Sears-Kmart Death Watch

[mgk920]

^^So did Chick-Fil-A in Wisconsin, but I see they are building one in Appleton.

That outlet, actually in an unincorporated area just west of the city, opened a couple of weeks ago.  They've had an outlet in Racine for many years now and opened a couple in suburban Milwaukee within the past couple of years.

I'll wait until their novelty wears off a bit before I check them out - the lines continue to be too wackoly long.



Mike

[hbelkins]

Sears has closed at Florence Mall.  One anchor gone--officially a dying mall.  Also, found out the K-Mart in Edgewood, KY will be closing in 2020.

A single missing anchor does not a dying mall make.

True dat. Wife and sister-in-law were there a few weeks ago, for the first time in years, and reported it to be booming.

If every mall with a Sears is officially a dying mall, then a whole lot of malls are dying -- even some that are doing very well.

[DaBigE]

^^So did Chick-Fil-A in Wisconsin, but I see they are building one in Appleton.

That outlet, actually in an unincorporated area just west of the city, opened a couple of weeks ago.  They've had an outlet in Racine for many years now and opened a couple in suburban Milwaukee within the past couple of years.

I'll wait until their novelty wears off a bit before I check them out - the lines continue to be too wackoly long.



Mike

Madison has one near East Towne and West Towne malls. East Towne also recently got a Portillos

[Rothman]

For some reason, they put the Chick-Fil-A in Latham, NY behind security at the Albany International Airport.

[Scott5114]

I visited the newest k-mart.... *does a clarkson voice* in the country. And it was sad.

That's actually really nice for a Kmart.

That scroll under the Electronics header...guessing you couldn't actually buy a VCR...

[jeffandnicole]

Sears has closed at Florence Mall.  One anchor gone--officially a dying mall.  Also, found out the K-Mart in Edgewood, KY will be closing in 2020.

That would mean malls were dying in the 1980's, when anchors were closing then too.  True for a few of them, not true for the vast majority.  The Sears closures are just an unusual way of closing out a store, combined with the fact that Sears often owns the actual building and real estate attached to many malls.

I visited the newest k-mart.... *does a clarkson voice* in the country. And it was sad.

That's actually really nice for a Kmart.

That scroll under the Electronics header...guessing you couldn't actually buy a VCR...

Heck, I doubt you could really buy a stereo and video camera as well!  Maybe they'll eventually get cell phones in someday in the electronics section though!   

[mgk920]

Those items really do look so sad and lonely....



Mike

[ftballfan]

I visited the newest k-mart.... *does a clarkson voice* in the country. And it was sad.

This store will be closing this fall, Somers Point NJ, 2003-2019.

It never got the current logo on its entrance! Is it near any other big box stores (such as Walmart or Target)?

[Flint1979]

Kmart will not be missed. Their stores are dumps and very outdated.

[US71]

Kmart will not be missed. Their stores are dumps and very outdated.

S.S. Kresge is probably rolling over in his grave

[Flint1979]

Kmart will not be missed. Their stores are dumps and very outdated.

S.S. Kresge is probably rolling over in his grave

I would be too.

[LM117]

The DieHard brand has been sold to Advance Auto Parts.

https://transformco.com/press-releases/pr/2144

[thenetwork]

The DieHard brand has been sold to Advance Auto Parts.

https://transformco.com/press-releases/pr/2144

In one sense, Advance getting DieHard is not a big shock -- wasn't Advance Auto Parts owned by Sears or Kmart at one time a few decades ago?

[US71]

The DieHard brand has been sold to Advance Auto Parts.

https://transformco.com/press-releases/pr/2144

In one sense, Advance getting DieHard is not a big shock -- wasn't Advance Auto Parts owned by Sears or Kmart at one time a few decades ago?

They were originally spun off of Pep Boys then acquired what was left of Western Auto from Sears.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Auto_Parts

[RobbieL2415]

Sell off assets to pay for liabilities.  But they still haven't caught up.

[crt08]

I visited the newest k-mart.... *does a clarkson voice* in the country. And it was sad.

Wow warehouse ceilings in an entire Kmart, never saw that.

Both the Kmart and Sears here closed over the last two years. Both were pretty nice, 90s locations in the same mall but not originally, Sears was built several years later (not great for a mall to have two dying retailers as anchors).

At this rate who really knows. It wouldn't surprise me if Sears at least is around in some form 5 years from now. It seems Eddie wants the death to be as prolonged as possible. OTOH, I have to wonder with the way it is now, who is really going to continue to shop at either, or how they will be able to get any product in the stores. They have been having supply issues for quite a while now as it is.

[roadman65]

I was shocked to see an open Sears store in Orange Park, FL, but was not surprised to see a banner over the door stating "STORE CLOSING SALE!"

[DaBigE]

I wonder if the virus will be the final nail in the coffin? Sears especially, since without food, there really is no point to going inside (as if their pre-virus stock levels were any incentive to begin with).

[roadman65]

We will have to wait and see.  Just like where the road we placed ourselves on leads us to.

[kevinb1994]

I was shocked to see an open Sears store in Orange Park, FL, but was not surprised to see a banner over the door stating "STORE CLOSING SALE!"

That's old news here. I won't miss Sears.

[roadman65]

I was shocked to see an open Sears store in Orange Park, FL, but was not surprised to see a banner over the door stating "STORE CLOSING SALE!"

That's old news here. I won't miss Sears.

It new news if you live around many Sears that have closed their doors years ago.

[kevinb1994]

I was shocked to see an open Sears store in Orange Park, FL, but was not surprised to see a banner over the door stating "STORE CLOSING SALE!"

That's old news here. I won't miss Sears.

It new news if you live around many Sears that have closed their doors years ago.

I would only include the Regency location for that. That area went into decline years ago!

[Life in Paradise]

If you can find a Sears or K-Mart open, they probably have paper towels and toilet paper to sell.  No one has gone in there yet looking for it.   

[catch22]

I drove by the site of Kmart #1 the other day, and noticed the site was being leveled.  That inspired me to make this image of the site's birth, death and burial.

1) Stock photo from the location's early days in the mid-60s.
2) Picture I took as the site was having its OOB sale in February 2017.
3) Picture I took a few days ago showing the demo in progress.

I'm surprised that the parking lot light post survived without change, unlike everything else around it.

[amroad17]

Funny you should mention your observation about the light posts--the ones at the Edgewood, KY (now closed) K-Mart also survived without change and, surprisingly, look the exact same as the ones in your photos.