Sears plans store at former Great Indoors space in Schaumburg

Schaumburg has one less big box store vacancy, as a Sears Outlet has opened in the former Great Indoors store on Golf Road.

The 37,000-square-foot store's grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 14, backed by first-come, first-serve discounts, according to a Sears Holdings Corp. news release issued Thursday. Sears is also offering a pair of free Schaumburg Flyers baseball tickets to the first 50 customers at its grand opening.

Despite a prime location at 1321 E. Golf Road near Woodfield Shopping Center, Sears closed the Great Indoors location in February 2009. It was among four giant home decor and remodeling stores it closed for underperforming.

Schaumburg's Economic Development Coordinator Matt Frank said that the outlet store will only take up about a quarter of the 133,000-square-foot building.

"They're going to try to market the rest to other users," Frank said.

Sears has struggled to find a tenant for the building. Opening an outlet in the short term makes use of the building and helps the village's sales tax revenue until a permanent tenant can be found.

"It's more temporary," Frank said of the planned use. "It's still a good opportunity to bring shoppers in."

Schaumburg officials have said the building's size, underground parking and high-quality architecture made it too expensive to rent or buy for many prospective tenants.

Because the building isn't changing hands, Sears only needed to apply for a business license, Frank said. No exterior remodeling will be done.

The Sears Outlet is the retailer's 100th store of its kind. It sells appliances, tools, gym equipment, bedding and garden supplies, as well as clothes. Items may be new, out of box, discontinued, used or lightly damaged.

Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holdings also said it's opening Sears Outlets in Concord, N.C., and Norfolk, Va., by the end of the year. The closest Sears Outlet to Schaumburg is in Elgin.