- Even if they've never been, many Houstonians probably recognize this Sears from driving by on I-69. (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
- The Sears on South Main Street is having a final sale on fixtures through Feb. 9. (Photo Credit: Florian Martin)
Houston's Midtown has new apartments and cafes but one of its oldest businesses is closing.
Around lunchtime Monday, a few shoppers were taking advantage of the final sale for fixtures and furniture at the Sears on South Main Street.
Juan Lopez, of Greenspoint, got a fridge and some shelves for half off.
He said he doesn't usually shop here but he's still sad that the store is closing, "because this is a Houston icon. It's been here for such a long time," he said. "But, you know, if they gotta close, they gotta close, I guess."
This is not the only Sears store facing closure. The company shuttered nearly 400 Sears and Kmart stores last year and plans to close an additional 163 this year, citing falling sales and losses.
"A lot of them are suffering because of the transition of consumers to online buying," said Utpal Dholakia, a marketing professor at Rice University.
He doesn't expect for another department store to open here. But he said it's likely that other types of retail, restaurants or apartments would be successful in this gentrifying part of Midtown.