Local Sears Hometown stores thriving

Despite Sears closings stores and a looming possibility of bankruptcy that was announced by the company last month, the local Sears Hometown Store is thriving and “will be around” for years to come.

In September 1959 the Sears Catalog Store opened its doors on East Idaho in Kalispell as the first Sears in the Flathead Valley. The main floor featured furniture displays, major appliances, small appliances and samples of everything from tires to rug and clothe samples. The basement held items that could be picked up immediately, such as batteries and power tools.

Sears quickly grew in popularity, and a catalog store could be found in nearly every major town in the valley, including Columbia Falls, Whitefish and Polson.

Twenty-five years ago this month, the catalog stores closed and in their place came the valley’s first Sears Hometown Store. Unlike the larger department store, Sears Hometown Stores offered a smaller range of products and focused on all things “home” — selling appliances, furniture, lawn and garden equipment and other household necessities.

Jill Sargent, the current owner of the Kalispell store, moved to the Flathead Valley 19 years ago. She had worked in retail in her home state of Washington, but became a stay-at-home mom after she had children. When her children went to school, she decided it was time to get back into the workforce.

She was looking for an opportunity to be her own boss when she stumbled across an advertisement. The local Sears Hometown Store was for sale.

“It’s such a great company,” she said. “We had always bought all our appliances from them, all the way back to when it was just the catalog stores.”

“Anything you needed, you could get,” she added.

The previous owner was retiring, and Sargent took action and bought the store.

Over the years she started noticing that a number of people would travel from as far as Ronan and Polson to shop at the Hometown store.

“They didn’t have the trucks, or for some they weren’t able to lift the heavy appliances ... It wasn’t cost effective for them to have it delivered from Kalispell,” Sargent said.

She responded to the need for another location, and four years ago opened the Sears Hometown Store in Polson.

Sargent describes her stores as more of an appliance store than a Sears — with full kitchen displays and a range of brands offered, including Kenmore, Maytag, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Bosch, Frigidaire and GE, as well as the popular Craftsman tool brand, which was recently acquired by Stanley Black and Decker.

“It’s been good,” she said, “A lot of people come in because they love the Sears name, but we’ve also built a good, loyal, local customer base.”

In October 2012 the Sears Hometown stores separated from Sears Holdings Corporation, and now operate under Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. They continue to operate today as two separate publicly-traded companies.

“Unlike most retail concepts, Sears Hometown Stores combine the value, selection and services associated with larger retail stores but are owned and operated by a member of the local community,” the company stated in a recent press release.

Sargent says that the valley’s two Hometown stores are doing very well, and despite confusion over the financial peril of Sears Holdings, the local stores will continue to serve the valley for years to come.

The Sears Hometown Store in Kalispell is located at 1105 U.S. Highway 2 W. For more information call 406-755-5768 or go to http://www.searshometownstores.com/home/mt/kalispell/3248.

Reporter Alyssa Gray may be reached at 758-4433 or agray@dailyinterlake.com.