Largest jewelry retailer plans to close 150 stores

PERKINS TWP. — The corporate ownership of two Sandusky Mall tenants announced plans to close 150 stores across the U.S. It's unknown if Sandusky's stores will be among the locations to be shuttered. Signet Jewelers is the world's largest diamond jewelry retailer and owns both Zales Jewelers and Kay Jewelers. CBS News reported the closures wouldn't happen until after the 2019 holiday season and were being done to cut costs and refocus on revitalizing the brand of remaining stores.The company experienced a drop of in-store sales in the final quarter of 2018, but online sales increased for Signet's brands. According to CBS, 70 percent of customers shopped online before walking into a brick-and-mortar Signet location.The company previously decided to cut costs by paring down its less well-known brands, which led to the closure of Osterman Jewelers in the mall. Signet said this new spurt of closures will focus on locations at malls with poor foot traffic.When asked if either the Zales or the Kay Jewelers in the Sandusky Mall would be among the closures, a spokesman for Signet Jewelers said they don't release lists of store openings or closures.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterThe Sandusky Mall on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018.