Polo Park is still working to figure out how to replace Sears.
The struggling department store chain announced late last week that it would be seeking court approval to close ten stores across Canada.
That’s on top of the 59 stores that Sears announced back in June would be closing.
The Sears location at Polo Park is the largest store in the mall: taking up 280,000 square feet of space, it will be a tall task to refill.
“Right now we don’t have a direct plan in place. I can’t at this point start discussing names because it’s too early in the process,” explained Polo Park General Manager Peter Havens. “But we do feel it’s a really great opportunity to create some really wonderful shopping experiences.”
A court ruling this month will determine if Sears has permission to close down the ten stores as planned. Havens told Global News that the current plan for the Polo Park location is to close December 15.
“We’ve been in talks with Sears since they declared their problems. I think the opportunity to buy back this lease is part of a longer-term plan for our site,” Havens said.
The decline of the once-great retailer is part of a growing trend of consumers using the internet for their shopping needs instead of heading to the mall. Despite this, Havens isn’t worried about the overall health of his mall.
“There’s been lots of times throughout history where, for one reason or another, the economy has been struggling or retailers have been struggling,” Havens said. “Polo Park continues to grow and really be a desirable destination. I think having the right retail mix helps us stay on course.”
If the court rules in Sears’ favour, Havens said liquidation sales would start almost immediately.
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