Second-To-Last Illinois Sears Store Closing in Chicago Ridge

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL — One of the last remaining full-line Sears stores in Illinois is slated to close this spring at the Chicago Ridge Mall. Only one Sears store remains, in Schaumburg. The closure marks the demise of what was once America’s largest retailer for much of the 20th century.

Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar confirmed that Transformco, the parent company of Illinois-based Sears and Kmart, notified the village it is shuttering the Sears store, which anchored the north end of the mall facing 95th Street.

“We greatly appreciate their many years of being a wonderful retail resource for our community,” Tokar said in a written statement. “As retail has changed, the Village has continuously worked with Mall ownership to modernize and adapt with the times to keep our mall fresh and vibrant. Just recently, we were able to attract Dick’s Sporting Goods to help anchor the south part of the mall. This addition is rare in the mall industry and shows how well-regarded our mall is.”

The tentative closing date for the Chicago Ridge store at 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue is April 25. A liquidation sale is now underway in all departments.

Despite the once-mighty retail giant’s waning fortunes, Tokar told Patch that the Chicago Ridge Sears was still doing well in terms of sales and revenue.

“Everyone was saying it was just a matter of time,” the mayor added.

Dick’s Sporting Goods is taking over half of the former Carson’s space at the south end of the mall, with a projected opening date in late summer. Tokar said in his statement that he had conversations with the CEO of Starwood LLC, which owns the mall, and “received great feedback about the mall’s future.”

“I’ve had my concerns alleviated to a large extent,” Tokar said. “I spoke to the people at the mall, and we expected this to happen sooner or later. We’ve stayed in contact with potential retailers that could fill the space.”

About a half-dozen retailers have expressed interest in the Sears space, but Tokar was not permitted to reveal who they are.

“You will be excited to hear their names,” the mayor said.

Sears Roebuck and Co. began as a late-19th century mail-order business whose catalog featured over 500 pages of merchandise, from clothing and farm implements to furniture, bicycles and firearms — all by mail. As more rural Americans moved to cities, the company reinvented itself as a department store, opening its first brick-and-mortar store in 1925 on Chicago’s West Side, according to the History Channel.

Sears Holdings started shuttering Sears and Kmart stores nationwide in 2018, including south suburban Sears stores in Orland Park, Park Forest, Matteson, Joliet and Calumet City. With the closing of the Chicago Ridge Sears, only the Woodfield Mall location in Schaumburg remains in Illinois.

Nevertheless, Tokar still believes in brick-and-mortar retail.

"I go to the [Chicago Ridge Mall] fairly often," he said. "I was there a couple of days before Valentine's Day. I had to wait in line to get into the Pandora store. It was nice and crowded and has been like that. We're happy."