Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart closing update 26 September 2014: “This affects everyone…” Even more freakin’ Kmart shutdowns right before Xmas! Investors begin leaving the sinking ship!

Add 731 job losses to the Xmas shutdown list!

Missouri and Illinois losing large Kmarts just before Xmas!  The property managers of the Illinois Kmart said Sears Holdings never gave them official notice that they were shutting down, they found out when they noticed the “store closing” signs on the building!

California, Nebraska, North Caorlina and Minnesota join the Xmas shutdown club!

Indiana losing yet another Kmart before Xmas!

New Hampshire Kmart shutting down by the end of December: “This affects everyone in the city. We don’t like to see businesses go. It is too bad, but that is the corporate world. We don’t get a say.”-Jeremy Herrell, musician who probably doesn’t have the guts to openly challenge unAmerican Corporate America, just bend over and kiss it good bye

Officials with Sears Holdings announced that in November they will make public a long list of even more store shutdowns.

Fairholme Capital Management, a major stockholder of Sears Holdings, is trying to get loans for the failing retailer but with little success.  Recently Fairholme Capital Management asked Florida based Saint Joe Company to loan Sears Holdings $100-million USD.  The real estate company refused.

The current CEO of Sears Canada, Douglas Campbell, announced he’s quitting at the end of December.  Campbell was chief executive officer for only one year.  He blames “family issues” for his resignation.

Another 865 jobs killed before the New Year!

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: 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).

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

California: 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?  Recently revealed Yuba City Kmart (63 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).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost), Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost).

Georgia: 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).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: 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).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”.

Illinois: 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), recently revealed Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. 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: 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), recently revealed Bedford Kmart (62 jobs lost).

Iowa: 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).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), 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, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears “rebuild” call center (115 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi 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, 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).

Minnesota: 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.  Recently revealed Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), recently revealed Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), recently revealed Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), recently revealed Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Mississippi: 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.

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), recently revealed Florissant Kmart (100 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).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), recently revealed 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), recently revealed 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).

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

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader indicates Ithaca Sears Auto Center shutdown.

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), recently revealed Kinston Kmart (64 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: 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 Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus Sears Product Rebuild Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost). 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.

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).

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).

Pennsylvania: 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).

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).

Tennessee: 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 CoolSprings 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).

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.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Vermont: Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Virginia: 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 Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost), Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost).

Washington: 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).

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

Wisconsin: 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 (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).

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

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, Idaho

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 15 – 16 July 2014: “It is extremely scary!” Idaho makes top ten Housing Implosion list! Thousands of job cuts right before Xmas! Christian prudery gone wild kills jobs! More gun makers killing jobs! Obamacare killing mom & pops!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

United States Air Force (USAF) announced it will kill 3459 jobs over the next five years, however they admitted the majority of job kills will take place over the next 12 months!

What housing market recovery?  RealtyTrac’s top ten list says the Kansas City area (in both Missouri and Kansas) has 305 abandoned homes!

Alabama: Maxwell AFB announced it will kill 31 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian (civilian) jobs as well, most will happen in time for Xmas!   RealtyTrac’s top ten list says Birmingham-Hoover ties second place (percentage wise) with abandoned homes, 37%!  In numbers that’s 428 abandoned homes!

California: San Ramon based oil giant Chevron announced it is killing 225 jobs in Scotland.  Those jobs include U.S. contractors.  Chevron officials say it’s part of their plan to reduce “redundancies”.   Diesel, A Bookstore shutdown its Malibu Country Mart store.  Company officials blame slow sales and “steep rent” saying “We’ve talked…about reducing rent….but at the end of the day, you’re tied into the lease…”  In Santa Maria, after 35 years Electronic Parts Supermart shutdown.  The 75 years old owner said it was time to see the World.  Tech company Intuit announced it will layoff 82 people at three job sites in September.  In Ballico, Sierra-Cascade Nursery announced it is shutting down (supposedly temporarily) in September, 544 jobs lost!

Colorado: Peterson Air Force Base (AFB) announced it will kill 275 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most will happen just in time for Xmas!  What housing market recovery?  Michigan based Lamar Construction stopped three apartment building projects in the  Centennial State, 180 jobs lost!  On top of that, four other apartment projects are threatened.  As I reported in past Job Losses reports, Lamar Construction shutdown without notice.

Florida: Hurlburt Field announced it will kill 22 USAF jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most will happen in time for Xmas!  RealtyTrac’s top ten list says at the end of the 2nd quarter, the Palm Bay area had 2041 abandoned homes!

Hawaii: Hickam AFB announced it will kill 238 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most just in time for Xmas!

Idaho: In Nampa, Macy’s Clearance Center shutdown, eight jobs lost.  Local news reports indicated that the lease on the property was still in effect.  RealtyTrac’s top ten list says at the end of the 2nd quarter the Boise-Nampa area had 765 properties in foreclosure, and 237 homes abandoned!

Illinois: Scott AFB announced it will kill 292 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most will happen  in time for Xmas!  Insurance industry created Obama Care forced Chiro One Wellness Centers into bankruptcy auction. Its remaining assets are up for sale. News reports said the health center blamed it on “a sharp drop in reimbursements for chiropractic services.”  In Chicago, the Taste of Chicago fair now dead.  Yearly attendance has crashed since 2007, and this year the show was cancelled on the last day!   Interestingly, Obama regime city officials claim the food fair was finally making a profit, despite declining attendance.  The Too Big to Jail Northern Trust Bank killing 200 jobs!  The international elitist bank targets “wealthy” customers, and said they needed to cut costs.  This is a true sign of a crashing global economy, when an elitist international bank says it has to cut costs!

Kansas: What housing market recovery?  RealtyTrac says Wichita leads the U.S. (percentage wise) with abandoned homes, 49%!  In numbers that’s 146 homes!

Kentucky: In Madisonville, Kmart announced they’re shutting down in October, 39 jobs lost.

Louisiana: Barksdale AFB announced it will kill 167 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most will happen in time for Xmas!

Massachusetts: Waltham based military taxsucker Raytheon admitted it killed an undisclosed number of jobs.  Local news reports say “anonymous” employees reported 300 people become unemployed!  The job cuts are blamed on the bad economy and the Department of Defense delaying the approval of new contracts (which in turn is because of the bad economy).  RealtyTrac’s top ten list says at the end of the 2nd quarter Worcester had 394 abandoned homes!

Michigan:  What housing market recovery?  The Failed State Detroit Land Bank attempting to dump homes in the Boston-Edison area.  Those homes have been labeled “disasters” by local news media.  At least 12 large, dilapidated and trashed homes will be auctioned off in August.   In Failed State Detroit, the Comet Bar threatened with being forced to shutdown by a desperate baseball team.  Apparently the popular local bar might be in the way of the new stadium for the Detroit Red Wings.  Despite reporting a 54% increase in profits Rockford based shoe maker-seller, Wolverine Worldwide, announced it is shutting down all 140 stores (the majority are known as Stride Rite) across the U.S., by 2015!  Apparently they don’t think their good times are gonna last saying they must adapt to “a fundamental shift in consumer shopping behavior”.

Missouri: RealtyTrac says Saint Louis ranks 34% with abandoned homes! In numbers, Saint Louis has 847 abandoned homes!

New Hampshire: Germany based SIG Sauer laid off at least 100 employees from its gun factories in Exeter and Newington! It’s blamed on crashing gun sales.

New York: In NYC, after seven years New Amsterdam Market shutdown.  The owner of the popular market place said nobody was willing to continue debt financing the operation (which is actually how retail America works, not by actual sales).  In Centerport, popular wedding venue Thatched Cottage shutdown.  It went bankrupt back in January, the owner says they’ve never recovered from Tropical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy.  In Wyandanch, Obama Care forcing Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center to shutdown in October, 64 healthcare jobs lost.  RealtyTrac’s top ten list says at the end of the 2nd quarter, Syracuse ranked with 33% abandoned homes!

Nevada: RealtyTrac’s top ten list says at the end of the 2nd quarter the Las Vegas area had 1670 abandoned homes!

North Carolina: Who said tech jobs are recession proof?  California based CoreLogic announced it is shutting down their Charlotte ops, 49 jobs lost in October.

Ohio: Wright Patterson AFB announced it will kill 372 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most just in time for Xmas!  In Massillon, Food4Less grocery store shutdown without notice!  It was shutdown right in the middle of the afternoon while customers were shopping, about 15:00 hours according to local news reports.  It’s the 3rd grocery store in the past six months to shutdown in the city of Massillon.  Local news reports indicate that the owner of all three grocery stores had lost a major legal battle.  One lawsuit claims the owner has yet to pay for store supplies she received as far back as 2011!  Hundreds of jobs lost due to a incompetent or possibly deceitful store owner (kinda like a metaphor for those who’re running the United States)!

Oregon: What housing market recovery? RealtyTrac says the Portland area ties second place (percentage wise) with abandoned homes, 37%!  In numbers, the Portland area has 804 abandoned homes!  In Eugene, after 35 years Keystone Cafe shutdown, 17 jobs lost.  The owners blame increasing costs of operation, including higher insurance rates caused by Obama Care, for forcing them to “regretfully retire”.   In Forest Grove, controversial Dream Girls Espresso shutdown.  Apparently the female employees wore bikinis and would flash their boobs at customers.  Even though they were wearing pasties on their nipples, one man (who for some reason liked to go there and buy coffee and take pics with his cell phone) was outraged and complained so much to the landlord that the lease was not renewed.  This sounds like a clear case of ‘christian/religious’ prudery gone wild and resulting in job destruction: “He has basically stalked the stand since we’ve been open and has made several attempts at sending my landlord pictures to the point where it’s affecting their livelihood!”-Leah Sizemore, store owner

South Carolina: Joint Base Charleston announced it will kill 19 USAF  jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most will happen in time for Xmas!  In Walterboro, after 12 years the local Arby’s restaurant shutdown without notice.  Local news reports say the restaurant has two signs posted on the building, one saying “Now Hiring!” and the other saying “Sorry we’re close.” (yep, they actually forgot to put the ‘d’ on the end of “close”).  Local news reports said no restaurant official would talk to them to explain why the restaurant shutdown.

Texas: Joint Base San Antonio announced it will kill 429 USAF jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most just in time for Xmas!  In Austin, tech company National Instruments offshoring 100 U.S. jobs over the next 18 months!  Those jobs will go to Malaysia and Hungary, company officials now admit that “90 percent of our current production” is done in those countries.  In Houston, after less than nine months Trenza restaurant shutdown.  In Dallas-Fort Worth, the Texas Education Agency threatens to shutdown the Prime Prep Academy.  The school, founded by a former Dallas Cowboys star, is accused of failing to comply with state laws.

Utah: Hill AFB announced it will kill 27 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most will happen in time for Xmas!  California based Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo announced it is shutting down its Castle Dale office in October.

Virginia: Langley AFB announced it will kill 742 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most just in time for Xmas: “It is extremely scary! You have a family to provide for, and come December one, we could be homeless and jobless. It affects all military families. Nobody knows who is going to get cut or who’s going to be able to stay in.”-‘Trina’ taxsucking Langley air force wife and mother of eight (aka super-‘welfare’ mom)

Washington: Who said tech jobs were recession proof? Yet more warnings from Redmond based Microsoft about looming mass layoffs.  This time Bloomberg gave a hint at what could be coming: “The restructuring — which may be unveiled as soon as this week — may end up being the biggest in Microsoft history, topping the 5,800 jobs cut in 2009...” 

Washington DC: Joint Force National Capital Region, the USAF announced it will kill 522 military jobs, which will affect an unknown number of sillyvilian jobs as well, most just in time for Xmas!  The USAF also said it will kill 734 AFHQ jobs, most will happen in time for Xmas!

11 – 14 July 2014: “…sales…declined, utilities increased…it wasn’t financially feasible…” 

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.  It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart closing update 25 September 2014: Another 865 jobs killed before the New Year! Yep, more Merry Xmas store shutdowns! More stores claim they’re hiring despite being shutdown!

Indiana losing two more major Kmarts just in time for Xmas!

Iowa and Pennsylvania made the Xmas time hit list, again!

Add two more Kmart stores to the Xmas hit list in Ohio!

And a 50 years old Kmart going down right before Xmas, in Illinois! A few reports mention the Decatur, Illinois, Sears going down but no details were given.  However, those reports might have confused it with the Decatur, Indiana, Kmart shutdown (apparently Decatur is a popular city name east of the Mississippi).

South Carolina, Virginia, North Dakota and Connecticut join the Xmas hit list!  Here’s some strange news; a man (who did not want to be named) looking for a holiday job went to the Kmart that’s closing in Connecticut hoping to find employment. He swore to local news media that Kmart told him he could still apply for work at the store!  But wait, the North Dakota Kmart can top that!  Local news reports said the ND Kmart had a big sign on the front of the building stating they were “Now Hiring at $14 per hour”!

Tennessee losing a Kmart, no not just in time for Xmas, but just in time for Thanksgiving (that’s November here in the U.S.)!

A Bloomberg report says the $400-million USD loan Eddie Lampert gave to Sears Holdings is not enough to float the sinking boat of Sears-Kmart.  They estimate at least $4-billion is needed!

“It’s going to hurt!” 916 employees

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: 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).

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

California: 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?

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).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost), recently revealed Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost).

Georgia: 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).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: 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).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”.

Illinois: 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), recently revealed Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. 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: 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), recently revealed Indianapolis Kmart on Madison Avenue (131 jobs lost), recently revealed Indianapolis Kmart on Washington Street (139 jobs lost).

Iowa: 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), recently revealed Ames Kmart (44 jobs lost).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), 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, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears “rebuild” call center (115 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi 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, 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).

Minnesota: 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.

Mississippi: 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.

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).

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).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 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).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 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: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader indicates Ithaca Sears Auto Center shutdown.

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).

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

Ohio: 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 Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus Sears Product Rebuild Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), recently revealed Springfield Kmart (68 jobs lost), recently revealed Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost). 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.

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).

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).

Pennsylvania: 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), recently revealed Rochester Kmart (78 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), recently revealed Myrtle Beach Kmart (59 jobs lost).

Tennessee: 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 CoolSprings 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), recently revealed Dickson Kmart (65 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.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Vermont: Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Virginia: 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 Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost), recently revealed Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost).

Washington: 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).

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

Wisconsin: 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 (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).

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

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

Sears & Kmart closing update 23 September 2014: “It’s going to hurt!” Kmart tells 916 employees Merry F*cking Xmas! “Perfect example of Kmart town” turns into perfect example of Kmart fail! Sears Canada auction fails!

“Things have not turned out like Eddie hoped, and now he’s getting desperate. This is a late stage Death Spiral for both Sears and Sears Canada.”-Mark Cohen, Columbia Business School and former CEO of Sears Canada

Another New Mexico Kmart going down, this time just in time for Xmas: “It’s jobs and everyone knows jobs are in short supply these days. Any job lost has a big impact.”-Brian McKeever, Kmart shopper

Another Wisconsin store shutting down in time for Xmas, this time it’s a Kmart store.

Michigan losing 610 Kmart jobs just in time for Xmas, as five more Kmarts being shutdown: “It’s going to hurt! You’re going to have real estate going down in the area. It’s going to affect other retailers. It’s going to hurt those towns because people work there. It’s a tax base.”-Ken Dalto, retail analyst

It turns out the Kmart building in Port Huron, Michigan, was sold off last year.  It also turns out that the lease for the same Kmart store is still in effect for the next six years!  Back in 1993 Kmart officials called Port Huron a “perfect example of a Kmart town”.  The locals are pissed: “She’s worked here for 27 years; she was supposed to retire next year, and I suppose now that’s not possible…Port Huron is already having a rough time….Now there will be more people without a job they can support their families with.”-Kyle Latham, grandson of Kmart employee

Indiana losing 177 jobs as three Kmarts go down before Xmas! The last Muncie and the last Fort Wayne Kmarts shutting down in December, along with the Decatur store.  The first Muncie Kmart to shutdown was back in 2003.  Muncie mayor Dennis Tyler blames the bad economy: “….after the downturn in the economy, that they were ever able to get back into the retail market…”

It’s been revealed  that Eddie Lampert’s attempt to auction off 62 years old Sears Canada failed!  He was hoping to get $750-million USD from the sale, but nobody wanted to buy.  This might be the true reason Lampert loaned Sears Holdings $400-million of his own money.

164-thousand people laid off as 23-hundred stores to close? 

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: 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).

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

California: 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?

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).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost).

Georgia: 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).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: 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).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”.

Illinois: 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). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. 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: 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), recently revealed Muncie Kmart (59 jobs lost), recently revealed Fort Wayne Kmart on Coliseum Boulevard North (69 jobs lost), recently revealed Decatur Kmart (49 jobs lost).

Iowa: 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).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), 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, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears “rebuild” call center (115 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi 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, 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), recently revealed Rochester Kmart (77 jobs lost), recently revealed ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), recently revealed Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), recently revealed Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), recently revealed Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost).

Minnesota: 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.

Mississippi: 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.

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).

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).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 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).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost).

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

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader indicates Ithaca Sears Auto Center shutdown.

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).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost).

Ohio: 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 Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus Sears Product Rebuild Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost). 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.

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).

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).

Pennsylvania: 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).

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).

Tennessee: 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 CoolSprings 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).

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.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Vermont: Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Virginia: 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 Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost).

Washington: 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).

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

Wisconsin: 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 (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 jobs lost), recently revealed Janesville Kmart (70 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

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

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 11 – 14 July 2014: “…sales…declined, utilities increased…it wasn’t financially feasible…” 40% of unemployed stop looking for work! More proof of housing market implosion!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alabama: In Tuscaloosa, the manager of a Bruno’s grocery store went public and warned that the store will be shutdown.  No comment from the owners.  In Atmore, the YMCA shutting down in August: “Our country’s and, even closer to home, our state’s economic struggles have made it difficult to obtain financial contributions for the Atmore YMCA.”-Paul Chason, CEO

California:  In Los Angeles, Obama Care forcing Temple Community Hospital to issue a WARN that it will shutdown in September, 288 healthcare jobs lost!  Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services laid off 49 employees.  In Pico Rivera, G2 Secure Staff Waste Management shutdown, 55 jobs lost.

Florida: In Orlando, upscale Nordstrom shutting down a store in August, 190 jobs lost!  The store was opened in 2002.  In Ocala, after only one year Crossroads Child Care Center was forced to shutdown after a father found his toddler son wondering around outside the facility, near a retention pond.

Georgia: In McDonough, the World’s largest maker of small engines Briggs & Stratton shutting down a factory, 270 jobs lost: “We have not been able to get the McDonough plant running at full capacity for several years. That, and market conditions, have made it even more difficult.”-Laura Timm, public affairs

Indiana: In La Porte, after 80 years ATI Casting Service shutdown, 120 jobs lost!  At one point the factory had 550 employees!

Massachusetts: In North Adams, AP Home Decor shutdown for “personal reasons”.

Michigan:  In Detroit, Sears Holdings shutting down two Kmart stores in October, 270 jobs lost! In Rochester Hills, the non-profit Crittenton Hospital Medical Center revealed it is now up for sale.  Hospital officials say since Obama Care went into effect their financial losses have increased by tens of millions of dollars!  In Battlecreek, the Calhoun County Arts Council disbanded, blaming crashing funding on the bad economy. This comes as W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research reports about 40% of unemployed people in Calhoun County stopped looking for jobs, and that’s based on data ending in 2012!   In Saint Claire Shores, after 67 years Harper Sport Shop shutdown.  What housing market recovery? Washtenaw County reports that so far this year they’ve held 259 tax foreclosure sales.

Minnesota: In Winona, the Kmart shutting down in October, 67 jobs lost.

New Jersey: In Montclair, Health, Love & Soul, Juice Bar & Grill shutdown.  In Collingswood, after only two years American Table kitchenware store shutdown.  The store specialized in Made in the U.S.A. products.  In Atlantic City a fourth casino shutting down, this time it’s the Trump Plaza, a WARN report indicated at least 900 jobs lost (local news reports say at least 1-thousand)!  Local news reports say the casino closures are now causing smaller mom & pop stores to go out of business.

New York: In NYC, Obama Care forcing two years old SinglePoint Care Network to layoff 59 employees between October and December.  In Greenwich Village the Pink Elephant bar now chapter 7 bankrupt busted.  It’s blamed on the greedy property owner.

Ohio: In Cleveland, a massive Kmart shutting down in October, 200 jobs lost!

Oregon: In Portland, after four years Mextiza restaurant shutdown.

South Dakota: In Bonesteel, after 113 years (and surviving  numerous recessions and the Great Depression) Bonesteel Enterprises ending the publication of their newspaper.  Company officials said they tried to find a buyer for the newspaper, with no luck.

Texas:  In San Antonio, the KGB USA-Conduit Global call center warned it will eliminate 225 jobs in August!  Company officials blame a major client, who canceled their contract without notice.

Vermont: In Bennington, 66 years old Greenburg lumberyard shutdown, 23 jobs lost.  In the same city, after 21 years O’Malley’s Pet Supplies shutdown: “Since 2008, sales slowly declined, utilities increased, and I made the decision that it wasn’t financially feasible to stay open.”-Michael O’Malley

Virginia: In Danville, after 56 years John’s Antiques shutdown.

Washington: Who said tech jobs are recession proof? Redmond based Microsoft announced a new employee performance policy that some analysts say will result in layoffs.  The new CEO has a history of eliminating middle managers.  In Oak Harbor, Waste Management announced they will shutdown their call center in September, 126 jobs lost!  The company is consolidating their call centers to Arizona.  In Everett, a more than 40 years old Kmart shutting down in September.

Washington DC: The U.S. Department of Defense announced even more layoffs.  It’s the latest round of layoffs as part of a plan to reduce personnel by at least 70-thousand!  The majority of those layoffs will affect the U.S. Army.  The Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art & Design laying off about 150 employees in August!  Apparently the schools will eventually shutdown threatening another 300 jobs!  It’s blamed on their merger with National Gallery of Art and the George Washington University.

Wisconsin: What housing market recovery?  The Fox Valley reports a 14% drop in new home starts during the first six months of this year, compared to last year.

09 – 10 July 2014: “…this retail funk is real.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart closing update 19 September 2014: 164-thousand people laid off as 23-hundred stores to close? Sears Holdings tells even more employees Merry F*cking Xmas!

Gary Balter, of Credit Suisse, advises Sears Holdings that they need to shutdown all their stores (including Sears Canada) while they can still sell off the merchandise, saying “this story is not likely to have a happy ending”. That’s about 2350 stores (if you average 70 employees per store that’s 164500 people suddenly unemployed)!  The implication is that the economy is getting so bad that if Eddie Lampert waits too long he’ll be stuck with hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise.

A BBN reader commented that the Ithaca, New York, Sears Auto Center was shutting down.

Wisconsin losing a Sears just in time for Xmas!  The owners of the building say they are ripping it down!

Another Illinois Sears going down, just in time for Xmas!

Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Vermont and North Carolina losing Sears stores and auto centers just in time for Xmas!

Sears Holdings tells hundreds of employees Merry F*cking Xmas!

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: 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).

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

California: 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?

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).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost).

Georgia: 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).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: 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).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”.

Indiana: 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).

Illinois: 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?) recently 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), recently revealed Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. 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: 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).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown),  Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), 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, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), recently revealed Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears “rebuild” call center (115 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi 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, Flint Kmart (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).

Minnesota: 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!

Mississippi: 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.

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).

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).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 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).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost).

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

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader indicates Ithaca Sears Auto Center shutdown.

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), recently revealed Gastonia Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost).

Ohio: 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 Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus Sears Product Rebuild Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost). 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.

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).

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).

Pennsylvania: 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!), recently revealed West Mifflin Sears store & Auto Center (88 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).

Tennessee: 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 CoolSprings 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).

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.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Vermont: Recently revealed Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Virginia: 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 Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost).

Washington: 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).

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

Wisconsin: 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 (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), recently revealed Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 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

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

Sears & Kmart closing update 18 September 2014: Sears Holdings tells hundreds of employees Merry F*cking Xmas!

103 jobs will be lost as a Kansas Sears shuts down just in time for Xmas!

West Virginia losing a Sears store and Auto Center just in time for Xmas!

Illinois also losing a Sears store and Auto Center just in time for Xmas!  The mayor of Danville said he’s shocked, because he had recently been in talks with the Village Mall operators and there was no indication the Sears was going to close.  If he’d read Blind Bat News he would know that the new policy of Sears Holdings is “no more warnings”.

Michigan losing a 43 years old Sears, yep, just in time for Xmas!

Montana losing a Sears right before Santa brings Eddie Lampert a lump of coal (hopefully to shove it up his…).  Local news reports said even Canadians shopped at the store.

A 50 years old Sears store shutting down in Alabama, no word on how many jobs lost or when the store will actually shutdown.  The property is up for sale.

Ohio losing a Sears Auto Center by the end of September.

In Florida, a Sears Auto Center was instantly shutdown without notice.  A Florida based commercial property investor warned that Sears Holdings is about to dump their Auto Centers, hoping that companies like Pep Boys and AutoZone rent the empty Auto Center space.

The above mentioned shutdowns were announced after it was revealed that Eddie Lampert loaned Sears Holdings $400-million of his own money, just to get it through the end of year holiday shopping season.  As Tiny Tim would say in a situation like this: Merry F*cking Xmas everyone!

BBN reader gives warning about last Sears call center shutdown! 

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: 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), recently revealed Dothan Sears (no word on jobs lost).

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

California: 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?

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).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost).

Georgia: 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).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Florida: 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), recently revealed Clearwater Sears Auto Center (21 jobs lost).

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost!), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”.

Indiana: 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).

Illinois: 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?) recently 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), recently revealed Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. 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: 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).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), recently revealed Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), 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, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost).

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Sears (80 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears “rebuild” call center (115 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed.

Michigan: Novi 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, Flint Kmart (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), recently revealed Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost).

Minnesota: 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!

Mississippi: 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.

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).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost), Great Falls Kmart (closed “until further notice” due to fire, 63 jobs on hold), recently revealed Great Falls Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 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).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost).

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

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 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).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost).

Ohio: 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 Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus Sears Product Rebuild Center (112 jobs lost), recently revealed Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost). 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.

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).

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).

Pennsylvania: 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!).

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).

Tennessee: 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 CoolSprings 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).

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.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they’re reporting that the building has just been demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported).

Virginia: 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 Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost).

Washington: 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).

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

Wisconsin: 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 (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 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

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

U.S. Housing & Construction Industry Implosion: 1st six months of 2014, high rents and home loan denials = Death Spiral!

Since the 1st quarter of 2014 real estate research company Zillow has been warning that the cost to rent a residence now exceeds the cost to buy one. However, couple that with the fact that the Too Big to Jail banks continue to deny potential home buyers mortgages and you’ve got the ingredients for a U.S. housing market Death Spiral!

Incomplete list of residential and commercial construction industry job destruction that took place, or were announced, from January to June 2014:

Alabama: The Associated General Contractors & Builders reports that 900 construction jobs ceased to exist between May and June! From May 2013 to May 2014 the state lost 1400 construction jobs!

Arizona:  Housing market research company Zillow reports that at the end of March Yuma County had the highest negative equity (homebuyers are paying way more than what the homes are really worth) in the state, 38%. Pima and Cochise counties are close behind. In Tucson, after 55 years Fruit Land Market shutdown. The property owners kicked out the Market owners, so they could sell the land to speculators.

California: Housing market research company Zillow reports that at the end of March Lassen County had the highest negative equity, 43%! Close behind is Imperial, Kern, Tulare, Lake, Merced, Madera, Yuba, Colusa and Del Norte counties, all with more than 30% of homeowners ‘underwater’!  In San Louis Obispo, after 15 years Cugini’s Pizzeria & Trattoria shutdown. The restaurant owner said the greedy property owner jacked up the rent by adding on a monthly service charge as well as demanding 6% of her restaurant’s profits! She tried complaining to the property management company but they blew her off, then suddenly she got evicted!  Also, the quirky store Kwirkworld shutdown. The manager blamed the landlord saying “…the rents are really high here.”  In San Jose, after only four years Elefante Blanco upscale thrift shop shutdown. The owner blames it on a rent increase.  And Diddams Party & Toy Store shutdown, the owners said they could no longer pay the rent.  In Simi Valley, after 50 years of selling residential steam showers ThermaSol warned state officials of a “closure” in August, at least 21 jobs will be lost.  Also in Simi Valley, real estate management company Genesis Acquisition Management laid off at least four employees.  In San Francisco, internet based real estate search site Trulia laid off 85 employees. Apparently four executives got demoted as well. Company officials said they are trying to eliminate redundant jobs.  San Francisco based Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo proves there is a coming housing market crash by killing 1073 mortgage industry jobs across the U.S., saying “We currently expect mortgage origination volumes to decline…”   Mortgage servicer CoreLogic killed at least 131 jobs throughout the Golden State!  In Irvine, Genpact Mortgage killed 81 jobs. They killed about 65 jobs last year as well.   North Carolina based Too Big to Jail Bank of America killed 400 mortgage service jobs in the Golden State!  In Sacramento, major provider of appraisal, title and closing services to mortgage lenders, ServiceLink, laid off 97 employees. ServiceLink provided service to the top 25 U.S. banks, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  In Chatsworth, Peerless Building Maintenance announced they will layoff 89 employees in August. In Truckee, after 13 years Dragonfly Restaurant shutdown. The owner said he was made an “offer he couldn’t refuse” by aggressive property developers.  In Orange County, after more than 30 years Anaheim Patio and Fireside shutting down two stores. The company’s attorney blames greedy property owners saying “The rent demands at those two locations are just too high for the business model right now.”  In Norwalk, Asplundh Construction laid off 83 employees.  In Del Mar, after 46 years Pannikin Coffee & Tea shutdown, the owner blames the landlord: “We’ve been here a long time and we just couldn’t come to an agreement with the mall management on a fair rent so we didn’t renew our lease.”-Shawn Holder

Colorado: In Denver, a longtime Kazoo Toys store shutdown. The owner blamed it on greedy landlords.

Connecticut: The city of Hartford warned it must jack up property taxes, and that’s after $18.1-million USD in spending cuts. That’s because Obama Care (Affordable Care Act) is causing an $18.6-million increase in retirement and health insurance costs for city employees!  In New Canaan, after 21 years Forest Street Deli shutdown. The deli owner blames the property owner, who sold the property out from under his feet!

Delaware: RealtyTrac reports the foreclosure rate jumped 94%, from March to April!

Florida: Brevard County is now the country’s leading area for home foreclosures. RealtyTrac says one in every 303 homes has been foreclosed by the Too Big to Jail banks!  In Pinellas Park, after 22 years non-profit Venue Theater shutdown. The owner blamed it on “A recent downturn of events” like the landlord jacking up the rent.  In Ocala, after 35 years Abio’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria shutdown by the landlord.   Mortgage risk analysis firm, Digital Risk, killed 745 jobs: “Due to substantial, abrupt and unforeseen residential mortgage events, including….improving credit quality, significant volume declines in refinance loan originations, etc., demand for Digital Risk services has materially decreased.”-Brandon Johnson, senior HR manager

Idaho: Housing market research company Zillow reports that at the end of March Elmore County had the highest negative equity in the Gem State, 42%! Bingham County came in second with 29%. It must be noted that realty data from many Idaho counties are not being made public, such as Bannock County (which is the hardest hit economically)!  In Pocatello, the short lived Marhaba restaurant was shutdown and the property auctioned off.  It’s now a ‘vapor bar’.

Illinois: In Chicago, troubled Armaclad Windows and Doors shutting down, 195 jobs lost! The company is being liquidated due to crashing sales and bad management. The company even got $10-million in local tax incentives, but it obviously isn’t enough to stop the construction market Death Spiral.   The Illinois Association of Realtors report home sales crashed 9.9% across nine counties from April 2013 to April 2014!  Civil engineering firm Lakeshore TolTest now chapter 7 bankrupt busted.  In Bensenville, maker of windows and doors Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope shutdown, 64 jobs lost.  In Franklin Park, Philips Lighting Company laid off 81 employees.

Indiana: After 56 years Oakbrook Homes shutdown. The owner said before the 2009 recession he was building 100 homes per year, since then he’s been lucky to build 25 homes per year!  Indiana Limestone shutdown, 166 jobs lost! The company supplied limestone for many iconic Washington DC buildings.  In Warsaw, PolyOne Designed Structures and Solutions shutdown, 110 jobs lost!

Iowa: RealtyTrac reports the foreclosure rate skyrocketed an incredible 237%, from March to April!  In Dubuque window and door maker Jeld-Wen shutdown a factory, 52 jobs lost.

Hawaii: In Maui, after more than 20 years Stella Blues Cafe shutdown. The restaurant owner stated that his landlord could no longer cut him a break on the rent.  In Waikiki, ice cream shop Cold Stone Creamery shutdown. The owner blamed it on the greedy landlord who jacked up the rent.

Kansas: In Leawood, after 25 years a Hy-Vee grocery store shutdown. Company officials said the store needed $4-million in reconstruction work but the city council actually passed a ruling that forces them to shutdown: “In light of the city of Leawood’s recently passed moratorium on new development along the 135th corridor, it is clear that the current business environment in Leawood is one in which Hy-Vee cannot be successful. Two attempts to find a solution acceptable to both parties –one that allows us to continue serving our customers with the products, services and amenities that they deserve and expect — have been resisted by city officials. The first was in May 2013, when we attempted to remodel the store at its current location, and now, our most recent application to build a new store at the corner of 135th Street and Roe Avenue. Because lack of city support prevents us from providing customers with the best shopping experience we have to offer, we will be closing….” 

Kentucky: In Louisville, the Heine Brothers’ Coffee shop shutdown. Company officials said the shop had good business, but not good enough to cover the outrageous rent.

Maryland: The Baltimore city Housing Authority warned it might have to layoff 24 employees. However, some reports say as many as 200 employees could become unemployed! It’s blamed on federal funding cuts, but it was revealed by one local news source that the public housing agency wants to sell off housing units to private developers under the recently created federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program.  In Washington County, Too Big to Jail Citi Group laying off at least 650 employees by the end of 2014! Citi is dumping approximately 64-thousand unpaid mortgages on other collections companies!  In Frederick, the Tuesday Morning closeout store closed out after only three years in business. Company officials implied the landlord kicked them out.

Massachusetts: Zillow reports that the counties of Suffolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, Norfolk and Essex have 78,873 homes with underwater mortgages (homebuyers are paying way more than what the homes are really worth), at the end of March.  Too Big to Jail mortgage/finance holding company State Street killed 400 U.S. jobs this year (145 just in the Bay State) despite $2.5-billion in revenues! Investors want even more revenues, so the jobs were killed!  State Street laid off 700 Bay Staters last year!

Michigan: After more than 40 years the Swartz Creek Bakery shutdown. The property owner sold off the building. Washtenaw County announced 259 properties to be bundled into 75 tax auctions! Compare that to 2013 when 186 properties were bundled for auction!  Only six years after moving mortgage operations to Pittsfield Township, Too Big to Jail CitiMortgage laid off 180 people! However, Citi has so much money that the affected employees will get 60 days of pay (and probably not be counted in the unemployment data as a result). In Clinton Township, after only six years Tin Fish 3 restaurant/nightclub shutdown. The owners hadn’t been able to pay half-a-million dollars in back due rent!   In Walker, after ten years Schuler Books & Music shutdown.  The owners said they could not afford the rent on the new lease.   In Grand Blanc Inalfa Roof Systems shutdown, 52 jobs lost. The Detroit Land Bank Authority began taking bids on dozens of abandoned houses. This round of auctions involve ‘new build’ homes and bidding starts at $1-thousand. There’s one catch, you have to pay in cash only, plus you must remodel the house (apparently these ‘new’ homes are damaged). Eaton County warned of a new round of home auctions on 06 August. The 47 properties were seized from the owners for failure to pay taxes. There is a second auction planned later in the month of August.  Wayne County approved drastic plans to try and get rid of $175-million in debt.  County officials admit their tax revenues are crashing because residents are up and leaving in droves.  To show you how bad the situation is, Wayne County also announced 557 properties to be auctioned off just in the month of June! These are properties that were seized for failure to pay taxes. In 2013 Wayne County put up for auction nearly 20-thousand properties, the most in the whole World! Not all sold, and the county came up short $182-million! In the failed state city of Detroit: “…118,000 properties owe more than $500 million in unpaid property taxes. These properties are in addition to the more than 84,000 Detroit properties to which various public entities already hold title as a result of tax foreclosure.”-Detroit Blight Removal Task Force

Mississippi: Chapter 11 bankrupt busted Senderson Plumbing Products laid off 100 employees! Another 130 employees threatened!

Missouri: In Saint Louis, Nationstar Mortgage killed 115 jobs blaming it on a decline in demand for mortgage services.  And a Schnuck Markets grocery store shutdown. Company officials said it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease.  After 53 years property speculators killed the Majestic Restaurant and Bar. And after at least 37 years Left Bank Books shutdown. The book store co-owner blames the property owner: “We gave it a good run, but it didn’t work out. If we could have negotiated a better lease, it would have been a different situation.”-Jarek Steele

Montana: In Butte, the Copper King Hotel and Convention Center shutdown, 50 jobs lost. The owner was trying to sell the operation for at least the past year, but nobody is interested in buying.

Nebraska: In Scottsbluff, Nationstar Mortgage quietly killed 105 jobs! The layoffs were made public by employees, and it was also revealed that back in November 2013 the mortgage company killed all their part time jobs! Several whistleblower former employees said the mortgage industry shutdown was planned at least one year ago!  In Omaha, after 60 years Eli Caniglia’s Venice Inn restaurant shutdown. Some reports say the family was forced to sell out to an evil property developer.

New Hampshire: In Manchester, lightbulb maker Osram Sylvania shutting down a factory in September, 139 jobs lost!

New Jersey: Mortgage company PHH Corporation killed 130 jobs at their Mount Laurel HQ! This is on top of hundreds of jobs killed in other states, and hundreds of job cuts made in 2013. Company officials cited Mortgage Bankers of America data which warns of an impending housing market crash!   U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction data shows The Garden State lost the most construction jobs of all the U.S. states, and that’s in spite of reconstruction from Hurricane Sandy. From March 2013 to March 2014 New Jersey lost 46-hundred construction jobs!  In Greensboro, after 79 years Ham’s Restaurant shutdown. It’s blamed on the greedy property owner.  In Jersey City, iconic Casa Dante restaurant shutdown without warning, they hadn’t paid rent since October 2013!  In Medford, Murphy’s Market shutdown a 17 years old grocery store. Company officials blamed the greedy property owner saying “After great expense and effort it comes with much heartache, we as a company, were unable to reach a reasonable agreement with the building’s landlord.” In Metuchen, To Be Continued bookstore shutdown. The store owners blame the property owner: “The landlords need a certain amount of money, and we just can’t afford it.”-Sergio Gonzalez, co-owner

New Mexico: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction data from April 2013 to April 2014 shows the Land of Enchantment lost 2-thousand construction jobs! Apparently half of those losses came just during the month of April 2014!  After more than 3 decades Albuquerque Lighting shutdown.  In Farmington, after only three years My Big Fat Greek Restaurant shutdown, 38 jobs lost. The restaurant owner blamed the greedy property owner.

New York: Poughkeepsie city officials warned of at least 25 job cuts. The city is struggling with 300 abandoned properties, crashing tax revenues, crashing property sales, all putting the city in $3.6-million of debt!  Home Furniture Gallery shutdown two stores and laid off employees at its HQ. According to company officials the greedy property owners “yanked” their leases!  RealtyTrac reports the foreclosure rate for the Empire State shot up by 142%, from March to April!  REIT Management & Research announced they are shutting down some ops across New York, 28 property management jobs lost.  In NYC, after 55 years The Famous Oyster Bar shutdown, the owners pasted a big sign on their door blaming “exorbitant rent prices”.   Once again the New York City Housing Authority made threats of shutting down 57 Community Centers! Since at least 2011 NYCHA has made alternating massive layoff threats, then suddenly canceling those threats. This is a sure sign of cooked books and political games being played with wasted tax dollars.  In Bohemia, construction materials maker Jasco Industries shutdown, 70 jobs lost.  In Staten Island, building maintenance supply company Total Maintenance Solution lost a contract and killed 164 jobs!  In Jackson Heights, La Villita Records shutdown. Reports say sales were so bad that the owner was unable to pay rent or insurance for several months.  In Syracuse, Too Big to Jail First Niagara shutdown a mortgage office, 14 jobs lost.  In Babylon, DE Capital Mortgage shutdown, 52 jobs lost.  In Orange County, Russin Lumber shutdown, 68 jobs lost. In Syracuse, Destiny USA – Pyramid Management Group shutdown, 44 jobs lost.  NYC based Too Big to Jail, JPMorgan Chase killing 6-thousand U.S. jobs relating to mortgage refinancing! The big bank says the market for home mortgages is crashing. The big bank is also killing 2-thousand jobs relating to credit card services! 8-thousand jobs lost by the end of 2014!

North Carolina: In Winston-Salem, after 16 years Ollie’s Bakery shutdown. The landlord is the suspect.  In Fort Mills, Too Big to Jail Citi Group shutdown their default mortgage service unit, killing at least 400 jobs!

Ohio:  A realtor association in Columbus reporting an 11.3% drop in home sales from May 2013 to May 2014. On top of that eight counties reported their April sales dropped by 12.5%, and this is with a reduction in the number of homes available!   In Kenwood, Sterling’s Cut Glass shutting down. The owners say they will focus on internet sales only. Production is also being moved, 75 jobs affected.  In Riverside, Ponderosa Steakhouse restaurant shutdown without notice. Company officials blamed the property owner for jacking up the rent.

Oregon: MulvannyG2 Architecture shutdown their Portland office. They’re consolidating operations.   RealtyTrac reports that foreclosures of homes is up in Oregon, by 91% from March to April! The number of homes scheduled to be auctioned off skyrocketed an unbelievable 229%!  In Eugene, after 36 years Fletcher’s for Children shutdown. The store owners blame the landlord for unreasonable rent.    In Hillsboro, after 33 years Skate World shutting down in June. Management suggested it was due to jacked up rent.   In Medford, after 37 years roller skate rink Roller Odyssey shutdown. The owners said the could not afford the new rent.  In Springfield, local farmer’s-crafts type store Eugenius Marketplace shutdown after only 18 months in business! They couldn’t afford the rent, despite tripling their sales.  Back to Portland, where the Wildwood shutdown. The restaurant owner says the property owner jacked up the rent.  And after 17 years Jackpot Records shutdown, the owners said “…the rents have gone up…”.

Pennsylvania: In Canonsburg, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Custom Fabrication Plant shutting down in October, 130 jobs lost! GE (General Electric) is the same company that designed the disaster reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, and Hitachi helped build them.  In York, lightbulb maker Osram Sylvania shutting down a factory in September, 118 jobs lost!  Van Buren Homes declared bankruptcy, despite a supposedly recovered housing market!

Rhode Island: In Central Falls, lightbulb maker Osram Sylvania shutting down a factory in September, 88 jobs lost.  In Newport, 107 years old Potter and Company clothing store shutdown. The owner of the store said she never thought greedy landlords would do her in by jacking up the rent: “It’s very disappointing….I thought this place would survive. It’s just such a part of the community.”-Chafee Emory

South Carolina: In Greenville, after 20 years The Fashion Shack was forced to shutdown by aggressive property developers.

Texas: Zillow reports that at least 31% of homebuyers in Bell County are paying for homes that are worth much much less than what the mortagages will end up costing the homebuyer!  In Midland, Walter’s family restaurant shutdown. The restaurant owner blames the greedy property owner for jacking up the rent.  Too Big to Jail Bank of America killed 156 mortgage industry jobs in Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties!  In Houston, after 37 years the Black Heritage Gallery shutdown, because the new property owner evicted the gallery owner!

Virginia: In Danville, modular home maker Commodore Homes shutdown, 100 jobs lost!  Capital Bagel Bakery store shutdown. The operators blame the property owners: “We were given one month notice to vacate….”

Washington: After 35 years Chamber’s Bay Realty shutdown.

Wisconsin:  In Montello, Glen Oak Lumber & Milling shutdown, 43 jobs lost.

“Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the grueling work required to bounce back – America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth.   Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving. Energy independence is closer than it’s been in decades. For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history. Despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, I see the grit and determination and common goodness of the American people every single day – and that makes me more confident than ever about our country’s future.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2014

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 09 – 10 July 2014: “…this retail funk is real.” “…the recession has been a kick in the gut!” “…we have created the web…” Unrealistic Obamacare shuts down entire fire department! Sudden crash in gun sales kills jobs! The shit is literally piling up in Florida!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Fidelity Investments announced it is laying off 460 people in Kentucky and Texas!  Fidelity is outsourcing its printing-mailing operations to a company in New York, which will take place in 2015.  Fidelity officials claim that by outsourcing jobs they can “increase our focus on investment services”.

Arizona: The entire Arivaca Fire District has been shutdown because of Obama Care!  Officials were already having trouble funding the fire department due to crashing local tax revenue, then along comes Obamacare and kills health insurance reimbursements for ambulances and EMTs.  According to the now unemployed Fire Chief, Scott VanBoerum, the Arivaca Fire District is owed $93-thousand USD for ambulance services since November 2013, but has only been reimbursed $6-thousand: “Everybody knows we’ve been having difficulties for a little while due to reimbursement issues, from healthcare transports we just started in November, as well as there’s a time delay getting paid for response and grant reimbursements.”

California: In Irvine, Buca Restaurants announced they’re shutting down in September, 87 jobs lost.  In Palo Alto, Hewlett Packard (HP) laid off 82 employees, and failed to give state officials timely notice under the WARN system.   In Los Angeles, Kids Line-Kids Brand store shutdown suddenly, company officials giving the official WARN to state officials after the fact, 49 jobs lost.

Florida: Obama Care killing non-profit adult medical daycare provider Sunrise Community.  The nursing home officials said the Affordable Care Act has slashed their funding down to only $50 per patient, they describe Obama Care as “unrealistic”!  The officials say they will shutdown their two nursing homes in September, unless they can find a rich business partner to float their boat which is floundering in the Obamagasso Sea!    In Sanford, after five years Texas based Maxwest Environmental Systems shutdown without notice and is now bankrupt busted.  The company handled sewage treatment for three Florida cities, those cities are now scrambling to replace the private contractor! Company officials admitted that implementing their innovative treatment of human waste took longer and cost more than they anticipated.  In Miami Gardens, Kentucky based Churchill Downs announced they’re killing 246 jobs at their Calder Casino & Race Course!  The casino and horse racing track was sold off to The Stronach Group, which is keeping only 50 of the Churchill Downs employees.  The city of Gainsville warning of about 22 layoffs in their fiscal year of 2015 (October 2014 to October 2015) due to problems with residents being unable to pay local property taxes.  City officials are also considering outsourcing city jobs, but the mayor owned up and actually blames city officials for the mess: “No one wants to get laid off and no one wants to be the one who lays off someone, but we have created the web that prevents easy lateral moves.”-Ed Braddy

Kentucky:  What housing market recovery?   Highland Heights based General Cable announced it will kill 1-thousand jobs in 2015!  The company makes all kinds of cable, including wiring used in residential and commercial construction.  Company officials blame their layoffs on the crashing global home construction industry.

Massachusetts: In Westminster, Aubuchon Hardware said it will kill 80 jobs in August.  The family owners blame the bad economy.  In Brighton, after 41 years Imperial Pizza shutdown.

Michigan: What automotive industry recovery?  In Riverview, Penske Logistics announced it is shutting down in September, 183 jobs lost!  Company officials blame it on the loss of a new vehicle shipment contract with Ford.   What housing market recovery?  In Hudsonville, after 76 years Lamar Construction Company shutdown without notice, 280 jobs lost!  Local news reports said company officials made “vague references” to the bad economy.  Insurance industry written Obama Care killed off Gerontology Network‘s CareTree Adult Day Care service, along with their Outreach and Assistance program.  An undisclosed number of healthcare workers laid off.   In Dearborn, the U.S. Department of Education has approved the sale of Everett Institute.  It’s part of the massive collapse of the Corinthian Colleges. In the Failed State of Flint, Kroger shutting down their Pierson Road grocery store in August.  Company officials say sales have dropped so much they can’t pay the rent: “…it was determined during our evaluation that we were unable to continue operating at the 2629 Pierson Road, Flint location and made the decision to not renew our lease…” 

Minnesota: After claiming it was going to create 1-thousand new jobs, Minneapolis based medical device maker Medtronic actually laid off 40 people in the North Star State.  From 2011 to 2013 Medtronic killed 1-thousand jobs in Minnesota.  The latest job cuts might have something to do with the company’s $42.9-billion takeover of rival Covidien.  In Austin, after 10 years Quizno’s sandwich shop shutting down due to nobody wanting to takeover the store.  The franchise owners simply said “It doesn’t look good.”  In Mankato, after 20 years Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant announced they will shutdown in August.  The local franchise owner blames “circumstances beyond my control.”

New Jersey: What housing market recovery?  In Hamilton, Congoleum shutting down their vinyl flooring plant, 65 jobs lost in September.  Company officials blame it on the bad economy and lawsuits over its products.  In Secaucus, Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center to kill 102 healthcare jobs!  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act caused the hospital to lose 30% of its patients just in the month of May!  Obama Care could be the final nail in the coffin for Meadowlands hospital, which is facing legal problems due to the fact it’s being run by vulture capitalist investors who have no experience in the medical field.  In Berkeley Heights, after only four months New York based Garden of Eden grocery store shutdown.  Company officials said “…business needs dictate that we cut our losses.” 

New York:  In Brewster, Minnesota based education testing company Questar Assessment shutting down and laying off 39 employees by November.

North Carolina: In Durham, the ‘private’ Whiskey bar shutting down by August.

Ohio:  Springfield based Eby-Brown revealed it is shutting down their NewFreshCo Foods operations in August, 31 jobs lost.  Eby-Brown claims to be the largest privately owned convenience store distributor in the U.S.   After 26 years Perrysburg Radiator shutdown.  In Toledo, it was finally revealed that solar panel maker Xunlight shutdown without notice, at the end of June.  Company officials basically said they were owed money that was never paid: “Unfortunately, payments that were committed to be paid to Xunlight contractually have not been sent as agreed, and the company does not have the funds necessary to meet its obligations, including this week’s payroll, and to continue its operations. Furthermore, there are no prospects for obtaining additional funding.”

What housing market recovery?  Montgomery County reports that property values have crashed by more than $1-billion, affecting “…more than 70% of residential home owners…”!   Karl Keith, Montgomery County auditor, puts it succinctly: “Property values are at their lowest level in more than a decade. Clearly, the recession has been a kick in the gut!”

Oklahoma: The city of Oklahoma laying off 16 state workers’ compensation employees.  It’s blamed on radical reorganization of the state’s workers comp system.  In Sand Springs, Kmart announced they’re shutting down in October, 50 jobs lost.

Pennsylvania:  More proof of a Failed State system!  The Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia is demanding new taxes be imposed on the already struggling population.  William R. Hite Jr.  says if new taxes, specifically a new cigarette tax, are not created by August then he will be forced to layoff 13-hundred employees!  Keep in mind that is on top of the 342 school district jobs already being killed in July!  The Philly school district is now $93-million in debt, no thanks in part to the massive increase in employee health and retirement cost increases caused by Obama Care!  In Monaca, EveryWare Global (formerly Anchor Hocking) announced that the temporary shutdown of their kitchenware factory could become permanent, 450 jobs lost!  It’s blamed on EveryWare not being able to pay its debts.  The deadline to come up with a payment plan favorable to creditors is July 15.

South Carolina:  Gun maker PTR Industries laid off eight employees, and cut pay for the rest.  Company officials blame it on a sudden crash in gun sales.  According to CRT Research, the first six months of 2014 saw a 7.5% decline in gun sales in the U.S.  This puts pressure on PRT because they moved to South Carolina (after Connecticut became a naziland anti-Constitution state) and they promised they would create a specific number of jobs in return for some tax breaks.

Tennessee: The Tennessee Tiger Gift Shop now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and shutdown.  Sharky’s Gulf Grill shutdown.  Apparently the property is under a U.S. Department of Justice forced sale, having something to due with the property owner being accused of Facebook scams.

Texas: Who said the internet is killing brick-n-mortar stores?  In San Antonio, internet travel company Travelocity announced it will shutdown an office in August, killing 85 jobs.   Company officials blame the bad economy for forcing them to sell their “partner network” operations to Orbitz.  Dallas based The Container Store reported they lost $3.58-million during the three months of their first quarter 2014!  That’s slightly more than double their 1st Q 2013 loss!  Company CEO Kip Tindell says he now believes there is no recovery: “I think this retail funk is real. We’re a little surprised by it…”

Virginia: After 50 years Fresh Pride began shutting down the last of its grocery stores, without notice.  An undisclosed number of employees laid off, in the hundreds at least! The owner of Fresh Pride, Camellia Food Stores, said they can no longer compete in this bad economy.

Wisconsin: In Neenah, Connecticut based postal contractor Pitney Bowes announced it is laying off 56 employees in September.  The ass-hole governor Scott Walker is now sucking on his foot, because his Right To Work you over polices have resulted in record numbers of people qualifying for BadgerCare (Wisconsin’s Medicaid program), the exact opposite what he promised!  In June 111,432 people were on his new BadgerCare roles, the Right To Work you over legislators had funded BadgerCare with enough money to cover only 99-thousand people!

07 – 08 July 2014:  “…a big slap in the face…!”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 07 – 08 July 2014: “After 2008, everything went down.” “…a big slap in the face…!” Obamacare causes cops to go on strike! States give massive tax breaks to corporations, but get no real job creation in return! Energizer bunny continues to lose power! More proof of crashing real estate market!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Newly created United Continental (aka United, formerly Illinois based United Airlines and Texas based Continental Airlines) announced it is killing 630+ union jobs at airports across the U.S.   The airline company says they will now use cheaply paid sub-contracted workers.   Some airports affected are Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Pensacola, Detroit, Honolulu, Denver, Dulles, Buffalo-Niagara and Des Moines

Alabama:  Law firm Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose has been involuntarily dissolved by a creditor.  Attorney’s for the law firm are challenging the involuntary chapter 7 bankruptcy.  It’s the second major law firm in Alabama to go down the toilet this year.

Arizona:   Obama Care forced University of Arizona Health Network to sell itself to Phoenix based Banner Health.  Now there are reports this is a portent for things to come in the U.S. medical school sector.  The Association of American Medical Colleges warns that Obama Care’s reduced insurance reimbursements is the final straw that will force medical schools to sell themselves to private medical corporations, or greatly reduce their services to the public, either way it means massive healthcare job cuts.  In Tucson, wrought iron maker La Buhardilla announced it will shutdown by the end of the year, after 28 years of business.  The owner is blaming health problems and crashing sales.  And after 15 years furniture store Casa Colonial shutdown.  The owner, Omar Merheb, says his business never recovered: “After 2008, everything went down.”  

California:  In Santa Monica, despite doing the soundwork for The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Despicable Me 2 and Agro, Pacific Coast Post shutdown, 20 jobs lost.  Also, post production studio Soundelux chapter 11 bankrupt busted, 100 jobs lost!  In Fresno, Mexico based Bimbo Bakeries announced they are laying off 73 employees in September.  In Los Angeles, McDonald’s announced it is shutting down a restaurant in August, 55 jobs lost.  LA based clothing retailer American Apparel has been declared in default for a $10-million USD loan.   In Santa Ana, ITT Cannon laying off seven employees in September.  In Torrance, Obama Care forcing American Medical Response of Southern California to shutdown in November, 120 healthcare jobs lost!

Florida: Who said the internet is killing brick-n-mortar businesses?  Gainsville based internet music service Grooveshark laid off an undisclosed number of employees, and cut pay for their remaining employees by 18%.  Some reports say it’s the result of repeated legal actions by music companies.

Illinois: State employment officials say they’ve recently received notices from dozens of employers that 1700 people will become unemployed over the next six months!  In Springfield, AT&T announced they will kill 188 jobs in August!  No reason was given.  In McCook, Source Interlink killing 244 jobs!  It’s blamed on the demise of the country’s largest magazine distributor-publisher.

Kansas: In Wichita, Kroger owned Dillions shutdown two stores, at least 100 jobs lost!  The Red Beans Bayou Grill shutdown without notice.  The owner is now focusing on catering only.

Massachusetts:  The city of Fall River laying off 29 firefighters.

Michigan:  More bad news for the failed state system known as Detroit.  Taxsucker SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) warned it could kill at least 123 jobs and shutdown 30 public transportation routes by 2015!  Transit officials blame crashing taxpayer funding from federal, state and local sources.  SMART funding is also directly connected to funding for Detroit Department of Transportation which is being reduced, however, they say the biggest tax funding loss is coming from local property tax revenues, which is being caused by the crashing housing market.  In Saginaw, after only eight months the Lettuce Lounge Eatery shutdown.  It’s just more proof humans aren’t rabbits, however the operators of the veg restaurant blame it on the greedy owners of the shopping plaza where they’re located.

Missouri: Town & Country based Energizer batteries announced they will shutdown a Canadian factory by 2017, killing 430 jobs in the British empire (Commonwealth of Nations) country!  Apparently they sold the factory to Johnson & Johnson.  In April 2014 Energizer announced it will split into two companies, resulting in hundreds more job losses in the United States.  Since 2012 Energizer has killed 1500 jobs!  In Earth City, Ireland based legal drugs pusher Actavis announced they will shutdown a drugs factory next year, 200 jobs lost! Reports say another 190 jobs in Saint Louis will be affected!  It’s connected to the Actavis takeover of Forest Laboratories.

New York: Crumbs Bake Shop shut down all 48 stores across several states, without notice!  The cupcake store is now chapter 7 bankrupt busted, apparently the cupcake thing was just a fad, in the past year the company’s stock value fell from $13 per share to just 27 cents!  In NYC, after 76 years Bowlmor Lanes in Union Square shutdown.  In Latham, amusement park Hoffman’s Playland shutdown.  It turns out the owners can make more money re-developing the property as something else!

North Carolina: British empire Australia owned insurance company, QBE North America, shutting down their Morrisville call center, 107 jobs lost by 2015!  Local news reports say the British empire company refused to say why.  Charlotte based snack maker Snyder’s-Lance warned it will start killing jobs, after it sold off its private brands ops and took over Wisconsin based Baptista’s Bakery.

Ohio: Charter One Financial has been reduced from dozens to just two bank offices, it’s blamed on parent company Citizens Financial.  The idiot ‘elected’ officials of the Buckeye State have given corporations $63-million in tax breaks from 2012 through 2013, and $65-million through July 2014!  Those businesses claim they’ve create 43-thousand jobs as a result of the tax breaks.  Big whoop-de-shit! Here’s a dose of reality; in November 2013 Ohio led the nation in job losses, 12-thousand!  In August 2013 Ohio lost 8-thousand jobs!  But wait, there’s more; in March 2013 Ohio lost 20-thousand 4-hundred jobs!   But wait, even more; according to state and federal government data Ohio lost 241-thousand 3-hundred jobs between 2007-09!  And don’t forget that Ohio has been losing jobs every year in between, in other words all those tax breaks to businesses have done nothing to reverse the massive job destruction in the Buckeye State.

South Carolina: After 35 years North Area Taxi now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Tennessee: In Chattanooga, after only two years wine bar Brix Nouveau shutdown.  The owner blamed “several factors”.  In Memphis, Obama Care pissed off 404 cops who went on strike!  City of Memphis officials say Obama Care has jacked up the cost of employee insurance so much that they’re forced to reduce how much the city pays, meaning employees will have to pay a greater share of their insurance costs.  Hey you cops, don’t get mad at your employer, get mad at insurance industry authored Obama Care!

Pennsylvania: What real estate market recovery?  Shopping center owner Pennsylvania REIT laid off about 10 employees.  The commercial property owner said they are responding to “changing consumer dynamics”.   In Peckville, after 50 years PJ’s Home Center shutdown, the owner demanded to know where the economic recovery was!

Vermont:  What real estate market recovery?  The city of Brandon is dealing with crashing tax revenues and as such is warning of slashed funding for public services and the possibility of layoffs.  The town treasurer says the crashing tax revenues are the result of unpaid property taxes.

Wisconsin:  After shutting down without notice in June, the Wisconsin International School is now officially bankrupt busted.  This means all those parents that paid their child’s tuition in full will not get a refund.  Officials with the private school blame their sudden shutdown on an unexpected 30% drop in enrollment (more disappearing students), as well as a 30% drop in cash revenues and skyrocketing expenses due to things like utilities and healthcare cost increases (so much for Obama Care)!  At one point the school boasted 800 students, but this year they could attract only 120!  Parents are pissed because they were also required to take part in raising money for the school, and they want to know what happened to it: “That’s a big slap in the face to all the efforts we’ve put in!  At no time were we ever told ‘Hey, we have a problem’ or that more money needed to be raised.  Volunteering at the school was mandatory and parents were invested in the school.  If they had said something, I am sure parents and families would have opened their pockets.”-Nicole Donart-Manty

04 – 06 July 2014: “It’s slowly dying…”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security…That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013