Macy’s placed roots in the Bay Area long before suburban malls existed. Its San Francisco presence began in 1945 when it acquired O’Connor, Moffatt & Co., later expanding by absorbing I. Magnin and the original Liberty House, making it a foundational retail icon in downtown San Francisco.
In the postwar suburban boom, Macy's didn’t just lease space—it often helped build shopping centers. That’s why malls with “Fair” in their names—Bay Fair, Valley Fair—bore Macy's branding pride, each opening alongside or shortly after their Macy’s anchor store.
Department stores are a tough breed. By the mid-90s, industry experts reported we had nearly 50% more retail than we needed. We already had lost Bullock's and Liberty House by then, so it felt like the end in 1995 when Federated Department Stores (owner of Macy's) acquired Emporium-Capwell. A year later, they merged it with Macy's, and the Emporium-Capwell name would disappear forever. Yet, almost 22 of the former Emporium-Capwell stores would turn into new Macy’s locations. They were everywhere, sometimes two in one mall.
In the 2000s, shifting consumer habits began to rewrite the retail landscape. Montgomery Ward disappeared. Mervyn’s followed. Then Gottschalks. By the next decade, Sears was gone, too. The traditional department store model continues to contract—but somehow, Macy’s keeps adapting.
As we've said goodbye to many beloved department stores in past, and even some Macy's stores today, the show ain't over. Something new always moves into their place. In this case, Macy's is still part of our lives, and we can still say hello to them tomorrow.
Personal buying memory
Macy’s was always part of the backdrop of my youth—a department store anchor in more ways than one. But truthfully, I didn’t do much actual shopping there until I was older, armed with a slightly bigger paycheck and my very first Macy’s credit card (which, believe it or not, I still have tucked in a drawer somewhere).
Back in the ’80s, I was more of a window-shopper. I’d wander through the Tiger Shop, eyeing the latest in bold prints and shoulder pads, pretending I had places to wear them. But the real magic was up on the third floor. That’s where The Cellar served up all things culinary—gleaming cookware, gourmet gadgets, and fancy labels that made me feel like I might someday host a dinner party that didn’t involve frozen pizza.
I still remember my very first Macy’s purchase—an extravagance in red and white stripes. It was a Polo Ralph Lauren Oxford shirt, not the Chaps version or on sale (details that felt both rebellious and wildly sophisticated). At the time, it felt like a serious grown-up decision in a very grown-up store.
I didn’t totally grasp fashion—I just knew that shirt looked sharp, like something someone in Atherton might wear on the weekend. I wore it proudly, like armor stitched in confidence. And though I can’t recall exactly where I wore it first, I’ll never forget how it made me feel, folded crisply in that signature Macy’s bag: like I had arrived, or at least like I might be allowed in.
Macy's stores in the Bay Area
Macy's Union Square (1945)
Acquired when Macy's bought O'Connor, Moffatt, & Company. The store was rebranded as Macy's in 1947. The store got larger by the consolidation of I. Magnin, and the purchasing of the old Liberty House across the street, now Macy's Men's store.
1950s suburban expansion
Macy's San Rafael (1953-1996)
Macy's had acquired Albert's stores in San Rafael and Richmond, and they officially became Macy's on February 24, 1953. It was located at 4th and Court in San Rafael. The store ran until Macy's parent company bought Emporium-Capwell, and in the process, closed the San Rafael store in January 1996.
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| Vintage newspaper ad announcing the February 24, 1953 conversion of Albert's department stores in San Rafael and Richmond into Macy’s—marking Macy’s earliest presence in the North Bay. |
Macy's Richmond (1953-1973)
Another Albert's store that became Macy's on February 24, 1954. It was located at 10th and Macdonald in Richmond. The store closed January 6, 1973. Macy's had cited a move to the Hilltop Mall, once it opened (1976).
Macy's Hillsdale (1954)
Opened at San Mateo's Hillsdale Mall on November 18, 1954.
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| Grand opening ad for Macy’s Hillsdale in the San Mateo Times, November 18, 1954. This marked Macy’s first major expansion into the Peninsula, introducing its signature New York-style department store experience to San Mateo County. |
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| Second grand opening advertisement for Macy’s Hillsdale, published in the San Mateo Times on November 18, 1954. The ad emphasized the store’s size, selection, and suburban accessibility—hallmarks of postwar retail expansion. |
Macy's Valley Fair (1956)
Opened at Valley Fair Mall in San Jose on August 10, 1956.
Macy's Bay Fair (1957-2024)
Macy's opened in San Leandro on August 8, 1957. Bay Fair Mall opened a few months later. It operated until January 2024,
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| Grand opening advertisement for Macy’s at Bayfair in San Leandro, August 8, 1957—marking the debut of one of the Bay Area’s first suburban Macy’s stores, just ahead of the mall’s official opening. |
1960s
Macy's Stanford (1961)
Opened at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto in 1961.
Macy's Sunvalley (1967)
Opened at Concord's Sunvalley Mall in 1967. A second store opened in 1996, replacing Emporium-Capwell.
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| Macy’s at Sunvalley Mall in Concord, California. Opened in 1967, it was one of the original anchors of the mall and has remained a longtime fixture in Contra Costa County retail. |
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| Exterior view of Macy’s at Sunvalley Mall in Concord, a former Emporium-Capwell that became Macy’s in 1996 following Federated Department Stores’ acquisition. |
Macy's Serramonte (1968)
Macy's opened at Daly City's Serramonte Mall on October 3, 1968.
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| Macy’s at Serramonte Center in Daly City, part of the mall’s original anchor lineup when it opened in October 1968. |
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| Opening day advertisement for Macy’s at Serramonte Center in Daly City, October 3, 1968—celebrating the arrival of Macy’s as a key anchor in one of the Bay Area’s newest regional malls. |
1970s
Macy's Eastridge (1971)
Macy's opened at Eastridge Mall in San Jose on August 12, 1971.
Macy's Hilltop Mall (1976-2021)
After relocating it's downtown Richmond store, Macy's opened at Hilltop Mall in September 1976. It relocated to the former Capwell's store after it was acquired in 1996. The store closed in March 2021, along with the mall closure.
Macy's Oakridge (1978)
Opened at San Jose's Oakridge Mall on August 23, 1978.
Macy's Sunnyvale (1979-2019)
Macy's opened at Sunnyvale Town Center on September 27, 1979. It closed in 2019.
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| Grand opening ad for Macy’s at Sunnyvale Town Center, dated September 27, 1979. The store served the community for 40 years before closing in 2019, marking the end of an era for downtown Sunnyvale retail. |
1980s
Macy's Newark (1980-2025)
Macy's at Newark's NewPark Mall opened on August 6, 1980. It closed in March of 2025.
Macy's Pleasanton (1980)
Macy's at Pleasanton's Stoneridge Mall opened on September 4, 1980. A second store opened in 1996, replacing Emporium-Capwell.
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| Exterior view of Macy’s at Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton, a former Emporium-Capwell that became Macy’s in 1996 following Federated Department Stores’ acquisition. |
Macy's Santa Rosa (1981)
Macy's opened at Santa Rosa Plaza in August 8, 1981.
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| Macy’s at Santa Rosa Plaza, which opened on August 8, 1981, as a key anchor of the new downtown shopping center in Sonoma County. |
Macy's Fairfield (1985)
Macy's opened at Fairfield's Solano Mall in August 1985.
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| Exterior view of Macy’s at Solano Mall in Fairfield, which opened in August 1985 as part of the mall’s expansion into a full regional shopping destination. |
Macy's Corte Madera (1985-2025)
Macy's opened at the new Village at Corte Madera mall in August of 1985. It closed in March 2025.
1990s
Macy's Stonestown (1996-2018)
Macy's inherited this store when its parent bought Emporium-Capwell in 1996. It ran until March 2018.
Macy's Broadway Plaza (1996)
Macy's inherited this store when its parent bought Emporium-Capwell in 1996. It had a second location in a former I. Magnin, too. The second location closed after Macy's enlarged their current store.
Macy's Coddington (1996)
Macy's inherited this store when its parent bought Emporium-Capwell in 1996.
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| Exterior view of Macy’s at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, a former Emporium-Capwell location that became Macy’s in 1996 following Federated Department Stores’ acquisition. |
Macy's Southland (1996)
Macy's inherited this store when Federated Department Stores (Macy's parent) acquired Broadway Stores (parent of Emporium-Capwell). When Emporium-Capwell closed, it became Macy's in 1996. However, the building itself is a 1972 Liberty House store, designed by architect Avner Naggar.
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| Exterior of Macy’s at Southland Mall in Hayward, rebranded in 1996 after Federated Department Stores acquired Broadway Stores. The building originally opened in 1972 as Liberty House, designed by architect Avner Naggar. |
Macy's Cupertino (1997-2015)
Macy's inherited this store when it bought Emporium-Capwell in 1996, but remained vacant until July 1997 when it became Macy's clearance center. Later in 1998, it upgraded to a full store. It remained open until March 15, 2015.
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| Exterior of Macy’s at Vallco Mall in Cupertino, which opened as a Macy’s Clearance Center in July 1997 before upgrading to a full-line store in 1998. Originally a Bullock's, it remained in operation until March 15, 2015. |
2000s
Macy's Capitola (2002)
Macy's opened in the site formerly occupied by JC Penney at Capitola Mall in April of 2002.
Macy's Antioch (2004-2020)
Macy's opened at Somersville Towne Center in 2004. It closed in 2020.
Related posts
- Lost department stores of the Bay Area: Emporium-Capwell (1896—1996)
- Lost department stores of the West: Weinstock’s (1874—1996)
- The history of Macy's in Sacramento and the Central Valley
Comments
Hillsdale was actually the first Bay Area Macys opened from scratch. SF's was originally O'Connor & Moffat until Macys bought them the late 40's.
San Rafael and Richmond's were a small retailer named Albert's that had been acquired around 1952. And small stores they both were, as I remember ads with the disclaimer "All Macys except Richmond and San Rafael", usually for big ticket items they didn't carry. Richmond closed in 1973, but Downtown San Rafael hung in there until Federated's purchase of Emporium in '96; though in it's last years in was just a "home store".
Because Macys was relatively new to the region, I guess they thought buying out small community based stores was less risky. In fact, I read that they were looking at such a store in Downtown San Jose before deciding to do Valley Fair from scratch instead.
The Richmond store was originally quite larger than San Rafael's, having been assembled from several buildings in the same block at 10th and Macdonald Ave. My earliest recollections from the early 60's was that it carried most things except furniture and large appliances. However, I later saw old ads from the 50's indicating that at one time it carried those items as well(where they found room to put them is unknown)
The Richmond Macys also had a coffee shop that you could smell throughout most of the first floor.
But as you said, the store declined rapidly due to competition from the El Cerrito Plaza and as Downtown Richmond was no longer seen as a safe place to be. There was a big riot there in the late 60's after which things pretty much started shutting down. It was during this period that the "except Richmond" disclaimers started outnumbering San Rafael's
Still, by 1970 Macys, Penneys, and several other chains were still around, but by then Macys was down to one level and even a third of that was closed off. As soon as plans for Hilltop Mall were announced, Macys closed the downtown store even though Hilltop wouldn't open for three more years.
In contrast, JC Penney not only stayed Downtown until Hilltop opened but even remained for over a year after that, giving Richmond the brief distinction of having TWO Penney stores.
San Rafael did indeed expand into the Penneys next door and across the street into what I think had been a Woolworths. But even with those expansions, it still couldn't shake the occaisonal "All Macys except San Rafael" disclaimer. The opening of the Corte Madera store in the 80's would eventually convert San Rafael into just a home store, but when Federated took over Emporium and Macys got a store at Northgate Mall, Downtown San Rafael's Macys was finally put to bed.
Its found at archive.org; here's the link:
http://www.archive.org/details/Shopping1957