Tag Archives: kmart

“We need more time to regroup & heal…” Yet another layoff where employees also lost their final paychecks! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 20 – 21 February 2016

February 22, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

‘Wall Street’ analysts are finally admitting we could be in a Depression: Chilling ways the global economy echoes 1930s Great Depression era

Arkansas: Bentonville based Walmart reported yet another quarterly decline in profits. This time, for the 2015 end of year holiday season their profits fell 8%. Ho ho ho, Merry Xmas everyone! Administrators blame currency wars and their own plans to shutdown at least 2-hundred stores (which they included in their 4th quarter 2015 report even though the shutdowns didn’t start until 2016, mmmm, more bookkeeping shell games).

Connecticut: Germany based drugs maker Boehringer Ingelheim conducting more layoffs, management at their Danbury plant refused to say how many people will lose their jobs. And an update to the employee relocation contractor Cartus Corporation layoffs, unnamed employees told local news that at least 1-hundred people were let go last week!

Florida: Best Wishes of Boca shutting down. Local news reports say the gift shop lasted 40 years because of its competitive prices, but failed to explain why it’s shutting down. In Jacksonville, wholesaler CEVA Logistics issued a WARN saying 93 people will lose their jobs in April.

The owner of Big City Coffee threatening to sue Boise and Delaware North

Idaho: The city of Boise being sued by some of the tenants at the Boise International Airport. Tenants also suing the New York based food service management contractor hired by the city, Delaware North. Owners of airport eateries accuse Delaware North, and the city, of running them into the ground, primarily by substituting their products with lower quality items and providing terrible customer service, resulting in decreased sales. Boise area news sources say Delaware North refuses to responded to their questions.

Illinois: Moline based farm equipment maker Deere (aka John Deere) revised its 2016 profit expectations downward. Originally administrators thought 2016 sales would drop by 7%, but now they say things are so bad they expect a 10% drop in sales.

Mississippi: New York based Saks Fifth Avenue shutting down their Outlets of Mississippi mall store by mid-March. Local news reports gave no reason. In Oxford, after nine years Holli’s Sweet Tooth shutting down in April, the owner blames non-stop increasing costs of operation that now exceed sales.

Missouri: What auto industry recovery? Discount Auto Protection shocked 60 employees by sending them a text message saying they were now unemployed and there would be no final paychecks! That final paycheck was three weeks worth of work! I’ve said it before; been there, experienced that. Except in my case my employer didn’t even notify us and we lost four weeks of pay (we were paid once per month). Still, most people still refuse to believe you can be laid off and lose your final paycheck, especially if your employer legally ceases to exist.

New Jersey: Sears Holdings confirmed the Lodi Kmart will shutdown in April, 75 jobs lost.

New York: Palio shutting down their Saratoga Springs office. No word on how many jobs will be lost, but one news report said at one time the advertising agency had at least 1-hundred employees. H.P. Neun shutting down their packaging ops in Lyons and Seneca Falls, 93 jobs lost by the end of May. The WARN said the company was forced to sell their assets.

North Carolina: Durham based ad agency McKinney laid off 34 full time employees, due to the loss of a major client. In Winston-Salem, after 4 decades iconic Ziggy’s nightclub shutdown due to the greedy landlord. The owners of Ziggy’s swear they even offered to pay a full years worth of rent in advance, but the landlord refused!

Ohio: Anti-gun laws failed to stop a man from attacking customers at the Nazareth Restaurant and Deli, with a machette! Four people were wounded. The restaurant has shutdown for an undetermined amount of time: “We need more time to regroup and heal as a team.”-Facebook post

Oregon: After ending service in January, Portland based SeaPort Airlines is now officially chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Pennsylvania: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high tech for your demise; West Chester based shopping channel QVC eliminating at least 1-hundred jobs in the U.S. by the end of the year, as it off-shores them to Poland! It was also revealed that QVC eliminated 147 U.S. jobs in November 2015! What automotive industry recovery? Aluminum maker Alcoa is about to split off its car parts operations, but before it does at least 90 people will lose their jobs in New Kensington. Last year 50 people were laid off. Reports say Alcoa is shifting to a new 3-D parts printing operation elsewhere in the state. God powerless to stop the Diocese of Erie from shutting down four of ‘his’ grade schools; Venango Catholic high school and Saint Boniface, Saint Peter Cathedral and Our Lady of Mount Carmel elementary schools. Church leaders blame The Rapture, I mean low enrollment. What construction industry recovery? In Ambridge, SBC Building Systems shutting down, 80 jobs gone by April.

Washington DC: The U.S. Department of Labor reports that ObamaCare (Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act) health insurance costs jumped by at least 4.8% in 2015. That’s faster than the official rate of inflation in 2015.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

Sears Kmart update 10 February 2016: No more Sears Auto Centers? More lies about “competition”! Taxpayers hit for failed Kmart!

February 10, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Towards the end of January, Sears Canada announced it would ramp up store shutdowns. Great White North administrators said they’re so paranoid about reducing the number of stores that they’re considering “anything and everything”, admitting their motivation to do so is at “…a higher level….today than in the past few years.” Numbers and locations of stores to be shutdown were not disclosed because administrators “…continue to do work on numerous real estate efforts…including various footprint rationalization efforts.” (Sears Home Center on Tommie Avenue in Victoria, British Columbia, shutting down in July)

Sears Holdings revealed it lost money during the end of 2015 holiday season and will “accelerate” the shutdown of at least 50 stores in the first quarter of 2016. Eddie Lampert is also considering selling off what’s left of the Sears Auto Center division! Lambert claimed Sears Holdings lost sales due to “intense competition”, however, if you’ve been following my Job Losses reports then you’d notice that just about everybody is making that claim, even the internet businesses! So whose causing all the so called “intense competition”? (is the term ‘intense competition’ new code for ‘nobody has any money to buy anything’?)

In the Failed state of Illinois, the local taxpayers of Willowbrook are about to be hit with an increase in city sales tax! City A-holes, I mean administrators say the sales tax hike is needed to pay for redeveloping a long abandoned Kmart property. Local news reports say the sales tax could be raised by a full percent under state business-district law. Administrators say it’s easier to jack up the local sales tax to pay for commercial development, than to jack up local property tax.

05 February 2016 : It’s worse than a Goodwill thrift store! Sears sues to stop economic expansion!

Here’s the updated list of U.S. store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Arizona: The Prescott Valley Kmart shutting down by April 2016. No word on how many jobs lost, but one employee was quoted by local news as saying “Walmart won.” Local news reports say there is a Now Hiring sign posted on the Kmart store front. Reports that the Glendale Kmart will shutdown, no word on job losses. Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors. Recently revealed Arrowhead Towne Center Sears sold-off then rented back! Chandler Fashion Center Sears sold-off then rented back!

Alabama: Prattville Kmart will shutdown in April 2016, 70 jobs lost. Florence Kmart in March, 64 jobs lost in 2016. A local news report said the employees knew nothing about it and were shocked to hear it from the news media! Dothan Kmart (south side of Ross Clark Circle) shutting down in March, 56 jobs lost in 2016. Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost), Sears Store and Auto Center at the Bel Air Mall in Mobile (more than 100 jobs lost).

California: Anaheim Kmart shutting down, 107 jobs lost in 2016! The Chula Vista Kmart, San Mateo Sears and Citrus Heights Kmart shutting down between March and April 2016, a total of 3-hundred jobs lost! El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (more than 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart, Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost), Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost) recently revealed that Sears Holdings is still paying rent on the abandoned property, Laguna Hills Mall Sears, San Diego Mid-City Kmart (73 jobs lost), Hemet Kmart (77 jobs lost), Oakland Sears repair center (75 jobs lost), San Mateo Kmart (82 jobs lost to an apartment building connected to public transportation), Hesperia Kmart building sold at a loss to a vulture capitalist REIT, no word on if the Kmart will be shutdown. Customers complain that the Kmart employees have a bad attitude, gee I wonder why? Yuba City Kmart (63 jobs lost), Rocklin Kmart (at least 63 jobs lost, the store had just posted “Now Hiring” signs), San Leandro Kmart (102 jobs lost), San Jose Mercury News says the El Centro Kmart to shutdown in January, the website Foursquare says the Covina Kmart is now shutdown (other sources say it will shutdown in December), Cupertino Sears and Auto Center (98 jobs lost), somebody posted on yelp* that the Diamond Bar Kmart was shutting down in December (confirmed by Armijo Newspapers), Westfield Topanga Sears (122 jobs lost), it looks like the Blythe Kmart is being slowly shutdown despite denial by Sears Holdings. San Mateo Kmart being demolished to make room for 599 unit apartment complex, as part of the the Hayward Park Caltrain Station project. Atwater Kmart (74 jobs lost), Los Banos Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost), Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost), Fort Collins Sears (67 jobs lost), Denver-Cherry Creek North Sears store & Auto Center (66 jobs lost).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost), Enfield Sears Optical (no word on jobs lost), Wallingford Sears Appliance & Hardware (employees say the shutdown was a surprise, I guess they don’t read Blind Bat News), Wallingford Sears Appliance & Hardware (at least 13 jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Florida: The Lutz Kmart shutting down by March 2016, 62 jobs lost. The 46 years old Daytona Beach Kmart, on International Speedway Boulevard, is shutting down by mid-March 2016, 86 jobs lost. Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost), Winter Park Kmart (100 jobs lost), Niceville Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winter Haven Kmart (92 jobs lost), Palm Bay Kmart, Oakland Park Kmart (112 jobs lost), Clearwater Sears Auto Center (21 jobs lost), Zephyrhills Kmart (70 jobs lost), Winter Springs Kmart (69 jobs lost), Naples Kmart (72 jobs lost), New Port Richey Kmart (58 jobs lost), ‘redevelopment’ of Aventura Sears & Auto Center into an “open-air village” (unknown how many jobs affected), Kmart on Northeast 108 Street being annexed by Miami Shores, Sears Holdings threatens to shutdown Kmart as a result of higher local taxes. The property that’s home to an operating Kmart, on South Green Bay Road in Racine, was foreclosed by the local Sheriff and sold-off for $2.5-million, no word on what the new property owner will do with it. Fort Myers Kmart (67 jobs lost). Dicks Sportings Goods subleasing space in an existing Sears store in Palm Beach Gardens.

Georgia: The 37 years old Carrollton Kmart shutting down by the end of April 2016. Dublin Kmart will shutdown in April 2016, 71 jobs lost. Milledgeville Kmart shutdown in April 2016, 60+ jobs lost. Mount Berry Square Mall (Rome) Sears and Auto Center shutting down in March 2016, 86 jobs lost. Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 jobs lost), one of the last two North Augusta Kmart to be torn down by new property owner from Canada, Sears Holdings denies the Kmart will shutdown.

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Hawaii: Iconic 25 years old Nimitz HWY Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart shutting down in March 2016, 141 jobs lost! Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost! GGP spending $573-million chopping it up into smaller store spaces), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Boise Kmart on Fairview shutting down by mid-March 2016, 56 jobs lost. Pocatello Kmart shutting down by April 2016, 65 jobs lost. Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears shutdown by the end of October/beginning of November 2014 (the remaining 28 jobs lost).

Illinois: Morton ‘green’ Kmart shutting down by the end of April 2016, 47 jobs lost. Canton Kmart shutting down mid-April 2016, 38 jobs lost. Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost), Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere, Chicago-Wicker Park Kmart (106 jobs lost), abandoned Market Place Mall Sears location to be occupied by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field & Stream. 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. North Mayfair Kmart (99 jobs lost), Chicago Kmart at 5033 North Elston Avenue (99 jobs lost). By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Indiana: Terre Haute Kmart by April, 62 jobs lost. Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost), South Anthony Kmart (70 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 jobs lost), Muncie Kmart (59 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on Coliseum Boulevard North (69 jobs lost), Decatur Kmart (49 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Madison Avenue (131 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Washington Street (139 jobs lost), Bedford Kmart (62 jobs lost), Indianapolis (Evansville) Sears & Auto Center at Washington Square Mall (91 jobs lost), Greenwood Kmart (78 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (68 jobs lost), Bloomington Sears to be replaced by Whole Foods grocery store.

Iowa: Ottumwa Kmart shutting down by April 2016, 38 jobs lost. Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost), Mason City Kmart (50 jobs lost), Clive Kmart (at least 49 jobs lost), Ames Kmart (44 jobs lost), Fort Dodge Sears (no job loss numbers made public, yet. The Auto Center was secretly shutdown in September), 56 years old Mason City Sears & Auto Center (more than 100 jobs lost). Davenport Kmart (59 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Kansas: North Topeka Kmart shutting down in 2016, 49 jobs lost. Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost), Manhattan Sears & Auto Center (number of jobs lost were never revealed).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart, Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!), Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given), Louisville Dixie Highway Kmart/Sears/Kmart shutdown and now being taken over by Kroger basically to sell the same crap the old Kmart did! Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown, Laplace Sears Hometown Store.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost), Aroostook Centre Mall Sears Auto Center leased out to VIP Tires & Service.

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears rebuild & call center (115 jobs lost), Baltimore Kmart on Wabash Avenue (107 jobs lost), Parkville Kmart (102 jobs lost), California Kmart (71 jobs lost), Sears Hometown Store in Perryville.

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost), Kingston Kmart (73 jobs lost). Braintree Kmart on Grossman Drive shutdown. Also, the Braintree South Shore Plaza Sears store is renting out an entire floor to Ireland based Primark. Even with the lease to Primark there is still 4-thousand square feet of vacant space in the Sears store. The Sears at the Auburn Mall shutdown on Black Friday due to electrical fire. The store was experiencing electrical problems, an investigation is underway.

Michigan: The Bradley Kmart has a new owner who is shutting it down in 2016. Retailer Meijer bought the Kmart property for $5-million USD. The Kmart will be shutdown in May, but the new Meijer store won’t be ready until 2018. The Sears and Auto Center in Fort Gratiot shutting down by mid-March, 48 jobs lost. Ironwood Kmart by mid-April, 47 jobs lost. Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Saginaw Kmart on Bay Road, Flint Kmart on Dort Highway (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost), Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost), Rochester Hills Kmart (77 jobs lost), ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost), it’s now official the last remaining Saginaw Kmart (on Gratiot Road) will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January 2014 (Sears Holdings claims only 18 people worked there at the time of the collapse!), Ann Arbor Kmart (59 jobs lost), Iron Mountain Kmart (54 jobs lost), Bangor Township Sears aka Bay City Mall Sears, the Auto Center was already secretly shutdown some time ago (at least 47 jobs lost), Big Rapids Kmart (about 50 jobs lost). Vacant Wyandotte Sears Auto Center is being renovated at a cost to taxpayers of $1-million & 20-thousand, plus 15 years worth of tax breaks valued at $2-million! Shakopee Kmart distribution center shutdown and sold-off for $17-million in 2013, now it’s finally getting a new tenant; snowmobile and electric cart maker Polaris Industries will rent out a fraction of the building to use as their new parts warehouse. The Kmart Plaza in Sandusky sold to “A group of investors”, no word on what will happen to the Kmart store.

Minnesota: Dundas Kmart by April 2016, 32 jobs lost. Thunderbird Mall Kmart shutting down in April 2016, 48 jobs lost. Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road. Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost), Northeast Minneapolis Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale, Coon Rapids Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale.

Mississippi: The 44 years old Greenville Kmart shutting down in April, no word on job losses. Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Gulfport Kmart (32 jobs lost), Pass Road Gulfport Kmart (52 jobs lost), Pascagoula Sears at the Singing River Mall, Olive Branch distribution center (unknown how many jobs lost).

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost), South Belt Kmart (64 jobs lost), Florissant Kmart (100 jobs lost), O’Fallon Kmart (76 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost), Great Falls Kmart (closed “until further notice” due to fire, 63 jobs on hold), Great Falls Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost) due to great sales (ironically) the shutdown date has been moved from 07 December 2014 to 23 November, Bozeman Kmart (37 jobs lost), Missoula Sears store and Auto Center (57 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost), Randolf Kmart (91 jobs lost), Paramus Kmart (74 jobs lost), Closter Kmart (102 jobs lost), Vineland Kmart (74 jobs lost). After 18 years Sears Holdings shutdown their Roselle Sears Hardware store due to “landlord issues”.

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Staten Island Mall Sears Auto Center will shutdown in February, 20 jobs lost. Lindenhurst Sears Hardware, North Babylon Sears Hardware, Hauppauge Sears Hardware, Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost) now revealed to be turned into a Town Center with more than 200 apartments at an estimated cost of $50-million, Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost), Staten Island Mall Sears leased out to Ireland’s Primark, Bay Shore Sears and Sears Auto Center (144 jobs lost), New Hartford (Sangertown Mall) Sears & Auto Center (109 jobs lost), Lancaster Kmart sold for $1.7-million to Dave’s Christmas Wonderland. Herkimer Sears Hometown, Saranac Lake Sears Hometown the ‘independent’ co-owners said Sears Holdings forced them to shutdown. Melville Appliance Repair Division (31 jobs lost).

North Carolina: Cary Kmart (71 jobs lost), High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost), West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road, Raleigh Kmart (88 jobs lost), Garner Kmart, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost), High Point Kmart (71 jobs lost), Boone Kmart (41 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart (96 jobs lost), Gastonia Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), Kinston Kmart (64 jobs lost), Cary Sears (66 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart distribution center (130 jobs lost), Greenville Kmart (75 jobs lost), Kinston Sears Hometown Store shutdown with little notice, Lexington Sears Hometown Store.

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: The 28 years old Sears and its Auto Center in New Philadelphia shutting down by mid-April 2016, 46 jobs lost. Without warning the Medina Sears Appliance & Hardware Store shutdown. Warren Kmart on Parkman Road NW will shutdown in April 2016, 63 jobs lost. Zanesville Kmart shutting down mid-April 2016, 47 jobs lost. Steubenville Kmart shutting down by April 2016, 65 jobs lost. Boardman Kmart by April 2016, 81 jobs lost. Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost), Tiffin Sears Hometown Store. Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location. Fairlawn Sears Appliance & Hardware, Macedonia Sears Appliance & Hardware, Lorain Sears Appliance & Hardware, Elyria Sears Appliance & Hardware, North Olmsted Sears Appliance & Hardware, Sheffield Village Sears Appliance & Hardware, Akron Sears Appliance & Hardware.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost), Sand Springs Kmart (52 jobs lost), Muskogee Sears (60 jobs lost), Enid Sears and Auto Center (at least 38 jobs lost), Tulsa BigKmart (51 jobs lost).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), Bend Sears (48 jobs lost), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 jobs lost), Albany Kmart (64 jobs lost), Portland Sears Homes Services (no notice), Albany Sears (57 jobs lost), in October a BBN reader warned that Oregon City Kmart was being quietly shutdown, confirmed on 06 November 2014 by Sears Holdings (70 jobs lost). Ontario Kmart (55 jobs lost).

Pennsylvania: Reports that the Exton Kmart will shutdown, no word on job losses. Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 jobs lost), Levittown/Middle Township Kmart (87 jobs lost), Waynesboro Kmart (43 jobs lost), Sanatoga-Lower Pottsgrove Kmart (65 jobs lost, the store was also advertising for new hires!), West Mifflin Sears store & Auto Center (88 jobs lost), Rochester Kmart (78 jobs lost), Frazer (Pittsburg Mills Mall) Sears and Auto Center (97 jobs lost), Bloomsburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Frackville Sears and Auto Center (84 jobs lost), North Cornwall Township Sears (51 jobs lost), King of Prussia Sears and Auto Center (no word on number of jobs lost), Lebanon Sears (51 jobs lost), Scotland Chambersburg Mall Sears and Auto Center (62 jobs lost), the upper level of the Willow Grove Mall Sears store to be leased by Primark, King of Prussia Sears store leased out to clothing retailer Primark, East Towne Mall Kmart (51 jobs lost), Frackville Kmart in the Skuylkill Mall (80 jobs lost), Mount Pocono Kmart (66 jobs lost), Fairless Hills Sears Hardware. Granite Run Mall shutdown, meaning the Sears and Sears Auto Center now apparently on a month to month (possibly day to day) lease are soon to follow. Brookhaven Kmart (89 jobs lost).

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (206 jobs lost).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost), both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two), Mount Pleasant Kmart (43 jobs lost), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 jobs lost), Myrtle Beach Kmart (59 jobs lost), Easley Kmart (62 jobs lost).

South Dakota: The Pierre Kmart shutting down by the end of March 2016, 45 jobs lost. The Michell Kmart shutting down in April 2016, 52 jobs lost. Spearfish Kmart (51 jobs lost), Sturgis Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Tennessee: The Murfreesboro Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 43 jobs lost. A Memphis Sears and Auto Center (on Poplar Avenue) shutting down in April, 109 jobs lost! Clarksville Kmart shutting down in April, 68 jobs lost. Cleveland Kmart shutting down by mid-March 2016, 67 jobs lost. Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears, Nashville Bellevue Center Sears & Auto Center (at least 44 jobs lost).

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors, Dallas Sears home appliance parts distribution center (77 jobs lost), Simon Property Group owned McAllen Sears store & Auto Center (so far no word on how many jobs will be lost), recently revealed Palestine Sears Hometown (franchise owner quit to work as assistant manager at a local Dollar General). Wichita Falls Sikes Senter Mall Sears (56 jobs lost).

Utah: 35 years old Richfield Kmart will shutdown in April 2016, 63 jobs lost. North Logan Kmart shutting down by April 2016, 58 jobs lost. Murray Sears (local news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost), Provo Kmart demolished in anticipation of yet another AtHome furniture store.

Vermont: The Bennington Sears Hometown Store shutdown. Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), South Burlington Kmart (66 jobs lost).

Virginia: The Cedar Bluff (50 jobs lost), Covington (36 jobs lost) and Virginia Beach on General Booth Boulevard (no job numbers reported) Kmarts shutting down between March and April 2016! The Sears Hometown Store in Culpeper shutting down by the end of the month. Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News-Denbigh Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Winchester Kmart (91 jobs lost), Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost), Chesapeake Sears and Auto Center (82 jobs lost), Front Royal Kmart (88 jobs lost), Pembroke Mall Sears renting out part of their store to DSW & Nordstrom Rack, Sears Holdings say they’re still looking for a “third tenant” for their occupied space. The current nearby Sears Auto Center will be rented out to REI. Colonial Heights Kmart (113 jobs lost), Virginia Beach Hilltop Square Shopping Center Kmart (82 jobs lost).

Washington: Eatonville Sears Hometown store. Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost), Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 jobs lost), Everett Kmart (65 jobs lost), Marysville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: Superior Kmart shutting down in April 2016, 42 jobs lost. West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost), Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Ashwaubenon Kmart recently revealed now owned by Green Bay Packers, will be torn down (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 jobs lost), Janesville Kmart (70 jobs lost), Glendale Sears Rebuild center (67 jobs lost), Sheboygan Sears & Auto Center (at least 31 jobs lost), Eau Claire Kmart (93 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (59 jobs lost before Xmas), Sheboygan Sears Rebuild Center (30 jobs lost), Wauwatosa Kmart (103 jobs lost).

In April 2015, Sears Holdings (through Seritage Growth Properties) and General Growth Properties (GGP) became 50/50 joint owners of 12 Sears stores.

Here’s a list of 11 Sears stores 100% owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Business/Economics

“I can’t believe it’s…the end.” No more Sears? Washington booze tax makes big sales in Idaho & Oregon! Old Navy shocks the ‘experts’! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 09 February 2016

February 9, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

France based clothier Comptoir des Cotonniers shutting down all three(?) of its U.S. stores. Reports say the stores will be shutdown by the end of the month, and one store has already closed for good.

California: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t blame the internet for your demise; after 13 years Santa Monica based internet video game new media pioneer Game Trailers shutdown. In 2014 Game Trailers was taken over by Defy Media, which immediately began killing jobs. One report said the remaining employees were not warned about the sudden shutdown. And then there’s Sunnyvale based Yahoo which is shutting down its BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service) in March. Administrators say it’s because they need to “streamline and simplify”. San Francisco based GAP owned Old Navy brand clothing store revealed that the last two months of the Xmas holiday shopping season of 2015 was its worst ever for record setting sales declines. But then in January 2016 Old Navy suffered a 6% sales decline from December! The news shocked clothing retail ‘expert’ analysts. What housing market recovery? San Francisco based Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo eliminating an additional 581 mortgage related jobs across the U.S.!

Georgia: In Thomasville, after 71 years hunting supply store Stafford’s shutting down. The store is for sale, the owner wants to retire.

Illinois: Hoffman Estates based Sears Holdings announced it will “accelerate” the shutdown of 50 more Sears and Kmart stores, blaming continued crashing sales.

Indiana: In South Bend, 88 years old (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Dainty Maid Bake Shop shutting down this weekend due to the death of the owner. The popular shop is for sale and the employees hope any potential buyer will re-open it.

Maryland: In Hagerstown, the last Hometown Gifts Hallmark store shutting down. At one point there were six Hometown Gifts Hallmark stores in the ‘tri-state’ area.

Massachusetts: Price Chopper shutting down the New Adams grocery store by the end of the month, 57 jobs lost. Administrators basically said it wasn’t worth it to keep the food store open.

New Hampshire: More proof brick-n-motors can’t blame the internet for their demise; internet security company DataGravity laid off an undisclosed number of people, in an effort to cut $850-million USD costs.

Oklahoma: Employees of oil company TD Williamson went to local news media to reveal they’d been laid off without warning. One employee said he was escorted off the work site within 15 minutes of showing up. TD Williamson only confirmed the layoffs after being questioned by local news media, but refused to give numbers.

Pennsylvania: In State College, long time The Shoe Fly (aka The Shoe Box) shutting down because “When the numbers don’t work for five to ten more years, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” Northwest Bank shutting down three York County offices by the end of April.

Tennessee: After a wave of mass layoffs across several states aluminum maker Noranda now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and selling-off part of its operations.

Texas: Pennsylvania based oil company Sunoco eliminating 161 corporate jobs from its Corpus Christi based Stripes convenience store chain! Apparently it has to do with the Stripes HQ being moved from Corpus Christi to Dallas, starting in April. In Pleasanton, C&J Well Services laying off 78 oil workers. Massachusetts based Thermo Fisher Scientific issued a shutdown WARN for their Houston operations, 67 jobs lost by April. Last year they shutdown their Sugar Land operation. The bio-tech company is consolidating operations.

Washington: After creating booze selling ‘privatization’ rules which jacked up the cost (including taxes) of your favorite hard drink by 15% new data shows that the idiot ‘lawmakers’ of The Evergreen State actually drove booze buyers into neighboring Oregon and Idaho. The Idaho State Liquor Division credits at least 7% of its state run store sales to buyers from Washington. For Oregon the jump in hard drink sales was even bigger, with ten border booze stores reporting between 17% and 67% increase in sales to Washingtonians since 2011! After 35 years Shields Floral Boutique in Hazel Dell shutting down, and not because the owner wants to: “It really kills me to do this. I can’t believe it’s at the end.”-Carol Shields

Fort Hunter Liggett chow hall. I spent a few California National Guard summer training seasons at Hunter Liggett, very scenic.

Washington DC: The U.S. Army announced it must shutdown, or reduce in size, one out of every three chow halls due to “changing soldier demographics, satisfy soldier desire for selection/taste or nutritional requirements … or meet commander mission requirements”.

West Virginia: McDowell County Board of Education eliminating 30 jobs due to losing $1.5-million in state and local tax funding, caused by losing an average of 1-hundred students per year! (that’s what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome)

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

07 – 08 February 2016: “This agency has run amok!”

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

Business/Economics

74 restaurants shutdown without warning! Another company admits it “over-hired” in 2015! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 05 – 06 February 2016

February 7, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

According to some reports, 70% of the jobs ‘created’ in January were minimum wage, temp jobs! The so called increase in wages was a piddly-ass half a percent (0.05%) compared to December!

California: More proof the internet is not recession resistant; San Francisco based Indiegogo admitted it eliminated an undisclosed number of jobs “A few weeks ago…..to invest in growth.” (it used to be that layoffs were not seen as a sign of growth) And San Francisco based Marinello School of Beauty shutting down its 56 schools across the U.S., due to it being caught ripping off the U.S. Department of Education! In Oxnard, after 27 years frozen veggie food maker Coastal Green Vegetable shutting down, 137 jobs lost by March! The owners blamed currency wars, crashing sales and gave out a list of increasing costs; water, regulations, wages and ObamaCare health care. In Malibu, expensive clothier Banana Republic shutting down, the general manager said the high rent is not justified. In Redding, God refuses to stop ‘his’ Simpson University from laying off ten people. Administrators blame The Rapture, I mean crashing enrollment of students which I call Disappearing Students Syndrome.

Delaware: What housing market recovery? Without warning, Too Big to Jail Capital One eliminated more than 1-hundred jobs at its mortgage operations in Wilmington.

Georgia: Fayette County Schools laying off 18 people. Administrators say the layoffs are not connected to the fact the school system is lacking money, but that student enrollment has declined by 1-hundred! God refusing to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ British empire based Salvation Army second hand Family Store in Decatur. But it’s not due to lack of sales, instead the heating system in the building never works so they’re looking for a new location.

Hawaii: In Honolulu, Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant shutdown due to the landlord demanding the keys to the store by Monday. The landlord is one of my former evil employers, GGP (General Growth Properties). A rep for the operator of the restaurant said there were three years left on the lease.

Illinois: Sycamore School District 427 says it must eliminate a yet to be determined number of teaching jobs, as part of their three year plan to reduce expenses. Administrators blame “financial constraints and unknown enrollment”. TFC Bank replacing 33 offices with ATM machines. Number of jobs being killed was not disclosed.

Kentucky: Delta Airlines eliminating 120 jobs and reducing hours for another 185 at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport! Administrators claim they “over-hired” in 2015. Alliance Coal warning of another 75 layoffs at several of its mines.

Louisiana: California based Chevron eliminating 385 jobs between April and June! Chevron revealed it is selling off its oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico. While The Empire State of New York bribed Alcoa to stop mass layoffs there, the cash strapped state of Louisiana isn’t so lucky. Alcoa eliminating dozens of jobs at its Lake Charles operations, on top of the 130 job cuts announced back in September!

Michigan: The Bradley Kmart has a new owner who is shutting it down. Retailer Meijer bought the Kmart property for $5-million USD. The Kmart will be shutdown in May, but the new Meijer store won’t be ready until 2018.

Minnesota: Egan based Ovation Brands suddenly shutdown 74 restaurants! Apparently the only warning was given back in August when company administrators warned they were about to begin shutting down ‘underperforming’ restaurants (August is also when Ovation Brands was taken over by Food Management Partners). The shutdown restaurants include Home Town Buffet (three just in the San Francisco area of California), Old Country Buffet, Ryan’s, Fire Mountain and Country Buffet (as opposed to Old Country Buffet?).

New Jersey: New York Life Insurance issued a WARN, 70 people in Lebanon and Parsippany losing their jobs by April.

New York: Despite a massive taxpayer funded bribe to stop the mass layoffs at Alcoa’s Massena operations (as I reported back in November), Alcoa will still layoff 37 unlucky employees by the end of the month.

Oklahoma: Without warning oil exploration company Helmerich & Payne laid off about 40 employees in Tusla.

Ohio: The 28 years old Sears and its Auto Center in New Philadelphia shutting down by mid-April, 46 jobs lost.

Oregon: Perfect example of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs (REL); in Springfield, after 32 years Thurston Book Exchange shutting down. The owner blames loss of customer traffic on the shutdown of the next door Haggen grocery store (which was caused by Haggen being tricked into buying up hundreds of failing Albertsons grocery stores).

Pennsylvania: In Heidelberg, after 63 years Target Cleaners shutting down. The owners say their business is great, but they need to retire. Customers (including schools and churches) are upset because Target Cleaners is one of the last dry cleaners in the area.

Texas: Houston based natural gas company Ryckman Creek Resources and its sibling company Peregrine Rocky Mountains both chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Operations in Colorado and Wyoming could be affected.

Virginia: Genworth has halted its life insurance operations and as a result 330 employees will become unemployed starting within 60 days of now!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

04 February 2016: “…deteriorating beyond repair for…several years.” Layoffs skyrocket 218%!

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

Business/Economics

Sears Kmart update 05 February 2016 : It’s worse than a Goodwill thrift store! Sears sues to stop economic expansion!

February 6, 2016 Hutchins AAron

The former owner-operator of two Sears Hometown stores is now facing federal charges of stealing $400-thousand USD from Sears. The woman operated the stores in Missouri, her contract with Sears stated she didn’t have to pay for the Sears supplied merchandise until after she sold them. The money was deposited into a special holding account and Sears attorneys say she made unauthorized withdrawals from that account.

Local news media reporting that General Growth Properties (GGP) will tear down part of their Pembroke Lakes Mall Sears store (in Florida) to build a new movie theater, pending approval by the local zoning board.

Also in Florida, Sears Holdings created Seritage Growth Properties is suing to stop Aventura Mall from expanding! Apparently a contract signed with Sears in 1982 gives Sears control of two parking lots, the mall owners want to expand the shopping area into those parking lots. In effect, Sears Holdings (thru Seritage) is suing to stop economic development.

Prosper Analytics & Insights surveyed nearly 4-thousand women (sexist survey) and only 1% liked shopping at Sears, even the Goodwill Industries second hand store ranked higher!

22 January 2016: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah!

Here’s the updated list (new shutdowns in bold) of U.S. store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Arizona: The Prescott Valley Kmart shutting down by April. No word on how many jobs lost, but one employee was quoted by local news as saying “Walmart won.” Local news reports say there is a Now Hiring sign posted on the Kmart store front. Reports that the Glendale Kmart will shutdown, no word on job losses. Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors. Recently revealed Arrowhead Towne Center Sears sold-off then rented back! Chandler Fashion Center Sears sold-off then rented back!

Alabama: Prattville Kmart will shutdown in April, 70 jobs lost. Florence Kmart in March, 64 jobs lost! A local news report said the employees knew nothing about it and were shocked to hear it from the news media! Dothan Kmart (south side of Ross Clark Circle) shutting down in March, 56 jobs lost. Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost), Sears Store and Auto Center at the Bel Air Mall in Mobile (more than 100 jobs lost).

California: Anaheim Kmart shutting down, 107 jobs lost! Between March and April, the Chula Vista Kmart, San Mateo Sears and Citrus Heights Kmart shutting down, a total of 3-hundred jobs lost! El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (more than 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart, Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost), Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost) recently revealed that Sears Holdings is still paying rent on the abandoned property, Laguna Hills Mall Sears, San Diego Mid-City Kmart (73 jobs lost), Hemet Kmart (77 jobs lost), Oakland Sears repair center (75 jobs lost), San Mateo Kmart (82 jobs lost to an apartment building connected to public transportation), Hesperia Kmart building sold at a loss to a vulture capitalist REIT, no word on if the Kmart will be shutdown. Customers complain that the Kmart employees have a bad attitude, gee I wonder why? Yuba City Kmart (63 jobs lost), Rocklin Kmart (at least 63 jobs lost, the store had just posted “Now Hiring” signs), San Leandro Kmart (102 jobs lost), San Jose Mercury News says the El Centro Kmart to shutdown in January, the website Foursquare says the Covina Kmart is now shutdown (other sources say it will shutdown in December), Cupertino Sears and Auto Center (98 jobs lost), somebody posted on yelp* that the Diamond Bar Kmart was shutting down in December (confirmed by Armijo Newspapers), Westfield Topanga Sears (122 jobs lost), it looks like the Blythe Kmart is being slowly shutdown despite denial by Sears Holdings. San Mateo Kmart being demolished to make room for 599 unit apartment complex, as part of the the Hayward Park Caltrain Station project. Atwater Kmart (74 jobs lost), Los Banos Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Florida: The Lutz Kmart shutting down by March, 62 jobs lost. The 46 years old Daytona Beach Kmart, on International Speedway Boulevard, is shutting down by mid-March, 86 jobs lost. Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost), Winter Park Kmart (100 jobs lost), Niceville Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winter Haven Kmart (92 jobs lost), Palm Bay Kmart, Oakland Park Kmart (112 jobs lost), Clearwater Sears Auto Center (21 jobs lost), Zephyrhills Kmart (70 jobs lost), Winter Springs Kmart (69 jobs lost), Naples Kmart (72 jobs lost), New Port Richey Kmart (58 jobs lost), ‘redevelopment’ of Aventura Sears & Auto Center into an “open-air village” (unknown how many jobs affected), Kmart on Northeast 108 Street being annexed by Miami Shores, Sears Holdings threatens to shutdown Kmart as a result of higher local taxes. The property that’s home to an operating Kmart, on South Green Bay Road in Racine, was foreclosed by the local Sheriff and sold-off for $2.5-million, no word on what the new property owner will do with it. Fort Myers Kmart (67 jobs lost). Dicks Sportings Goods subleasing space in an existing Sears store in Palm Beach Gardens.

Georgia: The 37 years old Carrollton Kmart shutting down by the end of April. Dublin Kmart will shutdown in April, 71 jobs lost. Milledgeville Kmart shutdown in April, 60+ jobs lost. Unconfirmed reports that the Rome Kmarts shutting down by mid-April, no word on how many jobs lost. Mount Berry Square Mall Sears and Auto Center shutting down in March, 86 jobs lost. Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 jobs lost), one of the last two North Augusta Kmart to be torn down by new property owner from Canada, Sears Holdings denies the Kmart will shutdown.

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Hawaii: Iconic 25 years old Nimitz HWY Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart shutting down in March, 141 jobs lost! Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost! GGP spending $573-million chopping it up into smaller store spaces), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Boise Kmart on Fairview shutting down by mid-March, 56 jobs lost. Pocatello Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost. Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears shutdown by the end of October/beginning of November 2014 (the remaining 28 jobs lost).

Illinois: Morton ‘green’ Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 47 jobs lost. Canton Kmart shutting down in April, 38 jobs lost. Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost), Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere, Chicago-Wicker Park Kmart (106 jobs lost), abandoned Market Place Mall Sears location to be occupied by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field & Stream. 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. North Mayfair Kmart (99 jobs lost), Chicago Kmart at 5033 North Elston Avenue (99 jobs lost). By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Iowa: Ottumwa Kmart shutting down by April, 38 jobs lost. Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost), Mason City Kmart (50 jobs lost), Clive Kmart (at least 49 jobs lost), Ames Kmart (44 jobs lost), Fort Dodge Sears (no job loss numbers made public, yet. The Auto Center was secretly shutdown in September), 56 years old Mason City Sears & Auto Center (more than 100 jobs lost). Davenport Kmart (59 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Kansas: North Topeka Kmart shutting down by Spring, 49 jobs lost. Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost), Manhattan Sears & Auto Center (number of jobs lost were never revealed).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown, Laplace Sears Hometown Store.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost), Aroostook Centre Mall Sears Auto Center leased out to VIP Tires & Service.

Michigan: The Bradley Kmart has a new owner who is shutting it down. Retailer Meijer bought the Kmart property for $5-million USD. The Kmart will be shutdown in May, but the new Meijer store won’t be ready until 2018. The Sears and Auto Center in Fort Gratiot shutting down by mid-March, 48 jobs lost. Three Kmart stores by April, one in Virginia, Superior and Ironwood, 137 jobs lost! Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Saginaw Kmart on Bay Road, Flint Kmart on Dort Highway (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost), Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost), Rochester Hills Kmart (77 jobs lost), ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost), it’s now official the last remaining Saginaw Kmart (on Gratiot Road) will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January 2014 (Sears Holdings claims only 18 people worked there at the time of the collapse!), Ann Arbor Kmart (59 jobs lost), Iron Mountain Kmart (54 jobs lost), Bangor Township Sears aka Bay City Mall Sears, the Auto Center was already secretly shutdown some time ago (at least 47 jobs lost), Big Rapids Kmart (about 50 jobs lost). Vacant Wyandotte Sears Auto Center is being renovated at a cost to taxpayers of $1-million & 20-thousand, plus 15 years worth of tax breaks valued at $2-million! Shakopee Kmart distribution center shutdown and sold-off for $17-million in 2013, now it’s finally getting a new tenant; snowmobile and electric cart maker Polaris Industries will rent out a fraction of the building to use as their new parts warehouse. The Kmart Plaza in Sandusky sold to “A group of investors”, no word on what will happen to the Kmart store.

Minnesota: Dundas Kmart by April, 32 jobs lost. Thunderbird Mall Kmart shutting down in April, 48 jobs lost. Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road. Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost), Northeast Minneapolis Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale, Coon Rapids Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale.

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Staten Island Mall Sears Auto Center will shutdown in February, 20 jobs lost. Lindenhurst Sears Hardware, North Babylon Sears Hardware, Hauppauge Sears Hardware, Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost) now revealed to be turned into a Town Center with more than 200 apartments at an estimated cost of $50-million, Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost), Staten Island Mall Sears leased out to Ireland’s Primark, Bay Shore Sears and Sears Auto Center (144 jobs lost), New Hartford Sears & Auto Center (109 jobs lost), Lancaster Kmart sold for $1.7-million to Dave’s Christmas Wonderland. Herkimer Sears Hometown, Saranac Lake Sears Hometown the ‘independent’ co-owners said Sears Holdings forced them to shutdown. Melville Appliance Repair Division (31 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: The 28 years old Sears and its Auto Center in New Philadelphia shutting down by mid-April, 46 jobs lost. Without warning the Medina Sears Appliance & Hardware Store shutdown. Warren Kmart on Parkman Road NW will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost. Zanesville Kmart shutting down mid-April, 47 jobs lost. Steubenville Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost. Boardman Kmart by April, 81 jobs lost. Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost), Tiffin Sears Hometown Store. Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location. Fairlawn Sears Appliance & Hardware, Macedonia Sears Appliance & Hardware, Lorain Sears Appliance & Hardware, Elyria Sears Appliance & Hardware, North Olmsted Sears Appliance & Hardware, Sheffield Village Sears Appliance & Hardware, Akron Sears Appliance & Hardware.

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (206 jobs lost).

South Dakota: The Pierre Kmart shutting down by the end of March, 45 jobs lost. The Michell Kmart shutting down in April, 52 jobs lost. Spearfish Kmart (51 jobs lost), Sturgis Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Tennessee: The Murfreesboro Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 43 jobs lost. A Memphis Sears and Auto Center (on Poplar Avenue) shutting down in April, 109 jobs lost! Clarksville Kmart shutting down in April, 68 jobs lost. Cleveland Kmart shutting down by mid-March, 67 jobs lost. Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears, Nashville Bellevue Center Sears & Auto Center (at least 44 jobs lost).

Utah: 35 years old Richfield Kmart will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost. North Logan Kmart shutting down by April, 58 jobs lost. Murray Sears (local news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost), Provo Kmart demolished in anticipation of yet another AtHome furniture store.

Vermont: The Bennington Sears Hometown Store shutdown. Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), South Burlington Kmart (66 jobs lost).

Virginia: The Cedar Bluff (50 jobs lost), Covington (36 jobs lost) and Virginia Beach on General Booth Boulevard (no job numbers reported) Kmarts shutting down by mid-April! The Sears Hometown Store in Culpeper shutting down by the end of the month. Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News-Denbigh Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Winchester Kmart (91 jobs lost), Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost), Chesapeake Sears and Auto Center (82 jobs lost), Front Royal Kmart (88 jobs lost), Pembroke Mall Sears renting out part of their store to DSW & Nordstrom Rack, Sears Holdings say they’re still looking for a “third tenant” for their occupied space. The current nearby Sears Auto Center will be rented out to REI. Colonial Heights Kmart (113 jobs lost), Virginia Beach Hilltop Square Shopping Center Kmart (82 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: Superior Kmart shutting down in April, 42 jobs lost. West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost), Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Ashwaubenon Kmart recently revealed now owned by Green Bay Packers, will be torn down (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 jobs lost), Janesville Kmart (70 jobs lost), Glendale Sears Rebuild center (67 jobs lost), Sheboygan Sears & Auto Center (at least 31 jobs lost), Eau Claire Kmart (93 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (59 jobs lost before Xmas), Sheboygan Sears Rebuild Center (30 jobs lost), Wauwatosa Kmart (103 jobs lost).

In April 2015, Sears Holdings (through Seritage Growth Properties) and General Growth Properties (GGP) became 50/50 joint owners of 12 Sears stores.

Here’s a list of 11 Sears stores 100% owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Business/Economics

“…a resource action will happen this Friday…” 3,000+ California jobs lost! “…there’s less money…” : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 26 January 2016

January 26, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

California: Walmart revealed their store shutdowns in The Golden State will result in 1-thousand 652 jobs lost by April 15th! In Santa Maria, Eldorado Berry Farms issued a “permanent” layoff WARN, 654 jobs lost by the end of April! Superior Farming issued a layoff WARN, 225 Santa Maria jobs lost by the end of June! In Camarillo, MAC Berry Farms issued a layoff WARN, 90 jobs lost by mid-July. In Oxnard, Coastal Green Vegetable Company issued a shutdown WARN, 88 jobs lost by mid-March. In Cambria, after less than one year restaurant-market Centrally Grown shutdown without warning, at least 16 jobs lost (back in December reports said the entire staff was fired, with no explanation). Food giant ConAgra issued a shutdown WARN for their Helm operation, 102 jobs lost by mid-March! Albertsons-Safeway eliminating an additional seven jobs at their Pleasanton office, in March. Al Jazeera revealed their exit from the U.S. news market will kill-off at least 50 jobs in California, by the end of April. In San Diego, HD Supply Management issued a layoff WARN, 97 jobs lost by the beginning of March. Georgia Pacific issued a shutdown WARN for their cardboard factory in Buena Park, 148 jobs lost by the end of March! In Santa Clara, Florida based software company Citrix Systems eliminating 65 jobs by the beginning of March. In Oakland, Outer Harbor Terminal shutting down in March, 59 jobs lost. In San Francisco, Destination Geary Street Management laying off 58 people in March. In San Jose, tech company Cisco Systems laid off 123 people without warning! Also in San Jose, Highland Metals/EZFuture finally revealed it shutdown, back in December! In San Mateo, GoPro reported it laid off 77 employees. In Vista, Zodiac Pool Systems shutting down in March, 52 jobs lost. Intellectual property analyst Thomson Licensing shutting down their Burbank office in March. In Long Beach, Molina Hospital Management eliminating 385 jobs by the end of February! In Torrance, “premier Women’s Health laboratory” Pathology eliminating 388 jobs by the end of March! It’s directly connected to December’s takeover of Pathology by a company called LabCorp.

Florida: In Quincy, BFN Operations issued a WARN for their Zelenka Farms, 64 jobs lost by the end of March.

Georgia: Sears Holdings confirmed they will shutdown the 37 years old Kmart, in Carrollton, by the end of April.

New Jersey: In Atlantic City, 89 years old (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Tony’s Baltimore Grill pizza joint now bankrupt busted. The operators haven’t been able to pay their debts and blame it on the high cost of unionized labor.

New Mexico: Coca-Cola shutting down its Portales bottling factory, 59 jobs lost to consolidation. Coca-Cola’s warehouse in Clovis is also being shutdown.

New York: What automotive industry recovery? In Champlain, vehicle painter Elegance Coating issued a layoff WARN, 46 of the 66 employees will be let go by the end of April. Armonk based International Business Machines (IBM) is about to conduct mass layoffs, insiders saying “…a resource action will happen this Friday…”. On top of that the iconic employer will reduce the amount of severance it normally gives. If you research my past Job Losses reports you’ll discover that IBM has been conducting mass layoffs for several years now. In NYC, 147 years old (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) plumbing supplier (originally a ship parts supplier) George Taylor Specialties shutting down because the co-owner Val Christou says “Business is the same as it has been, but there’s less money in it.”

Tennessee: Memphis based paper company Verso now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, with $2.4-million USD in debts. In its 3rd quarter of 2015 Verso reported it lost $111-million!

Virginia: In Roanoke, restaurant Stefano’s on the Market shutting down, the owner wants more time with his family.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

Business/Economics, Idaho

“I was not prepared…no more leases…” 50% of Idaho families in poverty, ‘get used to it’! No more nail polish? : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 24 – 25 January 2016

January 26, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Alabama: AAR Aerostructures & Interiors ending metal fabrication ops in Huntsville, 72 jobs lost. Administrators said they need to “refocus” their business.

Arizona: In Chandler, after 25 years Video Paradise shutting down next week.

California: In San Francisco, after more than ten years the upscale Bourbon Steak shutting down in March, the owner said he decided not to renew the lease and is looking for a new home. Cosmetic company Coty shutting down their North Hollywood OPI nail polish factory, 4-hundred California jobs being lost to North Carolina! In San Diego, after laying off 1,314 people at the end of 2015 Qualcomm laid off an additional 32 employees.

Delaware: Local news media discovered that all four Sussex County Donut Connection shops have been shutdown! The owners of the franchise claim they’ve “retired”, but a former employee said “Business really had slacked off.” Tax records show $26,320-USD are still owed and a lawsuit says $31,211 in rent and utilities have never been paid!

Florida: Clothier GAP shutting down stores in Tampa and Saint Petersburg, as part of their plan to shutdown 175 stores!

Idaho: A new Corporation for Enterprise Development study says 45.5% of Idaho families are trapped in poverty and there’s no hope of getting out, as the 2016 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard calls the economic situation the “new normal”! Find out more info, or how your state ranks, click here.

Gem State Right to Work (you over) ‘lawmakers’ are apparently realizing how bad the financial situation is for families and are creating a new law that will exempt ‘cottage food’ businesses (literally mom-n-pop food sellers working out of their home) from the same health codes that traditional retail establishments must obey.

It’s been revealed that pesticides have contaminated farms in eastern Idaho. At least 809 hectares (2-thousand acres) are affected and must be cleaned up, at taxpayer expense of course (an estimated $250-thousand USD has been quoted as an initial payment!). The contamination was discovered when farmers reported mutations in their crops and animals. Investigators traced it to the massive use of Methyl Bromide back in 2006. The contamination affects potatoes, hay, alfalfa, wheat and barley. In 2006 paranoia erupted over the discovery of a nematode that destroys potato crops, state and federal agriculture ‘experts’ told farmers to use methyl bromide to kill the microbe. It was farmers who first reported the crop and livestock mutations, concluding that it must be the result of using the toxic chemical.

A new study is blaming low Gem State high school graduation rates on internet classes! The state Board of Education reported that ‘virtual schools’ can barely graduate 20% of their online students! I can attest to this claim as I know a young woman who tried the virtual school program for almost a year, before giving up and going back to old fashioned brick-n-mortar school in Pocatello. I remember her school counselor at Pokey High warning her she’d be back because the majority of students fail to complete the online courses. The online school seems easier because supposedly you’re on your own schedule, but it turns out to be harder than traditional school.

Michigan: What automotive industry recovery? Dearborn based Ford announced it will end sales operations in Japan and Indonesia, due to lack of sales!

Minnesota: In Saint Paul, after ten years the Highland Park Chatterbox Pub (deep fried cheeseburgers) suddenly shutdown, the owners say they were not able to find a needed third business partner and will now focus on their two smaller restaurants.

Missouri: University of Missouri Saint Louis warned of mass layoffs in order to deal with a $15-million USD shortfall ($2-million more than reported two months ago), no layoff numbers given, yet.

Nebraska: Sears Holdings confirmed it will shutdown the Omaha Kmart (on South 114th Street) in April, 66 jobs lost. It’s the second Omaha Kmart to be shutdown.

Nevada: In Mesquite, after five years Have Boutique Will Travel shutting down. The co-owners blame their age, one is 77 and the other is 80!

New York: In Amherst, after more than 1-hundred years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Newtrend Furniture shutting down. Maines Food & Party Warehouse shutting down their Ithaca and Greece grocery stores by February, no public explanation given. In NYC, after 40 years kitchen supplier Broadway Panhandler shutting down. The owner tried to sell the business but nobody wanted to buy it.

Ohio: The only Krispy Kreme donut shop in the Dayton area shutting down next week, 20 jobs lost. No explanation.

Oregon: The Terrace Cafe in Valley River Center shutting down after 36 years of serving up yummy food, because the mall management refuses to renew the lease. The restaurant owner said no reason was offered and “I was not prepared to have been told that no more leases would be given to me.”

Texas: In Dallas, the operators of Zhulong Gallery suddenly announced it will shutdown at the end of the month (instead of hosting an international photo exhibit), no reason given.

West Virginia: Coal miner Alpha Natural Resources killing more jobs, this time 9-hundred people at eight mines and two processing operations, by the end of March!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

Business/Economics

Sears Kmart update 22 January 2016: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah!

January 22, 2016 Hutchins AAron

18 January 2016: Four more

Here’s the updated list (new shutdowns in bold) of U.S. store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Alabama: Prattville Kmart will shutdown in April, 70 jobs lost. Florence Kmart in March, 64 jobs lost! A local news report said the employees knew nothing about it and were shocked to hear it from the news media! Dothan Kmart (south side of Ross Clark Circle) shutting down in March, 56 jobs lost. Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost), Sears Store and Auto Center at the Bel Air Mall in Mobile (more than 100 jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Georgia: Dublin Kmart will shutdown in April, 71 jobs lost. Milledgeville Kmart shutdown in April, 60+ jobs lost. Unconfirmed reports that the Rome Kmarts shutting down by mid-April, no word on how many jobs lost. Mount Berry Square Mall Sears and Auto Center shutting down in March, 86 jobs lost. Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 jobs lost), one of the last two North Augusta Kmart to be torn down by new property owner from Canada, Sears Holdings denies the Kmart will shutdown.

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Illinois: Morton ‘green’ Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 47 jobs lost. Canton Kmart shutting down in April, 38 jobs lost. Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost), Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere, Chicago-Wicker Park Kmart (106 jobs lost), abandoned Market Place Mall Sears location to be occupied by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field & Stream. 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. North Mayfair Kmart (99 jobs lost), Chicago Kmart at 5033 North Elston Avenue (99 jobs lost). By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown, Laplace Sears Hometown Store.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost), Aroostook Centre Mall Sears Auto Center leased out to VIP Tires & Service.

Michigan: The Sears and Auto Center in Fort Gratiot shutting down by mid-March, 48 jobs lost. Three Kmart stores by April, one in Virginia, Superior and Ironwood, 137 jobs lost! Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Saginaw Kmart on Bay Road, Flint Kmart on Dort Highway (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost), Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost), Rochester Hills Kmart (77 jobs lost), ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost), it’s now official the last remaining Saginaw Kmart (on Gratiot Road) will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January 2014 (Sears Holdings claims only 18 people worked there at the time of the collapse!), Ann Arbor Kmart (59 jobs lost), Iron Mountain Kmart (54 jobs lost), Bangor Township Sears aka Bay City Mall Sears, the Auto Center was already secretly shutdown some time ago (at least 47 jobs lost), Big Rapids Kmart (about 50 jobs lost). Vacant Wyandotte Sears Auto Center is being renovated at a cost to taxpayers of $1-million & 20-thousand, plus 15 years worth of tax breaks valued at $2-million! Shakopee Kmart distribution center shutdown and sold-off for $17-million in 2013, now it’s finally getting a new tenant; snowmobile and electric cart maker Polaris Industries will rent out a fraction of the building to use as their new parts warehouse. The Kmart Plaza in Sandusky sold to “A group of investors”, no word on what will happen to the Kmart store.

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Staten Island Mall Sears Auto Center will shutdown in February, 20 jobs lost. Lindenhurst Sears Hardware, North Babylon Sears Hardware, Hauppauge Sears Hardware, Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost) now revealed to be turned into a Town Center with more than 200 apartments at an estimated cost of $50-million, Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost), Staten Island Mall Sears leased out to Ireland’s Primark, Bay Shore Sears and Sears Auto Center (144 jobs lost), New Hartford Sears & Auto Center (109 jobs lost), Lancaster Kmart sold for $1.7-million to Dave’s Christmas Wonderland. Herkimer Sears Hometown, Saranac Lake Sears Hometown the ‘independent’ co-owners said Sears Holdings forced them to shutdown. Melville Appliance Repair Division (31 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: Without warning the Medina Sears Appliance & Hardware Store shutdown. Warren Kmart on Parkman Road NW will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost. Zanesville Kmart shutting down mid-April, 47 jobs lost. Steubenville Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost. Boardman Kmart by April, 81 jobs lost. Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost), Tiffin Sears Hometown Store. Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location. Fairlawn Sears Appliance & Hardware, Macedonia Sears Appliance & Hardware, Lorain Sears Appliance & Hardware, Elyria Sears Appliance & Hardware, North Olmsted Sears Appliance & Hardware, Sheffield Village Sears Appliance & Hardware, Akron Sears Appliance & Hardware.

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (206 jobs lost).

South Dakota: The Pierre Kmart shutting down by the end of March, 45 jobs lost. The Michell Kmart shutting down in April, 52 jobs lost. Spearfish Kmart (51 jobs lost), Sturgis Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Tennessee: The Murfreesboro Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 43 jobs lost. A Memphis Sears and Auto Center (on Poplar Avenue) shutting down in April, 109 jobs lost! Clarksville Kmart shutting down in April, 68 jobs lost. Cleveland Kmart shutting down by mid-March, 67 jobs lost. Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears, Nashville Bellevue Center Sears & Auto Center (at least 44 jobs lost).

Utah: 35 years old Richfield Kmart will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost. North Logan Kmart shutting down by April, 58 jobs lost. Murray Sears (local news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost), Provo Kmart demolished in anticipation of yet another AtHome furniture store.

Vermont: The Bennington Sears Hometown Store shutdown. Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), South Burlington Kmart (66 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Business/Economics, Idaho

“circumstances beyond our control…changing demographics…declining sales” Ripple effect layoffs! ObamaCare keeps on cutting! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 20 January 2016

January 21, 2016 Hutchins AAron

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Alabama: Sears Holdings confirmed that the Prattville Kmart will shutdown in April, 70 jobs lost.

California: What did you get when you got laid off? It’s been revealed that Newark based StemCells Incorporated gave its recently ‘resigned’ CEO a $1-million USD severance package! Pier 1 Imports shutting down their El Cerrito Plaza store by the end of February. Local news reports say a retailer from Japan will move into the vacated Pier 1 location.

Florida: Orlando based Total Sleep Management now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Administrators blame ObamaCare: “The sleep industry ran into trouble around 2013. Pre-authorizations became a requirement for most private insurers. We lost about 40% of our revenue.”

Georgia: Sears Holdings confirmed that the Dublin Kmart will shutdown in April, 71 jobs lost.

Hawaii: Simply Organized shutting down their Ewa Beach store in February.

Idaho: More proof poverty is skyrocketing in The Gem State; the only form of housing assistance comes from federally funded Section 8 and private donations (unlike most densely populated states that have a state level tax payer funded match to the federal Section 8 funding). Housing assistance is managed by Idaho Housing and Finance (IHFA, “a self-supporting corporation”) and starting in 2011 was forced by increasing homelessness in Idaho to start a new charity fund raising operation called Home Partnership Foundation-Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge. In 2015 they raised $317-thousand USD to supplement what they already have to work with. Almost half of that has just been given to 32 non-profit organizations through out the state. It’s been revealed by the state Office of Performance Evaluations that Psychosocial Rehabilitation Counselor (aka PSR or Psycho Social Rehabilitation workers) jacked up costs to Idaho Medicaid nine times over a ten years period. In 2001 PSR costs were $8-million USD, by 2012 costs hit $76-million! In 2013 the state tried to counter by pushing for more “managed” inpatient care, however that is backfiring because many providers are confused by the regulations which are causing problems with care.

Illinois: Baker Mondelez told 277 Chicago workers they will become unemployed starting in March, as part of the company’s plan to move to Mexico! Also in Chicago, the Blue Buddha Boutique shutting down after 13 years because the owner’s doctor told her to reduce her “stress levels”. You mean Buddha, meditation and the stress of running a business don’t jive?

Indiana: The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art laid off five people due to crashing revenues. Marsh shutting down their Bloomington grocery store because it’s not worth it to renew the lease.

Iowa: In Ames, after 30 years restaurant Valentino’s shutdown, the owners saying “Recent circumstances beyond our control, coupled with changing demographics in our current location and declining sales made this very difficult decision necessary.”

Louisiana: Noranda shutting down its alumina factory in Gramercy, blaming a bauxite tax imposed by the government of Jamaica, and crashing sales, 444 jobs lost over the next two months! Texas based National Oilwell Varco shutting down its Houma ops, 80 jobs lost in March.

Maine: (Ripple Effect layoffs) Chipotle Mexican Grill killing off Hutamaki. The paper product maker said it had to layoff 30 employees due to crashing packaging orders from the troubled chain restaurant.

Maryland: After 18 years restaurant Donna’s shutting down by the end of the month. The owners admitted they were losing money and they could not renew the lease.

Michigan: Oregon based expensive clothier Pendleton Woolen Mills shutting down three stores in The Wolverine State blaming lack of “sales and profitability”!

Missouri: (Ripple Effect Layoffs) In Lamar, the 117 years old Thorco Industries announced it will layoff 93 people starting in Spring. The company makes point of sales (aka point of purchase or POP) displays for retailers. Administrators blamed the layoffs on “…retail industry changes, including the growth of e-commerce and the opening of fewer brick-and-mortar stores, has resulted in a continued decline in demand for store fixtures, such as the wire-based merchandising displays and accessories…”

Nebraska: Food giant ConAgra eliminating more jobs due to an expected drop in sales. News reports say several hundreds of ConAgra employees in Omaha will lose there jobs to cheaper contractors as ConAgra attempts to cut operating costs! The reports are based on a video leaked last week, but what’s really interesting is that ConAgra execs are also killing 40 sales positions (maybe that’s why they expect sales to go down?).

New Mexico: In Los Lunas, Mitt Romney wunderkind Staples shutting down in February, 22 jobs lost.

New York: Qatar based news source Al Jazeera made it official and issued a shutdown WARN for its NYC ops, 197 jobs lost by the end of April! Internet fantasy sports site FanFuel revealed they’ve begun laying off employees, no numbers given. It’s connected to legal threats challenging FanDuel’s claim that it’s not a gambling site. The movie theater Ziegfeld Theater is shutting down after 47 years to be re-purposed as ‘a high-end event center’ for corporate elites. Months after announcing plans to hire 125 people, Dial America now shutting down its 28 years old Amherst call center, 120 jobs lost by the beginning of March! Administrators blamed it on a major client deciding to do business with a foreign call center operator! Sears Holdings confirms the Staten Island Mall Sears Auto Center will shutdown in February, 20 jobs lost. After laying off 20 employees in October, Watertown’s New York Air Brake eliminating another 30 jobs blaming declining sales to the railroad industry. This is a prime example of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs; New York Air Brake’s job losses caused by railroad industry which in turn is losing jobs caused by the oil and coal industries which in turn are losing jobs due to crashing commodity prices.

North Carolina: Ohio based call center operator Convergys issued a layoff WARN for its Greenville center, 163 jobs lost by April due to the loss of a contract.

Oklahoma: Oil company Devon Energy warned more “…layoffs will be a necessary part of the company’s near-term cost-management efforts. The company has not determined the extent of the reduction but expects the majority of layoffs to occur by the end of the first quarter.”

Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley Health Network warning that it must shutdown five offices across two counties! LVHN rep Brian Downs said they didn’t know when the shutdowns would take place, or how many people will lose their jobs, but warned “This is health care today. This is an ongoing thing.”

Texas: (Ripple Effect Layoffs) In Longview, after already laying off employees in 2015, US Steel now says it might shutdown its Lone Star Tubular Operations starting in March, 677 remaining jobs threatened by the crashing oil industry! (Ripple Effect Layoffs) Raymondville city leaders are warning of citywide layoffs due to the shutdown of the local Walmart store. Last year the Willacy County Correctional Center shutdown, which generated money for the city through water sales, now the Walmart is the only major source of revenue for the city and it’s shutting down!

Utah: Sears Holdings confirmed that the 35 years old Richfield Kmart will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost.

Virginia: Richmond’s four years old Carytown Dixie Donuts shutting down by the end of the month. In Pulaski, Food Lion shutting down its Memorial Drive grocery store by February because it’s not worth it to renew the lease.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

Business/Economics

Sears Kmart update 18 January 2016: Four more

January 19, 2016 Hutchins AAron

14 January 2016: News media grossly downplays massive shutdowns!

Here’s the updated list (new shutdowns in bold) of U.S. store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Alabama: Florence Kmart in March, more than 1-hundred jobs lost! A local news report said the employees knew nothing about it and were shocked to hear it from the news media! Dothan Kmart (south side of Ross Clark Circle) shutting down in March, 56 jobs lost. Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost), Sears Store and Auto Center at the Bel Air Mall in Mobile (more than 100 jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Georgia: Reports that the Milledgeville and Rome Kmarts shutting down by mid-April, no word on how many jobs lost. Mount Berry Square Mall Sears and Auto Center shutting down in March, 86 jobs lost. Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 jobs lost), one of the last two North Augusta Kmart to be torn down by new property owner from Canada, Sears Holdings denies the Kmart will shutdown.

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Idaho: Boise Kmart on Fairview shutting down by mid-March, 56 jobs lost. Pocatello Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost. Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears shutdown by the end of October/beginning of November 2014 (the remaining 28 jobs lost).

Illinois: Canton Kmart shutting down in April, 38 jobs lost. Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost), Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere, Chicago-Wicker Park Kmart (106 jobs lost), abandoned Market Place Mall Sears location to be occupied by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field & Stream. 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. North Mayfair Kmart (99 jobs lost), Chicago Kmart at 5033 North Elston Avenue (99 jobs lost). By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown, Laplace Sears Hometown Store.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost), Aroostook Centre Mall Sears Auto Center leased out to VIP Tires & Service.

Minnesota: Dundas Kmart by April, 32 jobs lost. Thunderbird Mall Kmart shutting down in April, 48 jobs lost. Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road. Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost), Northeast Minneapolis Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale, Coon Rapids Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale.

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Lindenhurst Sears Hardware, North Babylon Sears Hardware, Hauppauge Sears Hardware, Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost) now revealed to be turned into a Town Center with more than 200 apartments at an estimated cost of $50-million, Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost), Staten Island Mall Sears leased out to Ireland’s Primark, Bay Shore Sears and Sears Auto Center (144 jobs lost), New Hartford Sears & Auto Center (109 jobs lost), Lancaster Kmart sold for $1.7-million to Dave’s Christmas Wonderland. Herkimer Sears Hometown, Saranac Lake Sears Hometown the ‘independent’ co-owners said Sears Holdings forced them to shutdown. Melville Appliance Repair Division (31 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: Zanesville Kmart shutting down mid-April, 47 jobs lost. Steubenville Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost. Boardman Kmart by April, 81 jobs lost. Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost), Tiffin Sears Hometown Store. Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location. Fairlawn Sears Appliance & Hardware, Macedonia Sears Appliance & Hardware, Lorain Sears Appliance & Hardware, Elyria Sears Appliance & Hardware, North Olmsted Sears Appliance & Hardware, Sheffield Village Sears Appliance & Hardware, Akron Sears Appliance & Hardware.

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (206 jobs lost).

South Dakota: The Pierre Kmart shutting down by the end of March, 45 jobs lost. The Michell Kmart shutting down in April, 52 jobs lost. Spearfish Kmart (51 jobs lost), Sturgis Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Tennessee: A Memphis Sears and Auto Center (on Poplar Avenue) shutting down in April, 109 jobs lost! Clarksville Kmart shutting down in April, 68 jobs lost. Cleveland Kmart shutting down by mid-March, 67 jobs lost. Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears, Nashville Bellevue Center Sears & Auto Center (at least 44 jobs lost).

Utah: North Logan Kmart shutting down by April, 58 jobs lost. Murray Sears (local news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost), Provo Kmart demolished in anticipation of yet another AtHome furniture store.

Vermont: The Bennington Sears Hometown Store shutdown. Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), South Burlington Kmart (66 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

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