MOOSIC -- Two Kmart and two Sears stores in our area are among the dozens Sears Holdings plans to close in January.
Kmart's latest round of closures has come to Birney Avenue in Moosic. It is news Monica Maus wasn't surprised to hear but disappointed all the same.
"This Kmart is small-town, it's not generic, across-the-country fee like you get with the bigger retailers. This is a small-town Kmart and they know you, they know when you walk in," Maus said.
This Kmart location is one of 45 throughout the country its owner Sears has announced will close. It's the last Kmart in Lackawanna County.
Some shoppers were already stopping in for closeout deals and to say goodbye to employees they've gotten to know.
"The atmosphere was nice and quiet and everybody took care of everybody, the personnel is fantastic," said Walter Kopko of Nanticoke.
Kmart officials say most of the jobs lost here are part-time and those employees will be able to apply for positions at other Kmart locations. There are four employees here who just transferred after another Kmart location in Dickson City closed earlier this year.
Shoppers say they feel like they're running out of options.
"Don't get me wrong, Walmart isn't that far, but this was the quickest," said Vickie McCormick of Moosic. "If Dollar Tree doesn't have it, run down to Kmart and they usually do. Now, if we don't find anything, we're going to have to go the whole way up to Walmart."