6:00: Morning News

Retail officials confident in replacement of Sears at Huntington Mall

BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. — State retail officials are confident the Huntington Mall will be able to fill the void left behind by Sears.

Bridget Lambert, the President of the West Virginia Retailers Association said the recent announcement by Sears Holdings in closing that location in Barboursville is not indicative of the economy there but it’s about the transition happening in retail.

“The Barboursville exit, the mall, the Barboursville retail environment down thru Milton is expanding and you see a lot of growth over on Route 60,” Lambert told MetroNews.

“I would think that space would be very attractive to a large retailer that may be looking to move into that market. There are a few of those out there. We can only hope that it actually happens in the next few months.”

Sears Holdings announced on Tuesday that it will be closing 26 Sears and Kmart stores in late October.

Following the closure, there will be zero large Sears retail stores left in West Virginia. Two K-Mart stores remain open in the state with one in Charleston and another in Elkview.

Lambert said it’s a fall from grace for the historic retail giant.

“It’s very sad for the retail industry,” she said. “Sears was the first big retailer that put out the catalog and everyone shopped from home. There was a time that you could buy a home from Sears and Company.”

Sears is attempting to transition into today’s retail market by creating smaller format stores focusing on home and life. Lambert said Sears will be opening up hundreds of these stores in certain markets across the country.

She wasn’t sure if the markets in West Virginia would be targeted but hopes so for the sake of the impact on consumers.

“Our hope is maybe West Virginia will fit into that demographic moving forward and we will be able to experience the Sears Family of care for our West Virginians against the retail space,” she said.

The announcement of the Sears closing Tuesday comes 10 months after Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In a statement on Tuesday, Sears Holdings said, “Over the past several months, we have worked hard to strengthen our vendor relationships, return our inventory levels to normal, and improve customer satisfaction and operations. However, we have faced a number of challenges returning our stores to sustainable levels of productivity, including differences with Sears Holdings over our purchase agreement and a generally weak retail environment.”

The Sears Auto Center at the Barboursville location will close in late August. A liquidation sale will begin by next Monday.

Officials from the Huntington Mall could not be reached for comment.





More News

News
As Yeager Airport's Wildlife Patrol Dog turns 7, a new dog comes in to learn from him
The new Border Collie is getting acclimated and receiving training for his soon-to-be role.
March 28, 2024 - 6:30 pm
News
Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department closes
The Dunlow VFD did not have a valid workers compensation insurance policy.
March 28, 2024 - 6:20 pm
News
PEIA examines financial effects of new law meant to ensure local pharmacies get fair reimbursements
Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 453 into law this week.
March 28, 2024 - 4:11 pm
News
Barbour County woman sentenced after death case sent back to circuit court by Supreme Court
Carli Reed sentenced on voluntary manslaughter conviction.
March 28, 2024 - 4:11 pm