Kitchen Collection Closing 160 Stores by End of the Year

The firm that owns Kitchen Collection said it is closing down all of the chain's 160 stores across the United States by the end of 2019. Google Street View

The firm that owns Kitchen Collection announced it is closing down all of the chain’s 160 stores across the United States by the end of 2019.

Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co. said it will start sales at the stores within the coming days that will last until the holiday season before that stores shut down by the end of the year. As reported by MarketWatch, about 800 people are employed at the stores.

“While operating losses have moderated from the prior year in the first half of 2019, Kitchen Collection continues to experience decreased comparable store sales as a result of declining foot traffic due to the consumer shift to e-commerce sales,” Hamilton Beach Chief Executive Gregory Trepp said on Tuesday, according to the news outlet.

A Kitchen Collection in Southern California. Google Street View

In a news release, the chain said it is offering discounts.

Benjamin Nortman, who is the CEO of liquidation firm Hilco Merchant Resources, stated in the release: “Kitchen Collection shoppers will be amazed not only by the incredible savings, but also by the great selections available at the closing sale. Iconic brands KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Nordic Ware, Anchor Hocking, Wusthof and Lodge, plus Hamilton Beach exclusive offerings and Kitchen Collection’s own private label are included in this closing sale. We encourage consumers to shop early and take advantage of these offers as we enter into the holiday shopping season.”

Kitchen Collection has locations in more than three-dozen states across the country, according to the news release.

Hamilton Beach shares have declined 29 percent so far in 2019, noted MarketWatch.

More Closures

Sears is slated to close at least 121 Sears and Kmart stores by January 2020 across the United States. Business Insider compiled a list of the stores that are closing, saying the report was compiled based on company filings and statements to local media outlets.

The news outlet said that employees at several stores confirmed the Sears is closing down.

A dismantled sign sits leaning outside a Sears department store one day after it closed as part of multiple store closures by Sears Holdings Corp in the United States in Nanuet, New York on Jan. 7, 2019. Mike Segar/Reuters

A Kmart department store is seen in Springfield, Virginia, Oct. 23, 2014. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Following the latest round of closures, there could be fewer than 300 Kmart and Sears locations around the country.

The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported that about a fourth of the 425 Sears and Kmart stores that were brought out of bankruptcy by financier Edward Lampert have closed or are set to close. The Journal cited sources close to the situation.