Popular Store Closing 'Soon' At Ailing Mall In North Jersey

LIVINGSTON, NJ — It’s curtain time for the Macy’s at the Livingston Mall, reports say.

Last week, the department store chain said it will be closing 14 stores as part of its latest round of cuts.

As first reported by Axios, and later confirmed by USA Today, the list will include the Macy’s at the Livingston Mall in New Jersey.

“Macy's Livingston is closing,” a message on the store’s website states. The closure will take place “soon,” although no date is listed.

No such message is currently posted on the website of the Macy’s location at The Mall at Short Hills in Millburn. See Related: Tale Of 2 Malls: Frustration In Livingston, New Stores In Short Hills

CEO Tony Spring commented on Macy’s current corporate vision in a Jan. 8 memo:

“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. We thank all those colleagues for their dedication and service to the company. These 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.”

The Livingston Mall – located at 112 Eisenhower Parkway – has seen a mass exodus of tenants over the past few years, with many shoppers reporting that the once-bustling shopping center is now eerily quiet and nearly empty of stores. One visitor has compared the experience to entering the set of a post-apocalyptic movie.

Recently, town officials announced that they are seeking input from residents as they try to create a “community-led vision” of what the property will look like for the next 50 years.

Need a quick refresher about what’s at stake? According to the town’s website:

“Opened in 1972, the Livingston Mall has long been a staple of the community. Nonetheless, the mall has faced a variety of challenges as e-commerce, consumer preferences and the COVID-19 pandemic impacted its viability. Faced with shuttered anchor stores, declining patronage and growing maintenance issues, the township deemed the mall as an ‘area in need of redevelopment’ in October 2024.”

According to previous presentations from the township – despite its current condition – the mall property continues to have “significant economic value,” and Livingston depends on it for property tax revenue.

In 2010, the mall generated nearly $5.2 million in tax revenue. In 2024, it generated $1.46 million, administrators say – about 0.7 percent of all taxes collected.

It’s possible that housing may be a part of the future of the property, TAPinto Livingston reported last year.

• See Related: Livingston Defends Affordable Housing Plan After Challenge From Developers

In the meanwhile, rumors keep swirling that the end is nigh for the Livingston Mall, despite previous predictions that haven’t come to fruition – yet.

“That mall is gonna be gone within the next year,” a social media user commented in November 2024. “Livingston Mall is falling apart,” another commenter agreed.

Other visitors have urged their fellow shoppers to take heart and continue patronizing the mall’s remaining stores while they’re still open, however.

“I know there are a lot of rumors about Livingston Mall being completely closed down, but that is not true,” a 2024 social media post said. “While a lot of the stores are empty, the rumors are hurting the ones that are still open.”

• See Related: Livingston Keeps Hammering Out New Vision For Mall Property

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