After nearly 30 years as one of Ala Moana Center’s splashiest anchors, Neiman Marcus is set to go dark this week, with a local filing confirming the last day of business will be March 27 and 161 Hawaii-based jobs slated for elimination. The three-story luxury retailer occupies a prime waterfront-facing corner of the mall, and its closure comes as its parent, Saks Global, navigates Chapter 11 and trims stores across the country.
Saks Global included Ala Moana in a national closure list
On March 6, Saks Global rolled out a national hit list of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus locations that will close as part of a broader portfolio shake-up tied to its bankruptcy restructuring. The Ala Moana Neiman Marcus appears on that closure list, marking it for shutdown along with other underperforming or non-core sites. The locations are detailed in a store-closing notice posted in a Saks Global filing.
Local filing gives a precise date and job count
More specific details landed on March 25, when Pacific Business News reported that the retailer’s parent had filed a formal notice to cut 161 positions in Hawaii and pegged March 27 as the last day for the Ala Moana store. The notice, submitted to state employment officials, outlines both the job impacts and the timing, giving workers and shoppers the clearest timeline yet for the Honolulu exit. As reported by Pacific Business News, the filing spells out the number of positions that will be eliminated.
Earlier coverage gave a later timetable
The sharper closing date marks a shift from earlier reporting. In early March, local coverage noted that Saks Global planned to shut the Ala Moana Neiman Marcus but did not yet have a hard stop date, and that the store was expected to remain open through late May. That initial framing followed the March 6 restructuring announcement and cast the closure as one piece of a nationwide pullback. As reported by Hawaii News Now, the company had not provided a specific final day at the time.
Ala Moana and retailers respond
The news has stirred a mix of nostalgia and concern among local retail leaders. Ala Moana Center officials said the loss will be felt across the islands, both culturally and economically, and pointed to the magnitude of the space Neiman Marcus leaves behind. "Neiman Marcus has been an important part of Ala Moana Center history and a great partner," the mall said in a statement, adding that the high-profile waterfront footprint presents rare repurposing options in an already packed shopping hub. Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi called the departure "deeply felt" for the state’s luxury retail ecosystem, reflecting worries about how the exit will ripple through neighboring businesses and high-end brands. Hawaii News Now detailed those reactions.
What this means for workers and the mall
For employees, the notice immediately raises practical questions about severance, potential recalls and what kind of re-employment support will be available once the doors close. For Ala Moana, the looming vacancy is both a problem and a prize, since the large anchor footprint is likely to draw interest from other luxury retailers and possibly more experiential or destination-style tenants.
The shutdown is one part of Saks Global’s wider Chapter 11 strategy, which kicked off with a January bankruptcy filing and has already triggered a wave of store rationalizations as the company tries to cut debt and concentrate on its strongest markets. For a broader look at the bankruptcy process and the national round of closures, see coverage by ABC News.
Timelines in corporate restructurings can move fast and change quickly, so shoppers, workers and nearby businesses will be keeping a close eye on official filings, state employment notices and any new statements from Ala Moana and Saks Global in the days ahead.
