San Clemente Sears Reverts to Kmart

Shoppers have less than a month to snap up deeply discounted merchandise at Sears Essentials off Camino de Estrella. Then it's closing down to reopen as a Kmart in late February.

Kim Freely, a spokeswoman for Sears Holdings, which owns Sears, Kmart and a constellation of other brands, said the store would close for two days starting Feb. 20 and officially open as Kmart on Feb. 22, although the grand opening will be celebrated March 10.

The store had been a Kmart for decades until 2005, when the Kmart and Sears companies merged.

"We're doing this with several locations around the country," Freely said. "We're listening to customers about what product offerings they want."

The revamped store will sell more apparel and fewer appliances, but it will hang onto a line of Craftsman tools, Freely said.

The store will add dry goods and some fresh and frozen foods, minus produce, she said.