After over 47 years, Sears Canada is no more in Windsor.
The chain's Devonshire Mall location, one of the mall's original anchors, had its last day of sales Sunday. The store is among the remaining Sears Canada properties nationwide that are closing their doors for good.
Customers filed through the store for the final time to look for one last deal. Store shelves and fixtures now primarily remain.
Sears Canada began in 1952 as a joint venture between the Canadian chain Simpsons and the American-based Sears, Roebuck and Company. It was headquartered in Toronto.
In the summer of 2016, Sears Canada had 140 full-line stores across the country, plus over 70 Hometown stores and over 900 catalogue and merchandise-pickup locations. The company filed for creditor protection last summer after a period of sagging sales and closed a series of units, including the Windsor Home Store.
The company tried in vain to find a buyer and continue operating. Sears Canada was given court approval in October to close all of its remaining stores and liquidate its assets. About 12,000 employees across Canada have lost their jobs.
The Windsor store opened along with Devonshire Mall in 1970. Like most Sears department stores, the location had a portrait studio as well as its own optical, watch repair and travel departments. By the time of its final holiday season, which ended two weeks ago, the store employed about 200 people.
Devonshire Mall general manager Chris Savard told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com in October that while the loss of Sears is tough, the mall is going full-steam ahead with a $70-million renovation, including a new Metro supermarket and food court.
Savard said at the time that the mall was leased entirely and business has been solid. The mall has been weighing options on what to do with the Sears space and Savard said the process is in the early stages.