Macy’s to close Northgate store this summer, not ’20

SEATTLE — In January, local Macy’s shoppers were saddened to learn that the retailer’s Northgate Mall location would close sometime next year.

On Wednesday, Macy’s officials confirmed that the closure date for the Northgate location has been moved up to “mid-2019.”

The confirmation came after employees at the Northgate store told The Seattle Times they’d learned of the new closure date from managers at the start of their Wednesday shifts.

“It was supposed to be next year, but now it’s this year — in July,” said one employee.

Asked for comment, Macy’s officials issued a statement virtually identical to one issued in January. Macy’s “has been reviewing its real estate portfolio across the country to see if there are opportunities to improve the use of our assets,” a company spokesperson said in an email Wednesday.