Sears is closing its store in Burbank—which will leave just one location standing in all of California, reports the San Jose Mercury News. The only remaining California store—after the Burbank closure and a previously announced one in Whittier this month—will be in Concord. However, KTLA suggests even the Concord store may remain only "a bit longer." Once the Burbank and Whittier stores shutter, the company will have just six stores nationwide, a stark contrast to its heyday of 3,500 locations dominating the American retail landscape. The other five are in Miami; Orlando, Florida; El Paso, Texas; Braintree, Massachusetts; and Puerto Rico.
Sears, which declared bankruptcy in 2018, has been reeling for years. In addition to widespread store closures, it's been selling off assets and brands such as Craftsman. The company, however, continues to run its Sears Home Services division, focusing on appliance repair and home improvement. Its steep decline began in the 1990s amid the rise of big-box competitors and e-commerce—and a shift away from the model of anchoring brick-and-mortar shopping malls.