Nov. 13, 2020

The former Sears space at The Empire Mall now is filled with campers.

Camping World opened a seasonal store there this month and plans to continue it until the spring.

“We know camper shopping is no fun in the freezing cold of winter, so instead you can browse our inventory of (more than) 120 new and used campers in the toasty warmth of the indoors,” the business said in a statement.

The campers are unlocked for browsing.

Staff members are there to answer questions from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday with Sunday hours being finalized.

The Sears space had been used for the past year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which no longer has temporary offices there. Before that, Camping World had used it for sales for one winter season.

Mall owner Simon Property Group still has the building identified as a future redevelopment site.