Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The Sears in the Oxford Valley Mall closed unceremoniously over the past few days.
The 173,000-square-foot retail location in Middletown shuttered quietly after weeks of store closing sales that saw merchandise, mannequins, and shelving units put on the market.
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As of Monday, the parking lots in the portion of the mall where Sears had there entrances were barren and black material covered the windows of the once-bustling department store.
The store at the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem also closed recently.
It was not clear how many employees lost their jobs at the Oxford Valley Mall store and Sears has not responded to multiple contacts from this news organization. However, a former Sears employee said the company retained some staff help close down the building after the store closed.
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The future of the retail location at the mall is unclear. Earlier last year, LevittownNow.com published information that the proposed MaST-Neshaminy Charter School had signed a $9.6 million letter of intent to take over and convert the Sears store into a kindergarten through 12th grade learning center. However, the plans for the charter school at the location fell through after roadblocks.
The stores in the Oxford Valley and Neshaminy malls were part of a batch of 142 locations that were set to close after the company filed Chapter 11 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The company later announced an additional 40 Sears and Kmart stores will close in February.
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Sears has not been profitable for years and has a heavy debt burden. Over the years, the iconic 125-year-old American brand has closed hundreds of locations, including shutting down its entire Sears Canada subsidiary and its Kmart store in Middletown.
The large Sears and Kmart distribution facility in Falls Township remains open and was hiring new workers as of late 2018.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
On Tuesday, Sears reached a last-minute deal to remain open and stave off liquidation as the company is put up for auction, CNN reported.
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This week, J.C. Penney, which also takes up a significant space at the Oxford Valley Mall, announced disappointing holiday season sales figures and said they would close three stores come the spring. The location of the closings were not released.
