Macy's downtown Minneapolis closing sale starts Monday

Macy's will start its closing sale at its downtown Minneapolis store on Monday.

The sale is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks, Andrea Schwartz, spokeswoman for Macy's North Central region, said Thursday.

The company on Wednesday announced it was closing the store on Nicollet Mall, once the flagship Dayton's department store and a Minneapolis retail landmark for over a century, in March.

Schwartz said on Thursday the company would set a final date closer to the time.

Macy's sent a layoff notification to the state of Minnesota on Thursday, saying that up to 379 people could be idled sometime between March 6 and March 19. That was a larger number than the 280 Macy's indicated in its announcement on Wednesday.

Store executives on Thursday didn't announce specific details on merchandising and discounts for the closing sale.

Four years ago, when Macy's closed its downtown store in St. Paul, the company hired a liquidator to handle the sale.

Initial discounts of 20 to 40 percent were common at that sale, although prices on winter coats and holiday merchandise were slashed more aggressively.

Merchandise in leased departments, such as cosmetics and fragrances, is typically not discounted. Liquidators may bring in merchandise from other stores to supplement as the selection wanes. For instance, oriental rugs and office furniture were brought in when Bloomingdale's in Mall of America closed in 2012. Rugs were also added at the St. Paul Macy's closing.

The Minneapolis store is expected to close in March. "We won't have a determined closing date until closer to that time," Schwartz said.

The restaurants on the 12th floor of the downtown Minneapolis Macy's — the Oak Grill and the Skyroom — will close on Jan. 27.

Staff writer Kavita Kumar contributed to this report.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633