More Kmarts Closing In New Jersey

More Kmart locations are among an ever-increasing list of department stores closing in New Jersey, the company announced on Thursday.

Sears Holdings, which owns the department store chain, announced Thursday that Kmarts on Route 38 in Moorestown and and Route 46 in Parsippany will soon close their doors.

These stores will close in mid-November, the company says. Kmart stores in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township and Mantua are expected to close this year, too.

Efforts to obtain comment from Sears and Kmart were not immediately successful.

Earlier this year, Sears also announced it would close 150 Kmart and Sears stores by the spring, part of a "difficult but necessary step as we take actions to strengthen the company’s operations and fund its transformation," the company said in a statement.

Here are the four New Jersey Kmart locations that were subject to closure:

• 1468 Clementon Road, Clementon
• 645 Highway 18, East Brunswick
• 800 Black Horse Pike, Pleasantville
• Routes 9 and 47, Rio Grande

Sears has said the Kmart stores have "struggled with their financial performance for years and we have kept them open to maintain local jobs and in the hopes that they would turn around."

"But in order to meet our objective of returning to profitability, we have to make tough decisions and will continue to do so, which will give our better performing stores a chance at success," according to a statement from the company.

Eligible employees impacted by these store closures will receive severance and will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Kmart or Sears stores, according to the company.

Patch file photo