The manager of Saskatoon’s downtown mall says he’ll wait for official word from the courts before contemplating a replacement for Sears Canada.
The company announced Tuesday it would seek a judge’s permission to sell off its remaining stores after failing to find a buyer willing to continue operating them. Sears Canada previously sought protection from its creditors back in June.
Terry Napper, general manager of Midtown Plaza, said it was too early to think about what might happen with the Sears store in Saskatoon following Tuesday’s announcement.
“Until the courts make a decision, which I’m not sure when that will be, we have a lease with Sears which we are honouring and they are honouring and it’s business as usual,” he said.
Napper said Sears occupies about 160,000 square feet in Midtown Plaza, representing between 15 and 18 per cent of the mall’s total space.
Sears first occupied its current location as a Simpsons-Sears store starting in 1968. Simpsons-Sears changed its name to Sears Canada in 1984.