Neiman Marcus at The Westchester in White Plains closes in May. The store occupies 143,000 square feet and has been an anchor for decades. It is leaving not because Westchester stopped buying luxury goods but because Saks Global loaded itself with $2.65 billion in debt and filed for Chapter 11 in January.

On March 6, Saks Global announced it would close 15 stores nationwide — 12 Saks Fifth Avenue locations and 3 Neiman Marcus stores. White Plains made the cut. After the closures, Saks Global will operate just 13 Saks and 32 Neiman locations, a dramatically smaller footprint for two brands that once defined American luxury retail.

Here is what makes this story more interesting than a typical store closing. Retail in Westchester is not collapsing. UNIQLO opened an 11,000-square-foot store at The Westchester on March 21. DeCicco & Sons just launched in Sleepy Hollow. Cross County Center in Yonkers is building a four-acre park and 60,000-square-foot expansion. The old model — massive flagship department stores anchored by brand prestige — is being replaced by experiential retail, specialty grocers, and community spaces.

Why it matters: What fills 143,000 square feet of prime White Plains mall space will say a lot about the direction of the county's commercial center. Is White Plains still Westchester's retail hub? Or is that identity migrating south to Yonkers and north to the river towns?

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DeCicco's Opens in Sleepy Hollow: The family-owned gourmet grocer opened inside the Edge-on-Hudson development, pairing specialty food with the neighborhood's growing residential footprint. Another signal that chef-driven, local-first retail is where the market is heading.

Mariachi Mexico Closes: The long-running restaurant served its final dinner this month after the landlord declined to renew the lease without explanation. It joins Yaranush as another independent business lost to commercial lease dynamics this month.

Blueprint '26 Takes Shape: The Westchester Economic Alliance launched its cross-sector economic assessment, co-chaired by WCA Board Chair Chris Fisher and County Director of Operations Joan McDonald. The initiative will identify priority industries, infrastructure needs, and investment opportunities. Findings expected later this year.

Two independent restaurants closed this month because landlords would not renew leases. Neiman Marcus is closing because a billionaire overleveraged a merger. None of these closures reflect local demand. That distinction matters. Reply and tell us: what business closing in Westchester hit you hardest?

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