Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood — Area shoppers will have one less option in the coming months after Sears Holdings confirmed for the Daily Globe Tuesday that Ironwood’s Kmart will close its doors in mid-April.
According to Howard Riefs, director of corporate communications for Sears Holdings, the store in the Ironwood Plaza off Cloverland Drive will begin its liquidation sale Jan. 25.
“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model,” Riefs said in an email to the Daily Globe.
According to Riefs, the store has 47 employees. Those who are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at other Sears or Kmart stores.
Riefs said most associates at the store are part-time or hourly.
According to information on Kmart’s website, the closest Kmart stores are in Superior and Medford Wis., and Duluth.
According to KBJR-TV6, the Superior store — as well as one in Virginia, Minn. — is also closing.
A WDIO-TV10 report indicates the Duluth location will remain open.
Information on the Sears website indicates the closest stores are Hometown Dealer stores in Ashland and Park Falls, Wis.
Those with layaway contracts will have the option to either pay off the contract early, Riefs said, or transfer the contracts to neighboring stores or online.
Riefs said the company is communicating with its layaway customers as they visit the store to make payments.
A manager at the Ironwood store declined to comment, referring the Daily Globe to the corporate community relations phone number.
