End of an Era: Sears Closed These Stores in 2023

Sears used to be one of the behemoths of the department store world. It was the go-to place for everything from clothing to appliances, furniture, and more.

But times have changed. Today, you can get these items at any online retail sites and platforms, and you can often do so at savings that help you get ahead financially.

As a result, Sears stores have been closing down for some time now. That trend is continuing in 2023. If you're still a Sears loyalist, keep reading to see if your local store is closing this soon.

Residents of North Carolina said goodbye to the state's final Sears store this year. The Greensboro location was the last one standing and went out with a huge closeout sale in the spring.

The store is now closed, and with it, a chapter of retail history in the state has ended. The location was another casualty of the company's financial struggles.

Pennsylvania also recently said farewell to the former powerhouse of the brick-and-mortar retail world.

The largest Sears in the state was located in Capital City Mall. In 2017, the full-line Sears closed only to open a new Sears Appliances & Mattresses immediately. But that location was slated for closure in 2023.

The last full-line Sears in Pennsylvania announced in 2022 that it would close its doors. Transformoco (which owns Sears) said it would redevelop the property at the Willow Grove Park shopping center in Montgomery County.

Sears will soon be a distant memory in Colorado, as the final location shuttered its doors for good in June of this year. The Sears Appliance store was located in Fort Collins.

The location was open for over 50 years and announced its liquidation sale in mid-May, along with its June 18 closing date.

However, this is not the only department store to permanently shut its doors in the area this year. A Macy's in the same shopping mall also closed earlier in the spring.

2023 has not been a great year for Sears in Louisiana. Earlier in the year, locations in both DeRidder and Bogalusa shut their doors for good.

That left one last store operating in Lafayette. However, store closure signs were posted outside this final location in May of this year, putting Sears on the path to becoming just a memory in the Pelican State.

This Sears Home & Life store opened in 2019 and is still listed as open on the official Sears site. If you're a local, head over to say your goodbyes and pick up some heavily discounted merchandise.

The former retail giant is now a rare commodity in the U.S., with around a dozen locations currently standing. Even then, not all of them are technically operational.

For example, there are four locations in California, including Concord, Stockton, Whittier, and Burbank. However, the Burbank location is listed as temporarily closed.

Nothing is listed on the Burbank store's Facebook page regarding whether this closure is permanent or just for regular maintenance or revamp purposes. California ties with Florida as having the most operational Sears locations, at just three each.

There are two stores still open in Texas and one each in Virginia, Kansas, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.

The decline of major department stores such as Sears is a hard pill to swallow for people still dedicated to brick-and-mortar shopping experiences.

However, this reflects a more significant shift in shopping habits as a whole. With the advent of e-commerce monoliths such as Amazon, it's hard not to give in to their convenience, even at the cost of long-standing retail icons.

As you console yourself over the loss of Sears, remember that it's been replaced by other online and brick-and-mortar retailers that let you get what you need at a price that can boost your bank account.