It was annouced that Americas posh retail giant, Macy's department store, will be closing 11 retail locations in the next year.

Macy's--the American equivilent of Harrod's--which was once billed as "the world's largest store," is downplaying the closures as "normal." Yet, in point of fact, it has never closed this many stores in a one year period, in its entire history. They have been in business since 1924, and even the depression era didn't slow them down.

Some employees in the stores which are shutting down--in states such as Florida and Tennesee--will be allowed to stay on at other Macy's locations...yet, the bulk of the workforce, if unable or unwilling to re-locate, will be adding more stats to the unemployment figures, along with employees from the industrial sector, such as Alcoa, which is also sacking thousands of employees this year.

Macy's flagship store is in Herald Square in Manhattan--made famous in song and films, such as Christmas film, "Miracle of 34th Street," and also it plays host to America's most famous televised parade, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has been around since the store's beginnings, in 1924 (the year my late dad was born, and the year the village I grew up in was founded, as it happens).

Going to Macy's in November was something I've done on several occasions, over the last three decades...the last time in 2004. The Herald Square store is a tourist attraction all in itself, most especially at Christmas. In 2004, all the window displays at Macy's were on the theme of the Christmas film, "A Christmas Story." Each year, Macy uses a different theme, with animated and detailed displays.