'What a disappointment': Sears store in Corner Brook among 59 closing

The Sears store in Corner Brook is among the locations getting the axe, but it's the only closure slated for Newfoundland and Labrador.

• Sears Canada to close 59 stores, lay off 2,900 in restructuring

"What a disappointment," saysMayor CharlesPender, shaking his head as he looked at the Sears sign outside the Corner Brook Plaza.

"All my appliances in my house came from Sears," he said.

Pendersaid the retailer has been an institution in the community for more than 40 years.

The store on the island's west coast is among the 59 to be shuttered as part of a court-supervised restructuring process. The closures will result in 2,900 people out of a job.

The retailer wasgranted protection from its creditors Thursdayunder theCompanies' Creditors Arrangement Act the law that covers insolvency proceedings.

'It's a blow'

Despite the impending closure, the Sears store in Corner Brook remaineda busy spot Thursday, with long lines of shoppers at the cash registers.

Staff at the location only found out Thursdaythe store is closing.

"I would say there are people in this store that have been there their whole career for tens of years, for sure," said Pender.

"It's a blow to them, their families and the larger economy when you see shutdowns like this."

Big retailers, big consequences

Penderis now concerned the Sears closure could affect other businessesbecause of itshigh traffic locationthe mall.

"Hopefully the owner of the plaza can attract some other stores to set up here," he said.

Sears is the biggest store in the Corner Brook Plaza, and sells clothes, appliances and furniture. Once it closes, the mallwill have two large vacant spaces because Target closed its store in January 2015.

Penderis encouraging residents to shop local, instead of online, andsaidsmaller cities, like Corner Brook, aren't able to recover as easily from nationwide trends.

"Unfortunately, as a regional centre, we tend to get the bigger retailers and when they get hit by whatever the conditions are in the world-wide markets, we suffer from that as well."