Sears-Cross county match good for both, analysts say.

Sears Roebuck and Co.'s decision to open its third Westchester store, this one at the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, will likely benefit both the retailer and the retail complex, two analysts said.

The Illinois-based national retailer said it would buy the remainder of John Wanamaker's

The store is in the middle of its first of five 20-year renewal terms under the lease, a Term that expires in 2004. If Sears uses all its renewal options, it would stay at the shopping center until the year 2084, said Sandra Sternberg, a spokeswoman for John Wanamaker's parent company, Woodward & Lothrop Inc. of Alexandria, Va.

Sears will open the Yonkers store in the fall, after several months of renovation, said Linda Brown Blakley, a spokeswoman for the retailer. "This is consistent with our announced strategy of strengthening our presence in the Northeast," especially the New york metropolitan area, she said.

Westchester County Business Journal