The Last Sears In North Carolina

 At the Sears Department Store here in Greensboro at the Friendly Center, a banner appeared across the front of the store.

It was alas a banner a long time coming and sadly inevitable.  

STORE CLOSING  

The Sears in the Friendly Center was the last Sears open in North Carolina.  

To be honest, I kind of thought the Greensboro Sears was already closed given the paucity of cars to be found in the parking lot.  

This Sears was important to me in a lot of ways. 

My Sears charge card was my first credit card. 

My first dentist and eye doctor as an adult were on site at the Sears store. 

I relied on the Sear auto center next door for my car repairs. 

It was also at Sears the last time I ever saw the first woman who ever said she loved me. I saw her coming down the escalator with her husband. 

I still remember that pain. Thanks, Sears! 

I used to work for Sears back in the 90's in one of the credit card centers. That center closed about 20 years ago. 

My wife Andrea used to work at the Sears telecatalog center. helping customers processing orders from then ubiquitous Sears catalog.  

When I was a little kid, I loved the Sears catalog, especially the double page spreads in the toy section of all the cool G I Joe gear. I knew my parents couldn't get me all of it but it was fun to dream about.  

Later when I was older, the women's lingerie section of the Sears catalog was the center of my attention.  

The once mighty Sears retail empire is sliding towards extinction. With the loss of the Greensboro store, I believe there may be about 18 Sears stores still open in the entire country. 

The loss of something of significance from my personal history and the American landscape.