Dillard’s opens Dayton-area store in former Macy’s anchor space

A new 160,000-square-foot Dillard’s in Beavercreek is a reminder that some retailers still believe large staffed stores can win if the location, merchandise and execution line up. The chain opened the Dayton-area store at The Mall at Fairfield Commons on March 19, in the former two-story Macy’s space, and hundreds of shoppers turned out for the ribbon-cutting.

The opening mattered beyond one department store replacement. Dillard’s said 10% of opening-day sales went to Michael’s Place, a children’s advocacy center in Beavercreek, and local officials, community leaders and mall ownership joined Dillard’s executives at the event. Spinoso Real Estate Group, which owns the mall, called the store a significant addition to the property. For a center that lost Macy’s in early 2025, the new anchor is now part of its effort to keep traffic flowing through a major enclosed mall.

For Dayton-area shoppers, the store also changes the competitive map. Before this opening, the nearest Dillard’s locations were in Liberty Township and Richmond, giving the company a larger footprint into a region that had been without a local store. Dillard’s now operates 272 stores in 30 states, and its first-quarter 2026 results showed why the company is still willing to place bets on physical retail: total retail sales rose 3%, comparable store sales rose 3%, net income climbed to $250.6 million from $163.8 million a year earlier, and earnings per share increased to $16.04 from $10.39. Retail gross margin edged up to 45.8% from 45.5%, while ending inventory was up 3% year over year.

That combination of sales growth, margin improvement and controlled inventory is the part Big Lots workers and supervisors should notice. Department-store merchandising is not the same as discount-variety retail, but the operating lesson is the same: stores only justify themselves when shoppers see value, variety and a reason to come inside. In 2026, that means tighter floor execution, stronger stock discipline and more pressure on associates to keep departments ready for business.

The contrast with Big Lots is sharp. Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 protection on September 9, 2024, entered a sale agreement with Nexus Capital Management LP the same day, and secured commitments for $707.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing. Later, Ocean State Job Lot said it would take over 15 former Big Lots locations across eight states, and Variety Wholesalers acquired 219 Big Lots locations out of bankruptcy. Dillard’s opening in Beavercreek shows that even in a weak retail climate, physical stores are still being used as strategic assets when the operator believes the format, the site and the workforce can support the bet.