TransformCo (Sears/Kmart) Official Thread 2023: Finally the end?

[submariner]

Can this be updated with the changes?

I will try and get it updated shortly

[Retailuser]

Thanks.

[storewanderer]

Don't forget Sears Bermuda. Supposedly a Dealer Store. I guess the last Dealer Store open. Based on photos it has US products and has familiar Sears shelf tags.

It is owned by whoever owns "Market Place Supermarket." That Supermarket seems to sell Shop Rite products.

I don't count Sears Kuwait because it seems to have completely different merchandise from the US. I am not clear is Sears Kuwait is affiliated with US Sears or Mexico Sears. I guess there is El Salvador Sears which is affiliated with Mexico Sears.

I wonder if they have to keep some US Stores open to keep collecting license fees for name use from these various overseas parties.

[submariner]

The listing has been updated.

For purposes of this list, I am limiting listings to Transformco stores. Sears stores in Mexico, Bermuda, Kuwait, and elsewhere are operated by other companies and I'm treating them the same I would treat Kmart Australia, as seperate entities licensing the names since they do not seem to be in financial danger at this time.

I am also not including Sears in Burbank, CA until there is an official statement from Transformco.

Based on data available as of 27 August 2023, here's where we stand:

Kmart - 7 total: 3 stores in the 50 States, 1 in Guam, and 3 in the USVI.
• Miami, FL (banished to its former Garden Center)
• Westwood, NJ (Closing Sept-Oct)
• Bridgehampton, NY
• Tamuning, GU
• Frederiksted, VI (Closed May)
• St. Croix, VI
• St. Thomas (Tutu Park Mall), VI
• St. Thomas (Lockhart Gardens), VI

Sears - 11 total: 10 in the 50 states (10 full-line, 0 Home & Life, 0 Appliance & Mattress), and 1 full-line store in Puerto Rico remain.
• Concord, CA
• Stockton, CA
• Whittier, CA
• Fort Collins, CO (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (Closed 18 June)
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• Overland Park, KS (Sears Home & Life) (Closed May)
• Lafayette, LA (Sears Home & Life) (Closed May)
• Frederick, MD (Closed 15 January)
• Braintree, MA
• Jersey City, NJ
• Greensboro, NC (Closed April)
• Camp Hill, PA (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (Closed May)
• El Paso, TX
• Pharr, TX (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (Closed May)
• Tukwila, WA
• Hato Rey, PR

[wnetmacman]

• Lafayette, LA (Sears Home & Life) (Closed May)

I had to go to the shopping center where this one was located on Saturday. There is no evidence that Sears was ever there; they picked it clean.

[kr.abs.swy]

I was in the Tukwila store earlier this month. I'd barely call it full-line. The third floor has been closed off for a while now. They had also closed off part of the second floor and there was little up there beyond mattresses and a light selection of tools. If they wanted to, they could seriously fit all of the inventory in half of the first floor.

The listing has been updated.

For purposes of this list, I am limiting listings to Transformco stores. Sears stores in Mexico, Bermuda, Kuwait, and elsewhere are operated by other companies and I'm treating them the same I would treat Kmart Australia, as seperate entities licensing the names since they do not seem to be in financial danger at this time.

I am also not including Sears in Burbank, CA until there is an official statement from Transformco.

Based on data available as of 27 August 2023, here's where we stand:

Kmart - 7 total: 3 stores in the 50 States, 1 in Guam, and 3 in the USVI.
• Miami, FL (banished to its former Garden Center)
• Westwood, NJ (Closing Sept-Oct)
• Bridgehampton, NY
• Tamuning, GU
• Frederiksted, VI (Closed May)
• St. Croix, VI
• St. Thomas (Tutu Park Mall), VI
• St. Thomas (Lockhart Gardens), VI

Sears - 11 total: 10 in the 50 states (10 full-line, 0 Home & Life, 0 Appliance & Mattress), and 1 full-line store in Puerto Rico remain.
• Concord, CA
• Stockton, CA
• Whittier, CA
• Fort Collins, CO (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (Closed 18 June)
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• Overland Park, KS (Sears Home & Life) (Closed May)
• Lafayette, LA (Sears Home & Life) (Closed May)
• Frederick, MD (Closed 15 January)
• Braintree, MA
• Jersey City, NJ
• Greensboro, NC (Closed April)
• Camp Hill, PA (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (Closed May)
• El Paso, TX
• Pharr, TX (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (Closed May)
• Tukwila, WA
• Hato Rey, PR

[submariner]

I was in the Tukwila store earlier this month. I'd barely call it full-line. The third floor has been closed off for a while now. They had also closed off part of the second floor and there was little up there beyond mattresses and a light selection of tools. If they wanted to, they could seriously fit all of the inventory in half of the first floor.

Yeah, I'm using "Full-Line" in the most technical sense here.

[Alpha8472]

My local Sears in Concord, California is open until 8 PM now. I am shocked. It used to be open until only 6 PM.

The store was stocked decently well in the clothing section by the front mall entrance. However, the rest of the store was lightly stocked. Clothing was the best stocked area. The shoe department was very limited in selection. The tools department had a small selection and lots of empty space.

There were some refrigerators and other appliances on display. There were some small home appliances as well, but no television sets. Then there were boxes of refrigerators and much more empty space on the rest of the lower level. I saw some mattresses and exercise equipment.

The empty dentist space, optical center, and tax center were all being advertised as being for rent. The watch repair shop was still around, but only open limited hours.

It looked decent from the mall entrance, but it just kept getting more sparse as you moved to the far reaches of the store. I only saw a few customers.

[storewanderer]

My local Sears in Concord, California is open until 8 PM now. I am shocked. It used to be open until only 6 PM.

The store was stocked decently well in the clothing section by the front mall entrance. However, the rest of the store was lightly stocked. Clothing was the best stocked area. The shoe department was very limited in selection. The tools department had a small selection and lots of empty space.

There were some refrigerators and other appliances on display. There were some small home appliances as well, but no television sets. Then there were boxes of refrigerators and much more empty space on the rest of the lower level. I saw some mattresses and exercise equipment.

The empty dentist space, optical center, and tax center were all being advertised as being for rent. The watch repair shop was still around, but only open limited hours.

It looked decent from the mall entrance, but it just kept getting more sparse as you moved to the far reaches of the store. I only saw a few customers.

Someone named Ramon is running the retail division of Sears/Kmart and is in charge of this re-launch. It is my understanding Ramon is based in the bay area. So that Concord store should be getting some attention. From a merchandising perspective at least they are doing something trying to get stuff close to entry etc. While that is Retail 101, I sure saw a lot of Sears in that period 2016-2020 that were not following that and stuff was just wherever and no effort to at least make it look good from the entrance was occurring.

[Alpha8472]

The Sears in Concord, California has been a target of vandalism every few weeks or so. Someone keeps knocking out the letters on the Sears sign. Surprisingly it has been replaced several times already. They keep the store sign looking decent.

Apparently the heating and air conditioning systems have failed. Now there are tubes running from the building to some makeshift air conditioning units on the sidewalk outside the store.