Struggling retailer Sears Holdings announced its latest list of store closings Thursday, including the Brookfield Square Mall location.
“As previously announced we will continue to close some unprofitable stores as we transform our business model so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members,” according to a company statement.
A total of 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores will close between early March and early April. One other Sears store will close in Wisconsin, located at 1555 Green Bay Plaza, Green Bay.
Liquidation sales will begin as early as Jan. 12. and effected employees can apply for positions at other stores.
The Brookfield Square store is the last remaining Sears department store in southeastern Wisconsin. Last year, Sears closed its store at Southridge Mall in Greendale and its store in Kenosha. Sears closed its store at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale in 2014. Sears also closed its store at Memorial Mall in Sheboygan in 2014 and Regency Mall in Racine in 2013.
The owner of Brookfield Square, Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates Properties has been planning ahead for the anticipated closure of the Sears store at the mall. CBL has been planning to demolish the store and replace it with a Marcus Theatres BistroPlex and a Whirlyball entertainment and food establishment.
Plans had also included a smaller Sears store. A CBL representative said final plans for the redevelopment are being finalized, including whether Sears will elect to maintain a presence as part of the project.
Preliminary plans submitted to the city of Brookfield include an 18,000-square-foot. Sears store, some mall shops with exterior entrances to the parking lot, and three outlot developments in addition to the BistroPlex and Whirlyball establishments.
CBL acquired the Brookfield Square Sears store property in a sale-leaseback deal a year ago.
