Editorial: Sears stores in Hawaii fading away

Folks of a certain age will remember when department stores were the places to shop, an expansive multifloor experience for everything from clothing, to bedding, to power tools.

Another window into that bygone era will close in April, when Sears is expected to close two more of its stores in Hawaii: at Pearlridge center and the Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo. For the once-iconic Sears, now struggling to cut costs, that’ll leave stores here just at Maui’s Queen Kaahumanu Center and Kailua-Kona’s Hale Hana Center; the Sears Hometown store at Ala Moana Center sells only appliances and mattresses.