Sears, a well-known department store, is closing its last location in New Jersey, causing disappointment among local shoppers. Situated in Newport Centre Mall, this Sears store offers significant discounts before permanently shutting its doors.
Sears' Jersey City Store Announces Closure
A recent Facebook post has announced the impending closure of Sears' Jersey City store, located just across the river from Manhattan. This marks the end of its nearly 40-year tenure as a key store in Newport Centre Mall. The exact date for the closure remains undisclosed.
Previously, Sears had a presence of at least 11 stores across New Jersey, but they have shut down or are closing following the brand's bankruptcy in 2018. This bankruptcy led to hundreds of store closures throughout the United States.
With the closure of the Jersey City location, the nearest Sears for New York metro area shoppers will be 227 miles away in Braintree, Massachusetts.
At the height of its success, Sears and its affiliated brand Kmart operated 3,500 stores in the U.S. and employed over 300,000 staff following their merger in 2005.
However, barely a dozen Sears stores are left in the continental U.S.
In a surprising move, two Sears locations have recently reopened their doors in Burbank, California, and Union Gap, Washington. The Burbank store, in particular, has garnered attention for retaining the classic Sears look and feel that many customers remember fondly. This was highlighted by a CNN reporter who visited the store last month.
The once-dominant retail chain is under the ownership of Transformco, a company led by hedge fund operator Eddie Lampert. Lampert acquired Sears nearly two decades ago for $11 billion. Since then, the brand, known as one of America's retail giants, has declined steeply.
Following Lampert's acquisition, Sears experienced a significant downturn in sales. This decline is attributed to several factors: the company's slow response in updating its stores, a delayed shift towards e-commerce, and intense competition from other large retailers and online powerhouses like Amazon.
These challenges have plagued the 138-year-old retailer, hindering its ability to stay afloat in the rapidly evolving retail landscape.
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Sears Announces Major Closing Sale in New Jersey
Sears has initiated a closing sale at its New Jersey location, offering discounts ranging from 25% to 70% on all items in the store. This store opened in 1987 and is the last one operating in the Garden State.
For those looking to visit a Sears store after this closure, the nearest location will be in Braintree, Massachusetts, a journey of over four hours. The announcement of the closure on Facebook has elicited various customer reactions.
Some shoppers expressed dismay and nostalgia. "It's an iconic store. It makes no sense to close it," lamented one customer. Another added, "Very bad news. I shopped at that store. I was glad that it was still open. It was lucky it stayed open that long."
Others commented on the store's recent changes, noting the lack of options. "The last time I was there, the upper level closed and got condensed to the lower level. Nothing I wanted to buy. I used to shop at Sears when they sold my favorite brands and had a lot of clothes in stock."
Several people remarked that the closure seemed inevitable, especially after the top floor was shut down and the variety of products decreased.
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