Bright yellow, black and red signs scream “Store Closing” and “Entire Store on Sale.” It’s the end of an era for retail in Canada as Sears closes its doors forever.
It marks the end of a retailing history in Canada that goes back to 1953 when the first Simpson-Sears Ltd. opening. For many years, it was Canada’s largest retailer until it fell on hard times with the rise of big-box stores.
“Over the past 18 months, Sears Canada had embarked on a reinvention plan that had begun to gain traction with customers,” the company says in its website. “Unfortunately, despite the outstanding efforts of dedicated associates across the Company, Sears Canada does not have the financial resources to provide it with the time necessary to complete its reinvention.”
Sears will close all of its remaining stores today, including 17 in Ontario. Locally, Sears stores in St Catharines and Niagara Falls will be no more.
Nearly 15,000 employees are affected overall.
Closing for good
The last stores that will close Sunday include:
In Ontario:
Kitchener
St. Catharines
Windsor
Brantford
Hamilton
Stratford
Bramalea
Toronto-Promenade
Erin Mills
Thunder Bay
Barrie
Sudbury
Newmarket
Oshawa
Peterborough
Belleville
Pickering
Across Canada:
St. Jérôme, Que.
Anjou, Que.
Laval, Que.
Lasalle, Que.
Sherbrooke, Que.
St. Jean, Que.
St. Bruno, Que.
Fleur de Lys, Que.
Place Laurier, Que.
Joliette, Que.
Trois Rivières , Que.
Lévis, Que.
La Capital Québec
Capilano, B.C.
Burnaby, B.C.
The closure marks the continuing shift of consumers moving away from the retail market and purchasing online instead.
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