Some clarity about the future of a busy Macy’s store in New Jersey?

Some interesting and positive things appear to be happening at a big Macy's store in South Jersey.

Even more interesting is that this store is often the subject of online discussions, usually and indirectly not in a very positive light.

We're talking about Macy's at Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, a fixture of the region for several decades and the only major anchor store remaining at that shopping center.

Now, I'm not going to sugarcoat this topic, but if you read any discussions about Hamilton Mall online, you know the mall has certainly seen better days.

Once Sears and JCPenney closed years ago, the mall has seen a noticeable uptick in the number of vacant stores. (And this is where I always state this disclaimer: I am not bashing the mall. I am not wishing bad things upon Hamilton Mall. I want this mall to thrive and be a huge success story. I still think it can be.)

And with those discussions often comes chatter about the future of that Macy's store.

At the end of February, Macy's announced that they would be closing 150 stores across the country, with 50 shutting down this fiscal year, as the department store chain battled declining sales.

Naturally, people began wondering about the Hamilton Mall store, so we reached out to their corporate folks who told us that the store would not be closing this year and any decisions about its future would not happen until 2025.

So here we are with 2025 now in sight and some interesting — and good — things seem to be happening at the Hamilton Mall Macy's.

Mays Landing, NJ, Macy's Hiring Event

For starters, the store is holding a hiring event on Thursday, November 14th, from 11 AM to 6 PM on the third floor.

A sign in the store highlights the chain's competitive pay, flexible scheduling, and early access to wages.

But could this just be a hiring event for seasonal workers? Yes and no. The Macy's website shows several full-time openings along with seasonal positions that need to be filled.

Pardon our appearance

Further in, they're remodeling some areas of the store and we saw some workers changing out some old lights, too.

And then overall, the store looked absolutely fantastic. I mean, spotless. Each department was very well stocked, employees were really easy to find, and although this picture doesn't show it, quite a few areas of the store were packed. I walked in through the perfume area and was shocked at the number of people walking around - and quite a few employees said hello and welcomed me.

If Macy's is making an effort to turn this store around, it's noticeable. Big time. And it's impressive. If you haven't stopped by lately, it's worth a visit because this isn't the same Macy's store from even six months ago.

Is it safe to assume that this store has a future since they're hiring people and making improvements? It's not smart to assume, but things sure do seem a lot brighter.