Saks Global has sold the Neiman Marcus store at the Willow Bend mall in Plano and will close it in January 2027.

Willow Bend Mall is the two-level mall

According to a spokesperson, “We have sold the Neiman Marcus Willow Bend property to the developer that is reimagining The Shops at Willow Bend. The store will remain open until January 2027 as the developer progresses on various phases of the area’s reimagination."

According to a release, the sale was "a mutual decision that allows the developer to bring its vision for the area to life, building on the retail foundation with the introduction of new residential, dining and entertainment uses."

The sale also allows Saks Global to "strategically reinvest in areas of our business that drive growth and position the company for long-term success."

This marks the second big change for Neiman Marcus in Dallas in a year, following the potential closure of the flagship store in downtown Dallas — a closure that the city of Dallas is fighting valiantly to avoid. The current plan is for the downtown location to stay open through the end of 2025.

The Plano store opened in August 2001, part of the bigger splashy debut of the Shops at Willow Bend, where it served as one of four anchor stores along with Foley's, Lord & Taylor, and Dillard's.

In trademark Neiman Marcus fashion, the store was luxuriously appointed with mother-of-pearl countertops, tinted polished plasters, custom area rugs, hand-made slumped art glass walls, Murano glass light fixtures, and an eye-catching bufterfly art installation that hovered over an expansive three-level escalator atrium.

But the timing of the opening — one month before 9/11 — was unfortunate, and Taubman, the mall's developer, was thought to have overestimated the buying power of its West Plano neighborhood. Dillard's is still open, but Lord & Taylor closed in 2003. Foley's became Macy's in 2005, which just closed in January 2025. The mall has since changed hands many times; it was acquired in 2022 by Cawley Partners, Centennial, and Waterfall Asset Management.

According to Saks Global's statement, there are no plans to replace or relocate the store.

"Through the regular course of business, we continually evaluate our store footprint and, as in this case, may determine it necessary to reformat or close a store. There are currently no plans to reduce our store portfolio on a broader scale."

The company says it will continue its plan to re-invest in the NorthPark store and "reimagine" the downtown Dallas location.

"Dallas-Fort Worth continues to be an important market for the company. We are continuing to work in collaboration with the City of Dallas on a potential reimagination of the Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas store, and are making great progress on the upcoming Neiman Marcus NorthPark transformation."

They're also going to take care of their employees.

"We are committed to treating our Neiman Marcus Willow Bend colleagues with respect and fairness throughout the closing process. As we wind down operations, transfer opportunities to other stores in the DFW metroplex will be offered where possible, and eligible colleagues will be offered appropriate separation packages.”