A local financial advisor believes the sears store in Bend could escape the chopping block. The nations 4th largest broad line retailer Sears - Kmart announced that weak holiday sales means they'll have to close at least 100 stores - the company has four thousand stores in the U.S. and Canada. Troy Reinhart with Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management believes the local Sears store will stay open. “One of the things the Bend store has going to keep open is we don't have a nearby Kmart store and number two we're a smaller market.” He also says the Bend store is competitive for those wanting quality tools. On average, retail sales this season are expected to be up by 4% compared to 2010. Meantime, Sears’ numbers are down 6% from last year.