Customers can be seen visiting Macy's in Tyler on Wednesday. The Tyler Macy's store is one of 68 that are slated to close early this year, according to a news release from the company. (Augusta Robinson/Staff)

Tyler’s Macy’s store is one of 68 stores on a list to close early in 2017, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the company. There are about 65 workers at Macy’s.

The company said in a release that it’s closing because of “reduced store sales and evolving customer behavior.”

The Tyler store opened as Sanger-Harris in 1981 with much fanfare – there were three weeks of special events, including appearances by Gloria Vanderbilt, Kermit the Frog and Paddington Bear. It was the second Sanger-Harris to open outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The land was originally purchased for $2 million. The building, with 99,992 square feet, was built for $1.98 million.

At the time, company officials cited Tyler’s affluence and booming population as draws for the store. Many Tyler residents were already Sanger-Harris customers, but they had to drive to Dallas to shop, company president Charles Griffin said.

Store manager Diane G. Riegner said: “Tyler brings together the best of a metropolitan area and the country. There’s a certain sophistication about Tyler, yet it has never lost its charm.”

In January 1987, Sanger-Harris merged with Foley’s and the Tyler store adopted the Foley’s name. A year later, the May Department Stores Co., of St. Louis, bought out the company. There were some layoffs in Tyler, part of a streamlining effort by May, but Foley’s emerged stronger.

When May was absorbed into Federated Department Stores Inc. in 2005, most Foley’s were converted to Macy’s, the Federated flagship retailer.

The Tyler store has been a Macy’s since 2006.

According to the news release, issued Wednesday, workers at the stores that close will be offered positions at nearby Federated stores, where that’s possible.

“As we’ve noted, it is essential that we maintain a healthy portfolio of the right stores in the right places,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s Inc. “Our plan to close approximately 100 stores over the next few years is an important part of our strategy to help us right-size our physical footprint as we expand our digital reach. We are closing locations that are unproductive or are no longer robust shopping destinations due to changes in the local retail shopping landscape, as well as monetizing locations with highly valued real estate,”

He added, “These are never easy decisions, and we are committed to treating associates affected by these closings with respect and transparency.”

The company estimated the overall closures will result in a loss of 6,200 jobs.

The press release did not specify exactly when the Tyler store will close, beyond “early spring.”