5 weird things you can find at downtown Seattle's Macy's in its final days

Carolyn Adolph

February 14, 2020 / 7:18 am

caption: It's the last 9 days, as of February 13, 2020.

Macy's downtown will close to the public on February 23. That's just nine shopping days from now!

There is so much to say about what Macy's has been to the American middle class, to immigrants' ideas about what "making it" means, and to the glittering world of holiday preparation. But in Seattle's downtown, it's too late to say it: Macy's is going away.

caption: Yes, this register is very, very closed.

A lot of weird looking office equipment.

It's a little distressing to find the places where salespeople folded your items and put them in bags turned into dusty repositories of strange equipment.

caption: The jewelry section is getting depleted, but the customer action here reminds me of a stock exchange

Jewelry: it's where the action is.

Also, bedding. These are the sections where people are seriously, seriously out hunting for deals. I've seen people leave disappointed because they expected bigger discounts with the store closing. I've also seen shoppers actively stalking a ring or bracelet they clearly love, and they will tell the clerk: "I'll be back to visit it next week." I'm like: you do get that the shop is closing, right?

caption: As more of the store's square footage is unoccupied, the spaces take on a strange feeling. "Empty" doesn't quite capture it.

Hall of Mirrors

I really wish I had words for the strange feelings one can have in a store that is closing. There's no sense of plenty, of beauty, or of safety in the storm of everyday in a store that it shutting down. Even its happy wall murals suddenly look garish.

Employee lockers

Everything is for sale in a store that is closing, including light fixtures, strange tables, filing cabinets placed in a back room in 1974 and employee lockers. Pierre and Frederico: I wish you well.

caption: There are no words for the horrors of the half-mannequin.

So many mannequins and parts of mannequins

There are no words. But I do have a request. Many of us have fun and happy memories from Macy's. Could you share yours? Contact me at cadolph@kuow.org.

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