Stockton's Sears is closing, one of four remaining in California

The end of an era has come for the Stockton Sears.

The store located at Weberstown Mall, 5110 Pacific Ave., is closing, according to "store closing" signs that can be seen next to the outdoor Sears' logo.

Signs inside the store are not much different with "everything must go!" and "everything at least 25% to 70% off lowest ticketed price" adorning the store.

Mall shoppers swept up clothing and merchandise on sale.

Jewelry, women, men and kids clothing, home appliances, mattresses, and even Craftsman tools still in stock for purchase as of Monday, July 15 at the Stockton location.

Clothing for all ages priced 50% off.

For those looking for a barging on more expensive items Sears has the deals for that too.

A treadmill with an original price of $1,199.99 now at 40% off is $719.99. Their fixtures, furniture, and equipment are also for sale, signs state.

A closure date has not been announced by Sears. However, a Stockton Sears employee told The Record on Monday the store will be closing in "mid August."

Transformco, parent company of Sears did not respond to The Record's multiple requests for comment. The Washington Prime Group Inc. owner of Weberstown Mall also declined to comment on the closing.

The Stockton store is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday.

Sears in Stockton

In 2020, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Stockton Sears was "up for grabs" as Americans retailers closed with the COVID-19 pandemic wearing on.

Sears filed for bankruptcy in 2018, the report states.

A year later, Transformco purchased Sears out of bankruptcy. They still closed 96 stores at the end of the same year, Los Angeles Times reported.

According to the news outlet, the Stockton Sears was spared from closure in 2018 when the company announced some 100 stores would be shuttered. However, the Stockton Kmart was not as lucky and closed in late 2018.

Stores that also filed for bankruptcy protection included True Religion, J.C. Penney Co., Pier 1 Imports Inc. and J. Crew with changing retail environment to a sharp decrease in sales because of the pandemic, Los Angeles Times reported then.

There are four Sears locations still open in California, including Stockton's location. Other locations include Whitter, Concord and Burbank.

Sears History

According to Sears Archives, Richard Sears started selling watches to supplement his income as station agent at North Redwood, Minnesota in 1886.

A year later, Sears settled their first Chicago location and hired Alvah C. Roebuck, a watchmaker. It's earliest catalog from 1888 only featured watches and jewelry, the Sears Archive website states.

In 1893, the corporate name became Sears, Roebuck and Co. In 1925, the first Sears retail store opened in catalog center on Chicago's west side. In 1986, Sears celebrated 100 years, the archive timelines states.

According to the Sears Archive website, at the close of the 2000 fiscal year there were 863 mall-based retail stores most co-located Sears Auto Centers and 1,200 additional retail locations from hardware, outlet to independently owned stores.

According to Scrape Hero, there are 11 Sears stores remaining in the United States as of July 5.

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.