Macy's to Close Westside Pavilion Store, Among Others (VIDEO)

The first of many more to come, no doubt.

At LAT, "Macy's is shutting its Westside Pavilion store and others in California":

Macy's Inc. plans to close its store at Los Angeles' Westside Pavilion mall, as well as two others in California, the retail giant said Thursday as it grapples with consumers' increasing shift to online shopping.

The closures, which include Macy's stores at the Laguna Hills Mall in Orange County and the Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco, will occur early next year. It was not immediately known how many jobs would be affected.

The Macy's closure at Westside Pavilion probably is related to the recent opening of a new Macy's store at the nearby Westfield Century City mall, said Ron Friedman, co-head of retail and consumer products for Marcum.

"It's old, it hasn't been refreshed," he said of Westside Pavilion. "Why would I go to the Pavilion when I can go to brand new Century City?"

Located less than 2 miles from Westside Pavilion, Westfield Century City is wrapping up a two-year, $1-billion makeover into a high-end hangout and shopping destination.

The renovation brings five valet stations and more than 200 mostly new shops and restaurants, including famed chef Mario Batali's Eataly.

Analysts have said that malls of the future must be entertainment centers with a plethora of eating options to attract young consumers, rather than the current model that's heavily focused on apparel shops.

Westside Pavilion, owned by Santa Monica-based mall operator Macerich Co., recently lost its other anchor tenant Nordstrom to Westfield Century City...

I never go to the Laguna Hills mall. In fact, I'd forgotten about it.