MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Sears store in Moorestown will close, company officials said Wednesday afternoon. Liquidation sales will begin later this week, and the stores are slated to close in mid-April, a spokesperson for the company that owns both Sears and Kmart said.

"After careful review, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart stores in West Long Branch, and the Sears stores in Moorestown and Woodbridge," Transformco spokesperson Larry Costello said. "The liquidation sales will begin later this week and the stores are planned to close in mid-April. We encourage customers to continue shopping on Kmart.com and Sears.com for all their product needs." Sears is currently located at the Moorestown Mall, 400 Route 38 in Moorestown. A representative from the mall recently requested a meeting with the township to discuss the situation. Read more here: Mall Owner Seeks Discussion With Township Amid Zoning Decisions

While other shopping centers in South Jersey have struggled, the Moorestown Mall has been undergoing a transformation for the past several years, adding new retailers and becoming more of a dining destination with the addition of businesses such as Joe Italiano's Maplewood and Hash House A Go Go, among others. Herman said he wants to see the township and PREIT be able to work cooperatively without emailing documents back and forth.

The news comes as township council is considering looking into using the mall for a mixed-use overlay district, integrating both retail and housing.

The news also comes as a large number of retailers and restaurants have announced they're leaving the state — leaving more than 600 layoffs in their wake as New Jersey is apparently dealing with what's been called a nationwide "retail apocalypse." At least 33 stores have announced in recent days that they've closed, or they're planning to close very soon. A number of major national chains such as Sears and Forever 21 have also announced closings in New Jersey and elsewhere. Read more: New NJ Closures: 33 Stores, Restaurants Shutting; 600 Lose Jobs



Many of them are popular chains, too, that either ran into bankruptcy or decided to downsize stores "that no longer meet the standards our customers expect from us," according to Bed Bath & Beyon, which closed two stores in New Jersey.

