Saks Fifth Avenue is ending its holiday light show tradition. Here’s what it’s doing instead.

NEW YORK — Saks Fifth Avenue says its holiday light show, a popular New York City tradition, is coming to an end.

For years, the department store has attracted visitors with dazzling lights at its flagship store in Midtown, Manhattan. 

But Saks is taking a new approach this season, focusing instead on holiday windows and fashion. 

“In our 100th year, which also marks the anniversary of the flagship, we are celebrating the season by honoring the architectural significance of this iconic building, elegantly illuminating the facade and framing the holiday windows, as well as highlighting the fashion for which Saks Fifth Avenue is known,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

New Yorkers react to Saks light show ending

Some New Yorkers said it was unwelcome news. 

“That’s terrible,” said Joe Defeo, of Brooklyn. “That’s a tradition, everyone comes to town to see it.”

“It’s always a nice show, it brightens up the avenue,” Brooklyn resident Shane Williams said. “For it not to happen this year, it’s a downer.”

The change comes at a time when department stores are struggling to keep up with competition from online retailers. 

“The timing of it is very interesting, because other retailers are going to be really investing in their décor this year to bring foot traffic back,” smart shopping expert Trae Bodge told CBS News New York. “For Saks to make this decision right now, I think it’s problematic.”

Saks says it will debut its holiday windows later this month. The flagship store is located across from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, which just arrived in the city over the weekend.