BREAKING: Sears at Queen Ka’ahumanu in Maui officially closes November 14

After much speculation, the Sears Maui store is officially scheduled to close on November 14, 2021, company officials told Maui Now.

This week, signs were posted on front doors signaling an impending closure with messages that a store closing sale is in progress and “Everything must go.”

Transformco, the parent company of Sears, plans to shut down the Kahului-Maui site in order to “redevelop and reinvigorate the property,” according to a director of corporate communications, Larry Costello, with Transformco, which includes Sears, Kmart and Kenmore.

Sears’ parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2018; and earlier this year, Forbes reported that two Hawai’i stores – at ‘Aiea on O’ahu and Hilo on the island of Hawai’i – were added to a list of stores that are expected to close.

This left Maui as the only full-line Sears store in the Islands, with a full line of services including automotive, parts repair, appliances, portrait, clothing, fitness, footwear and clothing. jewelry.

There is still a Sears Hale Hana center in Kailua Kona, Hawai’i, which operates like a small Hometown store with only a handful of employees. This store is limited to appliances, certain lawn and garden equipment, Craftsman tools, grills and vacuums. Another small format store, Sears Appliance and Mattress, is listed on the company’s website at 1455 Ala Moana Blvd. in Honolulu on O’ahu.

The 86,861 square foot space in Maui, located at the east end of the mall, is offered for rent by JLL, which advertises the location as an “extremely rare opportunity” in an “exceptional shopping area” of Maui. . Maui Now has contacted the brokerage manager, but has not received a response at the time of this posting. According to the listing, the land was built in 1972.

With only two department stores on the island, Macy’s remains the sole main tenant of the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center, with a men’s / house store occupying the South Wing and a women’s store located in the West Wing. The center, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, also showcases national brands such as Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works.

In November 2020, US Bank, on behalf of the holders of commercial mortgage-backed securities, filed an application for foreclosure of the mall, claiming the owner had defaulted on an $ 88.5 million loan.

Explaining the closure of the Maui store, representatives from Transformco said, “It is part of the company’s strategy to unlock real estate value and seek the highest and best use for the benefit of the community. local community. “

Details of the redevelopment will be announced as plans are finalized, but the goal, according to Transformco, is to “maximize real estate value while improving the consumer experience with popular retailers that cater for changing needs of the community “.

“With the redevelopment of this location focused primarily on retail use, we intend to reinvigorate and maximize real estate value while enhancing the consumer experience with popular retailers that cater to the needs of changing needs of Kahului-Maui, ”said Scott Carr, president of Real. Domain for Transformco.