TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Sears management has told employees the Titusville store, open for nearly half a century, will close next month, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
The troubled department store brand has been shuttering stores across the country for several years as it faced stiff competition from discount chains, and online retailers.
Sears' other two stores are on Merritt Island, at the Merritt Square Mall, and on Babcock Street in Melbourne. There's no word on the future of those stores.
Once one of the retail world's top department store brands, Sears' star began fading as Walmart, Target and membership retailers like Sam's and Costco grew more popular with shoppers.
And, as more and more people started spending their retail dollars online, many believe Sears' demise was imminent. Company executives have vowed to keep the Sears brand alive and have been selling real estate, brands and other assets to raise cash.
Last year, for example, Sears sold its popular Craftsman tool brand to Black & Decker for $900 million. Once sold exclusively at Sears, the Craftsman brand recently started showing up on the shelves at Lowe's and other retailers.
In Titusville, Sears is the biggest tenant of the property known as the Searstown Mall on U.S. 1.
Like its one-time competitor, the Miracle City Mall (anchored by J. C. Penney) the Searstown Mall was a premiere shopping plaza for North Brevard County during the 1970s and much of the 1980s.
The Miracle City Mall, after J.C. Penney closed, was demolished in 2015. It was redeveloped into the Titus Landing shopping area.