Sentinel staff report–
After more than two months of liquidation sales, the Citrus Heights Sears store is bumping up its discounts during the final days before the store is slated to close forever on July 15. With just a week left before the store closes, sales range from 50% off fixtures, to 85% off any remaining jewelry.
As of Saturday, less than one-tenth of the store’s merchandise remained on shelves, most of which had been brought to the middle floor of the massive three-story location at Sunrise Mall. The lower level only had used store fixtures remaining on the floor, and the upper level was completely blocked off.
A decent amount of men’s and women’s clothing remained on the racks in several portions of the store, along with several rows filled with women’s shoes at 75% off — although desirable sizes may be hard to find as supplies dwindle.
Not lacking in supply are an abundance of clothing racks, display shelves and other store fixtures — all priced at 50% off, ranging from about $15-50 each.
A number of new appliances also still remain on the floor, with LG washers marked down 60% and a row of higher-end ovens marked down 70%. A small isle of Craftsman sockets and wrenches was also still on display, most marked down 50%, with a dozen or so 42-piece socket sets marked down 70%.
Larger items included a Joola brand ping pong table marked down to $200 from the original price of $500, and a $600 Nordic Track exercise bike marked down to $240 –both of which only had one left remaining in stock. About 10 mid-sized outdoor gas fire tables were also seen stacked in boxes, with a price tag of $207, down from $830.
Nearly a dozen high-end beds were also still on display, with prices marked 80% off. One queen bed, a Beautyrest Black series, was marked down to $1,111, with an original price tag listed at $5,555. Another Stearns & Foster brand bed was similarly discounted, although both beds appeared to be floor models. Mattress protectors and some box frames also remained.
Other items remaining included several shelves with linens at 60% off, along with a dozen rolled 5 x 7-foot rugs for $40 each. Used two-drawer filing cabinets had price tags of $15, and brand new packs of cardboard boxes were marked $2.50 for a pack of 20 boxes, sized 13 x 11 x 5-inch. A store employee also said discarded clothes hangers piled in a large box near the checkout counter were being sold at $5 for 50.
A manager for the store could not be reached for comment on Saturday, but according to a July 7 Sears ad in the Sacramento Bee, prices will continue to drop on everything in the store as the closing date approaches, with “everything priced to sell to the bare walls” on the final days of July 14 and 15.
From April: Citrus Heights Sears store to close; liquidation sales to begin by April 27
The local Sears store closure was first announced in April, with liquidation sales starting later that same month. A company spokesman previously did not respond to a question from The Sentinel on the reason for the store closure, but was quoted in The Sacramento Bee earlier this year stating that “Seritage Growth Properties is recapturing the Sears stores in Citrus Heights and Roseville as part of an agreement reached in 2015 between Seritage and Sears Holdings.”
According to a 2017 Business Insider report, Seritage, a real estate investment trust headed up by Sears CEO Eddie Lampert, has been able to triple rents by closing Sears stores and turning them over to higher-paying tenants. Lampert’s dual role as chairman of Seritage and CEO of Sears prompted a lawsuit regarding transactions between the two companies, which was settled for $40 million last year, Business Insider reported.
Last week, the local store’s closure gained some international attention when The Guardian published seven interviews with Citrus Heights Sears store workers, featuring a photo of each and their comments on the impending closure. Interviews included employees age 17 to 65, with some quoted saying the store’s demise was in part due to the rise in online shopping.
One said they would either be transferring to another Sears store, another said he’d go back to college, while others weren’t sure where or if they’d apply elsewhere. A 58-year-old employee said he lives in Citrus Heights and would miss being able to walk to work.
