The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that Sears Canada's exit from the market in the fourth quarter selling period threatens to cast a pall over the coming holiday retail season as the company prepares for a mass liquidation of goods beginning Thursday. The Post's Hollie Shaw writes that Sears Canada will begin selling off products in a move that stands to sap business from rival retailers such as Walmart Stores, Canadian Tire and Hudson's Bay. "The liquidation is going to spoil the party for those retailers who are hoping to do what the fourth quarter is intended for, where after a year of hard work, the ink turns from red to black and they can generate margin and pay the shareholders," said Jim Danahy, who heads retail advisory firm Customer Lab. He added that many small retailers inside malls where Sears is an anchor tenant also stand to take a hit. "This isn't good news for anybody operating in categories that Sears sells." Nevertheless, Mr. Danahy expects that Sears inventory levels are far lower now than they would be if the retailer were in good financial health, given that Sears filed for protection from its creditors in June as it attempted to restructure the business and find a buyer.