What took the place of former big-box stores?

[US71]

Here in Ft Smith, K-mart is now Hanks Furniture and Hanks Furniture Outlet.

K-mart in Fayetteville, AR is now Hobby Lobby, Office Depot, and Tuesday Morning.

[bugo]

Here in Ft Smith, K-mart is now Hanks Furniture and Hanks Furniture Outlet.

On AR 22 or US 71B/AR 255?

[bugo]

I liked Circuit City because of their CD selection.  It wasn't unusual to find import singles of some of the bands that I like and I bought a lot of them from there.  Today, CDs have been replaced by mp3s so it doesn't matter, but it did in the '90s.

[1995hoo]

Colonial Heights, VA has two former Circuit City stores. The first location was abandoned when the second was built; it's now a Gold's Gym. The second is an HHGregg. There's also a former Nichols department store that's mostly unused but has a few small places carved into it.

Petersburg, VA has two former K-Marts that are no longer retail. One is a church and I can't remember if the other one is being used for anything.

Most of the old Circuit City locations I know of here in Northern Virginia are now HH Gregg stores, although at least one (the one behind Tysons Corner Center) was demolished to make way for the high-rise office building that's now under construction.

[roadman65]

In Orlando we have one Circuit City on Orange Blossom Trail that is vacant except during October when there is a seasonal Halloween Store that uses its site.  Apparently Orlando has too damn many strip malls and not enough tenants to occupy them, so its hard to get a year round tenant in this location.  Plus OBT has a bad rap anyway do to its roach motels, ghetto surroundings, and other problems that do not help.

In Kissimmee Circuit City put up a brand new store when they were going bankrupt (shows you how smart their management was) that closed just weeks after opening, is now TJ Max.  Of course this is a better area and newer facility as many companies and family merchants will always go for that over old and existing malls anyway.

[golden eagle]

In Orlando we have one Circuit City on Orange Blossom Trail that is vacant except during October when there is a seasonal Halloween Store that uses its site.

We have an old Barnes & Nobles store that does that also houses a seasonal Halloween store.

Across the street from where my mom works, there was an old Belk department store that closed in the mid-2000s. On occassion, some company rents it for a three-day electronics sale (the ones that will sell you a latop for $50, etc.).

[US71]

Here in Ft Smith, K-mart is now Hanks Furniture and Hanks Furniture Outlet.

On AR 22 or US 71B/AR 255?

Rogers Ave/ AR 22.

Zero St has been gone since before I moved here. It's a Sutherlands.

[bugo]

I have lots of fond memories of the K-Mart on what was then US 71/AR 255/Zero.  We would drive up from Mena to go shopping and K-Mart was one of the places we always stopped.  It was open at least as late as 1990.

[formulanone]

I liked Circuit City because of their CD selection.  It wasn't unusual to find import singles of some of the bands that I like and I bought a lot of them from there.  Today, CDs have been replaced by mp3s so it doesn't matter, but it did in the '90s.

Me too...At one point (I want to say 1995) they'd sold every album (including some 2-disc sets) for $10 or less. When many CD stores were selling used discs for $8, it was a great deal and a really selection and variety. Sometime in 1998 or so, they'd replaced almost all their musical offerings with DVDs, so that was the end of that. Blockbuster Music was the only one that could top their selection, and the "try before you buy" technique which was also pretty good...and they disappeared around that time too.

Speaking of which, a couple of the Blockbuster Musics were pretty Big Boxes themselves, two in South Florida became Party Citys, from what I recall.

Most of the K-Marts in South Florida still lay vacant. There's always been tons of vacant retail space in South Florida in any economy; half-empty retail shoppes, mini-malls, and strip malls are everywhere. Throw in a few dead malls to boot. How any firm gets funding for another new shopping concept is beyond me, unless it's at least five miles from anything.

[bing101]

Well remember "The Good Guys" It was a Best Buy type store in Solano County and Sacramento County in California But the one in Fairfield became a Trader Joe and a Wedding shop.  I know that there used to be a Service Merchandise (Big Box Store) in Vallejo, CA in the 1990's before that became Century Theaters complex.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Merchandise
www.servicemerchandise.com is now an ebay type operation.


Also There used to be a homebase in Vallejo, CA it was a Home Depot type operation for California but its been split into several stores Bed Bath & beyond, Michaels, Cost Plus, Old Navy and Toys R' US for the past 20 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Base

Anybody remember Montgomery Ward and Robinsons May.

Montgomery Ward was a big box in some parts of the USA before they went Bankrupt in the 1990's. Robinsons May was a group of Stores in the Los Angeles area before they were defunct after the Northridge Quake. Yet the Robinsons Stores brand is still in use in the Philippines.

www.robinsonsmalls.com/malls_manila.php/

[bing101]

Now Old Navy is abandoned in Vacaville,CA and I just went there last weekend.

[jbnv]

I know that there used to be a Service Merchandise (Big Box Store) in Vallejo, CA in the 1990's before that became Century Theaters complex.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Merchandise
www.servicemerchandise.com is now an ebay type operation.
Anybody remember Montgomery Ward and Robinsons May.

Before we had Walmart and Best Buy, we had Montgomery Ward and Service Merchandise. (In the same mall, in fact. The Service Merchandise section is still empty, and the Montgomery Ward section was demolished to make room for a Home Depot.)

[Pete from Boston]

Building 19, a New England store that sold merchandise liquidated or abandoned by other companies, tended to occupy spaces abandoned by other stores as well.  It was the ultimate scavenger operation.  In the Assembly Square, (Somerville, Mass.) store, the interior walkways and appointments from the Jordan Marsh department store previously there remained until Building 19 left.  Same with their operation in the former Spag's (RIP) in Shrewsbury.

[Jardine]

I always wondered why an empty big box store has never been repurposed as a shelter of some kind.  Any of them could hold thousands of cots.

Omaha has an animal shelter in an old (larger) grocery store, but even that kind of recycling seems rare.

[roadman65]

We once had a big box store on Orange Blossom Trail and Holden Avenue that got split up into smaller stores.  Many that remained vacated for years as the store that was once there was long gone before I moved to FL in 1990.  What is was, I could not tell you, but I think it was a Zayre which is along with Ames, Jamesway, etc. in that type of store.   

I do know that Ames did exist on Orange Avenue where Sodo is now developed near ORMC.  The building stood vacant until the bulldozers came in back in 2008 to create Sodo.   Ames closed back in 1990, so do the math.

Sedanos in Kissimmee, FL was either a Zayre or an Ames, I cannot remember which.  It is located at the corner of US 192 and John Young Parkway, and for years in between it was an Albertsons.  I think for a few years it sat vacant, before the push for Albertsons to expand that eventually did not last as the company closed up soon after the attempt to better themselves.

[bing101]

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-10-08/business/fi-51545_1_shopping-season

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_Products

Some Parts of the country once had best stores and they were the Amazon type operation of their time.

But then again the Big Box Stores of today are on an app such as Ebay and Amazon.com

[formulanone]

...the push for Albertsons to expand that eventually did not last as the company closed up soon after the attempt to better themselves.

Publix Supermarkets bought many of the their sites in Florida.

In some cases, they migrated their older, smaller locations into Albertson's bigger store footprints (some of which were older still).

[Alps]

Best Buy ain't doing all that well either now.

Glad to hear it.  I'd love to see that chain fail.  I've gone in there a few times, and every experience I've had with them I wished I'd shopped elsewhere.  Unhelpful and unknowledgeable employees that would rather talk among themselves or play with their phones than serve customers.  I've even seen a few employees who moved quickly in the opposite direction once they saw a customer who was looking for help from an employee.

Huh, I've had the opposite experience at Best Buys... what tends to turn me off is excessive prices. Last one I stopped in was absolutely crappy though (tiny selection, insistence that I couldn't get what I was looking for and what was advertised), but the East Hanover one has been good. National retailers have no excuse for inconsistency between stores.

[SD Mapman]

We turned our old Wal-Mart into a rec center and waterpark.

[signalman]

Best Buy ain't doing all that well either now.

Glad to hear it.  I'd love to see that chain fail.  I've gone in there a few times, and every experience I've had with them I wished I'd shopped elsewhere.  Unhelpful and unknowledgeable employees that would rather talk among themselves or play with their phones than serve customers.  I've even seen a few employees who moved quickly in the opposite direction once they saw a customer who was looking for help from an employee.

Huh, I've had the opposite experience at Best Buys... what tends to turn me off is excessive prices. Last one I stopped in was absolutely crappy though (tiny selection, insistence that I couldn't get what I was looking for and what was advertised), but the East Hanover one has been good. National retailers have no excuse for inconsistency between stores.

I've only ever been in the Rockaway store.  The help there sucks.  Nice to hear that East Hanover is better in that regard.  Their prices are indeed a bit high, and I don't care for that either.  However, I'd be willing to pay more if I could get quality help and advice.  At least then I could justify spending the extra money.  Rockaway has pissed me off so bad that I refuse to go back to that store for anything; even if they did have a great sale.  I also agree that the inconsistencies among stores should not be.

[Zeffy]

I've only ever been in the Rockaway store.  The help there sucks.  Nice to hear that East Hanover is better in that regard.  Their prices are indeed a bit high, and I don't care for that either.  However, I'd be willing to pay more if I could get quality help and advice.  At least then I could justify spending the extra money.  Rockaway has pissed me off so bad that I refuse to go back to that store for anything; even if they did have a great sale.  I also agree that the inconsistencies among stores should not be.

The Bridgewater Best Buy had very helpful employees when I went there a month ago looking for a TV stand. The customer service was excellent.

[jp the roadgeek]

Some of the most well-known former stores that are either defunct or close to defunct: Caldor, K-Mart, Ames, Shaw's, A&P, Circuit City

Many of the former Caldors either became Walmart, Kohl's.  One became a Stew Leonard's and another became Price Rite

2 former K-Marts became Price Chopper.  Another was renovated into a movie theater, and the Super K that replaced it became Super Walmart, with the former Walmart now a Lowe's.  Another is now a CarMax.

Some of the Ames became Ocean State Job Lot.  The one in my town is now a Bob's Discount Furniture and Bed Bath and Beyond.  Some are still vacant.

Most Shaw's became either Stop & Shop, or Big Y.  One in my town is a Shop Rite, and another one became a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Many A&Ps are still vacant, with the one in my town now subdivided into a liquor store, lighting store, and Namco.

Most Circuit Citys, many of which replaced Nobody Beats the Wiz, became PC Richard stores.
 

[Pete from Boston]

Some of the most well-known former stores that are either defunct or close to defunct: Caldor, K-Mart, Ames, Shaw's, A&P, Circuit City

Many of the former Caldors either became Walmart, Kohl's.  One became a Stew Leonard's and another became Price Rite

2 former K-Marts became Price Chopper.  Another was renovated into a movie theater, and the Super K that replaced it became Super Walmart, with the former Walmart now a Lowe's.  Another is now a CarMax.

Some of the Ames became Ocean State Job Lot.  The one in my town is now a Bob's Discount Furniture and Bed Bath and Beyond.  Some are still vacant.

Most Shaw's became either Stop & Shop, or Big Y.  One in my town is a Shop Rite, and another one became a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Many A&Ps are still vacant, with the one in my town now subdivided into a liquor store, lighting store, and Namco.

Most Circuit Citys, many of which replaced Nobody Beats the Wiz, became PC Richard stores.

PC Richard is a local chain centered on Greater New York, much smaller than Circuit City -- most Circuit City stores did not become PC Richard.

Shaw's has had heavy market erosion from Price Chopper and Market Basket (and to some degree ShopRite, though Shaw's never had a huge presence in their overlap Connecticut) but I wouldn't call them "close to defunct" just yet.  They've redone many stores around here and are at least more enticing in quality and price than they have been for many years.  Not sure about the bottom line.  They've been passed between too many large owners to maintain a steady long-term vision.
 
I'm waiting for the day regional discount powerhouses ShopRite and Market Basket meet and do battle -- the former on stellar sales, the latter on everyday low prices.  They are currently less than 40 miles apart, and growing closer with each new expansion. 

[spooky]

Building 19, a New England store that sold merchandise liquidated or abandoned by other companies, tended to occupy spaces abandoned by other stores as well.  It was the ultimate scavenger operation.  In the Assembly Square, (Somerville, Mass.) store, the interior walkways and appointments from the Jordan Marsh department store previously there remained until Building 19 left.  Same with their operation in the former Spag's (RIP) in Shrewsbury.

A former Building 19 in Cumberland, RI occupied one floor of the old mill building that housed the original Ann & Hope department store. For those interested in retail and unfamiliar with Ann & Hope, it is said that Sam Walton got the idea for Wal-Mart from visiting Ann & Hope.

The Building 19 in Norwood, MA is now occupied by a rug store run by the tattered remains of the Building 19 chain. I've heard rumors that Market Basket is going to open a store in either Weymouth, MA or Hanover, MA at the site of a former Building 19. (I'm rooting for Weymouth) The Weymouth Bldg 19 was a former Ames store.

[Scott5114]

National retailers have no excuse for inconsistency between stores.

Corporate is limited in its ability in what it can influence. The policies, prices, products, and building can all be identical from store to store, but each store is going to be managed by a different store manager, and that is what influences how good the service is in any store. (Bad manager that creates a crappy work environment means the brightest people will leave for greener pastures and everyone else will end up getting lazy and stop giving a shit over time.) The only way to guarantee this can't happen is to clone the management and employees. Barring that, corporate needs to ensure they hire the best managers possible...