Two more Kmart stores to close this year

Staff report

HOWLAND

Two more area Kmart stores will close come spring.

Sears Holdings said on Thursday it will close 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores between early March and early April.

Locally, Kmart stores at 2100 Niles-Cortland Road SE in Howland and 2235 East State St. in Hermitage, Pa., will both close in early April.

The latest list of closures continues Sears Holdings’ “strategic assessment of the productivity of our Kmart and Sears store base,” the company said.

Sears said it will continue to close unprofitable stores as it transforms its business model so that its physical store footprint and digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of its customers.

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

Liquidation sales will begin as early as Jan. 12 at the closing stores.

Sears announced in November that 63 Kmart and Sears stores would close this month including the Kmart in Austintown. The Austintown Kmart will close Jan. 28.

In 2017, there were 250 other store closings announced.

In 2016, the Boardman and Warren Kmart locations both closed.

The East Liverpool location at 15891 state Route 170 remains open.