While it reported solid holiday sales on Wednesday, Macy’s also announced several cost-cutting measures, including plans to lay off 2,500 employees.

“Our company has significantly increased sales and profitability over the past four years,” Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s chief executive, said in a statement. “We have identified some specific areas where we can improve our efficiency without compromising our effectiveness in serving the evolving needs of our customers.”

Macy’s said sales at stores open for at least a year and online at macys.com and bloomingdales.com grew 3.6 percent in November and December over the same period in 2012.

A report by the research firm ShopperTrak, also released Wednesday, found that sales at brick-and-mortar stores over all increased a lackluster 2.7 percent. (While online shopping is a growing force, more than 90 percent of retail commerce in the United States still occurs in stores, according to ShopperTrak.)