Sears/Kmart closing 72 more stores

The company that owns Sears and Kmart plans to close 72 stores nationwide, but none are in the central San Joaquin Valley, which has already been hit with closures.

Earlier this year Kmart stores in Coalinga and Kingsburg closed during a round that shuttered 150 stores.

According to Business Insider, this week’s closures include 16 Sears stores, 49 Kmart stores and seven auto centers. The full list of closures is on Business Insider’s website.

The company is struggling, with one recent headline saying it’s in a “death spiral” and an analyst comparing it to the sinking Titanic. It recently sold off its popular Craftsman line of tools.

However, the manager of Manchester Center in Fresno says its Sears is one of the company’s top-performing stores.

Sears and Kmart face the same challenges as other stores that have closed in the Valley. Shoppers are increasingly turning to online retailers and going to discount stores. Trendy fast-fashion stores like Forever 21 are also luring away young shoppers.

This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 9:08 AM with the headline "Sears/Kmart closing 72 more stores."