Thread regarding Sears layoffs

Seems not.

Although our auto center was on the closing list as one closing in late Jan. they are still open and outliving our main store... But only until June or July. Not sure how they pulled that off, but maybe they got cut a break since they are in a separate building next to the main store.

I thought management said that the auto centers were the future of the company along with the mattress and appliance stores. What happened?

Thanks you @1uxi :)

@1khq While 99% of the fixtures in my store were for sale, the prices, I believe as decided by the liquidation people, were ridiculous and not priced to move. While we did sell an amount of stuff, they were far from cheap so no one was taking all that many.

I figured the garment racks, for example, might sell like hot cakes (totally useful in basement, attic, or a large closet!), but they priced them at $57 each. They didn't drop to $19.99 until close to the last day. Quite a few got trashed yesterday, among other things I was sad to see it happen to. (Luckily I was able to save two, for free, with my manager's permission.)

@1bql, I want to give you a big hug. Thank you for sharing your experience. Everyday, I think about how it will go at my store. I wish you very well in whatever you are doing next.

Sears is very wasteful with the amount of stuff they demand be thrown away instead of sold during their liquidations. :-(

As mine just closed this past Sunday, my condolences to these stores and their employees forced to join us in this unfortunate club... Wish you all the best while closing and job hunting.

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If I mean speak anecdotally...

For those that stay until the end, hang in there... From experience, liquidation is rough, like Black Friday for three months, esp the weekends. It's also hard to watch a store slowly die. The first day we put up liquidation signs kind of felt like the store version of putting someone into hospice... But on the plus side, I also spoke to plenty of kind customers in the past few months who wished me/us well, asked about future plans, and expressed their own sadness to see the store closing. (Funny how not a single one of them were ever from our more typical demographic... From those shoppers, not one word; not even from those who were totally fluent in English.)

There are of course also the jerks who give no thought to people losing their jobs and are mostly just dissatisfied with the fact that liquidation percentages aren't high enough yet to their liking, but at least the good ones are there to counter them.

Also a plus was the fact that, though I don't know if it's typical, our pay was increased after about a month into it.

Now that we're closed, I'm surprised to see how much stuff is just being taken apart, torn up, and thrown out. I hate that. I hope all that now scrap metal will at least be recycled... It's also a lot of work. But I'm enjoying the final days with coworkers while we clean up the place before we go our separate ways. Not to mention any lose change found and any useful odds and ends up for grabs (I came home with the cork board from HR among other items) that would be otherwise thrown out... Cleaning up kind of became a bit of a scavenger hunt, so to speak, in terms of savaging for goodies while working.

@fja - "By checking the stores numbers, all of these stores look to be some of the best in their districts."

Mine too was one of the better ones in its in district. Supposedly we got the axe over the lease, while the next nearest store, also in the same county is owned, thus gets to stay, despite being a poorer performer.

But now it's gotten around that Sears still supposedly owns our lease for two or three more years, so wtf... I'd like to know how they're getting out of that.

10 down right here. I wonder if that count of 163 I heard will be accurate.

By checking the stores numbers, all of these stores look to be some of the best in their districts. Why they are closing them does not make much sense if you are trying to 'save' the company. But that hogwash is nothing more than a broken record set on repeat. Soon we will be transformed into the internet only company that Eddie envisioned and announced 15 years or so ago at the big corporate meeting. Congrats sir, you are almost there.

Sears cedar Rapids to close announced today

Also, Rochester, NY store #1894, will be added to the list, in the coming days. This will leave only one store in the Rochester area. More stores to be announced.

Yup..Sears with Auto in Greece NY...Closing by July.

Hold on, this must be fake news. So many posts on this site stating that there will be no more stores closing and that SHLD is well on its way to a glorious and profitable future. Oh, wait a minute, here is a news link announcing the closing of the Chicago store. Never mind.

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/c9834588-f803-3335-a01c-b852bd7a2809/sears-is-closing-its-last.html

Sears Chicago 1380 to close

From what I'm told Sears locations

That's sad! Do you know if the other closings to be announced are Sears or Kmart?