Sears Holdings Corp. to close 21 stores this spring; none in California

Sears Holdings Corp., the nation's No. 1 department store chain by revenue, will shut 21 underperforming stores May 9.

The decision will affect 13 Kmart stores, four full-line Sears stores and four Sears Essentials stores, company spokeswman Kimberly Freely said. No California locations will be closed.

"As part of our normal course of business we continually evaluate our store portfolio," she said. "These stores are being closed for business reasons.?

Analysts say Sears is facing intense pressure from competitors, including big-box discounters Wal-Mart and Target, department stores Macy's and Kohl's, and specialty retailers. The Hoffman Estates, Ill., company is scheduled to release fourth-quarter and full-year earnings Tuesday.

About 1,000 workers will be affected by the closures.

-- Andrea Chang

Photo: Shoppers wait in line at a Sears in Costa Mesa on Black Friday last year. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

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