End of an era: Last remaining Sears in NY getting ready to close

FOX 5 NY's Chris Welch takes a closer look at how the department store went from being the largest retailer in the world to standing on its last legs.
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[@makedredd299]

Sears could’ve been the tech giant of the world.

[@SamuelHendrix-kb8nn]

Sears didn't change with the times!

[@randomrazr]

they had the means to become amazon before amazon. a shame really

[@Undecided0]

@@randomrazrIf you think about they were Amazon before Amazon with the mail order catalogs. You could order a whole house at one point.

[@okigi-wo5zm]

The greedy corporate hq in Chicago ruined it.

[@KazHariMan]

Yet they weren't, because they were sears.

[@c.yamaura4239]

Looking at toys in sears catalog was such a memorable part of my childhood.

[@harrisonhanson2998]

Omg right?!? The Christmas toy book my grandma always had at her house before Xmas. Such an awesome memory for me.

[@gravanon1577]

I was looking at a different section.

[@donotsupportterroristgroups]

Ditto!😢

[@BeelySalasBlair-uy5wn]

Yes, and clothes for Back to School.

[@jenniferhansen3622]

The Sears Wish Book was the best!! 😊

[@mashondaknight9132]

Sad to hear this I hate that all these classic stores are closing

[@reginaangell5327]

Sears, K-Mart, and Caldor were great stores providing for so many people. It is a sad day.

[@Libra6210]

that’s sad, i worked for Sears for 13 years, they were a great company to work for, i made pretty good money after i got into commission sales. Got my dad a part time job there too in the tool department after he retired, he loved it too

[@SamuelHendrix-kb8nn]

Sears failed to change with the times unfortunately!

[@mikemancini313]

Don't worry. That store is being replaced by Primark and Dave and Buster's.

[@whitetrashmillionare4858]

Hate Primark!@@mikemancini313

[@deanwinchester3356]

Whaaaa??? 😂 😂 I worked there for about 2 months back in like 2011 as a teenager and they treated me HORRIBLY. A female manager picked on me (making remarks about my physical appearance) constantly because she was jealous of me, to where another employee told her off. They made me cry, and every person that I worked with got fired because they couldn’t “sell” enough credit cards. I’m glad they fell under. That place was toxic. I never even formally quit, I just left and never returned. Not sure how you managed for 13 years. Oof!

[@Libra6210]

@@deanwinchester3356I guess i got lucky and worked at a nicer location at Crestwood in Saint Louis, late eighties to early nineties, the inner city one wasn’t near so good and I did however get some toxic managers there from time to time. Fortunately I knew other managers there I got along with and they got me transferred to their department when i went to them requesting it. In 2003, I got a job at Ashley Furniture, my experience there was very similar to the one you had a Sears, I had enough one night and just walked out told them i’m not coming back

[@jackmeehof2440]

The Sears business model is now the most common…. Use the retail companies’ value and assets to Accumulate as much debt as possible than file for bankruptcy and never pay it back, making billions regardless of sales performance…… GENIUS!!!

[@fourmula4812]

id rather have sears than amazon

[@morningbear3794]

agreed 100percent

[@grazz7865]

It’s nice to actually try on stuff or at least feel the quality or lack thereof of the material instead of ordering it online and returning it. So time consuming

[@asthecrowflies737]

I worked at Sears on Loockerman Street, Dover Delaware in 1970. Revolving Credit Department.

[@trentpettit6336]

Did you shop for groceries at the ACME which was in the heart of Dover? You also might remember the SUPER SAVER supermarket (owned by the same company as Acme) attached to the old BLUE HEN MALL, as well as the PATHMARK (and next door, a NICHOLS DISCOUNT CITY store) near Dover Downs...

[@AIartBonaza]

Soon our only choice will be Walmart or Amazon

[@Starburns69]

We need more anti monopoly laws😢

[@SamuelHendrix-kb8nn]

I hate Walmart! Amazon is amazing.

[@dfirth224]

It mostly already is.

[@sammyhooligan803]

Craftsman tools are awesome. I still have my father's and grandfather's tool's from Sears. A few have the engraving of "A.T.SF. Rail Yards" , 😮

[@dfirth224]

Santa Fe - Atchison and Topeka, Santa Fe

[@sammyhooligan803]

@@dfirth224 yep, to this day I use a few for simple - heavy duty repairs on my SUV vehicle.

[@grazz7865]

The hand tools are fine. Whoever makes the power tools now has the quality as low as possible.

[@jasonligo895]

Ironic because Sears had just reopened two of their stores, one in California and the state of Washington.

[@thenotoriousgryyn342]

Bad Management

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

Title said NY but you discussed NJ.

[@jomerc]

There’s a little term called the NY metropolitan area used by a certain government agency to refer to parts of NJ. You should know this.

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

@@jomerc No I don't know this. Why should NY be called NJ. That's stoopeed FUQ ‼️

[@TommyRosati]

To think, if SEARS would have held on to their Catalog Dept for just a couple of more years, they would have likely been able to easily transition that Catalog to eCommerce; hence beating Amazon to the punch by YEARS.

[@dfirth224]

Biggest mistake they made was getting rid of the catalogue.

[@MichaelKurse]

I knew the people that did the catalog. SEARS was their only client.🤔😞😞😞

[@liveforgod1682]

Yeah it is sad,😥the gentleman they were interviewing,was on point,‼

[@alephnull7410]

The only reason any “digital” merchandise company such as Amazon could prosper in today’s world is because they never were involved in having physical locations. Name one company from the past that has successfully adapted to the digital storefront of today? Technology is predatory on every aspect of humanity.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

Ummm, I can name many companies. Rolex, BMW, Trader Joe's, Belstaff, Timex, Paul Stuart, Verizon, Apple...shall I continue? Technology is not predatory, it was always there, it all depends on how you use it.

[@pauladam8918]

It’s even replacing office work now robots do your job while they lay off employees

[@randomrazr]

sears had the catalague thing that they could have transformed into digital merchandise. have both brick and morter stores plus online world. but they chose not to embrace new methods

[@grazz7865]

Technology = lazy. How convenient to just order stuff from my sofa. Ever notice how much more frequent we have to return stuff from online because we can’t physically inspect the product?

[@edwardmartinez6401]

Post Office

[@BFRIZZLE909]

Growing up we were to poor to shop and sears and pennies, we went to Walmart and payless. I used to envy kids that had mall clothes.

[@maxgreddy9730]

Eddie Lampert ran Sears into the ground but is still a billionaire today. He lost a few billion because of Sears but I wish he lost everything.

[@grazz7865]

Sure. He saw where brick and mortar stores were going. He ran up as much debt as possible (risky business adventures, loans, etc) then file bankruptcy.

[@kittenpawsbb]

What they are preparing us for, are these government run stores, like in Cuba. Everyone will be force to shop at a few selected locations.

[@cynthiagonzalez658]

I have not seen them anywhere anymore. The last Sears tools store has gone a long time.

[@dfirth224]

Craftsman tools were sold to Stanley. That's why you see them everywhere now.

[@grazz7865]

I believe Lowe’s and Ace Hardware picked up the cracksman line. I’m not sure if they still honor the lifetime warranty on the hand tools like sears did.

[@jimmymendez9995]

Very sad

[@dfirth224]

Another business run into the ground by Wall Streeters. They swooped in and sold off everything valuable like Craftsman tools and then dumped what was left. Sear's biggest mistake was getting rid of the mail order catalogue. They could have been Amazon.

[@grazz7865]

Amazon jungle “tried” to send a Christmas catalog like sears used to do. It was a 10 pages or so pamphlet. Not even close to the phone book catalog sears used to send.

[@SamuelHendrix-kb8nn]

Surprised it took this long! Ours closed in 2009.

[@bandz6025]

I miss sears and Kmart

[@jackyee1291]

Just bought a lawnmower from Amazon with free delivery. Sears charged me $69.99 to deliver a lawnmower I bought from them in July, 2017 from their Lake Success store. By then their Rego Park, Queens store had just closed down.

[@greggreg2263]

Sears in Canada was a bunch of dirtbags and ripped all these old people off for their pensions😢

[@sema6008]

Oh man. Very sad times.

[@SamuelHendrix-kb8nn]

Yes, but the folks running Sears didn't really care about the company unfortunately.

[@mikemancini313]

Don't worry. The store is being replaced by Primark and Dave and Buster's.

[@sandranynj7118]

This was my store here in Newport Mall (The only one still open). My parents furnished the home I grew up in, located in Middletown, NY with just about everything from there! We called it Sears & Roebucks then. And I loved looking through the catalogs, especially the Christmas Catalog. Sad to see it go.

[@dfirth224]

Before bank credit cards like Visa, stores like Sears had their own credit card. That's why so many people had Sears appliances, furniture, tools, etc. They could buy it on credit. There was also a law from the 1930s called "Fair Trade". All stores had to sell name brand items at the same price. But there was a very large loophole. Store brands were EXEMPT from this law. Which meant Kenmore appliances were cheaper than GE or Westinghouse.

[@IaneHowe]

Sears had everything 3 to 5 times more expensive than everywhere else

[@dfirth224]

But it was better quality. Not made in China.

[@avanulaneway8418]

Lies

[@tooge47]

I tried to warn Sears management DECADES ago...........sure wish they would have LISTENED

[@grazz7865]

They were well aware of things to come. They ran up as much debt as possible, claimed bankruptcy, took the money and ran. Now probably living happily ever after on a peaceful lake somewhere with a yacht.

[@ravisriram6746]

We can thank Edward Lampert for playing a significant role in running Sears into the ground. Many independent hardware stores have also sadly shuttered, leaving big box stores the likes of a Home Depot, to dominate this segment. We were supposed to get a Lowe's in my neighborhood but that never happened. As an aside, brick and mortar retail where I spent a good portion of my life (at the apparel end) is simply no longer the robust sector it once was. Sad.

[@roachtoasties]

The end came when Eddie Lampert gutted the company, although Sears probably would have died anyway. A Sears actually reopened in Burbank CA, but this store, and the remaining, are basically zombie stores. Just clearance and other other poor quality merchandise they want to get rid of.

[@rourkebar1062]

Now I get to pretend I don’t know what Sears is when I am watching movies!

[@knuclear200x]

I remember seeing KMart in Manhattan

[@kushpatel3362]

So change the title to Jersey City I am tired of us being snubbed as NY we are NOT NYC we are JERSEY CITY.

[@AlbertoGomez-oi5ou]

- says a new yorker :v

[@rentslave]

I still have my 1973 Sears credit card.

[@grazz7865]

Hold onto it! That’s a classic! We had a 1970s sears kenmore washer until about 2009 when it finally had enough. Took a half hour to Filled up with 55 gallons of water but worked 😂. Now the new washers don’t even give you a choice. The “efficiency “ of the machine says it can wash 76 pounds of cloths with a teaspoon of water

[@A3Kr0n]

Sears built out the American home in the 1970s. Wonderful machines to make life fun and easy.

[@grazz7865]

And stuff that lasted!

[@steveb9525]

You steal, we close.

[@PizzaPlanet805]

I still miss sears and kmart

[@nyc1655]

Craftsman lifetime tools

[@Dave....]

I never shopped there myself personally. But I remember going to the Brooklyn location as a kid, with the family.

[@TigerTT]

They did it to themselves lmao.

[@gshepherd6141]

wow I remember going to sears with my mom looking at all sorts of applicances...

[@FlyBoyMT]

You want to know something? When you lose Sears, you also lose many of the brands along with it. Of the top of my head, Kenmore appliances are no longer Kenmore. They actual brand was proprietary of Sears. The Kenmore now is made by LG, which is manufactured sacks of crap that break down in less than 5 years. He’s right, Sears should have been Amazon, because quality products are no longer a priority with Amazon. Everyone just wants subscriptions, convenience, and customization. Can’t stand the cheap crap sold on Amazon, yet we still need to use it. Sigh. I hope one day Gen Z wakes up and chooses quality over quantity, or how something’s wrapped and presented.

[@grazz7865]

Anything made now is built with planned obsolescence. They don’t want you to own a 1970s sears kenmore washer that lasted until 2009! Sure, it wasn’t very efficient. It took a half hour to fill up with 55 gallons of water but the cloths came out super clean and it worked for over 30 years! The washers today don’t even give you a choice. They wash 75 pounds of clothes with a teaspoon of water.

[@mercedestrenz1881]

I still remember the Sears at Willow Grove Mall. I used to go there fairly often to pick up clothes and other miscellaneous items. It was kinda sad to see it go since it was the last Sears in Pennsylvania.

[@sprint429]

Sears had great products, notably their line of Craftsman tools. It was when they stopped upgrading their product line and their lack of an e-commerce model that caused them to fall.

[@grazz7865]

Lowe’s and ace hardware took the cracksman line but I’m not sure if they still honor the lifetime warranty

[@shaneinkster4775]

Eventually there will be 0 left, We had Sears in Canada too when they collaborated with Simpson’s company after they purchased for company. In the 70s in Canada we used to call it Simpson’s Sears, until the mid 80s when the Simpson’s half closed off letting Sears inherit the entire business. Sears was profitable until the holiday season of 2011 when Sears started to struggle do to e-commerce sites like Amazon & they don’t do Brick & Mortar & other Brick & Mortar places like Walmart & Canadian Tire. Sears shut down it’s Toys department in 2012 because people were buying their children toys at Toys “R” Us & in 2013 Sears shut down it’s Electronics department because more people were buying new TVs at Best Buy. In 2018 Sears shut down completely leaving 0 stores left in Canada

[@user-fu1rv2ev7b]

This really sux. I loved going to sears with my dad to buy craftsmen tools when i was a kid. Its a shame a store that has been around so many years only has 10 stores left in the US.😢

[@jmcnally647]

I wish malls would make a comeback, such a great cross-section of the population in any given area. I think we ae missing that in all things online, the impromptu chances to learn from each other and reflect on what stage we are at in life. Things feel more divided/disconnected between the societal classes today than compared to the last few decades. I also wish the US dollar had the same amount of shopping power it did back in the 1970s'things cost so much now it's impossible to use cash for everything. Been that way for a while now I guess.

[@grazz7865]

Until rents or real estate in general is brought under control (like that’s ever going to happen), brick and mortar businesses don’t stand a chance. How do you turn a profit when the majority of your capital goes to rent or lease.

[@reyesjason1781]

My dad would take me to Sears to look into his tools, i would mess around in the gym equipment area for a cool minute. They had a foosball table we would play on too. A good 14 Years ago...who would of known

[@user-zi1ze2ks5o]

Call it what it is: legalized bust out. Run up as much debt as you can while increasing your own salary and back end benefits, because who cares? When the company goes bankrupt it wasn't your debt anyway.

[@petermuniz9296]

I have a sears building near my mall and it’s still empty since 2018 no one has the money to buy the huge space

[@grazz7865]

At a million dollars a square foot, what could you possibly sell to pay a mortgage, lease or rent? This is why brick and mortar stores don’t stand a chance.

[@ryandarko2115]

The bigger picture here they all want to see Amazon, this Amazon that they’re absolutely right but you know what else they’re forgetting? All these big dogs and big companies like Sears did not fight back when Amazon grew bigger simple.

[@magesalmanac6424]

True but I think consumers are in the wrong here. It’s better to buy a product you can hold in your hands and inspect, than buy something online that looks flashy but could be garbage. But you’re right they never updated their business model or branding.

[@KrysGrant-ey1xl]

Exactly they refused to keep up didn't fight hard enough. Says a lot

[@Pyrosis22]

And the Sears Catalog could of been the Amazon we have today.

[@jediknightjairinaiki560]

And one day all the bug name stores that exist now will be gone too. Nothing lasts forever.

[@cmlmonstar007]

I remember Sears for everything. Mine got torn down and it’s now a hospital.

[@grazz7865]

Mine was one of the biggest ones sitting on acres of land. Closed about 5 years ago. Still sitting there vacant. You can still see the “sears” sign on the building where the letters used to be and the separate sears automotive garage across the lot.

[@RobertMBrown-ct6pv]

Last of the big retail giants, wrote the book mailorder, had great selection of merchandise a great loss for consumers!

[@thatsright4046]

I remember in 60's and 70's @ my aunts home they had an out house with sears and Montgomery ward's catalogs they were there incase you ran out of a&w😂😂😂

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

You'd think moving from a mail-order catalogue to online-order would be as easy as Biden falling over.

[@grazz7865]

Amazon jungle tried a “wish list catalog “ last year. Embarrassing 10 page or so pamphlet with a bunch of toys. Nothing in comparison to the phone book sears used to send.

[@GenF91]

So bittersweet, but with more and more people buying online, it is what it is.

[@jonna3474]

You mean being ran out of NY? So sad.

[@cecilialeon6588]

Simple so Sad....😢 no words.. 😔

[@molliwilson5639]

I never shopped at Sears because to me, the quality of their products was poor.

[@currentphonograph7487]

Perhaps Sears should go back 2 their roots & print A paper catalog. I like Sears. I'm mail order too

[@BlimpCityFeeder]

Jersey City Mall is not NY. Sigh. Sorry for the fans and employees similar with the Flatbush Flagship at Bedford Ave & Beverley Rd.

[@donellweaver5722]

We know that but Jersey City is part of the New York metropolitan area if u don't know that it's called the Tri-State Area, NY/NJ

[@BlimpCityFeeder]

@@donellweaver5722 Clearly says "...Last remaining Sears in NY getting ready to close". Like Mayor Koch (RIP) Native New Yorkers don't claim Giants/Jets regardless of ticker tape parade on Broadway.

[@worldlife9834]

Retail jobs continue to disappear all over the country. Unemployment is already at new highs. If you trust the word of the government, you will be living in a tent city soon.

[@candaceshirley8173]

I can only think of the job losses, well one can only hope whatever replaces it, opens quickly, and it gives revenue, and jobs to the community

[@johnbrewton6186]

What happend to the name Roebuck?

[@tinkerpertao8383]

sears could add a food department on their remaining stores just like walmart did. it's still possible. costco has a clothing department. do it sears. people need food. sears needs to sack the old guard and hire new people. do it SEARS!

[@eddieg6436]

FINALLY! My dad made me shop there as a youth…HATED IT! Good! I’m glad it’s closing!!

[@map3384]

I worked for Sears out of college from 1996 to 1998. What I saw was out of touch baby boomer management who couldn’t see or plan for the digital market. Their understanding of technology was extremely basic. They wanted the store to stay as it was in the 1970s. The company could have thrived had Sears let young minds make changes. Boomer management stopped such changes time after time.

[@daneblack2593]

He's right about the Amazon comment

[@Jaycartel823]

If u Jamaican ya grandma is heartbroken right now

[@retailhiphop1991]

Last Sears in NJ not NY! (Or you can say last Sears in NY metropolitan area).

[@darrylelkins681]

the original Amazon............I dont buy that they just couldnt figure it out......they as a Company have been busy selling every side hustle they ever came up with , off for years......The hits just keep on coming

[@mylescornelious7096]

Its sad sears dont even own sears anymore. Im sad to see sears go.

[@CadySharpe]

My Dad sold washing machines at Sears for almost 35 years before our store closed in 2017. If I’m being completely honest it didn’t close soon enough, the last ten years they treated him like shit and even when they were closing tried unsuccessfully to take his pension. I’m sorry that people have lost their jobs, and I truly hope it works out for them, but I am never not going to be sorry that Sears went bankrupt. It had been slowly killing my Dad for years and if our store was still open I’m not sure if he would still be here. I think Sears closing saved his life.

[@grazz7865]

That sounds about right. They knew they could not survive in the internet world. Out with the old. In with the new. Instead of accepting defeat, they ran up as much debt as possible then claimed bankruptcy, took the money ran. Never have to pay it back.

[@AutobotsTransform]

My Toughskins pants are still surviving.

[@kascnef]

The sears af Rockaway mall is extinct

[@SFBenjaminK]

i wonder how Jc penny still going after all these closures in pass decade

[@BeelySalasBlair-uy5wn]

Sad 😔

[@allinonethegreat]

Sears ya I mean see’s ya lol

[@carolyoung8945]

Sears is a dirty looking store that is so out dated should have been closed

[@grazz7865]

Well I don’t know about dirty but it was an old store that hung on too long. Most of the old stores saw the future and got out while they could. (Woolworths, Alexander’s, korvettes, Consumers distributing). Yeah; I’m showing my age 😂

[@SteveXNYC]

No more CRAFTSMAN USA😂😅😂

[@chrisamon80]

It's not the end of an era. I don't want Sears to be closed. I want it to stay on for business.

[@allinonethegreat]

Ok so hire some illegal immigrants that just crossed the border to work there. All they have to do is write a letter to Biden and then it will be open as long as he’s in office.

[@mikemancini313]

Don't worry. That store is being replaced by Primark and Dave and Buster's.

[@maestrovso]

Zombie company it has been, and after these two stores there are still 10 walking dead.

[@chrisbgoodv2178]

This is what happens when governments take subsidies away from one company and give it to another.

[@Undecided0]

This has nothing to do with the government. It’s poor business management.

[@chrisbgoodv2178]

Because of reliance on subsidies.

[@tag7592]

So sad.

[@DeathRebel369]

The end of a giant

[@HumanBeanbag]

Walmart on deck

[@bsanchez3563]

Doh.. I was thinking of how much of a kewl fantasy working both for Sears and Searspartsdirect imho would so fucking aweosme ngl So to tjink afaict theres only one in Burbank so fwiw its so much imho fwiw becomimg apparent that the spicy spicy store is closing.. well sears specifically not every spicy store lol. Oh well Ig fwiw between best buy for possible new electornics or for mere nostalgia and then Both thriftshops and especially either Barnes and Noble or Wal,art and Fredmyer have decent new music selectioms fwiw and hopefully do order a specific album or cd or vinyl if requested.

[@HcCh-sm8kk]

I use to work at sears myself. So what happen thou why business so bad.

[@eliseolopez2790]

This is sad

[@user-dk1ke1ku7j]

Awwwww....! Bye SEARS!

[@thomasseymour5025]

250th like!

[@OPFOR-SQUAD]

Oh no, anyways...

[@WiseGuy02]

Why stay open in a democratic state.

[@frogfarmer3551]

Sears sucked what are u a bunch of nancy didnt get u prancy? 😂 U went to the better store with better options and that why sears donezo

[@orbscorbs]

Who cares?

[@billkittleman9631]

People who loved, appreciated, and admired how big a part of the American landscape Sears truly was - that’s WHO!! That about answer your question there big guy???

[@mikeokeefe2014]

I loved Sears ...they left Canada almost 10 years ago... now Wal-Mart or Costco is the publics only option ...millions of people dressing the same .