By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter) with files from The Canadian Press

Sears gets OK to liquidate, affecting 100+ jobs in Lethbridge

Oct 13, 2017 | 11:30 AM

LETHBRIDGE – It’s now official: a storied name in North American retail is about to disappear from the Canadian landscape. But the head of Economic Development Lethbridge says it’s a “sign of the times.”

Ontario Superior Court granted Sears Canada approval Friday, Oct. 13 to liquidate its remaining stores, after hearing that no viable buyer can be found. It will mean the closure of 130 stores, including in Lethbridge, and the elimination of 12,000 jobs.

Trevor Lewington, the CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge, has childhood memories of shopping at Sears with his mother, and said losing more than 100 part-time retail jobs is never good news.

“It’s the nature of changing retail, unfortunately,” Lewington said Friday. “We’ve seen a shift from sort of traditional big-box, or traditional department store-type retail to more online shopping.”

Lewington said it won’t affect the economy long-term, though. He explained Park Place has been working on alternatives for the mall space.

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He said Sears is just the latest company — not just in retail — to fall behind in what he describes as a technology-driven world.

“People are shopping differently. Consumer experience is different. And companies have to adapt to stay competitive,” he explained.

“One of the biggest drivers of this shift in retail is consumers wanting a customizable or a personal experience. So my advice to local business is to find out exactly what your customers need, and make sure you’re tailoring the services you offer and that experience, so when your customer walks into the store, are they getting what they want? I think that’s good advice anytime.

“But the ability to customize what we get through the internet and through our personal devices has really changed the expectation the consumer has walking through any store.”

Sears first arrived on the Canadian retail scene in 1952 as Simpsons-Sears Ltd., a joint venture between the Robert Simpson Co. of Toronto and Chicago-based Sears, Roebuck and Co. The partnership ended when Simpsons was acquired by Hudson’s Bay Co. in 1978 and in 1984 Simpsons-Sears officially changed its name to Sears Canada.

In addition to a thriving chain of department stores, its catalogues were a familiar sight in Canadian homes, particularly the “Wish Book” at Christmas time. Sears-exclusive brands such as Die Hard batteries, Kenmore appliances, and Craftsman tools were household names.

The Sears name continues in the U.S. as a subsidiary of Sears Holdings, which also includes the Kmart chain.