Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. has opened a store in Bedford, Mass., to replace one it closed Dec. 9 in Burlington, Mass., after the firm lost its lease on the property.
Sullivan Tire had operated the store at the Burlington Mall for about 25 years, officials said, but earlier this year, Federated Department Stores Inc., which owned the land the building was on, said it planned to sell the plot to mall owner Simon Property Group Inc. to build a Crate & Barrel store.
Mark Gillard, marketing manager for Sullivan Tire, said Federated and Simon later offered a different parcel on mall property to the tire dealership, but a Sears Auto Center-which is also at the mall and a third owner-did not agree to the arrangement.
Sullivan Tire's chances for building a new location in Burlington were slim because of zoning laws.
The dealership planned to mark the Burlington store's closing with free holiday wreaths for the first 50 customers, clearance sales on tires, $25 gift certificates for the Bedford store and a contest for a free trip to a Boston Red Sox spring training baseball game in Fort Myers, Fla.
Sullivan Tire also recently opened a store in Portsmouth, N.H.