Closed! Remaining Hudson Valley Sears Location Shutters

Although we've become accustomed to businesses closing their doors, both locally owned and major retailers, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, this one marks a significant closure in the Hudson Valley, and even New York State. The remaining Sears location in the Hudson Valley has officially closed their doors.

Newburgh Mall Sears Location Officially Closes

On Sunday October 16th, the remaining Hudson Valley location of a once booming department store (in a one-time very popular mall) closed their doors for good, signaling the closure of the remaining Sears location in both the Hudson Valley, and New York State. The Newburgh Mall Sears location closure comes as the area prepares to open the doors to Resorts World Hudson Valley, just down the hall.

YouTube: Bland Malls Corp

Although there are still Sears 'stores' in the state, they aren't full-service retail, but rather 'Sears Hometown' locations that specialize in appliances or tools.

Heather Ballard, one of the admins for the Hudson Valley in Pictures Facebook group, took some time to visit the Newburgh Mall Sears location on closing day, capturing some sad photos of an empty store that at one time was filled with shoppers and products. At the time of her visit, the only thing that remained in the structure were empty racks and displays.

Heather Ballard

On closing day, a Sears employee shared with Ballard that the location would soon be home to an arcade. Ballard shared the following sentiments regarding the closure:

I still have an old Christmas sears catalog. We have shopped here since the late 1990s, furnishing our home with their craftsman tools, bath towels, and even got our bed mattress last year. It is what it is, still so sad to see this today.

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Sears Department Store Hudson Valley History Lesson

The Hudson Valley was one booming with Sears store locations, but over the past several years, one by one, they closed their doors.

The Galleria at Crystal Run Sears closed for business in 2017, with the Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston location following suit the next year. Amid the initial wave of COVID in 2020, the Poughkeepsie Galleria Sears location announced their plans to close, and now the Newburgh Mall closure marks the end of a lengthy tenure for the department store in the Hudson Valley.

Prior to moving into the Newburgh Mall when the mall officially opened in 1980, Sears operated for a number of years on Broadway in the city of Newburgh.

Do you remember other Hudson Valley department stores that are no longer around, what about these classics?

Hudson Valley Says Goodbye To Over 100 Businesses

A Look Inside Abandoned Ames Department Store in NY

Ames Department stores were once prevalent throughout the United States, including here in the Capital Region and other parts of New York. At one time, there were about 700 stores nationwide.

I remember buying my first DVD player at the store in Latham when it was having its going out of business sale in the early 2000's. That location is now a Hobby Lobby.

In 2002, there were between 300 and 400 stores. The company was declining in sales and shut down operations permanently.

This former store is located in Horseheads, NY, in the state's Southern Tier between Elmira and the Finger Lakes. What makes it unique is the fact that sign and external design of the store still remain. In fact, the power still works in the building - as these urban explorers found out when they were making their way through the building.

Inside the store, not much retail history remains, though there are some colorful counters and maybe the remains of some signs on the floor. It also appears some squatters may have been calling it home at some point.

As expected, floor tiles are deteriorating, ceiling tiles are non-existent, there's garbage and debris, but neatly piled into different areas, so somebody is keeping an eye on it. Graffiti is seen in different parts of the former store as well.

It looks like some work may have been done on the facility in the past as it looks 'relatively' clean for a store that's been abandoned for around twenty years.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Source: Closed! Remaining Hudson Valley Sears Location Shutters

Filed Under: Sears