By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK–Sears Holdings Corp. informed employees at 78 Kmart stores and 26 Sears stores on Jan.4 that their stores would be closing by the spring.
In accordance with this nationwide announcement, Kmart’s East Brunswick store, located on 645 Route 18, will be closing its doors this March.
“The decision to close stores is a difficult but necessary step as we take actions to strengthen the company’s operations and fund its transformation. Many of these stores have struggled with their financial performance for years and we have kept them open to maintain local jobs and in the hopes that they would turn around,” said Howard Riefs, director of Corporate Communications for Sears Holdings.
“But in order to meet our objective of returning to profitability, we have to make tough decisions and will continue to do so, which will give our better performing stores a chance at success.”
According to an official list released by Sears Holdings Corp., three other stores located in New Jersey — Clementon, Pleasantville and Rio Grande –will also be closing around the same time.
The number of associates who are affected is not publicly available. Those associates who are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Sears or Kmart stores. Most of the associates are part-time/hourly, according to Riefs.
For more information, visit searsholdings.com/docs/010417_store_closing_list.pdf.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].