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Beleaguered Sears Begins Liquidation Sales In Canada Stores

TORONTO (AP) -- Sears Canada has been given approval to begin liquidation sales Friday at 59 locations it plans to close.

Ontario Superior Judge Barbara Conway approved the motion Tuesday.

Sears lawyer Jeremy Dacks says the company wants to start sales of its merchandise, furniture, fixtures and equipment as soon as possible so it can maximize benefits for its stakeholders.

The liquidation sales will only occur at the 59 stores that are set for closure. They will begin Friday and run until Oct. 12, with the majority to be overseen by a third-party liquidator.

The beleaguered department store owner has been operating under court protection from creditors since June 22, when it announced its plan to shutter 59 stores and cut approximately 2,900 jobs.

In the U.S., bankruptcy is a possibility for the retailer, which owns Sears and Kmart. Sears has shuttered dozens of its stores leaving only 675 Sears stores, compared to 866 a decade ago, according to Fortune. Holiday sales declined sharply, and efforts to create a so-called "membership model" did not perform as expected.

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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