Closing sale signs at the Silverdale Sears indicate that the venerable department store is nearing its final closure.

The local Sears store has been a part of the Kitsap Mall since 1985, offering a range of products from Kenmore appliances to clothing.

According to searsholding.com, the company decided in early August to close 21 full-service Sears in late October through mid-November. Five other stores under the Kmart brand, which Sears owns, also will be closing. Liquidation sales at these stores began on or around Aug. 15. The Silverdale Sears location was not part of the total 26 stores listed, but it appears to be following the same protocol as the affected stores.

“Following these steps, we will continue to evaluate our network of Sears and Kmart stores, and cannot rule out additional store closures in the near term,” the document reads. “Our goal remains to return the company to profitability and preserve as many jobs as possible in the communities we serve.”

A customer said that employees have known of the upcoming closure for roughly a week. Silverdale Sears employees who were contacted did not comment when asked about the closure. Kitsap News Group also reached out to the Sears corporate media line, but no one was available to answer.

More to come as this story progresses.