- Macy’s is permanently closing its Backstage operation in South Windsor, eliminating 106 warehouse jobs between Dec. 28, 2025 and Jan. 10, 2026.
- The shutdown is part of Macy’s broader supply-chain overhaul and store-closure strategy to modernize operations and cut costs nationwide.
SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — Macy’s is shutting down its entire Backstage operation at the distribution center on Governors Highway here, a move that will wipe out 106 warehouse jobs in the two weeks straddling Christmas and New Year’s.
The layoffs, which the company says are permanent, start December 28 and wrap up by January 10. In a letter dated October 28, Jonathan Castro, Macy’s senior director of human resources, told the Connecticut Department of Labor and South Windsor Mayor Audrey Delnicki that the Backstage unit—think off-price outlet merchandise—will cease entirely at the 301 Governors Highway site.
“We’re committed to making this transition as smooth as possible,” Castro wrote.
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The company promised details on severance packages and chances to slide into open slots at nearby Macy’s stores, though no one gets “bumping rights” to displace other workers.
The hit list breaks down like this: 77 warehouse associates, eight power-equipment operators, four warehouse leads, five ARO coordinators, five core trainers, three operations managers, and a handful of housekeeping, asset-protection, and yard-driver roles.
Nobody in the group belongs to a union.
Part of a Bigger Supply-Chain Overhaul
Macy’s insists the South Windsor cut is one piece of a years-long push to “simplify and modernize” how it moves goods. Just weeks ago, the retailer fired up a 2.5-million-square-foot automated fulfillment center in China Grove, North Carolina—its newest high-tech bet.
The company is chasing savings under its “Bold New Chapter” playbook, which also means dumping older warehouses and leaning harder on robots.
Connecticut has already felt the ripple. Macy’s sold its South Windsor building earlier this year for $29.7 million but kept a lease to stay in operation—until now.
Another big DC up in Cheshire (475 Knotter Drive) is on the leasing block, with its 700-ish workers facing an uncertain 2026 exit.
Macy’s Closing Stores Nationwide, Too
The warehouse news lands while Macy’s closing stores remains front-page retail drama. Back in February 2024 the chain said it would axe 150 underproductive doors by the end of 2026.
So far 66 are on the 2025 chopping block, with clearance sales already rolling at dozens of spots from downtown Brooklyn to the old Wanamaker Building in Philly.
In Connecticut the six remaining full-line Macy’s—at Connecticut Post Mall, Danbury Fair, Westfarms, Trumbull, Stamford Town Center, and Buckland Hills—are safe for now. But the state has taken hits before: Brass Mill Center in Waterbury and Crystal Mall in Waterford both lost their Macy’s anchors in recent rounds.
What Workers Are Hearing
Laid-off employees will get the official severance packet soon, Macy’s says. Anyone lucky enough to land another gig inside the company starts fresh—same pay scale and benefits as any new hire, no seniority carry-over.
For the 106 families in South Windsor, the timing stings. “Job eliminations are permanent and will occur between December 28, 2025, and January 10, 2026,” the WARN notice reads—smack in the post-holiday lull when seasonal hiring dries up.
The Bigger Retail Reckoning
Macy’s isn’t alone. Challenger, Gray & Christmas clocked a 274% surge in retail layoffs through mid-2025, with Macy’s store and DC closures a big driver.
CEO Tony Spring has been blunt: close the dogs, juice the winners, and pour cash into the 350 “go-forward” stores plus small-format Market by Macy’s shops.
As one more Connecticut warehouse unit goes dark, the message to workers is clear—retail’s old playbook is getting shredded, and the holidays just got a lot leaner for 106 households.
Also Read: Experts Now Issue a Stark Recession Warning Amid Ongoing Shutdown
