Sears Hometown store of Austin to close after more than two decades
Published 7:05 am Tuesday, January 15, 2019
- After more than two decades of serving Austin, Sears Hometown announced that it was closing and liquidation sales have begun. The sale is planned to run through February. Hannah Yang/hannah.yang@austindailyherald.com
With a blow to the Austin retail market, Sears Hometown store is closing after serving the community for over two decades.
The Sears Hometown in Austin confirmed that it was closing its store after making an announcement on its Facebook page about a store liquidation sale. Cory Squier, owner of the Sears Hometown store in Austin, said the news came unexpectedly after receiving notice from the district manager of Sears Hometown and Outlets.
The liquidation sale is ongoing until the end of February and advertised products will be discounted up to 70 percent off.
Austin’s Sears Hometown store has been around since 1999. In 2012, Sears Hometown separated from Sears Holding Corporation — which owns Sears and Kmart — and became its own independent publicly-traded company. Squier had a franchise agreement with Sears Hometown and Outlet that allowed him to offer a wide selection of products to the Austin community.
Cory Squier, owner of Sears Hometown, works the register in 2017. It was recently announced that Sears Hometown in Austin will be closing. Herald file photo
From this store closing, one part-time employee and five key employees will be affected. All, including Squier, were notified about a week and a half ago, according to Squier.
It’s unknown as to what will go in the Sears Hometown space. DCA Minn LLC. owns the building that houses several tenants, including Sears Hometown, according to GIS Mower County.
“I would just say for myself and employees, we appreciate the support over the years,” Squier said. “We’re sorry to see the store go.”
