Macy’s is opening a ‘small-format’ store in Berks

The rumors are true — Macy’s is coming to Berks County.

Local social media has been abuzz for a couple of weeks with talk of Macy’s coming to the former Bed Bath and Beyond store in Broadcasting Square Shopping Center in Spring Township.

The talk was confirmed this week with Monday’s installation of a Macy’s sign over the storefront.

In addition, a pop-up ad on Facebook invited applications for open jobs at the Spring Township location.

What is still unknown, is when the store will open. A request Monday afternoon for information from Macy’s was not immediately returned.

An inquiry to Macy’s earlier this month also yielded no specifics, beyond a restatement of the retail company’s plans to expand its small-format stores, opening up to 30 additional locations through 2025.

At the same time it is closing 150 Macy’s department stores through the end of the year, the company is adding to its small-format stores. From 2020 through 2023, 12 of the smaller Macy’s and three Bloomies small-format stores were opened through the end of 2023.

In October, the company announced it would open 30 of the smaller Macy’s stores by fall 2025.

The small-format stores have been identified as a growth area for Macy’s Inc. and are expected to play a pivotal role in the company’s expansion in existing markets and in entering new markets, the company said.

The small-format stores are roughly one-fifth the size of the larger stores, Macy’s said in an October press release. The stores offer a highly curated and localized selection of items representing a mix of both Macy’s private brands and sought-after market brands, officials said.

In an August press release about the opening of four of the small-format stores, the company said the stores range from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet. The stores also collaborate with local businesses to create pop-up shops and events.