Last Sears Store In Virginia To Close In Sterling In April

STERLING, VA — The state's only operational Sears department store, located at Dulles Town Center, will permanently close this year, according to job listings on the Sears website. The location is one of many Sears storesthat is scheduled to close by mid-April, according to a report by USA Today.

The Dulles Town Center site is the last Sears department store in Virginia, according to the company website. Some Sears appliance outlets and auto centers are still scattered throughout the state.

Even before boutiques and malls were shut down by the coronavirus outbreak, traditional brick-and-mortar establishments like Sears saw a nosedive in revenue and popularity with the emergence of e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart.

The Sears at Dulles Town Center is the latest casualty for the mall. Dulles Town Center has lost several of its anchor tenants in recent years. Lord & Taylor's Dulles location closed last year, and so did the Sears Auto Center at the mall.

The mall is still anchored by Macy's and J.C. Penney locations. Although, their future is similarly uncertain.

In January, Macy's announced that they would close 45 stores in 2021, according to a report by CNBC. This is part of the company's previously announced plan to close 125 locations by 2023.

J.C. Penney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020. The chain also announced its plan to close more than 150 stores across the country.

After being foreclosed on in October, 2020, Dulles Town Center was purchased by Centennial Advisory Services, according to a press release.

Dulles Town Center's Sears department store had been an anchor of the mall since its grand opening in 1999. In 2021, the department store will serve its final customers.