Final sale

Sears says goodbye to local shoppers

KITCHENER — Children laughed and scampered around empty display cases. For a moment the mood turned young and fun.

But mostly the big department store felt as old and tired as its broken elevator. Shoppers said it felt that way for too long, which may explain why it failed.

The Sears store in Kitchener closed forever Sunday.

Lots of bargain hunters went home on the final Saturday and Sunday clutching garments and other remnants that no one would buy without the deepest discount.

“It’s kind of disappointing to see that such an old retailer is going. They have a tremendous history,” said Daniel Burca, 46, who bought children’s clothes. “It’s a landmark that’s disappearing.”

Sears opened the building in 1965. It was the 19th Canadian store and it became a main tenant for the Fairview Park Mall that followed it.

It was among the last stores to close after the Sears chain, for many years the nation’s largest retailer, attempted a faltering reinvention before collapsing.

“You‘ve got a store this big you’ve got to have people in the store. They never had it,” said Terry Cameron, 65.

Cameron, a landlord, bought appliances from Sears for the residences he rents. His feeling was that the store was “always empty.”

Sears thanked its customers for their loyalty and support since 1953 in a message posted online.

“We appreciate having had you as a customer, and hope you find some great bargains for you and your family,” the firm said.

Shoppers were saddened by its demise, sorrowful and concerned for its employees, and nostalgic for its grand name. But they were not surprised.

“In all honesty I didn’t come here to shop a lot,” said Sharon Lee Morris, who visited on the final weekend to buy discounted women’s clothes. “I don’t think they were really all that busy.”

Still she remembers the Sears catalogue was a big deal when she was growing up in Newfoundland.

“They’ve been operating in an oldfashioned way,” Daniel Burca said. The construction worker rarely shopped at Sears because it didn’t seem bright or

fresh. He doubts it could compete with online shopping.

“People’s shopping habits changed and Sears didn’t follow through,” he said. “They weren’t proactive. They seemed like they just stopped caring.”

His cousin Florin Burca, 43, rarely shopped at Sears because it felt outdated. “It seemed like they were playing catch-up all the time.”

He’s disappointed that Sears failed to sustain itself, comparing it to BlackBerry’s failure to sustain the smartphone business it once dominated.

“You have to ask the question, what’s happening with the big local names? Why are we not making it? Why are we losing that staying power?” he said.

While older shoppers pondered how Sears went wrong, a younger voice looked ahead to wonder what will happen to the space.

“With every store that closes down, everybody always wants to jump on and try to guess what’s going to happen next year. They want to know what to expect,” said Chris Burca, 13.

Mall owner Cadillac Fairview owns the former Sears space. It has not revealed its plans.

MATHEW MCCARTHY, RECORD STAFF Sunday was the last day for the Sears store at Fairview Park Mall. Just what will take it’s place, the mall owners have not said.

MATHEW MCCARTHY, RECORD STAFF The store opened in 1965 at the K-W location. There was not much left on its last day.

MATHEW MCCARTHY, RECORD STAFF Sears had tried to find new styles and sales methods, but it was not enough. In its last year an almost industrial look appeared with metal shelving, seen above.

MATHEW MCCARTHY, RECORD STAFF On the last day of its operation, the store had some sections already barren. Some shoppers felt its decline was inevitable.