More Bad News For 2 Major Retailers In Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA — Transformco, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, announced Thursday it plans shut another 96 stores by February, including some in Pennsylvania.

The latest round of closures is expected to shutter a total of 51 Sears stores and 45 Kmart location across the nation. In the last 15 years, Sears and Kmart have closed more than 3,500 stores.

In Pennsylvania, the impacted stores include the following locations, according to a list obtained by USAToday:

Sears

• 1259 Whitehall Mall, Whitehall
• 600 Montgomery Mall, Montgomery Township

Kmart

• Berwick Kmart: 1520 W Front St.
• Ephrata Kmart: 1127 S State St.
• Lebanon Kmart: 1745 Quentin
• Wilkes Barre Kmart: 910 Wilkes Barre Twp Blvd.
• Williamsport Kmart: 1915 E Third St.

In the past, the loss of major department stores at nearby malls has presented an opportunity. At Plymouth Meeting Mall, the closure of Macy's paved the way for a diverse spread of new businesses to open up shop, including Dicks Sporting Goods, Burlington, Edge Fitness, and Miller's Ale House.

It’s not all bad news for the national retailers, though, Transformco also said Thursday that it had secured a $250 million lifeline that should help the company better focus on its “competitive strengths.”

Sears and Kmart are part of a growing list of brick-and-mortar establishments that have seen a nosedive in revenue and popularity with the emergence of e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart.

The going out-out-of business sales are set to begin on Dec. 2, according to Transformco.