Sears opening tech office in Seattles Columbia tower

Originally published March 11, 2015 at 4:34 PM | Page modified March 11, 2015 at 4:48 PM

Less than a year after shutting its retail store in the Sodo neighborhood of Seattle, Sears is coming back to town with a different crew.

The retailer plans to hire up to 70 employees in a new software engineering office in Seattles Columbia Center tower, said Arun Arora, president of home appliances and services with the Hoffman Estates, Ill., retailer.

Arora said the office, expected to open in May, would develop applications and analytic tools in an effort to make its appliance repair business more efficient and user-friendly for customers. Sears hired former Amazon.com employees Ian Clarkson and James Coyle to run the operation last year, Arora said.

The retailer is the latest company to tap into the pool of Seattle area technology workers. Electronics retailer Best Buy last month said it would establish an e-commerce outpost in Seattle.

Sears, struggling from competition with online retailers and brick-and-mortar competitors, last year closed its historic Sodo store and auto center.

Matt Day: 206-464-2420 or mday@seattletimes.com. On twitter: @mattmday

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Sears opening tech office in Seattles Columbia tower