Latest news with #Sears
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
What happened to Columbus' directional malls
The mall, once a crucial part of American life, has struggled and evolved for years. Flashback: Our shopping scene was dominated by a quartet of directional malls and a bustling downtown shopping center, all of which have disappeared. ⬆️ Northland, Central Ohio's first major mall, opened at Morse and Karl roads in 1964 with a Lazarus and a Sears, drawing a reported crowd of 50,000, and was enclosed in 1975. The mall faded over time, and closed completely in 2002. The site has since been redeveloped for a variety of uses, including the Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center. ➡️ Eastland followed that success by opening at Hamilton and Refugee roads in 1968 as Columbus' first enclosed shopping mall. By 2022, Eastland was declared a public nuisance. Columbus now plans a massive redevelopment project for the site. ⬅️ Westland opened in 1969 on West Broad Street with a similar mix of department stores, and enclosed its mall in 1982. It shuttered in 2012, with a remaining Sears store closing in 2017. The mall was finally demolished in 2023 and is now subject to redevelopment plans that include apartments. ⬇️ Southland opened in 1977 on South High Street, featuring a Gold Circle department store and its main draw, a Loews movie theater. The site later became the headquarters for the controversial and defunct Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, space now used by Columbus City Schools. 🏙️ City Center: Once the crown jewel of Columbus malls, the three-story City Center opened downtown on 3rd Street in 1989, anchored by Lazarus and Marshall Field's.
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Industry Veteran Oran Sears Joins iCONECT to Drive Strategic Product Innovation
WASHINGTON & LONDON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- iCONECT, a rising force in public sector compliance and data governance technology, today announced the appointment of Oran Sears as its product leader for iCONECT's Public Sector Division. A recognized thought leader in eDiscovery, data breach response, regulated data systems, and mission-critical product innovation, Sears brings deep cross-sector experience that will strengthen iCONECT's leadership team. His skill set will also help supercharge product innovation in the public sector, law firms, legal service providers, and corporations. iCONECT announces Oran Sears as its product leader for its Public Sector Division. Sears joins iCONECT following a standout tenure at Relativity, where he served on the company's Senior Leadership Team and accelerated the delivery, scalability, and reliability of mission-critical features relied upon by federal agencies, Fortune 100 legal teams, and Legal Service Providers. A member of EDRM's Advisory Board since 2021, he also contributed to the industry-defining EDRM Processing Guidelines, helping establish standards for data processing and protection in complex legal workflows. Previously, as Co-Founder and CTO of Canopy, Sears built one of the industry's first platforms dedicated to data mining and document review in breach response. His innovations earned patents in multiple countries for data classification and compliance automation—technologies that continue to influence next-generation breach response solutions. Earlier in his career, Sears drove product innovation at ZyLAB, a pioneer in legal information governance, and contributed to sensitive national security R&D at Ntrepid, applying machine learning and data visualization to complex intelligence and investigative challenges. His experience also includes work with key public sector entities, including the SEC, FTC, DOJ, and the Executive Office of the President. At iCONECT, Sears will lead the design, development, and scaling of purpose-built solutions for public sector agencies navigating sensitive data, complex compliance mandates, and digital transformation. Beyond his role in the public sector as a member of the senior leadership team, he will play a key part in advancing iCONECT's overall product strategy and driving innovation. His cross-industry perspective and technical leadership will help shape a unified platform experience that delivers greater scalability, resilience, and performance across all markets iCONECT serves. 'Oran is a transformative addition to our leadership team,' said Rob Bush, CEO of iCONECT. 'He brings a rare combination of technical ingenuity, regulatory expertise, and a proven record of building resilient, scalable products for highly regulated environments. His insight into both government workflows and the broader eDiscovery landscape gives iCONECT a powerful edge. We're excited for his leadership as we accelerate our position as a trusted partner for helping agencies modernize how they govern and protect data.' 'I've spent my career building tools that protect data, foster trust, and accelerate decisions in high-stakes environments,' said Oran Sears. 'iCONECT's vision for the public sector aligns perfectly with that mission—and I'm excited to help shape what's next.' 'This is a major win—not just for iCONECT, but for our clients,' said Eric Dirks, Chief Revenue Officer of iCONECT. 'With Oran's track record in launching category-defining platforms, we'll accelerate innovation and deliver even greater strategic value for agencies and compliance-driven organizations seeking workflow-optimized solutions to control their data.' About iCONECT iCONECT delivers secure, modern software solutions designed to meet the unique demands of the legal industry and the public sector. With a focus on compliance, workflow optimization, and citizen-centered technology, iCONECT empowers legal and government teams to move faster, act smarter, and lead with confidence. For more information, visit
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sears shuts California stores after revival efforts fall short
Sears' once-mighty empire is set to shrink even further as it shuts another store in California. The closure of the Burbank store in Los Angeles on August 31 will leave just six Sears stores in the US, down from more than 3,500 two decades ago. The Burbank store has struggled with low shopper numbers since opening in 2023. Soon after it opened, visitors branded it the 'saddest thing I've ever seen' with empty shelves and stained carpet. News of the closure comes as liquidation sales continue at another nearby Sears in Whittier, a city about 20 miles south-east of LA. It will close Saturday after nearly three decades. Business began crumbling in 2010, and by 2017, Searshad only only 695 locations. The vast majority have now shuttered since the company filed for bankruptcy in October 2018. Sears was on the brink of closing all its stores for good before CEO Eddie Lampert (pictured) submitted a last-minute bid valued at $4.4 billion in 2018. He upped the bid to $5.2 billion and saved 400 stores. Over the past year, Sears closed its last Washington store, shuttered its only remaining New York location. 'It's a landmark, it's something you grew up with, it's something you could trust,' Barbie Talamante, a former Sears staffer, said of the closure in Tukwila, a city ten miles south of Seattle, WA. Discount stores and big box retailers like Walmart have siphoned off Sears' customers over the last several years. Sears is not the only retailer in danger of closing for good after years of declining customers and sales. JCPenney has also been under fires. In 2020, it closed 30 percent of its stores after filing for bankruptcy. The chain had been operating 846 stores before the pandemic caused severe financial damage. It shuttered seven stores in May, and will lay off hundreds of staffers by closing a warehouse in Texas.
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Travel + Leisure
6 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
Amazon Has a Rustic Tiny House With 2 Bedrooms, a Porch, and a Bright, Airy Layout—All Under $12K
A century ago, you could order a home in a Sears catalog, wait for its arrival by railroad boxcar, and construct it with your friends and family. This mail-order service was halted long ago, but you can find some of these homes in the U.S. Thanks to Amazon, this convenient (and nearly unbelievable) way to buy a home is available once again. Tiny homes can be ordered at Amazon, delivered in mere weeks, and constructed in just a few days. Amazon is overflowing with tiny homes for sale, so whether you prefer a modern two-story home or an eco-friendly cabin, you're sure to find an affordable home that suits your style. In fact, we just found a two-bedroom home available for under $12,000 at Amazon, and it's one of the retailer's best homes yet. Keep reading to learn more about the customizable prefab house. One standout feature of this home is the spacious front porch, which is fully covered to protect you from sun, rain, and snow. The porch is large enough to fit outdoor furniture, making it easy to imagine relaxing on the porch all day long—especially if your property features scenic views. If you think living in a tiny home means feeling cramped, think again. This tiny home boasts two bedrooms, so you'll even have room for a guest. Whether you're looking for a new outdoor hideaway, a guest house, or some other cozy escape, this tiny house has all the room you'll need for comfortable living. The listing's photos display a spacious interior, including a living space and an L-shaped kitchen with room for a small dining table. Plus, whereas some cabin-style tiny homes are missing a bathroom, this one has a full bath. The home also features plenty of windows on each side of the home, so you'll get plenty of natural light inside. Like most tiny homes, this house is made of steel shipping containers, making it a sturdy and durable structure that's built to last (even in inclement weather). The house can even be personalized by adding additional containers and arranging them to your desired layout. Travel + Leisure hasn't tested this house or discussed rates with the seller, so we encourage you to contact the seller directly to learn more about their personalization options. If you're interested in more prefab tiny homes, keep reading for other cozy options available at Amazon. Travel + Leisure / Amazon This tiny home has a cabin-like exterior, and has a customizable modular layout. Thanks to plenty of windows and a glass front door, the interior gets plenty of natural light, too. This tiny home has a sleek look, with an idyllic wraparound porch that adds a unique, homey touch. It can be fully customized to the layout of your choice and can even include up to three bedrooms, making it a great guest house, family retreat, or rental cabin. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
British medics say Gaza is ‘televised genocide' and ‘unlike anything' seen in war zones
LONDON: British healthcare workers volunteering to treat patients in the Gaza Strip report witnessing harrowing injuries, including severe burns and shrapnel wounds as well as cases of extreme starvation due to Israeli attacks and restrictions on aid. Sam Sears, a 44-year-old paramedic, told the British tabloid Metro that the range of injuries he has seen at a humanitarian medical tent facility in Al-Mawasi, on the southern coast of Gaza, includes blast injuries, shrapnel wounds, gunshot wounds and polytrauma. He is volunteering with the UK-Med charity as part of a team responding to starvation in Gaza, following the emergence of distressing images of malnourished Palestinians, including some infants, which have prompted widespread condemnation, including from the UK government. 'It's unlike anything I've seen before,' Sears said. 'Especially like nothing I've seen in the UK, and I have worked in other areas like Sierra Leone for Ebola and Ukraine in the war, but this here is completely different. It's like times ten here. 'We are struggling for food here at the moment, let alone (Palestinian) staff that are working with us who have had to manage this for the last 20 months.' He said that medical volunteers have been working tirelessly despite limited supplies, including fuel, and it was 'very obvious (that) we have got malnourishment in the community.' 'We can buy certain things from the market but it's very scarce, it's also costing quadruple or more than what it normally would. A kilogram of sugar at the minute is costing $130, so it's just extortionate,' he said. The UK-Med charity operates two field hospitals in Gaza, treating 500 people daily, and includes an operating theater for lifesaving surgical procedures. 'The ceasefire is needed, not just a pause but a permanent end to the hostilities,' Sears said. 'The people in Gaza have suffered immensely, they have got nowhere to call home ... They are hungry, malnourished, the conflict needs to stop really.' 'The healthcare and aid needs to come in for the 2.1 million people who it's needed for here,' he added. Dr. Tom Potokar, a veteran British plastic surgeon who has volunteered in various Palestinian hospitals and has visited Gaza 16 times since 2018, said that the healthcare system is overwhelmed with severe burn victims from Israel's military actions. Dr. Potokar told the Telegraph newspaper that he had been operating on 10 to 12 patients suffering burns from blasts each day, with three-quarters of those cases being women or children. 'That's taking the top-10 priority, but there's still plenty more behind that that needed operating,' he said. He volunteered nearly two years ago during the initial six weeks after Israel began its attacks on the Gaza Strip in late 2023. He is the founder of the medical charity Interburns, established in 2006, which addresses the lack of burns expertise in poorer nations and war zones. When he arrived for the first time in Gaza in 2018, he discovered that there were only two fully qualified plastic surgeons, one of whom was partially retired. His most recent visit, with the Ideals international aid charity, was in May and June, during which he witnessed terrible injuries from explosions. 'I saw many cases of bilateral or triple limb amputations, huge open wounds on the back, on the chest, with the lung exposed. Really horrendous blast injuries from shrapnel, and as I say, a lot of them combined with burns as well,' he said. The most devastating cases involved children, with some cases sustaining about 90 percent burns. 'There's nothing you can do. Even if there was not a conflict there, in that country, in that scenario, a 90 percent burn (case) when it's almost all full thickness is not going to survive,' he said. 'But then you are talking about a nine-year-old and some end-of-life dignity, and unfortunately they don't die in a couple of hours, it takes four or five days, so you see this patient every four or five days, knowing full well that there's absolutely nothing you can do.' Dr. Potokar described treating patients who are 'skin and bone' due to Israeli aid restrictions leading to mass starvation in Gaza. 'Wounds are just stagnating because they are just not getting food.' He said that he lost 11 kg during his recent trip, despite bringing food with him. His Palestinian medical colleagues appeared increasingly fatalistic, he said, as more than 100 human rights organizations warned this week that some staff members have become too weak to continue their work due to food shortages. Dr. Potokar described Gaza as the 'world's first televised genocide' and said that there was a lack of response to end the war in the coastal enclave. 'We are putting plasters on a haemorrhaging aneurysm. The problem is the political initiative, the total lack of global, moral, ethical insight into this and desire to stop it,' he said.
