Sears to permanently close store on August 16 – shoppers mark the ‘end of an era’ after 60 years

SEARS has confirmed it will permanently shut down one of its remaining locations in a few weeks.

The iconic department store will wave farewell to its historic branch in Stockton, California - located around 50 miles from the state capital Sacramento - on August 16.

Fans have mourned this news about the Weberstown Mall store.

Sears once was a retail giant with locations across the country.

The chain now has 11 stores nationally, and once the Stockton branch shuts the company will have just three spots in all of California, according to ScrapeHero.

This location, Weberstown Mall, has served the community for 60 years.

Now Sears has a large "store closing sale" sign next to the iconic logo.

All stock must be sold and gone in a month.

The mall has not confirmed what store could take over the soon-to-be empty location or what that spot could be used for, according to CBS affiliate KOVR.

Locals have mourned the sad news and shared their thoughts on this major departure in the comments of a Facebook post.

"The end of an era," one person wrote.

"Loved shopping Sears when they were in Sacramento.

"Good prices, great appliances, etc."

"It's a shame to see Sears go," another fan wrote.

Despite this major blow, the director of economic development for the City of Stockton, Carrier Wright, shared some hope for the city's retail space.

"We still like to see those big tenants and bringing in resources for the community and sales tax generation," she said to KOVR.

"Sure, it's a loss, but it's also an opportunity."

Store closures in 2024

The ongoing retail apocalypse has hit more and more retailers and resulted in more shuttered stores.

The U.S. Sun has previously reported on several chains that have bid farewell to some of their locations.

• The grocery chain has confirmed it will close 32 underperforming stores across the Northeast.
• GameStop has unexpectedly closed its last location in a certain area.
• The Fresh Market announced that it will close two of its locations as their leases end.
• Big Lots, which has 1400 locations across the country, will shut 40 stores.

SEARING TROUBLES

The department store chain has faced financial troubles for several years.

In October 2018, Sears had filed for bankruptcy, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.

Since then, the company has made major changes and closed more than 100 branches nationwide.

The brand is currently only present in five states: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington, according to ScrapeHero.

RETAIL NIGHTMARE

Sears is not the only brand facing financial troubles and store closures.

The grocery chain Stop & Shop recently announced that it will shut 32 of its locations, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.

These stores will disappear across the Northeast by November 2.