The Sears store in West Hartford will close its doors for good by the end of January, luring customers in with big, bright liquidation signs in the meantime.
"I was coming up here anyways, but I haven’t found too much," said Shirley Marturano, a shopper from New Britain.
In some cases, items under Sears’ store-closing time crunch cost more than they do online.
For example, the department store has a Land’s End wool coat at 30 percent off of its $149 price tag. With sales and a promo code found online, that same jacket costs just $37 on the Land’s End website.
“I’m not surprised at all,” said Sears customer Carmen Martinez. “Sometimes you’re better off—well, you’re better off always searching, but I’m not surprised.”
NBC Connecticut’s consumer team found similar questionable bargains in May 2016, when Putnam’s Kmart, also owned by Sears, went through its liquidation.
A few days before the store started its sale, Kmart advertised a 32-inch LED television on sale for $199. During liquidation, that same TV was 20 percent off of a new price tag of $240, saving customers less than five percent from both its previous price and competitors’ prices online.
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NBC Connecticut reached out to Sears for comment on both liquidation sales:
"The online inventory of Lands’ End merchandise is more expansive than what is currently carried in the store, which has limited colors and sizes. If the customer finds a lower price on an identical Lands’ End model number (including size and color) for sale at another retail store or online, Sears will match that price."
According to retail expert Kyle James, consumers can find a good deal at final sale -- if they’re willing to wait.
"That last week — in many cases, you might be able to find a great deal then," James said. "But right when it starts? Probably not."
