Kingstonians react to the possible closure of all Sears Canada stores

Sears Canada announced on Tuesday that it plans to seek court approval to begin liquidation of all of its stores, including in Kingston.

The company has been in court-approved creditor protection for almost four months.

If the liquidation is approved by a judge on Friday, sales would begin as early as October 19 and would last for 10 to 14 weeks until there’s nothing left.

Many Kingston shoppers at Cataraqui Centre said they aren’t surprised to hear about Sears pulling the plug on all of its stores, as rumours have been swirling for months.

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“A lot of people are shopping online now. That has really put a hole… retail is a very difficult business venture now,” said Donna Organ, a Sears shopper.

“I kind of saw it coming because it hasn’t changed. It’s been the same thing for 10 years. That isn’t great for a fast-paced economy,” said shopper Allie Roberston.

Some said they would be sad to see Sears leave the Cataraqui Centre.

“I was just telling a Sears employee if the store closes I would be so sad about it. I have been a customer since they first opened in the Kingston Centre. Way back before the Cat Mall was even thought of,” said Sarah Brink, a loyal Sears customer.

The owner of the Cataraqui Centre remains tight-lipped about any future plans to replace the large anchor tenant that spans two floors of the mall.

“We have been working on replacement options in the event Sears closes, however, we are not prepared to discuss our plans at this time,” said a representative from Primaris Management Inc.

According to Sears officials, 74 full-line Sears stores across the country could be shuttered and 12,000 jobs will be gone. Three-quarters of those positions are part-time.