On Monday, the Hometown Sears store located at 3725 E. Main Road, in the town of Pomfret was completely empty. A representative with Lake Shore Savings Bank was at the property, inspecting it. He said the building was owned by their bank but had no other information on the business.

Just last week, Sears had appliances, lawn equipment and snowblowers on the property. However the lights were off and a homemade sign was posted in the window that stated “Closed due to electrical issue.” There were still official Sears stickers on the windows, stating the stores’ hours and advertising for various appliances.

By Monday, the store had nothing inside. The listed phone number for the business was disconnected.

Customers were still pulling in the driveway Monday afternoon, looking to either make a purchase or pay their bills.

Over the winter, Sears had been advertising for someone to purchase the business. The ad stated, “Sears Hometown Stores is seeking a creative entrepreneur who can drive future growth in the Fredonia, NY market area.”

Individuals were asked to contact Scott Powell, DSM. The last ad run was published on Jan. 31. On Monday, the phone number listed in the ad was no longer in service. At the advertised website “www.ownasearsstore.com” it states there are no existing New York state stores for sale.

Unlike most Sears stores, the Fredonia Hometown Sears store only sold appliances, electronics, lawn and garden items, and tools. It was not a full store like the one in the Chautauqua Mall that recently closed.

According to Sears’ website, Sears Hometown Stores businesses are independently owned and operate under license from Sears, Roebuck and Co. They sell Sears brand products such as Kenmore, Craftsman and Diehard as well as a wide assortment of other national brands.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores was founded in April 2012. As of last December, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores and its independent dealers and independent franchisees operated a total of 722 stores across all 50 states.