Sears announces more store closures, including 3 in Bay Area

NILES, IL - NOVEMBER 17: A Sears shopping cart is seen outside its store November 17, 2004 in Niles, Illinois. Kmart announced today that it is acquiring Sears in an $11 billion deal. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

Sears announced it would close an additional 80 stores, including three in the Bay Area, as it teeters on the brink of liquidation.

The 130-year old retailer set a deadline of Friday for bids for its remaining stores to avert closing down completely.

On the new list of stores to close are the Sears location at Westshore Plaza and the store at 9409 U.S. 19 in Port Richey, as well as the Kmart store on Highway 301 in Ellenton.

Sears previously announced its stores at Citrus Park Town Center in Tampa and at Country Side Mall in Clearwater, as well as Kmart stores at 5400 E. Busch Boulevard in Tampa and 1602 W. Brandon Boulevard in Brandon.

The Associated Press reports the 80 stores are due to close by March. That's in addition to 182 stores already slated for closure. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.

The retailer that began out as a mail order catalog in the 1880s has been in a slow death spiral, hobbled by the Great Recession and then overwhelmed by rivals both down the street and across the internet.

At the time of the filing, it operated about 700 Sears and Kmart stores.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.