“their year of demise.”: Sears Kmart death spiral, June 2018

Sears Holdings has already announced new store shutdowns that weren’t on the shutdown list issued at the end of May.  However, Sears Holdings representatives claim some of the store shutdowns announced in May are now on hold pending further review.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores reported a $9.4-million USD loss for its first quarter of 2018 and as a result will shutdown 1-hundred stores (the majority will be shutdown during the second quarter).  It was also revealed that 20 Hometown & Outlet stores were shutdown during the first quarter of 2018.

Alabama: The Sears Hometown Stores in Enterprise, Jasper and Moulton just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Arizona: The Nogales Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

California: A Sears store and Auto Center in Newark (54 jobs gone by the end of September), and the almost 50 years old Thousand Oaks Sears store to shutdown in September.  Local news media reported that in 2014 officials in Thousand Oaks approved a plan to chop up the Sears store.  In Modesto, the Vintage Faire Mall Sears shutdown by an escalator fire, even though the fire was contained to the escalator for some reason the Auto Center and Avis/Budget car rental operations have also been shutdown.  In Sacramento, the owners of Arden Fair Mall filed a lawsuit to stop the sale of the still active Sears store to a ‘retail redevelopment’ company.  Local news media reporting that the still active Goleta Kmart is being taken over by Target, due to the Kmart lease being past due expired (the Kmart is not on the current official shutdown list).  The Lompoc Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of July, local news media say employees claim its because the landlord is demanding a huge increase in rent and is not linked to the official Sears shutdown list (even though it is on the official Hometown shutdown list).  The Sears Hometown Stores in Banning, Gilroy and Red Bluff just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Colorado: The Rifle Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Connecticut: The only two Sears Hometown Stores in the state, Barkhamsted and Colchester,  just made the new and evolving shutdown list.    The Waterbury Sears shutting down by September.

Florida: The Altamonte Mall Sears store and Auto Center, in Altamonte Springs, being shutdown by the end of August, possibly due to mall owner (and Sears Holdings spin-off) Seritage Growth Properties’ plan to turn the mall into a massive real estate trade show convention center.  The Labelle Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.   In Pensacola, the 44 years old University Town Plaza Sears shutting down by the end of July.

Georgia: The Sears Hometown Stores in Commerce and Wrens just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.   The shuttering Duluth Gwinnett Place Mall Sears suddenly sold to an apartment developer. 

Illinois: More proof Sears Holdings isn’t serious about saving its ass as the Litchfield owner of a Sears Hometown Store has been told by Sears Holdings that he can’t move into a soon-to-be-vacated  ‘full line’ Qunicy Sears store for another 18 months: “Unfortunately, when a full-line Sears store leaves a city per the contract with Sears Hometown, no one can put a store in the city again for 18 months.”-facebook post

The Sears Hometown Stores in Moline, Plano and Sterling just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Indiana: The Sears Hometown Stores in Auburn, Greensburg, North Vernon and Washington just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Kansas: The Lawrence Sears Hometown Store  just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Kentucky: The Sears Hometown Stores in Glasgow, London, Morehead and Paintsville just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Louisiana: Pecanland Mall Sears in Monroe, as well as the Shreveport Sears (local news media says Sears repeatedly denied it was shutting the Shreveport location down, until now) and Bossier City Sears, all shutting down by September.  The Sears Hometown Stores in Cut Off, Jennings and Leesville just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Maine: The Sears Hometown Stores in Beddeford and Ellsworth just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Maryland: Local news media reporting the Westfield Montgomery Sears, in Bethesda, will shutdown by March 2019, for massive property redevelopment. 

Michigan: The Oakland Mall Sears in Troy to shutdown in September.  In Marquette, a facebook post announced the July shutdown of the Sears Hometown Store.  The Sears Hometown Stores in Fort Gratiot and Waterford shutting down in July.   For more proof that the claim that brick-n-mortar retail shopping is dead, is bull-shit, local news media revealed that the now vacant Fenton Kmart is being replaced with four brick-n-mortar stores; TJ Maxx, Petco, Five Below and Michaels.  As I’ve been warning since 2012, it’s ALL PART OF Real Estate Investment Trust PLAN TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU SHOP, AND THEY BLAME YOU THE SHOPPER!

Montana: The Havre Kmart shutting down in September. The Great Falls Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Mississippi: Sears Hometown Stores in Columbus, Corinth and Ripley just made the new shutdown list, for July.

Nebraska: In Omaha, the Oak View Mall Sears shutting down between July and September.  GGP, owner of Oak View Mall said “For retailers who had been in a decline for more than a decade, 2017 was their year of demise. These retailers lost their emotional connection to the consumer, lacked investment in their physical platforms, and had not made appropriate investments in an omni-channel environment”

New Hampshire: The Sears Hometown Stores in Gorham, Rochester, Seabrook and Walpole just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

New Mexico: In anticipation of the shutdown of a Albuquerque Kmart, the city has already re-zoned the property for a massive brick-n-mortar development.

New York: The Great Northern Mall Sears store and Auto Center, in Clay, 57 jobs gone by September.  The Sears Hometown Stores in Batavia, Ithaca and Malone just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

North Carolina: Without warning the Raleigh Sears Home Services, on Six Forks Road, was sold for $5-million USD to a developer based in Virginia.  Without warning the active Northgate Mall Sears store property was sold for $6.5-million to a property developer in Colorado. The Sears Hometown Stores in Boone, Rocky Mount and Waynesville just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Ohio:   The Sears Hometown Stores in Jackson and Washington Court House just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July. The Tri-County Mall Sears, in Cincinnati, shutting down by September.  Local news media says the shutdown was revealed when Store Closing signs were posted outside the building.

Oklahoma:  The last Sears store in Oklahoma City to shutdown in September.   The Grove Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Oregon: For more proof the store shutdowns are a False Flag, the franchise owner of the Sears Hometown Stores in Corvallis, Madras and Prineville (shutting down by the end of July) Heidi Wood publicly stated her stores were profitable, stressing “I just want people to know, we didn’t leave by choice. This was a corporate decision.”  Local news media also discovered that Sears Holdings-Hometown & Outlet Store forced Wood to move one of her stores, and also forced a landlord to invest $100-thousand USD into the property to bring it up to ‘Sears standards’ months before the shutdown order came, the landlord is now suing Sears: “We’ve locked the tenant out of the building, and Sears doesn’t have any rights to get into it.”-John Goodman, attorney for landlord

Pennsylvania: It’s been revealed that the 2014 shutdown of the Sears store in Century III Mall is killing the mall.  Sears violated its lease contract when it shutdown the store, meaning they owe the mall owner $4.2-million USD, which Sears Holdings has refused to payThe ongoing lawsuit is now resulting in a ‘sheriff’s sale’ of the Century III Mall.  The Ebensburg Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Rhode Island: The Wakefield Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

South Carolina:  The happy taxpayers of Camden are about to become the proud owners of the vacant Kmart, as city leaders consider an annexation ordinance.   The Aiken Sears Hometown Store shutting down by July, an employee told local news media “It was a corporate decision, and we’re not supposed to talk to the media….”   Sears Hometown Stores in Lancaster, Loris, Port Royal and Seneca all shutting down by the end of July.

South Dakota: The Mitchell and Aberdeen Sears Hometown Stores shutting down by the end of July.

Tennessee: The Franklin, Milan and Oak Ridge Sears Hometown Stores shutting down by the end of July. In Oak Ridge, the Sears Hometown Store suddenly shutdown, a sign reads Closed Until Further Notice, customers are being directed to call a competing Sears Hometown Store in Harriman.  The year-and-a-half old Franklin-Mckay’s Mill Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of June, the store operator said “There are many reasons for the store closing. Sears Hometown Stores and I have mutually agreed to close the store.”

Texas: The Athens, Azle, Kingsville, Mineral Wells and Palestine Sears Hometown Stores all shutting down by the end of July.  In San Antonio, the Park North Shopping Center Sears shutting down by the end of July, Sears Holdings is blaming the landlord of Park North Shopping Center for the shutdown.  The shutdown of the Rolling Oaks Mall Sears store on hold pending the outcome of lease-back negotiations.  It was revealed that the Wichita Falls Sears Hometown Store was suddenly shutdown at the end of May, and now Sears Hometown & Outlet is suing the property owner.  The surprise shutdown came just 54 days after the store had its grand ‘soft’ opening, the landlord said the store owner failed to pay rent and other fees! (twisted update on Wichita Falls shutdown)

Utah: The Tooele Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Vermont: The Middlebury, Saint Johnsbury and Saint Albans Sears Hometown Store just made the new and evolving shutdown list,  shutting down by the end of July.

Virginia: Sears/Kmart operations in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach to shutdown in September.  The Covington, Lynchburg and Williamsburg  Sears Hometown Stores all shutting down by the end of July.  A facebook post revealed that Sears Hometown Stores in Staunton (the oldest Sears Hometown franchise in the U.S.) and Harrisonburg are shutting down by July, the independent owner blames increased competition and the shopping habits of young adults.  The Lightfoot Sears Hometown Store shutting down in July.  The manager of the independently owned Sears store said “We weren’t selling enough. Our sales have dropped over the years…”, and added that “The owner of the property doesn’t maintain it.”

Washington: The Deer Park Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of July.

West Virginia: The Harpers Ferry and Summersville Sears Hometown Stores shutting down by July.

Wisconsin: The West Towne Mall Sears, in Madison, shutting down in September, local news media reported that Sears Holdings recently spent a lot of money remodeling the store.   The city of Portage about to burden local taxpayers in an effort to redevelop the long vacant Kmart site, by imposing a new tax increment financing (TIF) district, however city leaders claim the TIF will not become a blank check for the property owner.  Brookfield taxpayers forking over millions of dollars as the demolition of the abandoned Sears store gets underway, to make room for a partially taxpayer funded move theater and bumper cars.  Local news media also revealed the city is creating a special tax district (known as  tax-incremental-financing, TIF) to provide $4.8-million USD towards the purchase of land for a new hotel, which includes the land the now vacant Sears Auto Center is on.

Wyoming: The Laramie Sears Hometown Store shutting down in July, officially due to the new owners ‘forfeiting’ their contract with Sears.  It might have something to due with the property being suddenly sold-off.

Business Insider: Sears’ prices are going up during a liquidation sale

GlobeNewswire:  Sears Hometown and Outlet Recognized as One of Chicago’s Best

Elliott: Be careful, that Sears.com order you made might really be from SearsHomeTown, which could affect any refunds/warranties

Motley Fool: Sears and Kmart Deepen Their Marriage 

CNBC: Sears expands Auto Center partnership with Amazon

Bloomberg: Lands’ End Exits More Sears Stores

The Mercury News: Sears took my money and kept the dishwasher, too

Tribune-Review: Bill Gates to pay-off Sears Holdings’ debt!

Forbes: Shopping At Sears Drops 50% 

Chicago Tribune: Sears gets more time to repay lenders

Picture People photo studio chain shutters in Sears stores

Sears Kmart death spiral, May 2018: “ACCELERATED THE CLOSING OF UNPROFITABLE STORES”