Sears-Kmart Death Watch

[Flint1979]

I see the Sears in Ann Arbor is closing as well as the one in Lincoln Park. After Lincoln Park closes that'll leave 3 Sears stores left in Metro Detroit (Livonia, Novi and Westland). Ann Arbor usually isn't included in Metro Detroit. And with Kmart closing in Lake Orion and Charlevoix that'll leave Michigan with 11 Kmart's left. At one time Michigan was Kmart's home state.

[ilpt4u]

And the new list is out: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/10/15/sears-holdings-bankruptcy-store-closures/1645971002/

And yes, my local Sears is on it.  Fortunately, Sears Holdings leases the location from Seritage, so it shouldn't be empty too long.

Since when did Sears Holdings sell the Joliet Mall property?

When I worked there 10+ years ago, Sears owned that Mall store...but I know they were looking into selling the properties at that time

[kevinb1994]

I see the Sears in Ann Arbor is closing as well as the one in Lincoln Park. After Lincoln Park closes that'll leave 3 Sears stores left in Metro Detroit (Livonia, Novi and Westland). Ann Arbor usually isn't included in Metro Detroit. And with Kmart closing in Lake Orion and Charlevoix that'll leave Michigan with 11 Kmart's left. At one time Michigan was Kmart's home state.

Yes, it was originally known as Kresge's.

[Brandon]

And the new list is out: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/10/15/sears-holdings-bankruptcy-store-closures/1645971002/

And yes, my local Sears is on it.  Fortunately, Sears Holdings leases the location from Seritage, so it shouldn't be empty too long.

Since when did Sears Holdings sell the Joliet Mall property?

When I worked there 10+ years ago, Sears owned that Mall store...but I know they were looking into selling the properties at that time

It's one of the ones sold to Seritage a few years ago (along with the former Orland Square store that's now slated to become a large movie theater).  https://www.seritage.com/properties

Looking at it now, there's a pattern to a lot of the store closures.  Check out the list, and then check out the Seritage property list linked here.  A lot of the stores, both Sears and Kmart appear on both.  I'm willing to wager that sales alone are not driving these closures.  These are being driven partially by Seritage.

[doorknob60]

Boise's Sears is on the closing list. Pulling out of by far the biggest market in the state, in the biggest mall in the state (which is generally busy). Can't be a good sign. Surprisingly, the Sears in Idaho Falls seems to be staying open, making that the last traditional Sears in the entire state. Not counting hometown stores, there's a handful of those around still. The Boise area, for now, retains a Hometown Store in Nampa, and the Appliance Outlet store in Boise.

I can't say I've ever bought anything in the Boise store though, so I don't really mind. Looked into them (online) for new appliances, but I ended up going with Best Buy for fridge and dishwasher, and Amazon for gas range (ironically, a Kenmore) as they were better deals.

[dvferyance]

They should just close down completely. This would give the chance for somebody to reboot the company and make it a great again. Since it's already being done with Toys R Us it can be done with Sears as well.

[Flint1979]

I see the Sears in Ann Arbor is closing as well as the one in Lincoln Park. After Lincoln Park closes that'll leave 3 Sears stores left in Metro Detroit (Livonia, Novi and Westland). Ann Arbor usually isn't included in Metro Detroit. And with Kmart closing in Lake Orion and Charlevoix that'll leave Michigan with 11 Kmart's left. At one time Michigan was Kmart's home state.

Yes, it was originally known as Kresge's.

I think it was more along the lines that Kresge founded Kmart since it was the S.S. Kresge Company that owned them. Kresge's 5 and 10 stores were around well into the 80's. There was one about a mile from my house that closed in around 1988 and became a McCrory's after that, followed by a Big Lots and now it's an Ollie's Bargain Outlet.

[ftballfan]

I looked at the closing list and none of the stores owned directly by Sears are closing this round

[jeffandnicole]

I looked at the closing list and none of the stores owned directly by Sears are closing this round

The Deptford Mall Sears is Sears owned I believe.

[kevinb1994]

So far around here the Avenues Sears and Orange Park Sears are not slated for closing. Neither is the Sears Outlet near the Saint John's Town Center.

[Roadrunner75]

My local Sears in Deptford and a Kmart in Glassboro are finally listed.  I would go into Sears because my mom liked their Lands End clothing for Christmas. The Kmart I've been in twice in the past few years just for kicks, but usually walked out buying something.

That's disappointing - the Deptford Mall Sears was the one I grew up with.  We spent alot of time in there over the years.  I remember the snack bar and the big remodel (late 80s?).  I haven't been in there in years and the Sears that was local to where I live now closed a year ago, but it's a another small piece of my childhood that is going.  Most visits to the mall started at that Sears.

[Revive 755]

Here's a map from CNBC showing all the locations then and now:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/15/sears-is-closing-another-142-stores-heres-a-map-of-the-locations-it-has-left.html

When did the one at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL close?

[kevinb1994]

Here's a map from CNBC showing all the locations then and now:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/15/sears-is-closing-another-142-stores-heres-a-map-of-the-locations-it-has-left.html

When did the one at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL close?

Um, that one is still open.

[abefroman329]

Here's a map from CNBC showing all the locations then and now:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/15/sears-is-closing-another-142-stores-heres-a-map-of-the-locations-it-has-left.html

When did the one at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL close?

Um, that one is still open.

I didn't realize how bad things had gotten until I was looking at buying something from Sears online and the nearest store to me is in North Riverside.

[txstateends]

So strange...the day I hear about the bankruptcy, I see 2 Sears Outlet commercials on TV.  I don't think I've ever seen ads for Sears Outlet on TV before.

Saw the closures list; this round will leave Dallas with no more Sears in the city limits and only 1 left in Fort Worth.  If my math is right, 5 remaining suburban Sears will be left.  Kmart has been gone from most of TX for years now.

[1995hoo]

Surprised to see the only local closure planned here is the K-Mart at Springfield Plaza (Sears at Fair Oaks was already slated to close).

[Flint1979]

Once in awhile if I see a Kmart that's still open I'll stop in just to see what the store looks like. I haven't been in my local one's lately (Midland is the closest, Clio isn't too far behind). After this next round of closings Michigan will be left with 11 Kmart's. The remaining stores are in Belleville, Clio, Grayling, Hastings, Marine City, Marshall, Menominee (the U.P.'s only remaining Kmart), Midland, Oscoda, Warren and Waterford. I don't think there is a city anywhere around here that has two Kmart's left, I know Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois have no cities with at least two Kmart's. Saginaw use to have three Kmart's with the first one closing in 2004, second one around 2007 and the third one in 2014 (due to a roof collapse that happened in the middle of the night in the middle of winter snow on the roof caused the collapse). Bay City's Kmart closed last year and it was about halfway in between a Meijer and Walmart location. Very surprising that the Clio store remains open with a Walmart across I-75 from it.

[LM117]

Could this guy be any more full of shit?

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/16/sears-eddie-lampert-speech-to-employees-post-bankruptcy.html

[Max Rockatansky]

Could this guy be any more full of shit?

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/16/sears-eddie-lampert-speech-to-employees-post-bankruptcy.html

Was the whole negotiating his way out of a kidnapping even really a thing?

[roadman65]

I am still surprised that they both held on this long.  In Orlando K Mart has been gone for a long while. Sears, on the other hand, is still holding on in the Florida Mall, Fashion Square, and Altamonte.  I am not sure if Sears is still in West Oaks or not, but I am sure they closed a few years back.

Edit: Wikipedia says it closed back in 2013. 

[kevinb1994]

I am still surprised that they both held on this long.  In Orlando K Mart has been gone for a long while. Sears, on the other hand, is still holding on in the Florida Mall, Fashion Square, and Altamonte.  I am not sure if Sears is still in West Oaks or not, but I am sure they closed a few years back.

Here in Jacksonville it is pretty much the same scenario, with Kmart having been gone for awhile now and Sears no longer having a presence at the nearly dead Regency Square Mall. They do still have a presence at the Avenues Mall and Orange Park Mall and a Sears Outlet not far north of the Saint John's Town Center.

[ftballfan]

The immediate Grand Rapids area (and inner-ring suburbs) had six Kmarts briefly in the mid-1990s. Four were gone by the 2002 bankruptcy, while the remaining two hung on until 2016. Sears still has one store left in the Grand Rapids area (at RiverTown Crossings, one of the last full-line Sears stores to open (the store and mall opened in 1999)). The Woodland Mall store closed early last year and will be replaced by Von Maur and some inline stores.

[Flint1979]

I've been watching for the Sears location in Fashion Square Mall to close. Since Genesee Valley lost it's Sears this year I thought Fashion Square would be on the next list but it's still open and not slated for closing at least not yet. Anytime I go in that Sears it's always dead and I count more employees than customers. It honestly wouldn't hurt my feelings to see that Sears close but Fashion Square has been able to hold onto all of it's anchors unlike Bay City Town Center (formerly Bay City Mall) and Midland Mall.

Sears closed the Bay City location in late 2014 or early 2015 I can't remember. Target closed the Bay City location in 2015. The Sears location became Younker's Home and Furniture store on one half and a Ollie's Bargain Outlet on the other half so when Younkers closed they actually vacated a store and a half in the mall. About a month or two ago Big R announced they are opening in the old Target location in the first quarter of 2019.

Sears closed the Midland Mall location in the summer of 2016, JCPenney closed about a year later and of course Younkers (originally an Elder-Beerman) closed in August of this year. I haven't been in this mall in awhile and really don't care for Midland Mall or Bay City Town Center too much. If I want a mall I'll head to Meridian, Twelve Oaks, Somerset or Lakeside.

[SP Cook]

So strange...the day I hear about the bankruptcy, I see 2 Sears Outlet commercials on TV.

Sears spun off Sears Outlets, which sells seconds and slightly irregulars and such like from the Sears warehouse, along with Sears Hometown Stores, the last remnant of its catalog business, as a separate company back in 2012. 

That company, stock symbol SHOS, is under different management and not bankrupt.

[Flint1979]

I can't imagine the Sears in Lakeview Square Mall making it much longer. It's the only anchor store in Lakeview Square left since JCPenney and Macy's closed in 2017. It seems like the malls of similar size in Michigan have had the same fate. Bay City Town Center, Midland Mall, Laurel Park Place, The Mall of Monroe, Westwood Mall (Jackson) and Courtland Center have all lost a lot of tenants and anchor stores. Especially Courtland Center, that mall only has a JCPenney as an anchor store with numerous vacant storefronts in the mall and a Dunham's Sporting Goods on the other end. One day I counted about 40 vacant storefronts in Courtland Center.