There’s been a Sears store in Henderson for more than 60 years, but that’s about to change: the Sears store on Dabney Drive is closing its doors on June 27. Friday marked Day 1 of a liquidation sale, and Store Manager T.W. Floyd said business has been brisk.
Business used to be brisk when Floyd’s dad, Thomas Floyd, was the manager of the Sears store, too, from 1956 to 1986.
The senior Floyd retired after 30 years, and he reflected about his time with the company.
“I gave my life to Sears,” he told WIZS News via telephone Friday. There were long hours, to be sure, but Floyd said he loved every minute of it. “We were the center of sales,” he recalled. “We were busy, busy, busy.”
The first Sears location was right in the center of downtown on Garnett Street, Floyd recalled From there, the store moved to Rose Avenue and then ultimately, to its current 9,100 square foot location on Dabney Drive. Each store was bigger than the previous one, Floyd said, trying to keep up with demand for goods from customers.
But over the years, consumers’ buying habits changed, and corporate philosophy shifted to the smaller, hometown store model. The Henderson store is one of about 85 still in operation, but T.W. Floyd said that between the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing supply chain challenges that retailers face, he decided to close the doors when the current contract is up.
Floyd owns the building where Sears is located, and he said Friday he didn’t expect any trouble finding a new tenant.
Floyd, who has managed the current store for 28 years, said both he and his dad followed the “old school” way of putting customer service at the top of the priority list. “It has served us well,” he added.
“We were fortunate to be in business for as long as we have been,” the younger Floyd said, and he said the store had always enjoyed good local support.
Both men said that change is a part of life that should be embraced. “Nothing in life stays the same,” Thomas Floyd said. “We have to adapt to change.”
One thing that IS the same, however is a freezer in the older Floyd’s basement. “I put it there in 1959,” he said proudly, “and it’s never given me a moment’s trouble.
No need to wonder where he purchased it – the brand name was Coldspot before it underwent a name change. To, you guessed it – Kenmore.
