You know you're in a different retail world when a decent holiday sales season still leads to cost-cutting at Macy's.

After posting a 3.6 percent comp-store sales increase in December, the company announced that it will close stores in Mesa, AZ; Overland Park, KS; Florissant, MO; Irondequoit, NY; and Murray, UT. But it's opening five Macy's and eight Bloomingdale's stores (including replacing an older Bloomie's with a new unit in Palo Alto, CA). It's actually increasing its square footage, with 730,000 square feet closing and 1.25 million square feet opening. Some 2,500 jobs are being cut, but other positions are being added so that the total number of employees will remain about the same. But the reallocations are expect to save the company $100 million a year.

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But most retailers didn't fare as well as Macy's. ShopperTrak reported that foot traffic dropped 14.6 percent this season, not surprising given that weather was a factor in every part of the country at some point in December. So it seems that when consumers did go in to stores, they had a plan and stuck to it. Or they bought gift cards, with those numbers yet to come.

We don't know what's going on with JCPenney, which claimed to be “pleased” with its results, but gave no numbers, just a month after trumpeting its comeback. Barnes & Noble's core retail segment, which excludes NOOK products, was essentially flat – with overall sales down 6.6 percent when you add in Nook and related sales. L Brands comp store sales rose just 2 percent, well below its projected 3.7 percent rise. Pier 1 had a 1.3 percent increase, also below expectations. American Eagle saw comps fall 7 percent. American Apparel posted a 6 percent decline, Cato a 4 percent drop.

There was some good news: Signet Jewelers, parent of Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry in the United States and H.Samuel and Ernest Jones in the United Kingdom, reported a 5.0 percent comp increase, though discounting also was a factor. Costco, too, reported a 5.0 percent increase (excluding fuel) in the United States.

So whether it was the weather, or tapped out consumers, it's clear that shoppers are getting more efficient – which has been to Macy's gain. You can't blame the company for being more efficient, too.

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