HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.-- A list of 79 Sears and Kmart stores seen slated for closing nationally has been released by Sears Corporation. So far, none of the stores listed for closing are in Illinois.
Sears originally said as many as 120 stores might be closed because of a downturn in sales for both Sears and Kmart.
The announcement angered some Illinois lawmakers, since the General Assembly approved $15 million in tax breaks for Sears in order to keep its headquarters in Hoffman Estates.
Illinois Senator Bill Brady says he wasn't surprised by Sears' actions.
"Thousands of stores that they have within their empire, so to speak, had to be protected and preserved, and that was a decision they had to make. We knew when we were negotiating to keep the corporate jobs here, several thousand jobs that would be good for Illinois, that Sears might have to make difficult decisions based on how the stores performed on a per-store basis, and we respect that," says Brady.
Governor Quinn talked with Sears' CEO Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Governor was pleased with outcome.
Still more stores, as many as 40, could still be announced for closing within the next few weeks.
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