Dive Brief:

• Macy’s Thursday announced a restructuring plan to streamline its in-store and digital operations; until now brick-and-mortar and online sales at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s operated separately.

• The retailer will close 14 stores in the process, which account for $130 million in sales each year.

• The company is also assembling a team that will explore a Macy’s off-price initiative and grow its digital operations, including its e-commerce and its San Francisco-based tech team, which may hire 150 new people.

Dive Insight:

The details of how this will come about are interesting, but the main thing here is that the retailer is taking the crucial steps to present its customers with one Macy’s (or Bloomingdale's) — whether in downtown stores, in malls, on computers, or on the phone. Many consumers already expect that; it's time for retailers to catch up to them.