Sears Holdings quietly announced that 57 Sears Hometown and Sears Outlet stores will be shutdown by 24 JUL 2017, causing about 570 people to become unemployed! The low-key announcement came as Ass-Kissing National Association for Business Resources declared Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores as one of “Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For”, for the fifth year in a row!
Sears Canada announced it will shutdown 59 stores (13 in Alberta) and kill 2-thousand-9-hundred jobs this year: “Accordingly, such conditions raise significant doubt as to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”-Sears Canada statement after failing to raise the needed debt financing to continue operations, reports say Sears Canada is now officially insolvent
Don’t blame internet competition! Karen Edwards, instructor at University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality Retailing and Sport Management, stated to local news media that internet sales make up only 10%-15% of all U.S. retail sales!
There are now nearly 3-hundred stores on the 2017 U.S. shutdown list, most of the new store shutdowns will take place by September.
Dothan and Muscle Shoals Kmarts in Alabama. Taxpayers in the city of Oxford could become the new owners of the vacant Sears store in the Quintard Mall. Oxford mayor Alton Craft loves the plan, but admitted to local news media “We don’t know exactly what the plan is yet.” But wait there’s more! Oxford city council already approved the purchase of the dead Sears, and then in anticipation of competition passed a new law restricting the number of yard sales cash strapped taxpaying residents can have (and requiring a yard sale permit)!
Little Rock Kmart in Arkansas.
A Kmart in Bullhead City, Arizona.
In California, the 29 years old Chico Sears store, Blyth Kmart, a Sacramento Kmart, Manteca Kmart resulting in 3-hundred jobs lost! The Sears store on La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego. The Sears Hometown Store in Oroville.
In Georgia, the Dalton Sears store, Fort Oglethorpe Kmart, Calhoun Kmart. Local news media reported that the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority essentially said the state’s economy just can’t support all the local Kmarts.
In Florida, the Sears store on South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Sears Holdings claims it will settle a lawsuit by Viscaya Prado Veterinary Hospital. The pet hospital bought a washing machine in December, it quit working in May. Repeated visits by Sears repairmen failed to get the washing machine to work. Sears Holdings originally stated they didn’t have to honor the warranty because it only applied to appliances used in residences, not businesses.
Bloomingdale Kmart, in Illinois, 96 jobs lost in July. The Sears store on North Harlem Avenue in Chicago. Associated Press reporting that Sears Holdings will eliminate 4-hundred corporate level jobs! Lampert’s goons swear these are not new job cuts, but cuts planned for last year. Local news media reminded local taxpayers about the massive 2011 tax break deal ‘lawmakers’ gave Sears Holdings in order to prevent layoffs. The Peoria Oakbrook Center Sears store shutting down in September. It will be reduced in size to about 30% of its current proportions, the remaining space will be leased out. The Oakbrook Center Sears Auto Center will shutdown in March 2018.
The Iowa City and Marshalltown Kmarts in Iowa, at least 99 jobs lost by September. In Storm Lake, Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of July. The Le Mars Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of July. The franchise owners said the shutdown was unexplainedly ordered by Sears Holdings: “We have downsized to no employees. We gave it the best shot… …Their [Sears Holdings] reasoning [for the shutdown], I don’t know.”-Deb Fuller, co-owner
Mishawaka Kmart in Indiana.
In Kansas, the Sears store on Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park.
Louisiana: The Sears operations on Johnston Street in Lafayette between mid-July and mid-September.
Elkton Kmart in Maryland, and the Sears stores in Cockeysville and Hagerstown.
Newburyport Kmart in Massachusetts. Local news media warned of the eventual shutdown of the Sears in in Springfield’s Eastfield Mall, as the mall is officially dead. The mall’s owner confirmed what I’ve been writing about (that these brick-n-mortar shutdowns are part of a REIT conspiracy) by revealing their plans to “de-mall” the mall!
Traverse City, West Branch and Cheboygan Kmarts in Michigan, and now the Macomb Mall Sears store in Roseville.
Minnesota: Taxpayers in Minneapolis are about to become the new owners of an active Kmart location, but it’s more complicated that you think. After several years and $8-million tax dollars already spent on the Nicollet Avenue South at Lake Street project the city has decided that the only way they can create a true intersection is to force Kmart to move, and the only way they can do that is to buy the property the Kmart sits on. At this point nobody knows where the Kmart would move to (don’t be surprised if it’s shutdown). Sears store in Burnsville and a franchised Sears in Fairmont. The current franchise owners of the Fairmont Sears warned that other franchise stores are on the growing hit list: “Every six months, they review stores. Over the last 12 months, my store had lost too much money. They even took into consideration that before I bought the store, it wasn’t making any money at all…..”-Jennifer Bolden, co-owner
In Mississippi, the Biloxi Sears.
New Hampshire: Upper Valley Mall Sears in West Lebanon.
In New Jersey, the Manahawkin and Mantua Kmarts, the Watchung and Vineland Sears shutting down by September.
Las Cruses and Alamogordo Kmarts in New Mexico.
Las Vegas, Henderson and Sparks Kmarts in Nevada.
Liverpool, Malone, Cortland, Olean and Watertown Kmarts in New York, more than 300 jobs lost by September! As of 23 June the mayor of Olean says Sears Holdings has yet to officially notify his office of the Kmart shutdown. Sears stores in Albany, East Northport and Johnson City.
In North Carolina, the Asheboro Sears, as well as the 23 years old Sears Hometown Store on Julian R. Allsbrook Highway.
In North Dakota, the Minot Sears.
In Ohio, Toledo’s Westgate Village Sears shutting down. And the Westland Mall and Eastland Mall Sears locations in Columbus and one Sears & Auto Center in Elyria and one Sears in Franklin, as well as Wooster and Streetsboro Kmarts. Columbus news media reported that the Westland Mall officially died in 2012 and that Sears was holding up redevelopment plans, revealing that by doing so Sears Holdings was forcing the mall owner to payout an estimated $400-thousand USD per year in property taxes on a vacant mall. Sears operations in Mentor, Middleburg Heights and on Central Avenue in Toledo. Sears Hometown Store in the Salem Plaza, in Salem.
Oklahoma, Midwest City Sears & Auto Center (according to local news reports the Heritage Park Mall, where Sears is located, is “already-dead” as it officially shutdown in 2010) and the last Kmart in Tulsa.
In Oregon, the Roseburg Kmart shutting down in September. It’s been revealed that the Sears store in the Portland Lloyd Center has been sold.
Butler, Belle Vernon, Indiana and Springettsbury Township Kmarts in Pennsylvania. The East End Centre Sears Outlet store in Wilkes-Barre, and the Sears Outlet in Phoenixville, were shutdown without warning on 23 JUN 2017.
Rhode Island: The Sears in Warwick.
In South Carolina, a Sears & Auto Center in Columbia and the Seneca and Summerville Kmarts.
Madison and Johnson City Kmarts in Tennessee.
Two Kmarts in El Paso, as well as the 39 years old Sears & Auto Center in Texarkana and Sears Auto Center in Sherman, Texas. Local TV news media ignorantly continued the false mantra that internet competition is killing Sears/Kmart, ignoring the fact that Sears and Kmart sell online! Sears stores in Freindswood and on Southwest Freeway in Houston.
In Utah, the Saint George Sears & Auto Center and Spanish Fork Kmart. In Roy, a man who shelled out $2-thousand USD for a new garage door from Sears is finally getting for a refund! Under warranty the door was replaced multiple times, but damage continued. It wasn’t until local news media called Sears that he finally got his refund.
In Virginia, a Sears & Auto Center in Richmond and two Virginia Beach Kmarts. The South Boston Sears Hometown Store, ignorant local news media blamed internet competition, they must not read Blind Bat News. (reminder; most of the brick-n-mortar stores also sell online, and internet sales make up a small percentage of total retail sales and even internet sales are going down)
Washington: Tacoma Kmart, 67 jobs lost by September.
In Wisconsin, the local taxpayers forced to spend money on the now vacant Sears Auto Center in Brookfield. The Brookfield Common Council wants to spend $76-thousand-664-USD to find out if it’s worth it to build a conference center and hotel on the property. West Allis, La Crosse and Medford Kmarts shutting down, 239 jobs lost by September! The Greendale Sears in the Southridge Mall.
Lewisburg Kmart in West Virginia.
Sheridan Kmart in Wyoming, making it the second ‘big box’ store to leave Sheridan this year (the first was JCPenney).
Sears Kmart Death Spiral, May 2017: “THE OTHER STORES ARE FULL UP. THERE’S NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.”