Andrews Jewelers closing?

PERKINS TWP. — The Sandusky Mall's owners haven't received an official word, but signs point to the closure of one of its jewelry stores.Andrews Jewelers, next to the entrance of the former Macy's location inside the mall, has signs posted advertising the store's closure and a discount of up to 80 percent on its merchandise."It's a situation that isn't very clear," said Joe Bell, a spokesman for the mall's owner Cafaro Co. "Even though they have signs up it's not clear to us at all if they'll actually close."Bell said Cafaro Co. hasn't received any official notice from the store's owner, Texas-based retailer Samuels Jewelers Inc., about the closure and don't know what its plans are for the location."They may have a new buyer in the wings, but at this point, we just don't know," Bell said. "We are looking to get some formal clarity from the store."Samuels Jewelers Inc. — a subsidiary of Indian company Gitanjali Gems Ltd. since 2006 — filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August for the fifth time since 1992, according to a Chain Store Age article. The latest filing resulted from the legal woes of Gitanjali's chairman who is wanted by Indian authorities in connection to an alleged multi-billion dollar bank fraud case, according to the Wall Street Journal.On its website, Samuels Jewelers is running the same liquidation sale and there are reports of the other stores it owns, Rogers and Schubach Jewelers, also closing their locations.Andrews Jewelers isn't the only tenant whose future at the Sandusky Mall is uncertain. There's been speculation that Kitchen Collection and Ostermans Jewelers might also be on the way out, but Bell said Cafaro hasn't heard anything from either store.In recent years, the mall has lost prominent tenants such as Sears, Macy's, Elder-Beerman and Charming Charlie. All four locations remain empty.But Bell said these closures were caused by financial trouble at the corporate level and Cafaro Co. remains committed to the redevelopment of the Sandusky Mall.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterThe Sandusky Mall in Perkins Township on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017.