120 Sears and Kmart Stores to Close in New Year

Manchester could soon see the closing of another large retail store in town, as the Sears Holding Corporation announced in a press release Tuesday that it would shutter between 100 and 120 of its underperforming stores Tuesday, based on poor 2011 sales.

The Sears Holding Corporation owns both the Sears and Kmart chains. There is a located at 190 Buckland Hills Dr. at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills, and a Kmart located in nearby Vernon at 295 Hartford Tpke., although the company Illinois-based retailer said it has not fully determined which stores it will close. The company said it plans to announce the full list of store closings on www.searsmedia.com.

If the Manchester Sears were to be on the list, it would mark the loss of another national retailer in the mall area, as earlier this year before closing all its stores over the summer. inside the Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall this year. 

In Connecticut, there are also Sears stores in Meriden, Putnam, Waterford, West Hartford, Milford, and Waterbury, according to the Sears website. Kmart stores in Connecticut include locations in Cromwell, Waterbury, Watertown, Southbury, Torrington, and Milford.

The company blamed the decline in sales at the two stores on fewer consumer electronics and clothes sold at Kmart, and a decrease in appliances and consumer electronics sold at Sears.