An anchor store in downtown Fergus Falls is closing its doors soon, as the couple who have owned and run it, have decided to retire.
The announcement came on Aug. 3, that Keith and Bernadette Erickson had decided to retire.
Bernadette said that while the announcement appeared abrupt, they had actually decided in January to retire and attempted to sell the store to a new owner.
“We were hoping we could get someone to take over the store and that didn’t happen. We’ve been working nearly seven days a week,” said Bernadette.
Bernadette said that was a major factor in their decision to close the store.
Businesses in Fergus Falls and Otter Tail County and around the country are struggling right now to find available employees in what many are calling the great resignation.
As a result, the Fergus Falls store’s last day of business will be Aug. 6.
Bernadette said that they were very thankful for the long time employees they did have. Russ Muchow, who was at the store for eight years and part-time employee Wally Manderud.
The Erickson’s bought the chain outlet that sells everything from tools, appliances and other household goods in 2012.
The current inventory will be distributed to other Sears Hometown locations. The other nearest Sears Hometown is in Little Falls.
Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores was founded in April 2012, as a spin off from Sear Holdings. According to the latest figures from 2019 there are 639 stores across 49 states as well as in Puerto Rico and Bermuda that are considered independent franchisees.
The original Sears stores nationwide started in 1893 in Chicago, but its origins actually came from Minnesota when Richard Warren Sears started a mail-order watch company in Minneapolis in 1886, called the R.W. Sears Watch Company.
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