Sears, Kmart Closing More Stores: Is Manchester Closing?

After announcing the closing of more than 100 stores earlier this year, iconic retailer Sears will close another 63 locations. The company made the announcement Thursday. The good news is that no Connecticut stores are targeted for closing. Initially, the company announced plans to close 72 stores but it pulled nine from the closing list for now.

Sears currently has a store in Manchester and there is a Kmart in Vernon.

Sears Appliance and Hardware in Shelton, which was independently owned, closed its doors last year. The Sears in Enfield also closed in 2017. The Southbury Kmart also closed last year. As of 2011, Sears had locations in Putnam and West Hartford that have since closed and Kmart has closed stores in Cromwell, Waterbury, Southbury, and Torriginton.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to streamline the Company's operations and focus on our Best Stores, we have identified approximately 100 non-profitable stores, 72 of which will begin store closing sales in the near future," the Hoffman Estates-based company said in a statement. "We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which are a critical component in our transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted."

Sears reported a net loss of $424 million during the first quarter of 2018. During the first quarter last year, Sears saw earnings of $245 million, due in part to a $492 million gain related to the sale of the Craftsman brand.

"In a challenging quarter, we continued to focus on our strategic transformation, identifying additional opportunities to streamline operations and adjust inventory and operating expenses while staying focused on our Best Members, Best Categories and Best Stores," Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Holdings Edward S. Lampert said in a statement.

Patch Staff including Shannon Antinori contributed to this story.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel