Sears moves to Dover

DOVER — Sears Hometown Store has a new hometown. The well-known retail store has moved from its location of 19 years on Route 343 in Amenia to Route 22 in Dover, nestled among draws like CarQuest, Dunkin’ Donuts, Salisbury Bank & Trust and the post office, in the relatively new Dover Village Plaza.“We get more traffic, and different traffic, than where we were in Amenia, when you really had to know where we were,” said Sears franchise owner Rich Kave. “Here we’re right on 22 and very visible on 22 and near the Metro-North station. We’re hoping that we’ll see some customers from Pawling and Patterson that previously drove to Danbury or White Plains.”Kave and his girlfriend/partner, Linda White, decided after two years of operating the Sears store in Amenia, when their lease ran out it would be a good time to make a change.“We decided to look for a new space and find a place that would be better suited for our business, and because it’s in a shopping plaza we felt it may provide more convenience to our customers,” said White. “It feels right.”Their employees think so too.“I love it,” said store manager Robert Miller, who admitted the shorter commute from his home to his work is an added bonus to his daily routine. “I think it’s a nice plaza, it’s cleaner, everything about it is nicer. It’s a little smaller but we’ll make do.”Though there may be less square footage, there’s still ample room for all of the merchandise customers seek. Shoppers can find everything from appliances to tools, gardening supplies to lawn care. There are also sheds and exercise equipment, TVs and vacuums, not to mention barbecue grills, patio furniture and other electronics. What’s not available in the store can be easily attained, through the Solution Station — the brainchild of the Sears franchise and the ideal way to cater to shoppers who don’t want to battle large crowds by going to the mall.“We offer anything Sears carries,” said White. “If someone even needs a part for a washing machine, or a mower, we can get it. And there’s free shipping to the store and home.”The hometown store also offers delivery, another helpful service many Sears customers have come to rely on and certainly appreciate.More than anything, it’s the attention to those customers that is valued by both those running the Sears Hometown Store and those shopping there. Kave said customer service has always been, and will always be, priority number one.“We really like people,” he said. “In small towns like this people really rely on stores [like ours].”“We’re local, personable — we give that service,” added White. “I don’t think you can find that in the mall. We just offer that kind of service that you can’t get anywhere else.”But you can get it at the Sears Hometown Store in Dover. The store is already open, although workers are still unpacking boxes. Its owners said they chose to have a “soft opening” and may have a grand re--opening in the spring. The store’s hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To contact the store call 845-373-9503.