The clock is ticking on the last remaining Sears location in Greater Victoria as the struggling department store chain has sought permission to and sell its assets.
Sears Canada already closed the doors on its Tolmie location B次元官网网址� one of eight taken over by LeonB次元官网网址檚 Furniture B次元官网网址� earlier this year, following the announcement it would close 59 locations. Sears Canada will apply to the Ontario Superior Court for approval to liquidate all of its remaining stores and assets in a hearing on Friday (Oct. 13).
That includes the Hillside Centre location which has been open since 1969. The move would terminate 110 positions, 79 of them part-time roles.
One Hillside Sears employee declined to talk to the Saanich B次元官网网址 but did confirm any liquidation sales will commence as of Oct. 19, which Sears Canada confirmed in a press release.
B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 know anything [about our jobs] yet,B次元官网网址� the employee said.
Spokesperson Vincent Power said the liquidation of store inventory wonB次元官网网址檛 start until sometime after Oct. 19.
Pending court approval, Hillside will likely stay open for about six weeks, though an employee of the subcontractor that runs a garden centre on site at Hillside said theyB次元官网网址檒l be removing their assets as soon as possible.
B次元官网网址淭hese are our assets, weB次元官网网址檙e not waiting to see what happens to them.B次元官网网址�
The initial announcement came in June, when Sears announced it would in the midst of court protection and restructuring. The chain has reported significant losses over the past year.
ItB次元官网网址檚 been an even tougher go for Sears Canada employees as the chain reported it would likely be unable to .
In total, Sears is looking to close its 74 remaining B次元官网网址渇ull lineB次元官网网址� stores, such as Hillside, as well as eight Home stores (furniture and appliances only) and 49 Hometown stores, which are run in small communities.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping our retail employees can bring their experience and their point-of-sale experience to other retailers, itB次元官网网址檚 certainly a valuable [skill set],B次元官网网址� Power said. B次元官网网址淭hese closures have nothing to do with how the [Hillside] team has performed, rather, itB次元官网网址檚 a sign of the times.B次元官网网址�
- With files from Katya Slepian and Ashley Wadhwani
