Sears focuses on smaller stores. One is about to open in Bradenton area
Sears, which closed its only Manatee County store in January due to corporate restructuring, appears set to reintroduce the brand into the Bradenton area.
The Manatee County Building Department recently issued a permit for an illuminated exterior Sears Outlet sign at 8333 Lockwood Ridge Road in a shopping center owned by the Sarabara Corp. of Clearwater.
Neighboring businesses had already heard the news by word of mouth.
“I think it will help the plaza with more customer traffic. I think Sears Outlet will have a lot to offer the community. We are all excited,” said Nana Arnt, owner of Nana’s Treasure Chest, a consignment shop a few doors down from where Seats Outlet would be located.
Ron Farquharson, manager of the Pinch-a-Penny store, said that he, too, hopes the arrival of Sears Outlet brings more foot traffic to the shopping center.
“I see this as a positive,” Farquharson said.
The Sears corporate office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on when the store might open.
In June, Transform Holdco LLC (or “the new Sears”), home to Sears and Kmart, and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc., announced it had entered merger agreement to acquire outstanding shares of Sears Hometown not owned by ESL Investments, Inc. and its affiliates for a price of $2.25 per share.
“The transaction will reunite Sears and Kmart with Sears Hometown, which was spun off from Sears Holdings Corporation, the former parent company of Sears and Kmart, in 2012. Having these businesses under common ownership will accelerate Transform’s strategy of growing its smaller store format by adding Sears Hometown stores,” the press release said.
Sears Hometown has a network of 491 Hometown stores and 126 Outlet stores located in 49 states, Puerto Rico and Bermuda and generated $1.4 billion in net sales in 2018. When the two companies are combined, they will rank as the third largest appliance retailer in the United States in terms of sales, the press release said.
Sears Outlet stores are designed to provide customers with in-store and online access to new, one-of-a kind, out-of-carton, discontinued, reconditioned, overstocked, and scratched and dented products, including home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, apparel, mattresses, sporting goods and tools at prices that are significantly lower than list prices.
The Ellenton Kmart and the Bradenton Sears, located in the DeSoto Square mall, were among the more than 80 store closings announced by Sears Holdings at the end of 2018.
At Home, a home décor superstore chain based in Plano, Texas, confirmed last week that it plans to open one of its stores this fall in the Ellenton space vacated by Kmart. The 94,000-square-feet of anchor space is located in the North River Village shopping center at 6126 U.S. 301, across the street from Ellenton Premium Outlets.
Manatee County’s only remaining Kmart is located at 7350 Manatee Ave. W.
This story was originally published July 10, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
