Macy's is closing its Maplewood Mall and Burnsville Center locations as the legacy department store works to reverse the decline in its business.

The retailer, which has seen falling sales at a time when consumers are spending less on discretionary purchases like apparel, announced Thursday it would be closing 66 underperforming stores as part of the company's repositioning. Last year, Macy's announced it would shutter 150 stores as its leaders worked to strengthen its brand.

Most of the locations are expected to close during the first quarter of this year, though exact dates were not immediately available Thursday night. A news release on Friday from Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development said workers at the Maplewood location "will experience permanent layoff" starting between March 18 and 31.

While Macy's has been viewed as a venerable shopping institution, it has faced lower foot traffic and increased competition not only from online stores like Amazon.com but also discount chains and off-price retailers.

"Closing any store is never easy, but as part of our Bold New Chapter strategy, we are closing underproductive Macy's stores to allow us to focus our resources and prioritize investments in our go–forward stores, where customers are already responding positively to better product offerings and elevated service," said Macy's Chair and CEO Tony Spring, in a Thursday news release.

In the third quarter of 2024, which was reported in December, Macy's net sales decreased 2.4% and comparable sales were down 2.4%. The company also lowered its full-year outlook in part because an employee intentionally hid approximately $151 million of delivery expenses over several years.

Burnsville Center, which is under a group of new owners, has been dealing with numerous store vacancies. As of August, foot traffic in the mall was down by more than 41%, compared with 2019, according to data firm Placer.ai. However, year-over-year foot traffic data was up almost 5% in August as the mall started to make improvements and bring in new tenants.

Maplewood Mall's foot traffic was down a little more than 20% in August compared with 2019, but foot traffic year-over-year declined by only 0.6%, according to Placer.ai data. The mall's owner, Nashville-based Brookwood Capital Advisors, has worked to bring in diverse vendors and events.