CBCnews: Sears Canada chairman steps down so he can bid to buy retailer
TheStreet.com: Why the Heck Is Warren Buffett Indirectly Invested in Dying Sears?
Insurance Journal: High Cost, Scarcity of Insurance Keeping Vendors from Sears Shelves
MediaPost: Now they’re called DieHard Auto Centers
Bloomberg: Sears Hit With Second Lawsuit Over Company Stock in 401(k)
PlanSponsor: Sears Holdings Puerto Rico Savings Plan lawsuit
Sears Holdings announced an additional 28 Kmart stores across the U.S., upping the total Sears-Kmart shutdowns for the year to more than 350. The announcement was sudden, with Sears Holdings administrators admitting they hadn’t yet notified affected employees.
Arizona: The Mesa Kmart made the new shutdown list, shutting down in time for Thanksgiving.
California: Kmarts in Valencia, Jackson/Martell, Bellflower and Hesperia (where I attended junior and senior high school) shutting down mid-November. Sears Holdings just sold its store and Auto Center at the northeast end of South Coast Plaza to the owners of the plaza. the selling price was not disclosed. When asked if the Sears store and Auto Center were shutting down South Coast Plaza owners stated “We look forward to continuing that relationship with Sears…” It’s been revealed that Sears Holdings notified Bishop Police that local Kmart employees had stolen at least $50-thousand USD worth of merchandise in the past few months. After police investigated six people were arrested.
Colorado: The Aurora and Englewood Kmarts shutting down by Thanksgiving.
Connecticut: The Southbury Kmart made the new shutdown list.
Florida: North Miami Beach Kmart shutting down right before Xmas.
Georgia: The Mableton Kmart made the new shutdown list.
Idaho: A major screw-up resulted in the closing Coeur d’Alene Kmart getting a big shipment of ‘blank’ American Apparel-Supreme branded t-shirts. Shoppers were able to re-sell the t-shirts on ebay, until Kmart realized what was going on and removed the labels from the remaining inventory. In Lewiston, the Sears Hometown is for sale because the franchise owners say they can’t afford to renew the license to operate it.
Illinois: Kmarts in Oaklawn, Elmhurst and Belleville made the new shutdown list.
Kansas: Topeka Kmart shutting down by Thanksgiving.
Michigan: Kmarts in Utica/Shelby, Bay City and Sandusky shutting down mid-November. Taxpayers in the township of Georgetown might take a loss on the vacant taxpayer owned Kmart property. Township leaders were planning on spending $180-thousand taxpayer dollars to improve the property, but a developer wants to buy the land. In 2014 Georgetown taxpayers were forced to pay $1.6-million USD for the vacant Kmart, reports say the developer has offered much less than that, $1.5-million for three properties altogether. In Norton Shores, a Kmart property that’s been vacant since 2004 (before the Eddie Lampert take-over) has finally been put up for sale, asking price is $4.2-million USD: “We’ve been trying for years to get them to fix it up or sell the building. Out of nowhere, last week, they listed it.”-Gary Nelund, mayor of Norton Shores
Minnesota: A local man who is willing to spend $3-million USD on turning a vacant Kmart into an indoor shooting range was blown-off by the West Saint Paul city council: “I started laying out some numbers and it was like, ‘OK, thank you, Mr. O’Keefe.’ I was basically cut off. As far as I’m concerned, I went to the city council and they didn’t give me an opportunity to present or show them any numbers.”-Chris O’Keefe
New Jersey: Kmarts in Moorestown and Parsippany shutting down mid-November.
New York: Kmarts in Rochester(Chili), Victor and Vails Gate(New Windsor) shutting down mid-November. Proof they got money. Sears Holdings-Seritage Growth has promised the city of Olean that if a new tenant is not found by Winter for the soon to be shutdown Kmart, then Seritage will “continue upkeep, heating it and performing needed repairs” until a new tenant is found.
North Carolina: It’s been revealed that back in July Sears Holdings sold its store in Wilmington to the new owners of the Independence Mall (Rouse Properties), for $10-million USD. The Wilmington Sears store (at the Independence Mall) is still active and not on any shutdown list, however, Rouse Properties is planning “a sweeping redevelopment” of the entire mall.
Ohio: A Massilion Kmart shutting down in time for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
Oregon: A Salem Kmart shutting down in time for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
Pennsylvania: Kmarts in Allentown and Willow Grove shutting down mid-November.
Rhode Island: Cranston Kmart shutting down in time for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, it’s the last remaining Kmart in the state.
South Carolina: Conway Kmart shutting down in time for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
Utah: The Cedar City Sears Hardware and Appliance Store suddenly announced it was shutting down, local news media indicated it was the fault of Sears Holdings, not the franchise owner.
JULY 2017, EVEN MORE SEARS-KMART SHUTDOWNS: “WHERE DID ALL THIS MONEY GO?” “THAT’S THE END OF THE GAME.”