).

— With reporting by Chris Dehnel and Michelle Rotuno-Johnson

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