Sears closes at The Gardens Mall; once-dominant retailer has only two Florida stores left
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Sears, struggling financially for years nationwide, has ended its 36-year run at The Gardens Mall and closed its doors.
The store was one of the original anchor tenants when the mall on PGA Boulevard east of Interstate 95 in Palm Beach Gardens opened in 1988. The others were Burdines, since closed, and the second Macy’s in Florida.
The 147,592-square-foot store was once known for tools, appliances and other household goods, as well as apparel and shoes for the entire family, and even auto repairs.
“A founding department store for Sears Palm Beach Gardens retail destination, Sears will close this month at The Gardens Mall. The Forbes Company, along with their partners, are working together to announce new plans for the repurposing of the two-level retail space,” a Gardens Mall spokesperson said in a statement issued Thursday. Feb. 29.
A sign posted outside the darkened store states the closure was effective Friday, March 1.
Only two Sears stores left in Florida after Gardens Mall store closes
Sears once had stores across Florida as well as the rest of the nation. Only two Sears stores remain open in Florida, one in Coral Gables and one in Orlando.
Sears leases the space at luxury shopping, dining and entertainment complex, which is home to 160-plus specialty shops and restaurants.
Anchors are Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, and the lineup includes Brooks Brothers, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Tiffany & Co. and other high-end stores.
Gardens Mall shooting: Police arrest suspected shooter amid news conference
Miami firm JLL, for Jones Lang LaSalle, is marketing the leasehold interest and touts it as a “strategically positioned big box opportunity.” The average household income within a 5-mile radius is $111,503, and the mall is one of Florida’s most established and affluent trade areas, the firm states.
The mall’s owner, The Forbes Company, LLC, and Sears' corporate office did not immediately respond to requests for information.
How Palm Beach Gardens is growing: New tower proposed for Mira Flores apartment complex
Sears for years tried to lease second floor to Dick's Sporting Goods
Sears came to The Gardens Mall from the old Twin City Mall on Northlake Boulevard, lured there by a 30-year lease with several options to extend it. As the company's finances and shopping habits changed, it began to look for ways to sublease parts of the building, which stands at the mall's east end.
In recent years, Sears' parent company, Transform Operating Stores LLC, and Forbes/Cohen Florida Properties were involved in litigation over Sears' attempts to sublease its second-floor space to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Eventually, Dick’s dropped its plans.
Once the world’s largest retailer, Sears has 13 stores left in the U.S., according to published reports. The company began in 1886 in Minneapolis as a mail-order watch and jewelry service, and it grew to become famous for its catalogs.
In 1973 Sears completed the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago, where it was headquartered.
In 2018, after several years of losses, Sears filed for bankruptcy. At that time, it had 687 stores. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2022 with only 15 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Sears closes store at Gardens Mall, leaving only two Florida outlets
