BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — One of the Mercer Mall’s anchor retail stores — Sears — will be closing its Bluefield store in December, according to a press release from Sears Holding Inc. Sears had been one of the mall’s premier stores for more than three decades. By noon on Wednesday, word of the closing had spread through the Mercer Mall.
“The Sears store and Sears Auto Center in Bluefield will close to the public in early December,” according to a press release from Howard Riefs, director of corporate communications for Sears Holdings. “Until then, the store will remain open for customers.”
“Sears was among the first stores to open at the mall,” Nick Ameli said. Ameli opened Ameli’s Appliance Store at the Mercer Mall in about 1981. It was the fourth store in his chain. “Retail appliance stores used to be a lot of fun. I don’t know how much fun they are any more.”
According to the press release, the store’s liquidation sale will begin in 8 days on Sept. 26…