NEW YORK– Saks Fifth Avenue says yes holiday light showa popular tradition in New York City, is coming to an end.
The department store has been attracting visitors for years with dazzling lights in its flagship store in Midtown, Manhattan.
But Saks is taking a new approach this season, focusing instead on holiday windows and fashion.
“In our 100th year, which also marks the anniversary of the flagship, we celebrate the season by honoring the architectural significance of this iconic building, elegantly lighting the facade and framing the Christmas windows, while highlighting the fashion for which Saks Fifth Avenue is known,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
New Yorkers react to the end of Saks’ light show
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Some New Yorkers said it was unwelcome news.
“That’s terrible,” said Joe Defeo of Brooklyn. “That’s a tradition, everyone comes to town to see it.”
“It’s always a fun show, it brightens up the street,” Brooklyn resident Shane Williams said. “The fact that it won’t happen this year is a downer.”
The change comes at a time when department stores are struggling to keep up with competition from online retailers.
“The timing of it is very interesting because other retailers are really going to invest in their design this year to bring back foot traffic,” smart shopping expert Trae Bodge told CBS News New York. “I find it problematic that Saks is making this decision now.”
Saks says it will debut its holiday windows later this month. The flagship store is located across from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, who just arrived in town this weekend.
