First Closings for K-Mart & Sears Announced – Laramie Safe so Far

This holiday season has been bad news for Sears Holding company, which controls Kmart and Sears stores across the country. Performance was so poor that over 100 stores are rumored to be closing across the US; the first 79 projected closures of either K-Mart or Sears stores (and in some markets, both) have been announced out of the corporate headquarters in Illinois. So far Laramie is not on the list, so if you love shopping at Big K-Mart here in town you can breathe a sigh of relief for now. However that is not to say that that news could not come in further closing announcements. If we did lose K-Mart then literally about everything would have to come from Wal-Mart which we are sure they would love.

So far it looks as if Florida will be hit the hardest by the closing of Sears and Kmart stores, losing 11, according to a preliminary list released Thursday. Ohio, Michigan and Georgia are not far behind with six store closures planned in their states. Tennessee, North Carolina and Minnesota are set to lose four stores each. A spokeswoman for Sears Holding Corp. said each store employs between 40 and 80 people. None of the closures announced so far are in Sears’ home state of Illinois.

The projected closings represent only about 3 percent of Sears Holdings’ U.S. stores. Sears and Kmart merged in 2005. The company now has about 3,560 stores in the U.S. That’s up from 3,500 immediately after the merger. Here is the list of closures announced so far:

— Alabama (3): Sears in Mobile; Kmart in Auburn and Gadsden.

— California (3): Sears in El Monte and San Diego (2).

— Colorado (3): Sears in Longmont; Kmart in Broomfield and Glenwood Springs.

— Florida (11): Sears in Crystal River, Deland, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, West Palm Beach; Kmart in Callaway, Fernandina Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Orange City, Pompano Beach and St. Augustine.

— Georgia (6): Sears in Macon; Kmart in Atlanta, Buford, Columbus, Douglasville and Jonesboro.

— Idaho (1): Sears in Lewiston.

— Indiana (3): Sears in Anderson; Kmart in Indianapolis and St. John.

— Iowa (2): Kmart in Cedar Rapids and Davenport.

— Kansas (1): Sears in Lawrence.

— Kentucky (3): Sears in Middleboro; Kmart in Hazard and Winchester.

— Maryland (1): Sears in Ellicott City.

— Michigan (6): Sears in Adrian, Brighton, Chesterfield Township, Harper Woods, Monroe and Washington Township.

— Minnesota (4): Kmart in Duluth, New Hope, White Bear Lake and Willmar.

— Mississippi (3): Sears in Columbus, Jackson and McComb.

— Missouri (2): Sears in Lee’s Summit and St. Louis.

— New Hampshire (2): Sears in Keene and Nashua.

— North Carolina (4): Sears in High Point, Morehead City, Rocky Mount and Statesville.

— Ohio (6): Kmart in Chagrin Falls, Columbus, Medina, Springfield and Toledo (2).

— Oregon (1): Sears in Roseburg.

— Pennsylvania (2): Sears in Pottstown and Upper Darby.

— South Carolina (1): Sears in Sumter.

— Tennessee (4): Sears in Antioch, Cleveland, Oak Ridge; Kmart in Hendersonville.

— Virginia (3): Sears in Norfolk; Kmart in Midlothian and Richmond.

— Washington (2): Sears in Walla Walla; Kmart in Lacey.

— Wisconsin (2): Sears in West Baraboo; Kmart in Rice Lake.

There is no word yet as to when any additional closures will be announced or when these stores will actually close.  We will be keeping a close eye out for developments on this story as well as talking with our local stores.