Popular Sears location a ghost town four years after closing leaving struggling retailer with fewer than 20 US stores

A MAJOR retailer is downsizing its fleet of stores, leaving some commercial spaces empty and abandoned.

Since filing for bankruptcy in 2018, Sears has been shaving away its real estate assets, including one popular Virginia location that now looks more like a ghost town.

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The department store closed its Roanoke's Valley View Mall location just before the pandemic.

Almost all evidence of the company has been erased.

Sears signs have been stripped away, paint is peeling off the walls, the interior is bare, and weeds are crawling in the parking area.

In the spirit of the season, a temporary Halloween store will be popping up in part of the large space.

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Unfortunately, the closure is just one among many.

Sears has become another victim of the dreaded retail apocalypse, the trend of closures among many brick-and-mortar retail stores.

However, there is a glimmer of hope. In some areas, vacant lots have been redeveloped and houses new businesses.

Since shutting down four years ago, the retired Sears store has also been used as a vaccination clinic.

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Transformco Properties, the owner, has not announced if there are further long-term plans for the space.

Across the country, other previous Sears locations have been converted into apartments, townhomes, and even a casino.

Sears was once the largest retailer on the globe, according to a report by Business Insider.

The popular big-box department store peeked in the 1980s, selling affordable merchandise, including household goods and hardware.

Multiple factors led to the dissolution of the billion-dollar business.

Intensifying competition with other brands and the climbing preference for online shopping took a big hit on the company.

Now, less than 20 Sears locations are left in the country.