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Officials Not Worried about Rash of Tulsa Store Closings

KWGS News

K-Mart, Toys "R" Us, Sears, now Macy’s — several national retailers have now shuttered or intend to shutter stores in Tulsa.

The closings mean dozens of people could lose their jobs, but what do they mean for the City of Tulsa, which runs on sales tax revenue?

"There should not be a major impact from those on the city, but it is sort of reflective of kind of the changing nature of how people obtain goods," said City Finance Director Mike Kier.

Macy’s store at Promenade Mall is among 68 low performers the retailer is closing this year, but there should be no affect on their Tulsa County distribution center. The 1.3 million square foot facility opened in 2015 and fulfills online orders, which are going strong.

Tulsa Regional Chamber Executive Vice President Justin McLaughlin said Macy’s executives have assured them the fulfillment center’s operations will continue as normal.

"That facility has been a tremendous impact to the Tulsa region. They've operated between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs, depending on peak season. They've had about an $800 million economic impact," McLaughlin said.

Macy’s will close by the end of the year, while Toys "R" Us at 21st Street and 145th East Avenue closes at the end of the month. Sears at 21st Street and Yale Avenue closes mid-April, and its liquidation sale begins Friday.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.