It’s the end of an era — a 104-year one: Lord & Taylor is closing its doors on Fifth Avenue.
That’s right, no more beautiful Christmas-window arrangements. No more gorgeous displays of fashion to gawk at. No more old-school shopping for presents at the iconic store a hop, skip and a jump from Times Square.
The Canada-based owner of Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, Hudson’s Bay, said the shutdown reflects “Lord & Taylor’s increasing focus on its digital opportunity and [Hudson’s Bay’s] commitment to improving profitability.”
Meaning: another brick-and-mortar retail outlet slain by e-commerce, though classic New York stores have been closing for decades. (B. Altman and Gimbels died in the late ’80s.)
The 676,000-square-foot store, named a New York City landmark a decade ago, will become the site of a WeWork office.
Hudson’s Bay sold it for $850 million and will auction off 10 other Lord & Taylor outlets after huge losses.
It’s a sad day, but as the saying goes: Sic transit gloria mundi — so passes worldly glory.