Sears stores close their doors for the last time

Sears is locking up its doors for the last time today and many people, including its customers and loyal employees, are feeling the loss.

Wanda Hargroveworked for the company for 40 years. Today she lost her job, but with the store's closure she's lost what she describes as her family.

Hargrove even returned to work at Sears after her retirement because she felt so connected to a retailer that gave her her first job.

"[I feel] sadness," she said. "I was just a little girl when I started here."

Hargrove worked in every department the store has.

"I learned a lot," she said.

She will miss talking with the customers the most, though she found the four months since Sears announced the closure to be a struggle.

Hargrove said there were many teary days, and many of the employees plan to meet up on the first Tuesday of every month.

The history of Sears

The company opened its first store in 1952 as Simpson-Sears, a collaboration between Robert Simpson and Sears Roebuck Co. in the United States.

The company had success through catalog sales and continue to grow into online ordering, in a partnership with IBM and Bell Canada.

Harold Buckingham remembers the store in its heyday.

"I was quite sad when I went in there today," he said. "When I was a kid, they had the best wrenches and the best tools."

Woodstock got its first Sears in 1967, followed by theMoncton Simpson-Sears in 1970 and then the Fredericton store in 1973.

Customers are also sad to see the landmark store go.

• Sears enters final days, staff feel relief and sorrow

"It's sad, a lot people are losing their jobs," said Francis Chapman.

As for Wanda Hargrove, she said she has many irons in the fire for the next move in her life. She hopes to get in touch with her artsy side.