Kmart and 2 more Sears stores closing; Macy's in NJ remain open

The last Kmart store within the Jersey Shore region is set to shutter its doors, the company has announced, along with two more Sears stores in New Jersey.

"After careful review, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart stores in West Long Branch and the Sears stores in Moorestown and Woodbridge," Sears Holdings PR Director Larry Costello said in a written response to New Jersey 101.5 News.

The liquidation sales will begin later this week and the three stores are planned to close in mid-April, according to Costello, who also said "We encourage customers to continue shopping on Kmart.com and Sears.com for all their product needs."

There was no further statement Wednesday as to whether any more store locations would be shut in NJ.

In August, the company announced four Kmart stores would close in Somers Point, Trenton, Wall and Wayne. A few months later, in December, they added the Sears store at Freehold Raceway Mall to the list.

As reported by NJ Advance Media, the latest announcement leaves four Kmart stores open in New Jersey, in Avenel, Belleville, Kearny and Westwood.

Parent company Sears Holdings has been closing Sears and Kmart stores in New Jersey and around the country since even before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018.

Another heritage retail chain, Macy's, appears focused on downsizing out of state, for now.

"Macy’s plans to close approximately 125 of its least productive stores over the next three years, including approximately 30 stores that are in the process of closure now," according to a business update Tuesday from Macy's.

An email to Macy's was not immediately returned Wednesday.

As reported by CNBC, none of the planned closures of Macy’s stores are in New Jersey, though many are in the eastern half of the United States and the Northwest.

There are 24 Macy's department stores in New Jersey in the following municipalities, according to the company's website:
Bridgewater
Cherry Hill
Deptford
East Brunswick
Eatontown, 2 locations
Edison
Freehold
Jersey City
Lawrenceville
Livingston
Maple Shade
Mays Landing
North Brunswick
Paramus, 3 locations
Rockaway
Short Hills
Springfield
Toms River
Wayne, 2 locations
Woodbridge