Selma’s Sears Hometown Store rides challenging times

Selma’s Sears Hometown Store is one of the only stores in Dallas County that sells refrigerators, mattresses, lawn mowers, grills and parts.

For 25 years, owners Jack and Charlotte Ousley have operated the store on Citizens Parkway, and they say business is good.

And, they remind customers, they are not part of Sears Holdings that declared bankruptcy in the fall.

They are a part of Sears Hometown Stores, which has 650 nationwide and is owned by franchisees, or independent business owners. The hometown and outlet stores spun off of Sears Holdings in 2012, hoping to avoid going down with the bigger ship.

They even have signs on their door and register that tell customers it is “business as usual” and that they are not a part of the Sears that is closing 80-100 stores and selling off a lot of inventory to bring down debt.

Jack Ousley has worked with Sears for nearly 50 years, first at the Sears in the Selma mall that closed in 1993. Then he went out on his own to open the Sears Hometown store that he has operated for 25 years.

The Ousleys say they remain successful thanks to being a niche store with products few others in the area offer. 

“We’re a destination store,” Jack Ousley said.