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Non-Road Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: LM117 on September 19, 2016, 06:00:32 PM

Title: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on September 19, 2016, 06:00:32 PM
http://www.businessinsider.com/kmart-is-closing-64-stores-full-list-2016-9 (http://www.businessinsider.com/kmart-is-closing-64-stores-full-list-2016-9)

QuoteKmart is closing 64 stores across 28 states.

Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart, informed Kmart employees of the closures on Friday, according to several local news reports and multiple employees who spoke with Business Insider.

The stores that are closing will begin liquidation sales on September 22 and close by mid-December, employees said.

Sears did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Separately on Friday, Seritage Growth Properties, a real-estate investment trust that owns 235 Sears and Kmart stores, revealed in a filing that Sears had decided to terminate leases on 17 stores, meaning it would close those stores.

According to RBC Capital Markets analysts, all 17 closures are Kmart stores and they will close by January.

QuoteHere's a full list of stores that will close in December, according to employees:

Kmart #3044: Lawton, OK
Kmart #3180: Merrillville, IN
Kmart #3241: Springfield, IL
Kmart #3320: Houma, LA
Kmart #3328: New Lenox, IL
Kmart #3355: Panama City, FL
Kmart #3359: Gardendale, AL
Kmart #3521: Binghamton, NY
Kmart #3556: Elkhart, IN
Kmart #3594: Chicago, IL
Kmart #3644: Nashville, TN
Kmart #3695: Sierra Vista, AZ
Kmart #3706: Wytheville, VA
Kmart #3754: Martinsville, VA
Kmart #3814: Kearney, NE
Kmart #4066: Jackson, MI
Kmart #4095: Joliet, IL
Kmart #4135: Augusta, GA
Kmart #4162: Salt Lake City, UT
Kmart #4175: Canton, OH
Kmart #4176: Cheektowaga, NY
Kmart #4439: Yakima, WA
Kmart #4700: Fenton, MI
Kmart #4717: Oak Ridge, TN
Kmart #4739: Clarksville, TN
Kmart #4772: Burnham, PA
Kmart #4781: Macomb, IL
Kmart #4837: Riverton, WY
Kmart #4845: Manistee, MI
Kmart #4851: Byron Center, MI
Kmart #4910: Mentor, OH
Kmart #4917: Thornton, CO
Kmart #4961: Burlington, NC
Kmart #4970: Memphis, TN
Kmart #4972: Lubbock, TX
Kmart #4984: Tinley Park, IL
Kmart #7024: Scottsbluff, NE
Kmart #7061: New Iberia, LA
Kmart #7077: Harlingen, TX
Kmart #7174: Pikeville, KY
Kmart #7205: Grand Rapids, MI
Kmart #7216: Moorhead, MN
Kmart #7306: Sioux Falls, SD
Kmart #7356: Jonesboro, AR
Kmart #7412: West Valley City, UT
Kmart #7478: Waipahu, HI
Kmart #7551: Indio, CA
Kmart #7560: Craig, CO
Kmart #7587: Fontana, CA
Kmart #7625: Los Angeles, CA
Kmart #7642: Natchez, MS
Kmart #7718: Hixson, TN
Kmart #7733: Alpena, MI
Kmart #7755: Deming, NM
Kmart #7775: Lafayette, IN
Kmart #7795: Abilene, TX
Kmart #9129: Mount Airy, NC
Kmart #9146: Great Barrington, MA
Kmart #9397: West Saint Paul, MN
Kmart #9571: Cullman, AL
Kmart #9586: Sault Saint Marie, MI
Kmart #9623: Springdale, AR
Kmart #9728: Smyrna, TN
Kmart #9751: Cody, WY

Eddie Lampert killed Kmart, IMO.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on September 19, 2016, 07:30:38 PM
64 stores closing.

I feel bad for the 17 employees losing their jobs.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: epzik8 on September 19, 2016, 08:58:27 PM
I had a Kmart down the road from me that closed when I was like 5. I think there's one last Kmart in greater Baltimore, along Belair Road in Fullerton, but I don't even know if that one is still open. It's across the street from a former Sears Outlet.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 09:38:41 PM
There was a rumor going around that Sears can't afford to pay bump their people up to $10 dollars an hour if there was a minimum wage hike.  Basically the death spiral is all but certain now, the company doesn't have any money to reinvest into crumbling and outdated stores, and pretty much has been bleeding through cash reserves asides from the gains made by splitting out a real estate division.  So basically the real question is how long will it take before the bottom falls out for good and there is no more Sears Holding at all?  The Kmart brand will likely go extinct but the Sears brand would likely live on with franchise stores.  The worst thing that Sears could have let happen was let themselves get in bed with Eddie Lampert and having Kmart buy them out.  Eddie Lampert has turned out to be one of the biggest baffoons in the history of modern retail while Kmart was only profitable due to bankruptcy.  Sears Holding even tried to phase out the Kmart name with Sears Grand/Essentials but people weren't fooled.  Even Target and Wal-Mart are suffering from online retail, Sears Holding really never stood a chance once the course was set post merger. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on September 19, 2016, 11:34:33 PM
Fort Smith closed 6-8 years ago. Springdale and Jonesboro appear to be on the chopping block. Russellville seems to be in the clear, right now.

BTW: Springdale is the last store in NW Arkansas. It was built around the same time as the two stores in Fayetteville which both bombed spectacularly since they were across from Wal-Marts. Another was built in Rogers, and it bombed after Wal-Mart moved in across the street.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: txstateends on September 20, 2016, 11:53:30 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 09:38:41 PM
There was a rumor going around that Sears can't afford to pay bump their people up to $10 dollars an hour if there was a minimum wage hike.  Basically the death spiral is all but certain now, the company doesn't have any money to reinvest into crumbling and outdated stores, and pretty much has been bleeding through cash reserves asides from the gains made by splitting out a real estate division.  So basically the real question is how long will it take before the bottom falls out for good and there is no more Sears Holding at all?  The Kmart brand will likely go extinct but the Sears brand would likely live on with franchise stores.  The worst thing that Sears could have let happen was let themselves get in bed with Eddie Lampert and having Kmart buy them out.  Eddie Lampert has turned out to be one of the biggest baffoons in the history of modern retail while Kmart was only profitable due to bankruptcy.  Sears Holding even tried to phase out the Kmart name with Sears Grand/Essentials but people weren't fooled.  Even Target and Wal-Mart are suffering from online retail, Sears Holding really never stood a chance once the course was set post merger. 

I read some time ago that Lampert loaned the company some amount of $$$ to keep up cash flow or some other financial reason.  Either way, the transaction was set up so that whatever happens to Sears/Kmart corporately, Lampert gets to be the first in line for $$$ left over, before any other party/creditor.  So he'll get his back and won't care whether others do or not in the end (what a surprise).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: txstateends on September 20, 2016, 11:57:46 AM
Quote from: LM117 on September 19, 2016, 06:00:32 PM
http://www.businessinsider.com/kmart-is-closing-64-stores-full-list-2016-9 (http://www.businessinsider.com/kmart-is-closing-64-stores-full-list-2016-9)

QuoteKmart is closing 64 stores across 28 states.

Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart, informed Kmart employees of the closures on Friday, according to several local news reports and multiple employees who spoke with Business Insider.

The stores that are closing will begin liquidation sales on September 22 and close by mid-December, employees said.

Sears did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Separately on Friday, Seritage Growth Properties, a real-estate investment trust that owns 235 Sears and Kmart stores, revealed in a filing that Sears had decided to terminate leases on 17 stores, meaning it would close those stores.

According to RBC Capital Markets analysts, all 17 closures are Kmart stores and they will close by January.

QuoteHere's a full list of stores that will close in December, according to employees:

Kmart #3044: Lawton, OK
Kmart #3180: Merrillville, IN
Kmart #3241: Springfield, IL
Kmart #3320: Houma, LA
Kmart #3328: New Lenox, IL
Kmart #3355: Panama City, FL
Kmart #3359: Gardendale, AL
Kmart #3521: Binghamton, NY
Kmart #3556: Elkhart, IN
Kmart #3594: Chicago, IL
Kmart #3644: Nashville, TN
Kmart #3695: Sierra Vista, AZ
Kmart #3706: Wytheville, VA
Kmart #3754: Martinsville, VA
Kmart #3814: Kearney, NE
Kmart #4066: Jackson, MI
Kmart #4095: Joliet, IL
Kmart #4135: Augusta, GA
Kmart #4162: Salt Lake City, UT
Kmart #4175: Canton, OH
Kmart #4176: Cheektowaga, NY
Kmart #4439: Yakima, WA
Kmart #4700: Fenton, MI
Kmart #4717: Oak Ridge, TN
Kmart #4739: Clarksville, TN
Kmart #4772: Burnham, PA
Kmart #4781: Macomb, IL
Kmart #4837: Riverton, WY
Kmart #4845: Manistee, MI
Kmart #4851: Byron Center, MI
Kmart #4910: Mentor, OH
Kmart #4917: Thornton, CO
Kmart #4961: Burlington, NC
Kmart #4970: Memphis, TN
Kmart #4972: Lubbock, TX
Kmart #4984: Tinley Park, IL
Kmart #7024: Scottsbluff, NE
Kmart #7061: New Iberia, LA
Kmart #7077: Harlingen, TX
Kmart #7174: Pikeville, KY
Kmart #7205: Grand Rapids, MI
Kmart #7216: Moorhead, MN
Kmart #7306: Sioux Falls, SD
Kmart #7356: Jonesboro, AR
Kmart #7412: West Valley City, UT
Kmart #7478: Waipahu, HI
Kmart #7551: Indio, CA
Kmart #7560: Craig, CO
Kmart #7587: Fontana, CA
Kmart #7625: Los Angeles, CA
Kmart #7642: Natchez, MS
Kmart #7718: Hixson, TN
Kmart #7733: Alpena, MI
Kmart #7755: Deming, NM
Kmart #7775: Lafayette, IN
Kmart #7795: Abilene, TX
Kmart #9129: Mount Airy, NC
Kmart #9146: Great Barrington, MA
Kmart #9397: West Saint Paul, MN
Kmart #9571: Cullman, AL
Kmart #9586: Sault Saint Marie, MI
Kmart #9623: Springdale, AR
Kmart #9728: Smyrna, TN
Kmart #9751: Cody, WY

Eddie Lampert killed Kmart, IMO.

I didn't know there were any locations left in TX.  The stores in Amarillo, north TX, and east TX have been closed for yeeeaars.  The closest I've seen an open Kmart since was in Shreveport.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on September 20, 2016, 12:00:15 PM
Quote from: txstateends on September 20, 2016, 11:53:30 AM

I read some time ago that Lampert loaned the company some amount of $$$ to keep up cash flow or some other financial reason.  Either way, the transaction was set up so that whatever happens to Sears/Kmart corporately, Lampert gets to be the first in line for $$$ left over, before any other party/creditor.  So he'll get his back and won't care whether others do or not in the end (what a surprise).

Probably get a big tax write-off, too.

Unconfirmed rumor says the last K-mart will close in 2017, but Sears may hang on for a little while longer than that.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on September 20, 2016, 12:33:36 PM
The K-Mart - Sears merger was two sick companies joining together to make a larger sick company.

Sears seemed to get out of the mail order business about 30 seconds before the internet was invented and with it revitalized the mail order business.  It, along with the now dead Wards and a few others, had a huge special place in the lives of rural Americans and it gave that all up. 

As to its stores, Sears and K-Mart both should be looked at more as real estate companies than stores, because it owns many of its stores.  Especially in malls, where Sears would "make" a mall by demanding ownership of its space and then the mall would make its money from the inside stores. 

K-Mart stores have no purpose unless you live in some situation where Wal-Mart is not present.  Sears stores now sell a weird combination of things that are better sold in non-mall "big box" stores which are more convinent for most people, such as paint, tools, and electonics; and things that are sold 100 other places, like clothes.

What it is doing now is trying to live by selling off real estate and fixtures.  Eventually you run out of stuff to sell and the bill keep coming in. 

When it all get liquidated, individual local real estate will get snapped up if valuable based on local conditions and others will just be left to rot.  The trademark names like Sears, Kenmore, and especially Craftsman have some value.  Other than that there is nothing there.  Like the old TV brands, some huckster will sell "Craftsman" tools to oldster loyalists who will have no idea that they are cheap knockoffs.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Avalanchez71 on September 20, 2016, 12:46:22 PM
The only reason I still shopped at Kmart up until a year or two ago was due to the Shop Your Way points that they just kept sending to my account.  I would always get these emails if you purchase this or add this to your accuont you get so many points.  I kept getting points and I think I would end up using more "unearned" points than earned points and cash.

I don't know how they made it by sending out so many unearned bonus points, oh wait they didn't make it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on September 20, 2016, 01:21:26 PM
"I've been k-k-kidnapped by K-K-Kmart!"
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 20, 2016, 10:52:01 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 20, 2016, 12:33:36 PM
The K-Mart - Sears merger was two sick companies joining together to make a larger sick company.

Sears seemed to get out of the mail order business about 30 seconds before the internet was invented and with it revitalized the mail order business.  It, along with the now dead Wards and a few others, had a huge special place in the lives of rural Americans and it gave that all up. 


Even more ironic, Sears had a huge stake in Prodigy Online in the mid-1980s until they pulled out in the late 1990s.  I remember watching a demonstration of online purchases on Regis and Kathy Lee sometime in the early 1990s via Prodigy.  Imagine where Sears might be if it managed to stick it out with online retail investments another 10 or so years.  For those don't know Prodigy was one of the bigger early "internet" service providers.  Granted it wasn't true internet since you had to connect to Prodigy controlled content....but you were in fact at least "online." 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on September 21, 2016, 09:05:01 AM
Yeah, I had forgotten that and I was even a Prodigy customer.  Sears would put free floppy disks of the Prodigy software in the bag when you bought something.  I even think I ordered a few things, maybe not from Sears, but some outfit.

Sears had its own distribution system, which was "free".  It charged extra for UPS or USPS.  They had 10 or 12 huge warehouses across the country, my area was served by Greensboro, and then had 1000s of "catalog stores" which were just private package post offices with a few tools and other items on display.  You went to the counter and picked up your package.   If you take that infastructure and scale it up, you run rings around Amazon.  But Sears pissed it all away.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on September 21, 2016, 10:22:41 AM
There's a Kmart near me that keeps escaping closure, for reasons unknown.  There's never more than a handful of cars in the lot, and the last time I was in there a few months ago, the place was a mess.  This store had a full remodel back in the 1990s (expanding to take over the space of the dead supermarket next door), and there's been nothing done to it since.  When we first moved here, we shopped here a lot.  But in the last five years I've only been in it maybe a dozen times.

It's a little sad for me to see Kmart fade out.  It's only a matter of time before they all go.  I grew up about 1/2 mile from the first-ever Kmart in Garden City, Michigan. I rode my bike up there on its opening day.  The toy and sporting good sections were just the coolest things for a 10-year-old.  It got a lot of my allowance and paper route money during those years before college. It's still there, but probably not for much longer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on September 21, 2016, 12:15:13 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 20, 2016, 10:52:01 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 20, 2016, 12:33:36 PM
The K-Mart - Sears merger was two sick companies joining together to make a larger sick company.

Sears seemed to get out of the mail order business about 30 seconds before the internet was invented and with it revitalized the mail order business.  It, along with the now dead Wards and a few others, had a huge special place in the lives of rural Americans and it gave that all up. 


Even more ironic, Sears had a huge stake in Prodigy Online in the mid-1980s until they pulled out in the late 1990s.  I remember watching a demonstration of online purchases on Regis and Kathy Lee sometime in the early 1990s via Prodigy.  Imagine where Sears might be if it managed to stick it out with online retail investments another 10 or so years.  For those don't know Prodigy was one of the bigger early "internet" service providers.  Granted it wasn't true internet since you had to connect to Prodigy controlled content....but you were in fact at least "online."

Wait Sears had plans to be what Amazon app and eBay are today? Then how did eBay and Amazon managed to succeed in ideas that sears had in mind back in the 1980's and 1990's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Avalanchez71 on September 21, 2016, 12:25:59 PM
Technology and the penetration of computrized homes would likely have something to do with it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on September 21, 2016, 03:53:53 PM
Quote from: catch22 on September 21, 2016, 10:22:41 AM
There's a Kmart near me that keeps escaping closure, for reasons unknown.  There's never more than a handful of cars in the lot, and the last time I was in there a few months ago, the place was a mess.

It's a little sad for me to see Kmart fade out.  It's only a matter of time before they all go.  I grew up about 1/2 mile from the first-ever Kmart in Garden City, Michigan. I rode my bike up there on its opening day.  The toy and sporting good sections were just the coolest things for a 10-year-old.  It got a lot of my allowance and paper route money during those years before college. It's still there, but probably not for much longer.

I'm surprised the store here in Danville is still open for the same reasons. It blows my mind.

I agree that it's kinda sad to see Kmart go down the drain. I grew up near Goldsboro, NC and I spent a LOT of time at the Kmart there on Berkeley Boulevard as a kid and a teenager. I always made a beeline for the toy, electronics, & sporting goods sections. They used to have a mini-cafe of sorts inside the store, but it shut down around 2002 and has since been used as a storage area. It was a pretty nice store.

I was in Goldsboro last week for a visit and I decided to drop by Kmart for old times' sake to kill some time and walk around the store since I hadn't set foot in there since 2009. I couldn't believe what I saw. The electronics section had been virtually eliminated. All that remained was a few TV's on display and some odds & ends. The checkout counter had been taken out completely and most of the shelves that were used for movies, games & music were given the heave-ho to make room for appliances, which up until then, weren't sold at that particular Kmart (except for microwaves). The sporting goods section was downsized. There also used to be a checkout counter there that also sold NC fishing licenses. That was taken out too. The toy section had also shrunk and there weren't as many customers as there once was. It used to be pretty busy. It was tough to see. I'll be shocked if the Goldsboro store is still open by the end of next year. I guess being within a stone's throw of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base helped keep it alive in recent years.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on September 21, 2016, 04:08:33 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 21, 2016, 12:15:13 PM
Wait Sears had plans to be what Amazon app and eBay are today? Then how did eBay and Amazon managed to succeed in ideas that sears had in mind back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Well, Prodigy was a long, long way from Amazon.  Prodigy was basically an ISP in which members were in a walled garden.  So no access to the web in general.  Their model was users paid a monthly service charge and got content that Prodigy provided, and the content wasn't really all that great and you couldn't get out to see content that other companies or folks playing on the web put up.  It wasn't a place to buy physical items.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on September 21, 2016, 04:15:14 PM
This article nails it.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ghost-town-shoppers-reveal-why-223033047.html (https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ghost-town-shoppers-reveal-why-223033047.html)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on September 21, 2016, 06:01:05 PM
I am surprised there is anything left of K Mart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on September 21, 2016, 06:30:45 PM
More articles:
http://www.businessinsider.com/kmart-employees-say-brand-is-failing-2016-7
http://www.businessinsider.com/moodys-report-sears-and-kmart-2016-9
http://www.inc.com/erik-sherman/sears-ceo-eddie-lampert-should-stop-reading-ayn-rand.html

My local K-Mart (Manistee) is among those being closed, which is no surprise at all considering how empty and dirty it is. Doesn't help that Meijer opened on the other side of town last year. I wouldn't be completely shocked if the entire K-Mart chain goes under within the next year or two.

Also another K-Mart I went to a few times (Byron Center) is on the closure list, and every time I was there almost nobody was shopping there. Didn't help that Meijer, Target, and Walmart are all two miles up US-131 from there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on September 21, 2016, 07:23:58 PM
Kmart's value now is the real estate, but their stores are pretty big for most commercial tenants, so they'd be hard to lease or sell.  Unless they did a remodel, which they probably couldn't afford.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on September 21, 2016, 08:07:57 PM
Springdale, Arkansas formally announced today they are closing by December 11.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 10:19:38 PM
Quote from: kkt on September 21, 2016, 04:08:33 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 21, 2016, 12:15:13 PM
Wait Sears had plans to be what Amazon app and eBay are today? Then how did eBay and Amazon managed to succeed in ideas that sears had in mind back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Well, Prodigy was a long, long way from Amazon.  Prodigy was basically an ISP in which members were in a walled garden.  So no access to the web in general.  Their model was users paid a monthly service charge and got content that Prodigy provided, and the content wasn't really all that great and you couldn't get out to see content that other companies or folks playing on the web put up.  It wasn't a place to buy physical items.

Yes and you're only talking about a couple million subscribers at it's prime with Prodigy.  There was even a time where I seem to recall having to pay for minutes online before the monthly rates.  The really popular things on Prodigy turned out to be things like the chat boards which they screwed the pooch on by moderating the shit out of.  When you think about the R&D it took to build all that only to have things like AOL come along with open access to the internet and little moderation it made sense why people made the jump back then.  More so it's easy to understand why Sears and IBM decided to say "screw it" since at the time it would have taken a lot of time on top of money to keep building up the online marketing....which wasn't helped by the closed network.

Personally I really liked the old video bulletin boards, sports tickers, and some of the games that they had online.  Online chess and checkers was always fun but I really liked to sit around playing Mad Maze for hours.  Apparently Mad Maze is still hosted on a private server even though the game was never fully complete.

Quote from: SP Cook on September 21, 2016, 09:05:01 AM
Yeah, I had forgotten that and I was even a Prodigy customer.  Sears would put free floppy disks of the Prodigy software in the bag when you bought something.  I even think I ordered a few things, maybe not from Sears, but some outfit.

Sears had its own distribution system, which was "free".  It charged extra for UPS or USPS.  They had 10 or 12 huge warehouses across the country, my area was served by Greensboro, and then had 1000s of "catalog stores" which were just private package post offices with a few tools and other items on display.  You went to the counter and picked up your package.   If you take that infastructure and scale it up, you run rings around Amazon.  But Sears pissed it all away.

Yeah Sears used to have the catalog market covered, especially during the holiday season.  I loved flipping through those old things when I was a kid to see what toys were coming out. 

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 10:34:14 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts

I think that it has more to do with Wal-Mart trying to find something to offset the costs of boosting the minimum pay company wide.  Drug testing would be an easy slash, especially if you expect 50% turnover on any given year.  It doesn't really say much for safety standards though possibly having a druggie riding a fork lift that could have been screened out before their start date.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on September 21, 2016, 11:39:07 PM
Firstly, Sears could easily be lumped in with JCPenney, Red Lobster–even Howard Johnson's–all of which appealed to the very middle-est of the middle class. As that previously broad group of factory workers, tradesmen, and middle managers has largely been hollowed out and divided into lower and upper middle classes, it was almost unavoidable that Sears would have a great deal to lose.

That said, I think Sears could have handled its inevitable fall from the top a little more adeptly, although I disagree with the notion that Sears was poised for success and just dropped its mail order and online divisions a little too early.

Even if the company had made a more concerted effort to break into e-commerce, I don't think Sears could have been Amazon because it was an organization too steeped in century-old blue chip thinking. I doubt the suits who brought you the carefully written Wish Book ever would have allowed customers to write their own reviews–"What if they say something bad about the product? Why, I never!"  Such a large and bureaucratic entity couldn't foster the kind of disruptive thinking that builds empires in the Internet era.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 11:41:23 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on September 21, 2016, 11:36:32 PM
Firstly, Sears could easily be easily lumped in with JCPenney, Red Lobster–even Howard Johnson's–all of which appealed to the very middle-est of the middle class. As that previously broad group of factory workers, tradesmen, and middle managers has largely been hollowed out and divided into lower and upper middle classes, it was almost unavoidable that Sears would have a great deal to lose.

That said, I think Sears could have handled its inevitable fall from the top a little more adeptly, although I disagree with the notion that Sears was poised for success and just dropped their mail order and online divisions a little too early.

Even if had the company made a more concerted effort to break into e-commerce, I don't think Sears could have been Amazon because it was an organization too steeped in century-old blue chip thinking. I doubt the suits who brought you the carefully written Wish Book ever would have allowed customers to right their own reviews–"What if they say something bad about the product? Why, I never!"  Such a large and bureaucratic entity couldn't foster the kind of disruptive thinking that builds empires in the Internet era.

But there in lies the irony.  The perception of the early online world was that it was something that could be packaged and controlled by a huge  corporate entity.  Even though it turned into a disaster, one or two moves different with allowing a more loosely controlled approach may have changed the entire landscape of online retail in today's world.  It's just amusing that Sears was such a big early pusher of purchasing merchandise online considering how ancient the company really was even by 1980s and 1990s standards. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on September 22, 2016, 08:10:10 AM
Well I remember 2 decades ago when Amazon.com now Amazon Inc LLC came out their original business model was to go after Barnes and Noble, Crown Books, and other bookstores at the time.  Now Amazon is now known for taking down big box stores, malls and department stores thats how 20 years have changed. EBay started out as an online version of "American Pickers" now that too became the biggest store in America too.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 09:23:59 AM
Honestly, I'm surprised the one in Joliet was open still. we went in about 6 months ago, and the place looked like no money was spent in upgrading the store in 20 years. It looked closer to a flea market than a K-Mart.

It's sad, because growing up, that was the only place in town to shop until the malls came in around 1975.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on September 22, 2016, 09:57:40 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 09:23:59 AM
Honestly, I'm surprised the one in Joliet was open still. we went in about 6 months ago, and the place looked like no money was spent in upgrading the store in 20 years. It looked closer to a flea market than a K-Mart.

It's sad, because growing up, that was the only place in town to shop until the malls came in around 1975.

That store was opened in 1966 or so.  However, there was plenty to shop at in town before 1975.  Sears, Penney's, Woolworth's, Kline's, Boston Store (no relation to the current Milwaukee one), Carson's, and Ward's were all downtown, and there was also Hillcrest, opened in 1959 with Boston Store and Goldblatt's.  That was a 30 store open air mall that was demalled by 1980.  You're also forgetting Zayre (Jackson Street), Topps (Marycrest - became a Dominick's), and Gaylord's (across from Hillcrest).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on September 22, 2016, 10:07:52 AM
Quote from: briantroutman on September 21, 2016, 11:39:07 PM
Firstly, Sears could easily be lumped in with JCPenney, Red Lobster–even Howard Johnson's–all of which appealed to the very middle-est of the middle class. As that previously broad group of factory workers, tradesmen, and middle managers has largely been hollowed out and divided into lower and upper middle classes, it was almost unavoidable that Sears would have a great deal to lose.

I'm no so sure I buy that completely.  JCPenney has managed to do rather well when they get back to basics (selling decent clothing, towels, sheets, shoes, etc) and away from trends (like the Ron Johnson fiasco).  Others that sell to this price point include Kohl's and Target.  Sears screwed the pooch when they first had a mismatch between their hard lines (middle to high end) and their soft lines (decidedly low end), and then by being nonchalant on customer service.  It was ultimately their approach (really, lack thereof) to customer service that did them in.  Red Lobster is still around, but other seafood places have come along that do a far better job of it.  As for Howard Johnson's...

Howard Johnson's helped then really hurt themselves with their approach to food consistency.  They helped themselves by making the food consistent over the entire chain.  They hurt themselves by cooking it all in a commissary and flash freezing it, only to be reheated at the restaurant.  No matter what you do, reheated food tastes like reheated food, and all it takes is someone using fresh food, and doing the same type of consistent food to put a major dent in your business.  People like fresh food, not flash frozen nuked food.  Howard Johnson's, for all their nostalgia, probably tasted like a modern TV dinner.  Which is good as long as your competition is worse.  Which would you rather have, a TV dinner, or freshly cooked food?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jdb1234 on September 22, 2016, 10:27:46 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts

I had to pass a drug test to work night shift when I was hired at Walmart back in 2012.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 22, 2016, 10:33:34 AM
Quote from: jdb1234 on September 22, 2016, 10:27:46 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts

I had to pass a drug test to work night shift when I was hired at Walmart back in 2012.

They got rid of them since.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 11:54:48 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 22, 2016, 09:57:40 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 09:23:59 AM
Honestly, I'm surprised the one in Joliet was open still. we went in about 6 months ago, and the place looked like no money was spent in upgrading the store in 20 years. It looked closer to a flea market than a K-Mart.

It's sad, because growing up, that was the only place in town to shop until the malls came in around 1975.

That store was opened in 1966 or so.  However, there was plenty to shop at in town before 1975.  Sears, Penney's, Woolworth's, Kline's, Boston Store (no relation to the current Milwaukee one), Carson's, and Ward's were all downtown, and there was also Hillcrest, opened in 1959 with Boston Store and Goldblatt's.  That was a 30 store open air mall that was demalled by 1980.  You're also forgetting Zayre (Jackson Street), Topps (Marycrest - became a Dominick's), and Gaylord's (across from Hillcrest).

I actualy totally forgot about all those, having grown up in the shadow of the Louis Joliet Mall, watching it being built from inside the house I grew up in.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 11:58:13 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 22, 2016, 10:07:52 AM

I'm no so sure I buy that completely.  JCPenney has managed to do rather well when they get back to basics (selling decent clothing, towels, sheets, shoes, etc) and away from trends (like the Ron Johnson fiasco).  Others that sell to this price point include Kohl's and Target.  Sears screwed the pooch when they first had a mismatch between their hard lines (middle to high end) and their soft lines (decidedly low end), and then by being nonchalant on customer service.  It was ultimately their approach (really, lack thereof) to customer service that did them in.  Red Lobster is still around, but other seafood places have come along that do a far better job of it.  As for Howard Johnson's...

Howard Johnson's helped then really hurt themselves with their approach to food consistency.  They helped themselves by making the food consistent over the entire chain.  They hurt themselves by cooking it all in a commissary and flash freezing it, only to be reheated at the restaurant.  No matter what you do, reheated food tastes like reheated food, and all it takes is someone using fresh food, and doing the same type of consistent food to put a major dent in your business.  People like fresh food, not flash frozen nuked food.  Howard Johnson's, for all their nostalgia, probably tasted like a modern TV dinner.  Which is good as long as your competition is worse.  Which would you rather have, a TV dinner, or freshly cooked food?

I had no idea that HoJo cooked everything in a commisary (like Taco Bell does) then flash froze everything only to be reheated.  I learn something new everyday.

One of the big modern issues with Sears / KMart is that their website is a huge cluster.  They don't get online retailing (as far as I see it.)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on September 22, 2016, 02:06:34 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 11:41:23 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on September 21, 2016, 11:36:32 PM
Firstly, Sears could easily be easily lumped in with JCPenney, Red Lobster–even Howard Johnson's–all of which appealed to the very middle-est of the middle class. As that previously broad group of factory workers, tradesmen, and middle managers has largely been hollowed out and divided into lower and upper middle classes, it was almost unavoidable that Sears would have a great deal to lose.

That said, I think Sears could have handled its inevitable fall from the top a little more adeptly, although I disagree with the notion that Sears was poised for success and just dropped their mail order and online divisions a little too early.

Even if had the company made a more concerted effort to break into e-commerce, I don't think Sears could have been Amazon because it was an organization too steeped in century-old blue chip thinking. I doubt the suits who brought you the carefully written Wish Book ever would have allowed customers to right their own reviews–"What if they say something bad about the product? Why, I never!"  Such a large and bureaucratic entity couldn't foster the kind of disruptive thinking that builds empires in the Internet era.

But there in lies the irony.  The perception of the early online world was that it was something that could be packaged and controlled by a huge  corporate entity.  Even though it turned into a disaster, one or two moves different with allowing a more loosely controlled approach may have changed the entire landscape of online retail in today's world.  It's just amusing that Sears was such a big early pusher of purchasing merchandise online considering how ancient the company really was even by 1980s and 1990s standards. 
Interestingly enough, Facebook is doing something similar in the developing world, and it definitely seems like the internet is morphing into something more resembling cable rather than the free-flowing, non-corporate experience that dominated the mid/late 90s and 2000s.  Mobile phones appear to be leaving the web entirely in favor of proprietary apps.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 6a on September 22, 2016, 02:56:34 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 20, 2016, 12:33:36 PM

As to its stores, Sears and K-Mart both should be looked at more as real estate companies than stores, because it owns many of its stores.  Especially in malls, where Sears would "make" a mall by demanding ownership of its space and then the mall would make its money from the inside stores. 

Heh, there's a mall here that is completely closed, and actually condemned by the township. Good ol' Sears keeps chugging along, however.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 22, 2016, 09:59:56 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 11:58:13 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 22, 2016, 10:07:52 AM

I'm no so sure I buy that completely.  JCPenney has managed to do rather well when they get back to basics (selling decent clothing, towels, sheets, shoes, etc) and away from trends (like the Ron Johnson fiasco).  Others that sell to this price point include Kohl's and Target.  Sears screwed the pooch when they first had a mismatch between their hard lines (middle to high end) and their soft lines (decidedly low end), and then by being nonchalant on customer service.  It was ultimately their approach (really, lack thereof) to customer service that did them in.  Red Lobster is still around, but other seafood places have come along that do a far better job of it.  As for Howard Johnson's...

Howard Johnson's helped then really hurt themselves with their approach to food consistency.  They helped themselves by making the food consistent over the entire chain.  They hurt themselves by cooking it all in a commissary and flash freezing it, only to be reheated at the restaurant.  No matter what you do, reheated food tastes like reheated food, and all it takes is someone using fresh food, and doing the same type of consistent food to put a major dent in your business.  People like fresh food, not flash frozen nuked food.  Howard Johnson's, for all their nostalgia, probably tasted like a modern TV dinner.  Which is good as long as your competition is worse.  Which would you rather have, a TV dinner, or freshly cooked food?

I had no idea that HoJo cooked everything in a commisary (like Taco Bell does) then flash froze everything only to be reheated.  I learn something new everyday.

One of the big modern issues with Sears / KMart is that their website is a huge cluster.  They don't get online retailing (as far as I see it.)

All the more ironic that Sears was the company who tried to pioneer it.  :rolleyes:

Quote from: vdeane on September 22, 2016, 02:06:34 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 11:41:23 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on September 21, 2016, 11:36:32 PM
Firstly, Sears could easily be easily lumped in with JCPenney, Red Lobster–even Howard Johnson's–all of which appealed to the very middle-est of the middle class. As that previously broad group of factory workers, tradesmen, and middle managers has largely been hollowed out and divided into lower and upper middle classes, it was almost unavoidable that Sears would have a great deal to lose.

That said, I think Sears could have handled its inevitable fall from the top a little more adeptly, although I disagree with the notion that Sears was poised for success and just dropped their mail order and online divisions a little too early.

Even if had the company made a more concerted effort to break into e-commerce, I don't think Sears could have been Amazon because it was an organization too steeped in century-old blue chip thinking. I doubt the suits who brought you the carefully written Wish Book ever would have allowed customers to right their own reviews–"What if they say something bad about the product? Why, I never!"  Such a large and bureaucratic entity couldn't foster the kind of disruptive thinking that builds empires in the Internet era.

But there in lies the irony.  The perception of the early online world was that it was something that could be packaged and controlled by a huge  corporate entity.  Even though it turned into a disaster, one or two moves different with allowing a more loosely controlled approach may have changed the entire landscape of online retail in today's world.  It's just amusing that Sears was such a big early pusher of purchasing merchandise online considering how ancient the company really was even by 1980s and 1990s standards. 
Interestingly enough, Facebook is doing something similar in the developing world, and it definitely seems like the internet is morphing into something more resembling cable rather than the free-flowing, non-corporate experience that dominated the mid/late 90s and 2000s.  Mobile phones appear to be leaving the web entirely in favor of proprietary apps.

Yeah amazing how almost everything comes full circle sooner or later.  The funny part to it is that a lot of internet pioneers were usually from nothing companies that grew into some pretty damn large companies.  It's amazing how much control companies like Google, eBay, Amazon, and Youtube really have in today's market when they were basically nothing two decades back.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on September 23, 2016, 12:07:18 AM
Amazingly, this relic is not on the closing list.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2298/2216414717_b3a3b38681.jpg
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: tchafe1978 on September 23, 2016, 12:09:17 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 22, 2016, 10:33:34 AM
Quote from: jdb1234 on September 22, 2016, 10:27:46 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts

I had to pass a drug test to work night shift when I was hired at Walmart back in 2012.

They got rid of them since.

I'm a supervisor at a Walmart, and yes, we still do drug testing for all new hires. I've been in the room when the applicant has been told they have 24 hours to report to the hospital for the test or the job offer is rescinded. Anytime an employee has an accident where they have to go to the doctor, they are also drug tested.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on September 23, 2016, 11:41:41 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 23, 2016, 12:07:18 AM
Amazingly, this relic is not on the closing list.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2298/2216414717_b3a3b38681.jpg

Where is this Kmart located? And what year did the photo take place?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on September 23, 2016, 05:26:42 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 23, 2016, 11:41:41 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 23, 2016, 12:07:18 AM
Amazingly, this relic is not on the closing list.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2298/2216414717_b3a3b38681.jpg

Where is this Kmart located? And what year did the photo take place?

Watertown, CT.  Here's a GSV shot from July of 2015: https://goo.gl/maps/F5Q6F3CBqky
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on September 25, 2016, 08:57:47 PM
^Huh, it's got a Saab and Isuzu dealership right across from it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on September 25, 2016, 09:18:22 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on September 25, 2016, 08:57:47 PM
^Huh, it's got a Saab and Isuzu dealership right across from it.
and Audi ;)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Takumi on September 25, 2016, 09:44:43 PM
That's hilariously appropriate.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 27, 2016, 07:29:30 AM
Someone argued here with me that K Mart bought out Sears and not Sears buying K Mart.  Well that is ironic considering that Sears is still around and K Mart has been closing stores over the past two decades.  The stumbling retailer is the owner of one that is somewhat surviving.  Maybe they need to manage their last few stores like they do their Sears brand stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 27, 2016, 09:43:48 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 27, 2016, 07:29:30 AM
Someone argued here with me that K Mart bought out Sears and not Sears buying K Mart.  Well that is ironic considering that Sears is still around and K Mart has been closing stores over the past two decades.  The stumbling retailer is the owner of one that is somewhat surviving.  Maybe they need to manage their last few stores like they do their Sears brand stores.

Basically if Kmart had gone bankrupt like it did back in 2003 it likely wouldn't come out as intact nor have a shady hedge fund manager come around to swoop it up on the cheap:

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6509683/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/t/kmart-acquire-sears-billion-deal/#.V-p2iTVITIU
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on September 27, 2016, 10:17:53 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 27, 2016, 07:29:30 AM
Someone argued here with me that K Mart bought out Sears and not Sears buying K Mart.  Well that is ironic considering that Sears is still around and K Mart has been closing stores over the past two decades.  The stumbling retailer is the owner of one that is somewhat surviving.  Maybe they need to manage their last few stores like they do their Sears brand stores.

Kmart (Eddie Lampert) did in fact buy Sears and change the name to Sears Holdings, and moved the corporate HQ from Troy, MI to Hoffman Estates, IL.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 27, 2016, 11:37:40 AM
That's probably why!  He spend all his money needed to save K Mart on buying Sears, that had a better management set up then them.  Sure Sears was not perfect, but at least they have more stores in business than K Mart.

That is why I said let Sears management get transferred to K Mart stores and maybe they can save what is left of the once giant chain.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on September 29, 2016, 02:58:01 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsV1e1XCmWk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szdbKz5CyhA



Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hm insulators on September 29, 2016, 04:38:23 PM
I'm surprised K-mart is still around. The last time I was inside a K-mart, I was outside the store checking out a classic-car show in the mall parking lot and I had to use the restroom. It took me a few minutes to do so, and I noticed that the merchandise was dusty and tired, the floor was grungy and filthy and with all the hundreds of people just outside with the classic cars, you'd think the store would at least have some customers. Instead, you could've gone berserk with a machine gun and not hit anybody.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on September 29, 2016, 05:06:45 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 27, 2016, 11:37:40 AM
That's probably why!  He spend all his money needed to save K Mart on buying Sears, that had a better management set up then them.  Sure Sears was not perfect, but at least they have more stores in business than K Mart.

That is why I said let Sears management get transferred to K Mart stores and maybe they can save what is left of the once giant chain.

Sears isn't doing much better lately. They may not have the store closings in the headlines, but it's not like they're raking it in to the point that they can save Kmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JasonOfORoads on September 29, 2016, 06:08:43 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2016, 05:06:45 PM
Sears isn't doing much better lately. They may not have the store closings in the headlines, but it's not like they're raking it in to the point that they can save Kmart.
You can tell when a chain is in its death throes when it stops paying to pipe music into its stores, like what happened the last time I went to Sears.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 29, 2016, 07:43:41 PM
Sears, I remember, in 1988 closed their stores for one day, to lower all their prices as they were in trouble then and by lowering their prices they were trying to get volume sales in hope to make up for the deficit.


Also to know many department stores besides Sears and Kmart are operating in the red instead of the black.  Macy's for one is paying most sales staff draw verses commission for a salary.  That means that the sales person's base wage, that is the minimum by law, is covered by the commission they receive.  In other words, you must make more in commission per day than you make in hourly wage or else you owe the house the difference.  If it goes on long enough, the store will start paying 5 bucks an hour to that said employee who was not selling more than his wages until the draw is covered.

That is how Macy's justifies their sales department's wages on the books.  They can hire as many sales people without effecting the intake costs as their salary comes directly from purchases.  Considering that I only made 1 percent of the merchandise price, that one percent went on the books as labor cost.  If an employee quit or gotten fired, I am guessing it would be written off come April 15 and the books could still look good.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 30, 2016, 08:38:18 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 29, 2016, 07:43:41 PM
Sears, I remember, in 1988 closed their stores for one day, to lower all their prices as they were in trouble then and by lowering their prices they were trying to get volume sales in hope to make up for the deficit.


Also to know many department stores besides Sears and Kmart are operating in the red instead of the black.  Macy's for one is paying most sales staff draw verses commission for a salary.  That means that the sales person's base wage, that is the minimum by law, is covered by the commission they receive.  In other words, you must make more in commission per day than you make in hourly wage or else you owe the house the difference.  If it goes on long enough, the store will start paying 5 bucks an hour to that said employee who was not selling more than his wages until the draw is covered.

That is how Macy's justifies their sales department's wages on the books.  They can hire as many sales people without effecting the intake costs as their salary comes directly from purchases.  Considering that I only made 1 percent of the merchandise price, that one percent went on the books as labor cost.  If an employee quit or gotten fired, I am guessing it would be written off come April 15 and the books could still look good.

Doesn't Sears have the same thing?  I could swear that I read an article or two which said some departments like Appliances and Electronics were commission based in addition to having that draw system?  That sort of thing probably worked a lot better in the pre-internet age when there wasn't as much product information around.  Even car sales have been drastically affected due to buyer knowledge being way higher than it used to be.

Quote from: JasonOfORoads on September 29, 2016, 06:08:43 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2016, 05:06:45 PM
Sears isn't doing much better lately. They may not have the store closings in the headlines, but it's not like they're raking it in to the point that they can save Kmart.
You can tell when a chain is in its death throes when it stops paying to pipe music into its stores, like what happened the last time I went to Sears.

Like Target who likely does it only to be different than Walmart?  :-D

Quote from: hm insulators on September 29, 2016, 04:38:23 PM
I'm surprised K-mart is still around. The last time I was inside a K-mart, I was outside the store checking out a classic-car show in the mall parking lot and I had to use the restroom. It took me a few minutes to do so, and I noticed that the merchandise was dusty and tired, the floor was grungy and filthy and with all the hundreds of people just outside with the classic cars, you'd think the store would at least have some customers. Instead, you could've gone berserk with a machine gun and not hit anybody.

Interesting analogy...   :rolleyes:  Actually there was a Kmart store just like that in New Mexico that I used to frequent literally because it was a tomb.  Any time I needed some general merchandise or a pop it was the place to go since there was never any shoppers in the store.  The Walmart was filled to the brims with the dregs of humanity and oddly it made that Kmart seem wholesome by comparison....certainly worth the nominal difference in price to be left in peace during my shopping experience.

Quote from: bing101 on September 29, 2016, 02:58:01 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsV1e1XCmWk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szdbKz5CyhA

Now I don't know the exact conversion of British Pounds to US Dollars in 1984 but almost $13,000 seems excessive to hold in a checking account balance.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on September 30, 2016, 12:59:34 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 30, 2016, 08:38:18 AM
....certainly worth the nominal difference in price to be left in peace during my shopping experience.

Normally I would agree, except I've gone into Kmart on a few occasions and couldn't find what I need.  Oh, and I need to replace a 6-month-old kitchen faucet sprayer (that I bought at a certain retailer) because it leaks...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on September 30, 2016, 01:14:05 PM
I bought a small cacti 3-4 years ago for $1 on clearance.

I bought a USB to AC cell phone adapter on clearance in July, and that's all I've spent at K-Mart.

The closest one is 80 miles from me, so I only stop if I'm in the neighborhood and think about it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on September 30, 2016, 03:16:12 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on September 30, 2016, 12:59:34 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 30, 2016, 08:38:18 AM
....certainly worth the nominal difference in price to be left in peace during my shopping experience.

Normally I would agree, except I've gone into Kmart on a few occasions and couldn't find what I need.  Oh, and I need to replace a 6-month-old kitchen faucet sprayer (that I bought at a certain retailer) because it leaks...

Fortunately a ready supply of Diet Mountain Dew was readily available in my case.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Desert Man on October 06, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
The nearest K-marts to me is in Indio (there were historically 2 in Coachella), Desert Hot Springs (nearby is a future Wal-mart site) and Banning or Beaumont (not sure which). K-mart closed their sites in Cathedral City or Palm Springs (city limits ambiguity) and Yucca Valley, due to heavy competition with Wal-marts when they came in during the 1990s. Sears bought K-mart to save them from total decline, but they couldn't save itself from bankruptcy.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 06, 2016, 11:38:27 AM
Almost seems to me that if the company wants to be profitable again, lose the KMart name.  It's too damaged at this point.  Then give complete overhauls to the performing stores in the chain.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 06, 2016, 11:40:20 AM
Quote from: Desert Man on October 06, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
The nearest K-marts to me is in Indio (there were historically 2 in Coachella), Desert Hot Springs (nearby is a future Wal-mart site) and Banning or Beaumont (not sure which). K-mart closed their sites in Cathedral City or Palm Springs (city limits ambiguity) and Yucca Valley, due to heavy competition with Wal-marts when they came in during the 1990s. Sears bought K-mart to save them from total decline, but they couldn't save itself from bankruptcy.

Actually Kmart bought Sears.  Check the news links I posted earlier in the thread.  That neighborhood in DHS ain't good either, a little close to the windmill graveyard.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on October 06, 2016, 12:33:27 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 06, 2016, 11:38:27 AM
Almost seems to me that if the company wants to be profitable again, lose the KMart name.  It's too damaged at this point.  Then give complete overhauls to the performing stores in the chain.

So you're saying all they'd need is new stock, a new name, and remodel all their stores?  That sounds like they'd be better off selling their assets to a different store...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 06, 2016, 12:41:25 PM
Quote from: kkt on October 06, 2016, 12:33:27 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 06, 2016, 11:38:27 AM
Almost seems to me that if the company wants to be profitable again, lose the KMart name.  It's too damaged at this point.  Then give complete overhauls to the performing stores in the chain.

So you're saying all they'd need is new stock, a new name, and remodel all their stores?  That sounds like they'd be better off selling their assets to a different store...

In essence, I'm saying it's dead.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 06, 2016, 01:37:21 PM
Quote from: kkt on October 06, 2016, 12:33:27 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 06, 2016, 11:38:27 AM
Almost seems to me that if the company wants to be profitable again, lose the KMart name.  It's too damaged at this point.  Then give complete overhauls to the performing stores in the chain.

So you're saying all they'd need is new stock, a new name, and remodel all their stores?  That sounds like they'd be better off selling their assets to a different store...

Both of which they tried with Sears Grand and splitting off a real estate division of empty stores.  That's actually how they made their last profitable quarter.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Desert Man on October 06, 2016, 09:33:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 06, 2016, 11:40:20 AM
Quote from: Desert Man on October 06, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
The nearest K-marts to me is in Indio (there were historically 2 in Coachella), Desert Hot Springs (nearby is a future Wal-mart site) and Banning or Beaumont (not sure which). K-mart closed their sites in Cathedral City or Palm Springs (city limits ambiguity) and Yucca Valley, due to heavy competition with Wal-marts when they came in during the 1990s. Sears bought K-mart to save them from total decline, but they couldn't save itself from bankruptcy.

Actually Kmart bought Sears.  Check the news links I posted earlier in the thread.  That neighborhood in DHS ain't good either, a little close to the windmill graveyard.

No kidding...my Dad rented apartments in DHS and Cathedral City near PS in the 1980s and 90s, not the best parts of the area to live, for sure. Wal-mart in CC closed and relocated to PS a few years ago, while Wal-mart opened a new smaller store in Indio to relieve near-tilt customer traffic in "supercenter" La Quinta and Palm Desert ones.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 06, 2016, 10:49:39 PM
Quote from: Desert Man on October 06, 2016, 09:33:19 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 06, 2016, 11:40:20 AM
Quote from: Desert Man on October 06, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
The nearest K-marts to me is in Indio (there were historically 2 in Coachella), Desert Hot Springs (nearby is a future Wal-mart site) and Banning or Beaumont (not sure which). K-mart closed their sites in Cathedral City or Palm Springs (city limits ambiguity) and Yucca Valley, due to heavy competition with Wal-marts when they came in during the 1990s. Sears bought K-mart to save them from total decline, but they couldn't save itself from bankruptcy.

Actually Kmart bought Sears.  Check the news links I posted earlier in the thread.  That neighborhood in DHS ain't good either, a little close to the windmill graveyard.

No kidding...my Dad rented apartments in DHS and Cathedral City near PS in the 1980s and 90s, not the best parts of the area to live, for sure. Wal-mart in CC closed and relocated to PS a few years ago, while Wal-mart opened a new smaller store in Indio to relieve near-tilt customer traffic in "supercenter" La Quinta and Palm Desert ones.

Yeah I did some contract work out there for a couple months.  Ended up seeing so many nasty things go on at the corner of Palm Drive and Two Bunch Palms Trail.  Apparently the big thing was to steal copper piping and hightail it out of town.  Rumor was that the city was getting money from L.A. County to put felons in halfway houses.  Of course that Kmart is located at that intersection I just mentioned, way I always saw it that's how you knew your town was a shit hole....you weren't even good enough for Walmart.  :-D
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: epzik8 on October 25, 2016, 11:32:16 AM
Quote from: epzik8 on September 19, 2016, 08:58:27 PM
I had a Kmart down the road from me that closed when I was like 5. I think there's one last Kmart in greater Baltimore, along Belair Road in Fullerton, but I don't even know if that one is still open. It's across the street from a former Sears Outlet.
Okay, I just drove through there on Thursday and that Kmart is indeed gone. However, the Sears Outlet is still alive and kicking.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on October 25, 2016, 07:41:18 PM
As far as I know the one in Charlottesville on Hydraulic Road is still open. That store has been the hub of the city's bus system for at least 25 years. Of all the peculiar places to play that role.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on October 26, 2016, 09:16:52 PM
Quote from: kkt on October 06, 2016, 12:33:27 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 06, 2016, 11:38:27 AM
Almost seems to me that if the company wants to be profitable again, lose the KMart name.  It's too damaged at this point.  Then give complete overhauls to the performing stores in the chain.

So you're saying all they'd need is new stock, a new name, and remodel all their stores?  That sounds like they'd be better off selling their assets to a different store...

Some furniture stores "go out of business", hold "liquidation sales", then rebrand, remodel and open up in the same location. It's not a bad idea if a lot of their inventory has gone out of fashion and the place needed remodeled anyway.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 27, 2016, 12:05:22 PM
I've thought, also, that they should ressurect the S. S. Kresgee name, and use that as a chain of stores like Dollar General.  Smaller, and in smaller locations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on October 27, 2016, 12:40:18 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on October 26, 2016, 09:16:52 PM
Some furniture stores "go out of business", hold "liquidation sales", then rebrand, remodel and open up in the same location. It's not a bad idea if a lot of their inventory has gone out of fashion and the place needed remodeled anyway.

Reminded me of this bit from Seattle's Almost Live with Pat Cashman–who some may recognize as the off-camera voice from Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on November 03, 2016, 04:04:01 PM
Seems more closings in the Sears family are on the way.  This one hits pretty close to home.http://www.wfsb.com/story/33624969/sears-sears-auto-center-in-west-hartford-to-close-next-year
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on November 03, 2016, 07:20:50 PM
I couldn't keep a straight face when I saw these tidbits from a recent article.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2016/10/03/sears-eddie-lampert-says-kmart-isnt-closing/amp/ (http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2016/10/03/sears-eddie-lampert-says-kmart-isnt-closing/amp/)

QuoteSears Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert is trying to set the record straight regarding reports of increased store closings and possible end of the Kmart brand.

"I can tell you that there are no plans and there have never been any plans to close the Kmart format. In fact, we've been working hard to make Kmart a more fun, engaging place to shop, powered by our integrated retail innovations and Shop Your Way,"  Lampert said in an emailed statement. "To report or suggest otherwise is irresponsible and is likely intended to do harm to our company to the benefit of those who seek to gain advantage from posting these inaccurate reports."

This isn't the first time Lampert called out the media as irresponsible. In this case he is likely referring to recent reports that cite unnamed sources and store employees many of whom are worried for their jobs.

They have good reason to worry. Sears has indeed been closing stores — under both the Sears and Kmart brands.

QuoteStill, the store base continues to contract as management monetizes its real estate. But Lampert maintains the goal is to regain standing as a profitable retailer.

"First, Kmart continues to operate over 700 stores. Second, a significant number of these stores are profitable and have been profitable for many years. Third, we have been clear that we are intent on improving the performance of our unprofitable stores and, if we cannot, we will close them. Actions to improve our store productivity, including reducing inventory stored in the stockrooms, are designed to make our stores easier to operate and to eliminate unproductive inventory and processes. Decisions to close stores are never easy, but we recognize that the way people are shopping is changing significantly. This is why we have made major investments in our online and mobile platforms and this is why our focus on serving members through Shop Your Way is so important."
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on November 03, 2016, 09:36:04 PM
Quote from: LM117 on November 03, 2016, 07:20:50 PM
I couldn't keep a straight face when I saw these tidbits from a recent article.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2016/10/03/sears-eddie-lampert-says-kmart-isnt-closing/amp/ (http://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2016/10/03/sears-eddie-lampert-says-kmart-isnt-closing/amp/)

QuoteSears Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert is trying to set the record straight regarding reports of increased store closings and possible end of the Kmart brand.

"I can tell you that there are no plans and there have never been any plans to close the Kmart format. In fact, we've been working hard to make Kmart a more fun, engaging place to shop, powered by our integrated retail innovations and Shop Your Way,"  Lampert said in an emailed statement. "To report or suggest otherwise is irresponsible and is likely intended to do harm to our company to the benefit of those who seek to gain advantage from posting these inaccurate reports."

This isn't the first time Lampert called out the media as irresponsible. In this case he is likely referring to recent reports that cite unnamed sources and store employees many of whom are worried for their jobs.

They have good reason to worry. Sears has indeed been closing stores — under both the Sears and Kmart brands.

QuoteStill, the store base continues to contract as management monetizes its real estate. But Lampert maintains the goal is to regain standing as a profitable retailer.

"First, Kmart continues to operate over 700 stores. Second, a significant number of these stores are profitable and have been profitable for many years. Third, we have been clear that we are intent on improving the performance of our unprofitable stores and, if we cannot, we will close them. Actions to improve our store productivity, including reducing inventory stored in the stockrooms, are designed to make our stores easier to operate and to eliminate unproductive inventory and processes. Decisions to close stores are never easy, but we recognize that the way people are shopping is changing significantly. This is why we have made major investments in our online and mobile platforms and this is why our focus on serving members through Shop Your Way is so important."

Some might say that being in complete denial about your company tanking for several years and doing nothing to avoid it is irresponsible.  But then again one a hedge fund manager always a hedge fund manager, I'm sure parting the corpse of Sears and Kmart will yield ole Eddie plenty of money given how much of a stake holder is.  :meh:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on November 03, 2016, 10:38:10 PM
There is an mall anchor Sears store (one of 5 anchors) at Mesa Mall in Grand Junction, CO that closes before the rest of the mall does!  Last time I went by there just after 8PM on a Friday Night, the lights were already out!!!

It would be nice to see that Sears close, and Western CO gets it's first Macy's or Burlington Coat Factory.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on December 11, 2016, 10:28:33 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on November 03, 2016, 10:38:10 PM
There is an mall anchor Sears store (one of 5 anchors) at Mesa Mall in Grand Junction, CO that closes before the rest of the mall does!  Last time I went by there just after 8PM on a Friday Night, the lights were already out!!!

It would be nice to see that Sears close, and Western CO gets it's first Macy's or Burlington Coat Factory.

Based on my experiences, BCF jacks prices way up before "discounting" them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: noelbotevera on December 11, 2016, 10:43:31 PM
Kmart has been here forever here in my area. Still got the same Big K sign. I'm hoping that something happens to turn it around, because we all know what happened to Ames (they closed too early - they still had a chance).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadrunner75 on December 12, 2016, 11:20:56 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on December 11, 2016, 10:43:31 PM
Kmart has been here forever here in my area. Still got the same Big K sign. I'm hoping that something happens to turn it around, because we all know what happened to Ames (they closed too early - they still had a chance).
Ames was nothing really special (nor really is KMart) and it kind of blends in my memory with Clover, Bradlees, Caldor, Jefferson Ward, Jamesway and countless others (see defunct retailers thread).  I'm always surprised KMart is still around since they do absolutely nothing to distinguish themselves anymore.  Every once in awhile I'll stop in for something - maybe more for nostalgia purposes.  Who else used to have a dark, empty KMart cafeteria in the back of their local store?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 13, 2016, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on December 12, 2016, 11:20:56 PMWho else used to have a dark, empty KMart cafeteria in the back of their local store?

The Kmart in Goldsboro, NC used to have a cafeteria when we first moved to the area in the summer of 1995 when I was 6. Instead of being in the back of the store, it was on the right side of the store at the front. The cafeteria closed in either 2001 or 2002 and has since been converted to storage space for baby supplies. It was a nice place. I hated it when it closed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 13, 2016, 10:33:37 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 13, 2016, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on December 12, 2016, 11:20:56 PMWho else used to have a dark, empty KMart cafeteria in the back of their local store?

The Kmart in Goldsboro, NC used to have a cafeteria when we first moved to the area in the summer of 1995 when I was 6. Instead of being in the back of the store, it was on the right side of the store at the front. The cafeteria closed in either 2001 or 2002 and has since been converted to storage space for baby supplies. It was a nice place. I hated it when it closed.

Many years ago, the one closest to me had the snack bar up front (the featured item was ICEEs) and a restaurant/cafe in the back.  Then they closed the snack bar and the restaurant and combined the two into a new restaurant in the front left.  Then I think it became a Little Caesars or something.  Today any evidence of them are gone and it's just part of the normal sales floor.

Another one near me in Glassboro, NJ had a unique setup, where a restaurant/cafe was attached to the Kmart, but was pretty much its own place with separate doors, but you accessed it near the checkout area.  I don't remember if it even had much of a name to the eatery.  As shown in this GSV from 2011 in the parking lot it was a Hollywood Tanning Salon.  https://goo.gl/maps/QSFRkSm9jPu .  Today, both the Kmart and Hollywood Tans are closed down.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on December 13, 2016, 02:52:40 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 13, 2016, 10:33:37 AM

Another one near me in Glassboro, NJ had a unique setup, where a restaurant/cafe was attached to the Kmart, but was pretty much its own place with separate doors, but you accessed it near the checkout area.  I don't remember if it even had much of a name to the eatery.  As shown in this GSV from 2011 in the parking lot it was a Hollywood Tanning Salon.  https://goo.gl/maps/QSFRkSm9jPu .  Today, both the Kmart and Hollywood Tans are closed down.


Shame that's gone.  That looks like it would have been a neat one to go into.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on December 13, 2016, 08:15:22 PM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on December 12, 2016, 11:20:56 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on December 11, 2016, 10:43:31 PM
Kmart has been here forever here in my area. Still got the same Big K sign. I'm hoping that something happens to turn it around, because we all know what happened to Ames (they closed too early - they still had a chance).
Ames was nothing really special (nor really is KMart) and it kind of blends in my memory with Clover, Bradlees, Caldor, Jefferson Ward, Jamesway and countless others (see defunct retailers thread).  I'm always surprised KMart is still around since they do absolutely nothing to distinguish themselves anymore.  Every once in awhile I'll stop in for something - maybe more for nostalgia purposes.  Who else used to have a dark, empty KMart cafeteria in the back of their local store?

For some reason I don't remember any KMarts in my area having cafeterias. Little Ceasar's yes, but never full cafeterias. Obviously there are users near in age to me and even quite a bit younger than me that remember the cafeterias. Maybe the Little Ceasar's were snack bars before. I think it was about mid-'90s when the LCs opened in my local KMart locations. We went to KMart a lot too, especially in the '80s before Meijer and Wal-Mart hit. Columbus proper had one Wal-Mart before 2000.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 13, 2016, 08:40:47 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on December 13, 2016, 02:52:40 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 13, 2016, 10:33:37 AM

Another one near me in Glassboro, NJ had a unique setup, where a restaurant/cafe was attached to the Kmart, but was pretty much its own place with separate doors, but you accessed it near the checkout area.  I don't remember if it even had much of a name to the eatery.  As shown in this GSV from 2011 in the parking lot it was a Hollywood Tanning Salon.  https://goo.gl/maps/QSFRkSm9jPu .  Today, both the Kmart and Hollywood Tans are closed down.


Shame that's gone.  That looks like it would have been a neat one to go into.

Actually, it was different, but it wasn't my favorite.  They didn't seem to update the store very often, and was always a generation or two behind other stores.  I can still picture where everything was in that store though. 

However, within that shopping center next to the KMart was a movie theatre within the shopping center, where this Dollar Tree & Staples is now: https://goo.gl/maps/ZZfp4e5SXYM2 .  Probably had 2 or 3 screens.  I was never in there. But I would love to be able to go off the sales floor area to see what remains of those theatres, if anything.  That would be some interesting history (for me at least).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on December 13, 2016, 08:48:33 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 13, 2016, 08:15:22 PM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on December 12, 2016, 11:20:56 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on December 11, 2016, 10:43:31 PM
Kmart has been here forever here in my area. Still got the same Big K sign. I'm hoping that something happens to turn it around, because we all know what happened to Ames (they closed too early - they still had a chance).
Ames was nothing really special (nor really is KMart) and it kind of blends in my memory with Clover, Bradlees, Caldor, Jefferson Ward, Jamesway and countless others (see defunct retailers thread).  I'm always surprised KMart is still around since they do absolutely nothing to distinguish themselves anymore.  Every once in awhile I'll stop in for something - maybe more for nostalgia purposes.  Who else used to have a dark, empty KMart cafeteria in the back of their local store?
For some reason I don't remember any KMarts in my area having cafeterias. Little Ceasar's yes, but never full cafeterias. Obviously there are users near in age to me and even quite a bit younger than me that remember the cafeterias. Maybe the Little Ceasar's were snack bars before. I think it was about mid-'90s when the LCs opened in my local KMart locations. We went to KMart a lot too, especially in the '80s before Meijer and Wal-Mart hit. Columbus proper had one Wal-Mart before 2000.

I remember the one in my town (now a Price Chopper) having a sit down cafeteria in the back of the store when I was really young (maybe 6 or younger).  It later became an expanded clothing and electronics section.  Little Caesar's snack bar came along in the early '90's with the Big K concept that remained till the whole store closed around 2002.  Couple more in the area had cafeterias until the early '80's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: slorydn1 on December 14, 2016, 09:10:53 AM
I can remember being in the Kmart that used to be on 28th street just east of US-131 in Grand Rapids as a young child in the 1970's and the smell of the cafeteria in the back corner of the store. I'm guessing it was the fry cooker that we could smell looking back on it. I really haven't encountered that same exact smell since, but when I do encounter one that is similar I instantly think about Kmart. Funny thing, other than the occasional Icee we never purchased food there, or at any of the other Kmarts we had been in over the years.

I don't believe that my children have ever been in a Kmart that had an open cafeteria. The one that used to be here in the mall in New Bern didn't have one (I moved here in 1991).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on December 14, 2016, 09:52:23 AM
I think I remember the one in the Hampshire Mall in Hadley, MA having a mostly deserted cafeteria in it.  Of course, it closed down a very long time ago.  Target occupies its space and more now (they added onto the mall).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on December 14, 2016, 05:19:02 PM
Perhaps this comes down to the differing definitions of "cafeteria" , but the tired old Kmart in my hometown (Williamsport, PA) had not a cafeteria but a full-fledged restaurant with table service up until about five years ago. The menu and accommodations were roughly on par with a place like Denny's, with booths along the outside walls and counter seating near the kitchen. The restaurant was in the front left corner of the store and not entirely open to the selling floor–it had its own lower ceiling and was separated from the selling floor by a half wall. It also had its own outside door in the front, and if I recall correctly, it opened about an hour or two before the store itself did.

I had never been in many other Kmarts, but our full-service restaurant always struck me an odd operation since I had never seen one at another Kmart store. Nonetheless, it did appear to be an official Kmart-sanctioned operation with Kmart-branded menus, placemats, and signage. One item I recall from the breakfast menu was an egg and cheese sandwich they called a K-Muffin. Eventually, when the interior of the store got a half-hearted remodeling effort in the late '90s as the store was updated from its '70s era "K-mart"  to "Big Kmart" , the restaurant got interior signage labeling it as "K Cafe" –which appeared to be the work of the corporate design department... not just local meddling.

In recent years, as the few remaining loyal old customers (they practically lived at their respective diner stools) died off one by one, the restaurant operation was finally closed. It sat vacant for a while, and it eventually was gutted and replaced with a Nathan's Famous counter.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on December 15, 2016, 09:29:36 AM
K-Muffin? Sounds like drugs.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on December 15, 2016, 12:02:51 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on December 14, 2016, 05:19:02 PM
Perhaps this comes down to the differing definitions of "cafeteria" , but the tired old Kmart in my hometown (Williamsport, PA) had not a cafeteria but a full-fledged restaurant with table service up until about five years ago. The menu and accommodations were roughly on par with a place like Denny's, with booths along the outside walls and counter seating near the kitchen. The restaurant was in the front left corner of the store and not entirely open to the selling floor–it had its own lower ceiling and was separated from the selling floor by a half wall. It also had its own outside door in the front, and if I recall correctly, it opened about an hour or two before the store itself did.

I had never been in many other Kmarts, but our full-service restaurant always struck me an odd operation since I had never seen one at another Kmart store. Nonetheless, it did appear to be an official Kmart-sanctioned operation with Kmart-branded menus, placemats, and signage. One item I recall from the breakfast menu was an egg and cheese sandwich they called a K-Muffin. Eventually, when the interior of the store got a half-hearted remodeling effort in the late '90s as the store was updated from its '70s era "K-mart"  to "Big Kmart" , the restaurant got interior signage labeling it as "K Cafe" –which appeared to be the work of the corporate design department... not just local meddling.

In recent years, as the few remaining loyal old customers (they practically lived at their respective diner stools) died off one by one, the restaurant operation was finally closed. It sat vacant for a while, and it eventually was gutted and replaced with a Nathan's Famous counter.

A lot of department and discount stores used to have restaurants inside of them.

Kmart had a Grille, typically in the rear center of the store as you describe above, in many of their older stores dating from the 1960s and 1970s.

Venture usually had a small cafe type area up in the front, off the main entry.  Nowhere near as extravagant as Kmart's.

JCPenney used to have a Coffee Shop in the store, typically down by the credit and catalog area.  These were also Denny's type operations.  They were ripped out in the mid-1980s.

Almost all Marshall Field stores had a restaurant in them, usually up on the uppermost floor with windows.  These were operated with china, flatware, and tablecloths.  Most of them disappeared by 1990.

Bergner's used to have a restaurant in them, also on the uppermost floor, along the same lines as Field's.

Montgomery Ward had a Buffeteria, another Denny's type operation.  Again, by the mid-1980s, they were gone.

Sears never seemed to have a restaurant of any type that I know of.  They had a Snackertia, but that was for full-service bulk candies and nuts.

I'm certain there were others out there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 15, 2016, 12:21:24 PM
John Wanamakers had a restaurant.  In our local mall it's now a Boscovs (family owned department store chain found mostly in malls in the Philly/Mid-Atlantic area).  Whenever I'm in that mall I think the shell of the restaurant is still there, but it's just for storage and employee access only, with a single, non-descript door leading to what used to be a fairly elegant restaurant.

Bradlees had a restaurant/snack bar/café area near the front of their stores.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on December 15, 2016, 12:27:10 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 15, 2016, 12:21:24 PM
John Wanamakers had a restaurant.  In our local mall it's now a Boscovs (family owned department store chain found mostly in malls in the Philly/Mid-Atlantic area).  Whenever I'm in that mall I think the shell of the restaurant is still there, but it's just for storage and employee access only, with a single, non-descript door leading to what used to be a fairly elegant restaurant.

Bradlees had a restaurant/snack bar/café area near the front of their stores.
Got a Boscov's in Albany, NY.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 15, 2016, 12:32:38 PM
Boscovs is like Wawa.  If you know it, you're familiar with it. Otherwise, it's a headscratcher!

Based on their ads, they also cater to the over 85 age group that would never use the internet.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: noelbotevera on December 15, 2016, 01:39:21 PM
The closest Borders stores had a cafe attached to it. There wasn't any separation (aka no doors or wall), so you could just walk in, read some books, and buy food while you read. It was nifty for whenever you wanted to eat and read without having to leave the store.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on December 15, 2016, 01:50:42 PM
I would be perfectly fine if K Mart went away. I sad to see Circuit City and Sports Authority go.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on December 15, 2016, 01:53:52 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 15, 2016, 12:02:51 PM

Sears never seemed to have a restaurant of any type that I know of.  They had a Snackertia, but that was for full-service bulk candies and nuts.


The Sears in the the Chicago area at least had a denny's style type cafeteria.

Walgreens used to also have lunch counters.  In some of the newer flagship Walgreen's stores they have....

A freaking sushi chef.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on December 15, 2016, 02:04:41 PM
The Rochester Borders had a cafe too, as did the one in Victor.  It was probably typical or the store.  Barnes and Noble has them too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on December 15, 2016, 02:17:28 PM
I think the odd full-service restaurant/diner that the Williamsport Kmart had until fairly recently may have owed its existence to the fact that the store was built as a Grants in the mid to late '60s and then converted to Kmart in the early '70s. Apparently, many Grants stores of the era had a similar family restaurant under the Bradford House banner.

The Kmart in Belle Vernon, PA–also a converted Grants from that era–has its restaurant still in operation (at least it was as of earlier this year). I found this set of photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/fanofretail/29023087883/in/photostream/) on Flickr, and the "K Cafe"  signage inside, the red and white RESTAURANT sign outside, and the booths and paneling in the restaurant look exactly like what Williamsport had. Williamsport's restaurant never had glass separating it from the store selling floor, though, and the amateur-looking menu suggests that any semblance of support from the home office has evaporated.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on December 15, 2016, 02:30:18 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on December 15, 2016, 02:17:28 PM
I think the odd full-service restaurant/diner that the Williamsport Kmart had until fairly recently may have owed its existence to the fact that the store was built as a Grants in the mid to late '60s and then converted to Kmart in the early '70s. Apparently, many Grants stores of the era had a similar family restaurant under the Bradford House banner.

The Kmart in Belle Vernon, PA–also a converted Grants from that era–has its restaurant still in operation (at least it was as of earlier this year). I found this set of photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/fanofretail/29023087883/in/photostream/) on Flickr, and the "K Cafe"  signage inside, the red and white RESTAURANT sign outside, and the booths and paneling in the restaurant look exactly like what Williamsport had. Williamsport's restaurant never had glass separating it from the store selling floor, though, and the amateur-looking menu suggests that any semblance of support from the home office has evaporated.

Yes, that's a bit different than the Grill Kmart's older stores from the 1960s had.  Those were in the rear center of the store and featured the word "Grill" in a Times-New Romanish font, with on letter panel.  Our Kmart in Joliet (Larkin & Jefferson, just closed as of 12/9/16, originally opened in 1965 as one of the first 100 stores in the chain) had one of those.  Here's some photos of them: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=1970+Kmart+Restaurant&FORM=RESTAB
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 15, 2016, 02:31:51 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on December 15, 2016, 02:17:28 PM
...the amateur-looking menu suggests that any semblance of support from the home office has evaporated.

The same can be said for the rest of that store!!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on December 15, 2016, 08:52:38 PM
^Wow. That's the kind of stuff that that makes me feel that PA is the border state that is by far the most different from us. Everything is so compact and old there as compared to us.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jwolfer on December 15, 2016, 09:49:30 PM
In high school i worked at the KMart in Bricktown,NJ.. In 1987 they still had the Grill in the back...
Most memorable thing about working there was we did not get paychecks, we got envelopes of cash. They wanted us to spend in store

LGMS428

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ixnay on December 19, 2016, 08:44:24 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on December 15, 2016, 02:17:28 PM
I think the odd full-service restaurant/diner that the Williamsport Kmart had until fairly recently may have owed its existence to the fact that the store was built as a Grants in the mid to late '60s and then converted to Kmart in the early '70s. Apparently, many Grants stores of the era had a similar family restaurant under the Bradford House banner.

The Grants at PA 352 and Dutton Mill Road in Brookhaven, PA indeed had a Bradford House.  That shopping center (which also included a Pathmark) was built in the early '70s.  It later became a Kmart.  Lowes now occupies the Grants/Kmart space.

ixnay
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: NJRoadfan on December 19, 2016, 09:06:12 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on December 15, 2016, 09:49:30 PM
In high school i worked at the KMart in Bricktown,NJ.. In 1987 they still had the Grill in the back...
Most memorable thing about working there was we did not get paychecks, we got envelopes of cash. They wanted us to spend in store

Its a small world, both my cousins worked there while in HS years later. Somehow that store is still in business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jwolfer on December 19, 2016, 10:09:58 PM
Cool... I worked with some really cool people.. One of the few friends I kept in touch with from HS days worked with me there in toy department

LGMS428

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on December 28, 2016, 06:10:10 PM
30 more closures:

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2016-12

Add Enfield, CT to the list.  Whole mall in trouble having lost its Macy's last year at this time
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on December 28, 2016, 06:20:24 PM
Anyone else remember the "Solid as Sears" ad campaign?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 29, 2016, 04:59:53 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on December 28, 2016, 06:10:10 PM
30 more closures:

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2016-12

Add Enfield, CT to the list.  Whole mall in trouble having lost its Macy's last year at this time

The fact that the Kmart in Danville VA hasn't made it to the list yet is mind-blowing. It hardly does any business at all. Hell, the last time I was in Sears at the Danville Mall, it looked like we were the only customers. I initially thought they were packed out due to the number of cars in the parking lot, but once I stepped inside, it became obvious real quick people were only using Sears as a mall entrance and nothing more. You could hear a pen drop in that place.

The Kmart in Goldsboro, NC is barely a step up from Danville these days, but it's close proximity to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and being on one of (if not THE) busiest thoroughfares in Goldsboro (Berkeley Boulevard) is probably what's keeping it afloat, although that shopping center recently lost a Save-A-Lot grocery store. I haven't been to the Berkeley Mall since 2009, so I have no idea how Sears is faring there these days.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on December 29, 2016, 07:06:43 AM
This may finally kill the Charleston Town Center (WV).  The Montgomery Ward store when that chain died found no takers and was eventually "redeveloped" into a insurance company back office and a TV station, and half of food court stood empty and was turned into office space.  This leaves the place with only 2 "anchor stores" (JC Penney and Macy's).

The basic problem is location.  It is on the edge of downtown.  That means it gets many times to foot traffic of the traditional suburban Huntington Mall, which serves a similar population, but far less sales.  Lots of hangers out who are not shopping. 

I was wishing to see my local K-Mart on the list.  It is in a shopping center with a Kroger.  Kroger has held off remodeling, supposedly because it is waiting for the K-Mart to close so it can build a new store on its lot and then repurpose the current store into something like a Big Lots or Ollie's.   My Kroger is way out of date. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 29, 2016, 11:40:05 AM
As of late, it seems like they plan to shutter a block of Sears and Kmarts about every 4 months.

I had to go shopping for a new dryer and one of the places was a Sears Outlet that was only about 2 years old.  I had thought this was going to replace the floundering Sears big box across town -- both are still in operation along with Kmart. 

The salespeople were nice but the deep discounts claim were off the MSRPs.  The dryers were pretty much were the same price if not 10% more than the same models at Lowe's.  Hence I went to Lowe's as there is a better chance the store will outlive my dryer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on December 29, 2016, 01:28:19 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 29, 2016, 11:40:05 AM
As of late, it seems like they plan to shutter a block of Sears and Kmarts about every 4 months.

I had to go shopping for a new dryer and one of the places was a Sears Outlet that was only about 2 years old.  I had thought this was going to replace the floundering Sears big box across town -- both are still in operation along with Kmart. 

The salespeople were nice but the deep discounts claim were off the MSRPs.  The dryers were pretty much were the same price if not 10% more than the same models at Lowe's.  Hence I went to Lowe's as there is a better chance the store will outlive my dryer.

Judging from the closure of several Lowe's around Chicagoland, I don't know if the store would survive the dryer.  Lowe's runs a distant third to Menards and Home Depot here, with Menards in the lead from what I can see.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 29, 2016, 01:54:52 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 29, 2016, 01:28:19 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 29, 2016, 11:40:05 AM
As of late, it seems like they plan to shutter a block of Sears and Kmarts about every 4 months.

I had to go shopping for a new dryer and one of the places was a Sears Outlet that was only about 2 years old.  I had thought this was going to replace the floundering Sears big box across town -- both are still in operation along with Kmart. 

The salespeople were nice but the deep discounts claim were off the MSRPs.  The dryers were pretty much were the same price if not 10% more than the same models at Lowe's.  Hence I went to Lowe's as there is a better chance the store will outlive my dryer.

Judging from the closure of several Lowe's around Chicagoland, I don't know if the store would survive the dryer.  Lowe's runs a distant third to Menards and Home Depot here, with Menards in the lead from what I can see.

But Lowe's isn't at risk of going out of business like Sears/Kmart is.  Even a Lowe's store shut down I'm sure it would be easy to go to the next store in the chain to find help....Sears is literally a crap shoot with the poor financials. 

Incidentally I'm completely tripped out at how big Menards has gotten every time I go back to the midwest.  They really weren't much of anything other than a small chain when I was living out there.  I'm surprised Meijer has hung around in the capacity it has as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on December 29, 2016, 02:11:20 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 29, 2016, 01:54:52 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 29, 2016, 01:28:19 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 29, 2016, 11:40:05 AM
As of late, it seems like they plan to shutter a block of Sears and Kmarts about every 4 months.

I had to go shopping for a new dryer and one of the places was a Sears Outlet that was only about 2 years old.  I had thought this was going to replace the floundering Sears big box across town -- both are still in operation along with Kmart. 

The salespeople were nice but the deep discounts claim were off the MSRPs.  The dryers were pretty much were the same price if not 10% more than the same models at Lowe's.  Hence I went to Lowe's as there is a better chance the store will outlive my dryer.

Judging from the closure of several Lowe's around Chicagoland, I don't know if the store would survive the dryer.  Lowe's runs a distant third to Menards and Home Depot here, with Menards in the lead from what I can see.

But Lowe's isn't at risk of going out of business like Sears/Kmart is.  Even a Lowe's store shut down I'm sure it would be easy to go to the next store in the chain to find help....Sears is literally a crap shoot with the poor financials. 

Incidentally I'm completely tripped out at how big Menards has gotten every time I go back to the midwest.  They really weren't much of anything other than a small chain when I was living out there.  I'm surprised Meijer has hung around in the capacity it has as well.

"Hung around"?  Hell, Meijer is growing at the pace they want right now, expanding into Madison, Rockford, and Milwaukee, with sights set on Cleveland and the Twin Cities.  Unlike their bigger rival from Arkansas, they (and Menards) want to stay privately owned - no stocks for sale.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 29, 2016, 05:25:09 PM
Yep, and that's kind of surprising considering the boom that the mainstream retailers made in the 1990s which led to the demise of a lot of smaller chains.  It almost seems like the smaller family or niche chains got a lot of business from people who were sick of the saturation of the big corporate retailers.  Its almost like as though chains like Menards and Meijer are starting to fill the void left by the Mom-and-Pop shops which are largely extinct aside from really small towns.  Ironically Kmart seems to be staying alive off of towns with no other retail competitors and Sears still has a pretty substantial franchise business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on December 29, 2016, 08:22:55 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 29, 2016, 07:06:43 AM


I was wishing to see my local K-Mart on the list.  It is in a shopping center with a Kroger.  Kroger has held off remodeling, supposedly because it is waiting for the K-Mart to close so it can build a new store on its lot and then repurpose the current store into something like a Big Lots or Ollie's.   My Kroger is way out of date.

Ha, that's the exact thing the Lancaster on the west side of Lancaster, OH did. The KMart shut down over the summer and work has begun on turning it into the new Kroger. I'd say it's about 30,000 square feet bigger than the old Kroger.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 30, 2016, 06:14:35 AM
Quote from: Brandon on December 29, 2016, 01:28:19 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 29, 2016, 11:40:05 AM
As of late, it seems like they plan to shutter a block of Sears and Kmarts about every 4 months.

I had to go shopping for a new dryer and one of the places was a Sears Outlet that was only about 2 years old.  I had thought this was going to replace the floundering Sears big box across town -- both are still in operation along with Kmart. 

The salespeople were nice but the deep discounts claim were off the MSRPs.  The dryers were pretty much were the same price if not 10% more than the same models at Lowe's.  Hence I went to Lowe's as there is a better chance the store will outlive my dryer.

Judging from the closure of several Lowe's around Chicagoland, I don't know if the store would survive the dryer.  Lowe's runs a distant third to Menards and Home Depot here, with Menards in the lead from what I can see.

Depends on the region. In eastern North Carolina, Lowe's is king. Home Depot tried to make a go of it in that same area and got creamed by Lowe's. Home Depot built several stores and most of them are now closed. People there are hardcore loyal to Lowe's. The only Home Depot stores remaining east of I-95 (IIRC) are in Jacksonville and Wilmington.

The one in Wilson barely lasted a year. It opened in 2008 and closed in early 2010. The building is now a Hobby Lobby. Lowe's & Home Depot did not co-exist in eastern NC. Meanwhile in Danville, both Home Depot & Lowe's are chugging along just fine.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jwolfer on December 30, 2016, 05:53:59 PM
WOKV radio in Jacksonville had a story yesterday about the last KMart in Jacksonville closing in the spring.

LGMS428

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 01, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat

One wonders how many millions he'll make when the game is over?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 01, 2017, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: US71 on January 01, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat

One wonders how many millions he'll make when the game is over?

That's the suspicion by a lot of people that this is an intentional parting out to squeeze every last dollar. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 01, 2017, 11:18:33 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 01, 2017, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: US71 on January 01, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat

One wonders how many millions he'll make when the game is over?

That's the suspicion by a lot of people that this is an intentional parting out to squeeze every last dollar.

Count me in as having that suspicion. Eddie Lampert was the worst thing to happen to Kmart/Sears. He destroyed that company.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on January 01, 2017, 06:23:24 PM
Quote from: LM117 on January 01, 2017, 11:18:33 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 01, 2017, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: US71 on January 01, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat

One wonders how many millions he'll make when the game is over?

That's the suspicion by a lot of people that this is an intentional parting out to squeeze every last dollar.

Count me in as having that suspicion. Eddie Lampert was the worst thing to happen to Kmart/Sears. He destroyed that company.

Add me to your list.  The way he's been selling assets off (Lands' End, Sears Outlets, etc.) and the sale of and subsequent leaseback of a lot of store real estate makes it apparent to me he's only interested in maximizing the cash removal.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: PHLBOS on January 03, 2017, 10:35:43 AM
Quote from: kkt on December 28, 2016, 06:20:24 PM
Anyone else remember the "Solid as Sears" ad campaign?
Yes; such was in reference to the Kenmore brand of appliances. 

The slogan went, "Kenmore, Solid as Sears".  Then one would see the 'block' part of the Sears logo (this was pre-1980) close on the Sears titles.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Otto Yamamoto on January 03, 2017, 12:02:13 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 01, 2017, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: US71 on January 01, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat

One wonders how many millions he'll make when the game is over?

That's the suspicion by a lot of people that this is an intentional parting out to squeeze every last dollar.
Disaster Capitalism

XT1254

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on January 03, 2017, 02:11:39 PM
It's sad to see the downfall of what was once a large and successful company. I have noticed that the Kmart in Rome, Georgia off of US 27/GA 1/GA 53/GA 20 has just closed down. Here in Dalton, I am not completely certain of the status of the Kmart off of Glenwood Avenue, as I have not been there in a while. I will say that the Kmart off of GA SR 52 is probably on its deathbed. My family actually likes to go to Kmart because it is so desolate and never crowded as a result of its decline. My parents hate going to Walmart because it is the opposite - very crowded and chaotic.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM
Quote from: Otto Yamamoto on January 03, 2017, 12:02:13 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 01, 2017, 10:40:54 AM
Quote from: US71 on January 01, 2017, 09:52:43 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 30, 2016, 08:13:52 AM
Article from yesterday:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-29/sears-jumps-after-lining-up-200-million-to-help-stay-afloat

One wonders how many millions he'll make when the game is over?

That's the suspicion by a lot of people that this is an intentional parting out to squeeze every last dollar.
Disaster Capitalism

XT1254

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings? That's the whole business strategy of a corporate holding company.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on January 03, 2017, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings?

That really is not what Sears is doing.  Sears seems to be selling the real estate holdings (leasing some of this back to itself, which is obviously a penny wise - pound foolish idea) , and selling off divisions and real estate just to yeild cash.   Eventually it will run out of things to sell. 

This is a little different from the ordinary review of locations that healthy companies engage in.  Think of it as a farmer who owns 400 acres but cannot make money at it, so he sells 40 acres every couple of months.  Eventually he isn't a farmer anymore.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on January 03, 2017, 09:09:34 PM
Plus with Lambert giving loans to Sears, it's likely he's putting himself in a position to profit from the demise of the company.  Basically, he's deliberately running the company into the ground so he can take the money from selling the real estate.  Meanwhile, with any other CEO, Sears and Kmart probably could have been saved.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 04, 2017, 05:45:47 AM
Quote from: vdeane on January 03, 2017, 09:09:34 PM
Plus with Lambert giving loans to Sears, it's likely he's putting himself in a position to profit from the demise of the company.  Basically, he's deliberately running the company into the ground so he can take the money from selling the real estate.  Meanwhile, with any other CEO, Sears and Kmart probably could have been saved.

Bingo.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 04, 2017, 06:02:56 AM
Has anyone else noticed the elimination of the electronics section in their Kmart? The one here in Danville is nearly gone except with a few DVD bargain bins and a handful of TV's on display. That's it.

When I went to Goldsboro, NC last September and stopped by the Kmart there, their electronics section had been wiped out too, only they took it a step further and also eliminated the checkout counter. Hell, even the sporting goods checkout counter got the ol' heave-ho.

Is this being done to all Kmarts or is this an individual store-by-store deal?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: spooky on January 04, 2017, 08:03:57 AM
The electronics section in my local KMart is gone. Then again, so is the rest of the store.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 04, 2017, 08:23:46 AM
Quote from: LM117 on January 04, 2017, 06:02:56 AM
Has anyone else noticed the elimination of the electronics section in their Kmart? The one here in Danville is nearly gone except with a few DVD bargain bins and a handful of TV's on display. That's it.

When I went to Goldsboro, NC last September and stopped by the Kmart there, their electronics section had been wiped out too, only they took it a step further and also eliminated the checkout counter. Hell, even the sporting goods checkout counter got the ol' heave-ho.

Is this being done to all Kmarts or is this an individual store-by-store deal?

Probably has something to do with the low profit margin of the department.  If the inventory loss is high but the store is still generating a net profit they might just pull electronics and call it a day.  I know there was some Kmart/Sears stores that threw the idea out there, not sure how many executed the approach though. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 09:06:33 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 03, 2017, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings?

That really is not what Sears is doing.  Sears seems to be selling the real estate holdings (leasing some of this back to itself, which is obviously a penny wise - pound foolish idea) , and selling off divisions and real estate just to yeild cash.   Eventually it will run out of things to sell. 

This is a little different from the ordinary review of locations that healthy companies engage in.  Think of it as a farmer who owns 400 acres but cannot make money at it, so he sells 40 acres every couple of months.  Eventually he isn't a farmer anymore.

There's nothing inherently wrong with liquidating a company and delivering the remaining equity to the owners. It's sort-of cutting losses. Often a better strategy than desperately trying to resurrect the company at the cost of remaining equity or high debt.

Sounds like they're setting up a liquidation strategy. *shrug* We'll see if the shareholders approve.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on January 04, 2017, 09:37:42 AM
My local K-Mart, which I visit only when I absolutly HAVE to, eliminated its electronics section several years ago.  That space is now taken up with Kenmore stuff and a single aisle of cell phone chargers and cases and batteries.

I had to go in there a couple of days ago and the place is yet worse than it was before.  Random stuff just piled up.  I know it is post-Christmas, but this was beyond that.  It was like no one was even trying to run the place.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on January 04, 2017, 09:52:55 AM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 09:06:33 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 03, 2017, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings?

That really is not what Sears is doing.  Sears seems to be selling the real estate holdings (leasing some of this back to itself, which is obviously a penny wise - pound foolish idea) , and selling off divisions and real estate just to yeild cash.   Eventually it will run out of things to sell. 

This is a little different from the ordinary review of locations that healthy companies engage in.  Think of it as a farmer who owns 400 acres but cannot make money at it, so he sells 40 acres every couple of months.  Eventually he isn't a farmer anymore.

There's nothing inherently wrong with liquidating a company and delivering the remaining equity to the owners. It's sort-of cutting losses. Often a better strategy than desperately trying to resurrect the company at the cost of remaining equity or high debt.

Sounds like they're setting up a liquidation strategy. *shrug* We'll see if the shareholders approve.

Those same shareholders have the ability to force out the CEO if they didn't like what he was doing, if they could get a majority of shareholders to agree.  It's possible the majority are tied closely to Lambert (I don't have that info near me right now).  The stock price was almost $200 in 2007.  Today it's around $9, down about 80% from when Lambert took over the company in 2013 alone.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 04, 2017, 10:20:21 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 04, 2017, 09:37:42 AM
My local K-Mart, which I visit only when I absolutly HAVE to, eliminated its electronics section several years ago.  That space is now taken up with Kenmore stuff and a single aisle of cell phone chargers and cases and batteries.

I had to go in there a couple of days ago and the place is yet worse than it was before.  Random stuff just piled up.  I know it is post-Christmas, but this was beyond that.  It was like no one was even trying to run the place.


That sounds like the final Days of Hastings: random crap everywhere.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on January 04, 2017, 10:43:14 AM
Since we're talking about Sears here...at Christmastime I purchased something and signed up for their rewards thing.  The emails have been coming, as expected.  What's irritating is every few days, I get a "We haven't heard from you lately" email, and to click confirm.  I clicked it the first time, thinking that I'll get a confirmation email.  Nope...just an advertisement.  And now those type emails come ever few days.  I get plenty of store ads so it's just the age of the internet, but Sears' emails are quite a bit more of an annoyance.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 04, 2017, 10:49:54 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 04, 2017, 10:43:14 AM
Since we're talking about Sears here...at Christmastime I purchased something and signed up for their rewards thing.  The emails have been coming, as expected.  What's irritating is every few days, I get a "We haven't heard from you lately" email, and to click confirm.  I clicked it the first time, thinking that I'll get a confirmation email.  Nope...just an advertisement.  And now those type emails come ever few days.  I get plenty of store ads so it's just the age of the internet, but Sears' emails are quite a bit more of an annoyance.
I would up getting signed up for their "rewards" without my knowledge and keep receiving e-mails from them. But trying to get "points" at the store, they have no record of me. Neither do they have a record of me on-line, yet they still have me as a member on their mailing list.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 04, 2017, 11:03:27 AM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 09:06:33 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 03, 2017, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings?

That really is not what Sears is doing.  Sears seems to be selling the real estate holdings (leasing some of this back to itself, which is obviously a penny wise - pound foolish idea) , and selling off divisions and real estate just to yeild cash.   Eventually it will run out of things to sell. 

This is a little different from the ordinary review of locations that healthy companies engage in.  Think of it as a farmer who owns 400 acres but cannot make money at it, so he sells 40 acres every couple of months.  Eventually he isn't a farmer anymore.

There's nothing inherently wrong with liquidating a company and delivering the remaining equity to the owners. It's sort-of cutting losses. Often a better strategy than desperately trying to resurrect the company at the cost of remaining equity or high debt.

Sounds like they're setting up a liquidation strategy. *shrug* We'll see if the shareholders approve.

But that's the rub, did it need to be set up for liquidation or did Eddie Lampert make his investments with the current predicted outcome in mind?  There is a lot of speculation that this was his end goal from the start when he muscled in and forced the merger with Kmart.  Now it really doesn't matter what the other share holders think or want.  Given Eddie Lampert's previous investment history it's probably more likely than not that the ultimate demise and parting out real estate was the real long term goal from the start. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on January 04, 2017, 12:05:35 PM
Perhaps I am wrong, but I feel like my Kmart still has its electronics section. A couple of years back I got a few video games there (albeit I usually go to GameStop to get them), and I also got a new Alan Jackson CD. As far as I know, it is still there today.


Also, I have noticed a dramatic increase in Sears commercials, such as in ads while watching videos on YouTube. I'd say for the most part they are pretty good commercials, but maybe they have come in too late to the game. It is probably a last attempt to save the company, and I understand that. It seems like I just hadn't seen many Sears commercials before.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 12:33:17 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 04, 2017, 11:03:27 AM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 09:06:33 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 03, 2017, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings?

That really is not what Sears is doing.  Sears seems to be selling the real estate holdings (leasing some of this back to itself, which is obviously a penny wise - pound foolish idea) , and selling off divisions and real estate just to yeild cash.   Eventually it will run out of things to sell. 

This is a little different from the ordinary review of locations that healthy companies engage in.  Think of it as a farmer who owns 400 acres but cannot make money at it, so he sells 40 acres every couple of months.  Eventually he isn't a farmer anymore.

There's nothing inherently wrong with liquidating a company and delivering the remaining equity to the owners. It's sort-of cutting losses. Often a better strategy than desperately trying to resurrect the company at the cost of remaining equity or high debt.

Sounds like they're setting up a liquidation strategy. *shrug* We'll see if the shareholders approve.

But that's the rub, did it need to be set up for liquidation or did Eddie Lampert make his investments with the current predicted outcome in mind?  There is a lot of speculation that this was his end goal from the start when he muscled in and forced the merger with Kmart.  Now it really doesn't matter what the other share holders think or want.  Given Eddie Lampert's previous investment history it's probably more likely than not that the ultimate demise and parting out real estate was the real long term goal from the start.

Brick and mortar retail is tough and K-mart hasn't been doing it well for a while anyways (vis-a-vis Target and Wal-Mart)...why not cash out on what you've got (real estate)? A company liquidating isn't the end of the world...it's a necessary part of the business cycle.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 04, 2017, 01:05:36 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 12:33:17 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 04, 2017, 11:03:27 AM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2017, 09:06:33 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 03, 2017, 03:35:50 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 03, 2017, 03:10:16 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing. Why wouldn't Sears wash its hands of its unprofitable (or insufficiently profitable) holdings?

That really is not what Sears is doing.  Sears seems to be selling the real estate holdings (leasing some of this back to itself, which is obviously a penny wise - pound foolish idea) , and selling off divisions and real estate just to yeild cash.   Eventually it will run out of things to sell. 

This is a little different from the ordinary review of locations that healthy companies engage in.  Think of it as a farmer who owns 400 acres but cannot make money at it, so he sells 40 acres every couple of months.  Eventually he isn't a farmer anymore.

There's nothing inherently wrong with liquidating a company and delivering the remaining equity to the owners. It's sort-of cutting losses. Often a better strategy than desperately trying to resurrect the company at the cost of remaining equity or high debt.

Sounds like they're setting up a liquidation strategy. *shrug* We'll see if the shareholders approve.

But that's the rub, did it need to be set up for liquidation or did Eddie Lampert make his investments with the current predicted outcome in mind?  There is a lot of speculation that this was his end goal from the start when he muscled in and forced the merger with Kmart.  Now it really doesn't matter what the other share holders think or want.  Given Eddie Lampert's previous investment history it's probably more likely than not that the ultimate demise and parting out real estate was the real long term goal from the start.

Brick and mortar retail is tough and K-mart hasn't been doing it well for a while anyways (vis-a-vis Target and Wal-Mart)...why not cash out on what you've got (real estate)? A company liquidating isn't the end of the world...it's a necessary part of the business cycle.

But that's the thing, Kmart had already failed but Sears had a ton of cash savings.  Had the merger not happen it is hypothetically possible that Sears could have used those reserves to make their stores competitive rather than mow through them once the profits dried up like they had in the last ten years.  Eddie Lampert's investment group got a hold of Kmart after it came out of Chapter 11 and basically was in a pretty sound position to make the merger with Sears happening coming out of that.  I'm sure the investors on both sides could only see dollar signs and thus the merger happened which gave the Kmart group controlling interest in Sears.  Could things been entered into with the best intentions?...possibly but it looks like the true end game was real estate at the end of the day. 

The real shitty thing is that Sears had a pretty healthy pension program that was phased out after the merger.  So what happens now to that pension now once Sears Holdings finally tanks out for good?   Yes it might be part of the natural business cycle for companies to fail, but it is hard not to think this was helped along to line the pockets of a select few investors.  I guess that's what you get when you get in bed with a hedge fund manager when you're blinded by dollar signs in the short term. 

But then again that's all Monday Morning Quarterbacking the Sears situation.  They were already behind the pace retailers like Target and Sears before the merger.  It would be speculative to say that they could have made the updates necessary to get back in competition or maintain their market share.  You go back to something like the Prodigy Online investment for online retail, it makes one wonder what that might have happened if Sears decided to stay at the concept instead of dropping out when the idea was in its infancy. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: tchafe1978 on January 04, 2017, 05:02:57 PM
Just heard today that the store in Platteville, WI is going to be closing in March, along with 78 other locations. It's actually surprising that store held on as long as it did, as there were never more than a dozen cars in the parking lot. Everybody wondered how it survived. I feel bad for the few people left working there that will be losing their jobs. I'll actually miss the store, as we would go there from time to time to look for something that Walmart might actually not have. And for shoes, as they had a better selection of shoes than Walmart. Now the hope is eventually a store like Target or Shopko will take over the building, rather than have it sit empty for a decade.
Title: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pete from Boston on January 04, 2017, 05:30:11 PM
Re: Prodigy, this seemed to me to be the intended extension of Sears's non-core assets Dean Witter, Allstate, Coldwell Banker, and Discover.  The first three of these were clustered in financial service centers in many stores.  Prodigy was envisioned to be something promised a decade earlier and realized a decade later–home transactions of every kind on a personal computer.  The infrastructure (networked home computers) was not there yet.

-  -  -  -

Re: Kmart, anecdotally but representatively, my last trip to Kmart was in Staten Island in October.  I bought a nail clipper and pack of gum, both at the register closest to the door I came in.  I was second in line. The transaction took fifteen minutes.

The cashier waited for another employee to arrive, learn a customer's problem, travel across the store to confirm a price, then return to the register.  For a $1 dispute.  Target gives employees the encouragement and power to give the customer the benefit of the doubt to keep things moving.  Target hires people who can make this judgement.

Kmart management has visibly stopped actively trying to plan for any future for the business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on January 04, 2017, 06:52:07 PM
Quote from: tchafe1978 on January 04, 2017, 05:02:57 PM
Just heard today that the store in Platteville, WI is going to be closing in March, along with 78 other locations. It's actually surprising that store held on as long as it did, as there were never more than a dozen cars in the parking lot. Everybody wondered how it survived. I feel bad for the few people left working there that will be losing their jobs. I'll actually miss the store, as we would go there from time to time to look for something that Walmart might actually not have. And for shoes, as they had a better selection of shoes than Walmart. Now the hope is eventually a store like Target or Shopko will take over the building, rather than have it sit empty for a decade.

Here's the list, along with some Sears stores also closing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-1

The three Kmart stores closest to me are also closing -- Garden City, Westland and Plymouth, MI.  The GC store is the very first Kmart, which opened in 1962.  My family checked it out on its opening day (I was 10).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 04, 2017, 07:02:22 PM
Quote from: catch22 on January 04, 2017, 06:52:07 PM
Quote from: tchafe1978 on January 04, 2017, 05:02:57 PM
Just heard today that the store in Platteville, WI is going to be closing in March, along with 78 other locations. It's actually surprising that store held on as long as it did, as there were never more than a dozen cars in the parking lot. Everybody wondered how it survived. I feel bad for the few people left working there that will be losing their jobs. I'll actually miss the store, as we would go there from time to time to look for something that Walmart might actually not have. And for shoes, as they had a better selection of shoes than Walmart. Now the hope is eventually a store like Target or Shopko will take over the building, rather than have it sit empty for a decade.

Here's the list, along with some Sears stores also closing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-1

The three Kmart stores closest to me are also closing -- Garden City, Westland and Plymouth, MI.  The GC store is the very first Kmart, which opened in 1962.  My family checked it out on its opening day (I was 10).

Fuck me, Garden City's closing!  That's the first Kmart, ever, and to see it close, spells the beginning of the end of the chain, IMHO.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 04, 2017, 07:45:25 PM
The Lynnwood, Washington, Sears is closing.  They used to be my go to place for tools.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 04, 2017, 07:46:24 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 04, 2017, 07:45:25 PM
The Lynnwood, Washington, Sears is closing.  They used to be my go to place for tools.

2017 may be the death of K-Mart and Sears.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on January 04, 2017, 08:08:01 PM
They have been dead in Orlando for two decades.  Only the one on US 192 in Kissimmee is barely alive.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on January 04, 2017, 08:17:04 PM
Damn.  Closest Kmart  to me in Cromwell, CT is biting the dust.  Place did have a somewhat messy feel the last time I was in there.  Yet, somehow, some way, Watertown survives (see link in post #41) .

Already rumored Shop Rite will be moving in.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on January 04, 2017, 08:32:20 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 04, 2017, 08:08:01 PM
They have been dead in Orlando for two decades.  Only the one on US 192 in Kissimmee is barely alive.

That one's on the closure list.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 04, 2017, 11:16:51 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 04, 2017, 08:08:01 PM
They have been dead in Orlando for two decades.  Only the one on US 192 in Kissimmee is barely alive.

Didn't there used to be one up on Semoran and Curry Ford?  I drove by there a year or so back and it was not only an empty store but empty parking lot.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 05, 2017, 08:06:35 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 29, 2016, 04:59:53 AMThe Kmart in Goldsboro, NC is barely a step up from Danville these days, but it's close proximity to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and being on one of (if not THE) busiest thoroughfares in Goldsboro (Berkeley Boulevard) is probably what's keeping it afloat, although that shopping center recently lost a Save-A-Lot grocery store.

Welp, that's that. Looks like Goldsboro's Kmart is finally biting the dust.

http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2017/01/04/kmart_closing_goldsboro_location/ (http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2017/01/04/kmart_closing_goldsboro_location/)

I had a lot of good memories of that one as a kid. Sucks to see it close. It had a good run.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on January 05, 2017, 09:41:30 AM
And, less than 8 days from its last announcement, Sears announces the closure of yet another 78 K-Mart and 26 Sears stores.    List is on the WSJ website, none particularly near me.

And the sale of Craftsman tools to Black and Decker.  Cash now, more cash in 3 years, and long term royalty scheme. 

I would look for them to sell off Kenmore and Die Hard when the next quarter's returns are as bad as this one's, along with more closings and more real estate deals.  The end is near. 

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on January 05, 2017, 09:43:49 AM
Quote from: Brandon on January 04, 2017, 07:02:22 PM
Quote from: catch22 on January 04, 2017, 06:52:07 PM
Quote from: tchafe1978 on January 04, 2017, 05:02:57 PM
Just heard today that the store in Platteville, WI is going to be closing in March, along with 78 other locations. It's actually surprising that store held on as long as it did, as there were never more than a dozen cars in the parking lot. Everybody wondered how it survived. I feel bad for the few people left working there that will be losing their jobs. I'll actually miss the store, as we would go there from time to time to look for something that Walmart might actually not have. And for shoes, as they had a better selection of shoes than Walmart. Now the hope is eventually a store like Target or Shopko will take over the building, rather than have it sit empty for a decade.

Here's the list, along with some Sears stores also closing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-1

The three Kmart stores closest to me are also closing -- Garden City, Westland and Plymouth, MI.  The GC store is the very first Kmart, which opened in 1962.  My family checked it out on its opening day (I was 10).

Fuck me, Garden City's closing!  That's the first Kmart, ever, and to see it close, spells the beginning of the end of the chain, IMHO.

I grew up less than a mile from this store, and in my teen years rode my bike up there often.  I bought a lot of books, clothes, sporting goods and toys there over the years.  I was feeling pretty wistful about this particular store closing, but then this morning my wife said, "What's the difference?  It's obvious to me that all the Kmarts will be closed real soon now.  The fact that this one's not the last to close doesn't mean much in the end."  And she's right, of course.  The Kmart I knew back then has been dead for years now.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 05, 2017, 10:06:10 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 04, 2017, 05:30:11 PM
Re: Prodigy, this seemed to me to be the intended extension of Sears's non-core assets Dean Witter, Allstate, Coldwell Banker, and Discover.  The first three of these were clustered in financial service centers in many stores.  Prodigy was envisioned to be something promised a decade earlier and realized a decade later–home transactions of every kind on a personal computer.  The infrastructure (networked home computers) was not there yet.

Thing was once Netscape and AOL started coming around it was already too late for Prodigy with the closed IP.  I seem to recall a push for an open browser (had some family associated with the company) much like Netscape or a drastic loosening of content rules.  The big thing with Prodigy was the early social media via message boards and chat rooms.  The company tried to snuff out anything that wasn't family friendly and ended up pushing a lot of subscribers away.  The ironic thing was that was the big thing for Prodigy and not the shopping, news, stock, in addition to all the rest of the stuff they thought it would end up being. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
Add to this Macy's cutting 68 stores (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/here-are-68-of-the-100-stores-that-macys-will-close.html) at the same time.  Some are even in the same malls as the Sears stores closing.  I never saw much reason to spread the Macy's name everywhere.  It only had any cachet in the NYC area and the Bay Area.  Everywhere else really didn't give two shits about the Macy's name.  It meant nothing, and still means nothing to them.  As an aside, I thought Macy's and Gimbel's were made up names when I saw Miracle on 34th Street as a kid.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
Add to this u[rl=http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/here-are-68-of-the-100-stores-that-macys-will-close.html]Macy's cutting 68 stores[/url] at the same time.  Some are even in the same malls as the Sears stores closing.  I never saw much reason to spread the Macy's name everywhere.  It only had any cachet in the NYC area and the Bay Area.  Everywhere else really didn't give two shits about the Macy's name.  It meant nothing, and still means nothing to them.  As an aside, I thought Macy's and Gimbel's were made up names when I saw Miracle on 34th Street as a kid.

Seeing as you're from the Chicago area, you can understand the outrage when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's stores and replaced them with macy's

I won't even cut through the macy's at the Louis Joliet Mall anymore to go into the mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 05, 2017, 12:44:02 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
Seeing as you're from the Chicago area, you can understand the outrage when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's stores and replaced them with macy's

I won't even cut through the macy's at the Louis Joliet Mall anymore to go into the mall.

A lot of Seattle folks feel the same way about the Bon Marche.  When Macy's acquired them, they promised they wouldn't change the name. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 01:00:26 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
Add to this Macy's cutting 68 stores (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/here-are-68-of-the-100-stores-that-macys-will-close.html) at the same time.  Some are even in the same malls as the Sears stores closing.  I never saw much reason to spread the Macy's name everywhere.  It only had any cachet in the NYC area and the Bay Area.  Everywhere else really didn't give two shits about the Macy's name.  It meant nothing, and still means nothing to them.  As an aside, I thought Macy's and Gimbel's were made up names when I saw Miracle on 34th Street as a kid.

Seeing as you're from the Chicago area, you can understand the outrage when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's stores and replaced them with macy's

I won't even cut through the macy's at the Louis Joliet Mall anymore to go into the mall.

I haven't been to the Macy's there in quite some time.  Been to the Penney's and Carson's recently though (and often enough).  Hopefully the management comes up with a plan for Sears when they finally go.  Wouldn't mind seeing a Von Maur or a Dillard's replace them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on January 05, 2017, 01:25:00 PM
If I'm not mistaken, Macy's ended up replacing what used to be McAlpin's in this part of the country.

I loved McAlpin's as a high school and college student, as they had reasonably-priced quality clothes. My mom had a McAlpin's charge card; for $100 I could buy clothes to last an eternity.

I don't know that I have been in any of the Macy's that came to this region.  I'm guessing the merchandise is overpriced.

JC Penney is my go-to for slacks and jeans, but only if there's a sale.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on January 05, 2017, 01:32:47 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 01:00:26 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
Add to this Macy's cutting 68 stores (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/here-are-68-of-the-100-stores-that-macys-will-close.html) at the same time.  Some are even in the same malls as the Sears stores closing.  I never saw much reason to spread the Macy's name everywhere.  It only had any cachet in the NYC area and the Bay Area.  Everywhere else really didn't give two shits about the Macy's name.  It meant nothing, and still means nothing to them.  As an aside, I thought Macy's and Gimbel's were made up names when I saw Miracle on 34th Street as a kid.

Seeing as you're from the Chicago area, you can understand the outrage when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's stores and replaced them with macy's

I won't even cut through the macy's at the Louis Joliet Mall anymore to go into the mall.

I haven't been to the Macy's there in quite some time.  Been to the Penney's and Carson's recently though (and often enough).  Hopefully the management comes up with a plan for Sears when they finally go.  Wouldn't mind seeing a Von Maur or a Dillard's replace them.

Unfortunately, that's usually not up to the mall, but to the stores.  Other stores may have a growth plan, but in recent years numerous malls have decided to go different directions with large, empty anchor store spaces.

I went thru my local mall about 5 nights before Christmas, and was surprised how dead it was.  It was busier than normal, but for being so close to Christmas, it was comparatively dead.  What was funny was walking near two kids, probably in their 20's, saying how busy the mall was.  They are clearly of the internet age.  They have no clue what it was like to go back and forth in the parking aisles looking for a close spot, and ultimately giving up and parking on the outside of the mall's ring road, in the furthest reaches of the parking lot.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on January 05, 2017, 02:29:37 PM
Federated Department Stores owned Macy's and a about 15 other stores which really were all the same for many decades, in 2006 it reversed this policy and renamed all as Macy's.   This seemed to bother big city people who had loyality to the original downtown stores (Marshall Field's, Lazarus, Kaufmann's, etc) more than smaller town and rural folk who just saw it as a remodel of a store in the local mall with no real changes. 

Now a question.  When my daughter moved to Lexington, KY three years ago, the Sears had just closed and the local newspaper said that Lexington was now the largest town without a Sears.  After these latest changes, what would be now?  (Here I am using "town" in the way the newspaper did, meaning "market" , meaning "it is not reasonable for people living in this area to shop at Sears, because there is not one reasonabably nearby",  not looking for nitpicks about city limits and such. ) 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 05, 2017, 03:45:56 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 05, 2017, 02:29:37 PM
Federated Department Stores owned Macy's and a about 15 other stores which really were all the same for many decades, in 2006 it reversed this policy and renamed all as Macy's.   This seemed to bother big city people who had loyality to the original downtown stores (Marshall Field's, Lazarus, Kaufmann's, etc) more than smaller town and rural folk who just saw it as a remodel of a store in the local mall with no real changes. 

The Bon was only part of Federated Departments Stores since 1989, so it was only 14 years until it lost its name.  1929-1989, it was part of Allied Stores, but that was just ownership.  The Bon made most of its purchasing and marketing decisions until about 2000, when Federated took over operations as well as ownership.  The only concession to the Bon legacy seems to be maintaining a local monopoly on Frangos chocolates.

Quote
Now a question.  When my daughter moved to Lexington, KY three years ago, the Sears had just closed and the local newspaper said that Lexington was now the largest town without a Sears.  After these latest changes, what would be now?  (Here I am using "town" in the way the newspaper did, meaning "market" , meaning "it is not reasonable for people living in this area to shop at Sears, because there is not one reasonabably nearby",  not looking for nitpicks about city limits and such. ) 

Well, then it becomes a question of what's reasonable.  The closest Sears to Oakland, CA, (population 390k) is in Richmond, about 7 miles away through traffic that's frequently heavy.  One could travel there, but pretty much everything Sears sells could be had much more conveniently closer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 04:46:42 PM
The hits keep coming...

Sears sells off Craftsman...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-05/stanley-to-buy-craftsman-brand-from-sears-for-about-900-million
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on January 05, 2017, 06:01:08 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 04:46:42 PM
The hits keep coming...

Sears sells off Craftsman...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-05/stanley-to-buy-craftsman-brand-from-sears-for-about-900-million

:wow:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 05, 2017, 06:09:31 PM
That's a pretty telling sign about what's going to happen.  Just another piece of the pie that was worth some cash to liquidate.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 05, 2017, 06:35:48 PM
No turning back now.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 05, 2017, 06:50:11 PM
To paraphrase a former jingle:

K Mart WAS your savings store,
'Cause you can't shop there no more.

One childhood memory was the coin op candy/prize machines.  The slots where you'd insert the coin then turn the handle were designed that if you put a wrong smaller coin, you couldn't get it out due to an upper metal lip.  BUT if you had a flattened drinking straw handy, you usually could get the coin out!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on January 05, 2017, 09:56:05 PM
Did they sell Craftsman, or lease it?  Because the terms make me think that Lambert is also trying to turn Sears into a shell company that does nothing but collect royalties on owned intellectual property.  I guess it's at least one step above becoming a patent troll...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadrunner75 on January 05, 2017, 10:02:06 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 04:46:42 PM
The hits keep coming...

Sears sells off Craftsman...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-05/stanley-to-buy-craftsman-brand-from-sears-for-about-900-million
Are they nuts?  Why not also stop selling appliances while they're at it, so people have absolutely no reason left to go to Sears.  For years it's looked like KMart/Sears have almost purposely done everything they can do to run themselves into the ground - the "Major League" of retail.  Sears should have dumped clothing and the rest of the department store lines, and just focused exclusively on Craftsman tools and appliances.  That was (is) their only hope.  I don't know what KMart can do at this point - they still look just like a smaller version of Walmart, just without the customers.

Last week I stopped into KMart for the first time in probably 6 months or more, to buy a second controller for my son's new game machine.  It's closer than Walmart and Target and I was pressed for time.  I had a few other items on my list, but the minute I walked in I knew I made a big mistake.  There were practically tumbleweeds blowing around.  When I got to the electronics area at the back of the store, most of the shelving and displays had been completely removed, including all the gaming items and most of the electronics, and replaced with a couple of mattresses sitting awkwardly between the magazines and the DVDs.  I walked right back out.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on January 05, 2017, 10:07:33 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 05, 2017, 01:32:47 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 01:00:26 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
Add to this Macy's cutting 68 stores (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/here-are-68-of-the-100-stores-that-macys-will-close.html) at the same time.  Some are even in the same malls as the Sears stores closing.  I never saw much reason to spread the Macy's name everywhere.  It only had any cachet in the NYC area and the Bay Area.  Everywhere else really didn't give two shits about the Macy's name.  It meant nothing, and still means nothing to them.  As an aside, I thought Macy's and Gimbel's were made up names when I saw Miracle on 34th Street as a kid.

Seeing as you're from the Chicago area, you can understand the outrage when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's stores and replaced them with macy's

I won't even cut through the macy's at the Louis Joliet Mall anymore to go into the mall.

I haven't been to the Macy's there in quite some time.  Been to the Penney's and Carson's recently though (and often enough).  Hopefully the management comes up with a plan for Sears when they finally go.  Wouldn't mind seeing a Von Maur or a Dillard's replace them.

Unfortunately, that's usually not up to the mall, but to the stores.  Other stores may have a growth plan, but in recent years numerous malls have decided to go different directions with large, empty anchor store spaces.



Keep in mind though, that sometimes the anchors own their own spaces and still can maintain full control over what happens with them. If you've ever seen a mall torn down while the anchor spaces remained (empty, sold or still occupied by the anchor) you've seen the phenomenon in action.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on January 05, 2017, 10:51:12 PM
Quote from: catch22 on January 04, 2017, 08:32:20 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 04, 2017, 08:08:01 PM
They have been dead in Orlando for two decades.  Only the one on US 192 in Kissimmee is barely alive.

That one's on the closure list.

Does not surprise me at all.  Considering that neighborhood its in now, as even up the street there used to be a small mall that turned into an ethnic bizarre and is listed in deadmalls.com as one of the many dead malls.   That place had no one in it the last time I went in to it and seemed to have lost what it once had back in the 70's and 80's and possibly before.

Wal Mart seems to have taken over and K Mart never did anything to even try to compete.  Target too of course ruined them, but in Kissimmee the Target just a few doors down from K Mart even closed due to the neighborhood.  That is why I said "barely" alive.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 05, 2017, 11:06:47 PM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on January 05, 2017, 10:02:06 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 04:46:42 PM
The hits keep coming...

Sears sells off Craftsman...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-05/stanley-to-buy-craftsman-brand-from-sears-for-about-900-million
Are they nuts?  Why not also stop selling appliances while they're at it, so people have absolutely no reason left to go to Sears. 

Problem #1 is, you can go to Ace Hardware (et,al..) to buy Craftsman products, and avoid the mall environment entirely.
Problem #2 is, like a lot of their hard line products over the years, their Kenmore, etc items are near (if not) exact replicas of famous name brand models -- they just slap a Kenmore logo on them.  IIRC, much of the Kenmore appliances are made by Whirlpool and/or Maytag.   Same thing when Atari first came out with the 2600 console and associated game cartridges, Sears sold them under their "Sears Telegames" brand for a few dollars less.   

The difference between then and now is then you bought the Sears-branded stuff because it was backed with a strong "Satisfaction Guaranteed" warranty, great service department or actual service center if repairs were ever needed, and in some cases you ordered it from home out of a catalog.  And the customer service back then was top notch.

Pretty much what made Sears stand out then versus other discount and department stores is long gone nowadays.   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 05, 2017, 11:42:32 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 04:46:42 PM
The hits keep coming...

Sears sells off Craftsman...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-05/stanley-to-buy-craftsman-brand-from-sears-for-about-900-million

(https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-23-2015/F4Jhrt.gif)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: wanderer2575 on January 06, 2017, 12:11:21 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 05, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
Add to this u[rl=http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/here-are-68-of-the-100-stores-that-macys-will-close.html]Macy's cutting 68 stores[/url] at the same time.  Some are even in the same malls as the Sears stores closing.  I never saw much reason to spread the Macy's name everywhere.  It only had any cachet in the NYC area and the Bay Area.  Everywhere else really didn't give two shits about the Macy's name.  It meant nothing, and still means nothing to them.  As an aside, I thought Macy's and Gimbel's were made up names when I saw Miracle on 34th Street as a kid.

Seeing as you're from the Chicago area, you can understand the outrage when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's stores and replaced them with macy's


Similar to Detroiters' outrage when Marshall Field's killed the legendary Hudson's name.  Poetic justice, anyone?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on January 06, 2017, 09:17:58 AM
Quote from: vdeane on January 05, 2017, 09:56:05 PM
Did they sell Craftsman, or lease it? 

Kinda both.  Since 2010 Craftsman tools have been mostly made in Asia and no longer carry the unlimited warranty.  Black and Decker is buying the brand name.  It can now make Craftsman tools wherever and Sears is retaining the right to both make and sell Craftsman tools for 15 years royality free. 

This means there will two unrelated sets of tools called "Craftsman", one sold at Sears and one sold elsewhere. 

I look for similar deals on Kenmore and Die Hard as the shutdown continues. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 06, 2017, 10:11:36 AM
15 years? Lucky if any Sears will still be open in 15 months.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 06, 2017, 10:26:35 AM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 10:11:36 AM
15 years? Lucky if any Sears will still be open in 15 months.

It may be for the Sears Hardware & Appliance stores as well as the dealer stores.  I don't see the department stores surviving, but the others have a life outside the demise of the department stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on January 06, 2017, 10:49:58 AM
Appropriate this was on last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5087isMudEs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5087isMudEs)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dcbjms on January 06, 2017, 02:55:36 PM
The South Attleboro, MA, K-Mart will be closing some time in early April because the strip mall it's located in jacked up the rental property prices and - lo and behold! - K-Mart can no longer afford to pay the fees.  Tis' a shame, really - it's one of the few remaining businesses left original to the strip mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 03:02:35 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 05, 2017, 10:06:10 AM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 04, 2017, 05:30:11 PM
Re: Prodigy, this seemed to me to be the intended extension of Sears's non-core assets Dean Witter, Allstate, Coldwell Banker, and Discover.  The first three of these were clustered in financial service centers in many stores.  Prodigy was envisioned to be something promised a decade earlier and realized a decade later–home transactions of every kind on a personal computer.  The infrastructure (networked home computers) was not there yet.

Thing was once Netscape and AOL started coming around it was already too late for Prodigy with the closed IP.  I seem to recall a push for an open browser (had some family associated with the company) much like Netscape or a drastic loosening of content rules.  The big thing with Prodigy was the early social media via message boards and chat rooms.  The company tried to snuff out anything that wasn't family friendly and ended up pushing a lot of subscribers away.  The ironic thing was that was the big thing for Prodigy and not the shopping, news, stock, in addition to all the rest of the stuff they thought it would end up being.


The explosion of the World Wide Web was arguably in 1995.  Prodigy came on the scene in what, 89?  People didn't even have CD-ROM drives at that point, much less modems for the most part.  Even if the content was top-notch, Tim Berners-Lee was still right up the road with a death sentence for their delivery model by the time the home technology base was more robust.

Has they gone only into content, they'd have ended up being a Yahoo!, which proved that "all things to all people" is not a sound long-term online strategy.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on January 06, 2017, 03:08:35 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 06, 2017, 09:17:58 AM
Since 2010 Craftsman tools have been mostly made in Asia and no longer carry the unlimited warranty.  Black and Decker is buying the brand name.  It can now make Craftsman tools wherever and Sears is retaining the right to both make and sell Craftsman tools for 15 years royality free.

Craftsman was already on its slide into irrelevance under Sears ownership when production was offshored and the famous warranty was killed off. But now the brand can officially take its final resting place in history's dustbin along with the likes of Zenith, Kodak, Schwinn, or Howard Johnson–zombie brands that have no meaningful connection to their past or the people and institutional knowledge and culture that made them what they were.

Yet under informed old people will still buy them because–"...by god, I bought a Zenith with Chromacolor in '72 to celebrate Nixon's reelection, and it was the best goddam TV I ever had."
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 07:42:48 PM
Westinghouse, RCA, Polaroid...

Christmas Tree Shop sells 4-packs of Polaroid AA batteries for two bucks.  Polaroid batteries.

Westinghouse might as well be used to sell frozen french fries at this point, with the way it's casually slapped on whatever some company owns the license to use it for.

Pan Am Railways, anyone?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 06, 2017, 07:58:51 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 07:42:48 PM
Westinghouse, RCA, Polaroid...

Christmas Tree Shop sells 4-packs of Polaroid AA batteries for two bucks.  Polaroid batteries.

Westinghouse might as well be used to sell frozen french fries at this point, with the way it's casually slapped on whatever some company owns the license to use it for.

Pan Am Railways, anyone?

Once-great companies, either merged with a hostile new management or a completely new entity...

East India Company
Hewlett Packard
AT&T
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 06, 2017, 08:14:30 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 07:58:51 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 07:42:48 PM
Westinghouse, RCA, Polaroid...

Christmas Tree Shop sells 4-packs of Polaroid AA batteries for two bucks.  Polaroid batteries.

Westinghouse might as well be used to sell frozen french fries at this point, with the way it's casually slapped on whatever some company owns the license to use it for.

Pan Am Railways, anyone?

Once-great companies, either merged with a hostile new management or a completely new entity...

East India Company
Hewlett Packard
AT&T

So is Nationalization of the East India Company something we're considering a hostile takeover?  :-D
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 06, 2017, 08:46:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 06, 2017, 08:14:30 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 07:58:51 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 07:42:48 PM
Westinghouse, RCA, Polaroid...

Christmas Tree Shop sells 4-packs of Polaroid AA batteries for two bucks.  Polaroid batteries.

Westinghouse might as well be used to sell frozen french fries at this point, with the way it's casually slapped on whatever some company owns the license to use it for.

Pan Am Railways, anyone?

Once-great companies, either merged with a hostile new management or a completely new entity...

East India Company
Hewlett Packard
AT&T

So is Nationalization of the East India Company something we're considering a hostile takeover?  :-D

No, they are really a new entity.  As you know, the East India Company was nationalized in 1858, but somehow a legal existence continued and it was brought back from the dead in 2010, claiming the original trademarks and heritage and selling a little food, tea, and gold coins.  They don't yet have sovereign powers or an army...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-10971109
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 06, 2017, 09:04:14 PM
The famous clothing store The Limited was said to be closing their brick and mortar/mall stores THIS SUNDAY!

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-suncapital-limitedstores-idUSKBN14R015?il=0

They said they will now be an e-tail only company for internet shoppers.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 06, 2017, 09:11:55 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 08:46:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 06, 2017, 08:14:30 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 07:58:51 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 07:42:48 PM
Westinghouse, RCA, Polaroid...

Christmas Tree Shop sells 4-packs of Polaroid AA batteries for two bucks.  Polaroid batteries.

Westinghouse might as well be used to sell frozen french fries at this point, with the way it's casually slapped on whatever some company owns the license to use it for.

Pan Am Railways, anyone?

Once-great companies, either merged with a hostile new management or a completely new entity...

East India Company
Hewlett Packard
AT&T

So is Nationalization of the East India Company something we're considering a hostile takeover?  :-D

No, they are really a new entity.  As you know, the East India Company was nationalized in 1858, but somehow a legal existence continued and it was brought back from the dead in 2010, claiming the original trademarks and heritage and selling a little food, tea, and gold coins.  They don't yet have sovereign powers or an army...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-10971109

That has to be pretty satisfying for someone from India to snatch that brand name up all things considered. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 06, 2017, 11:19:02 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 06, 2017, 09:11:55 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 08:46:24 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 06, 2017, 08:14:30 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 06, 2017, 07:58:51 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on January 06, 2017, 07:42:48 PM
Westinghouse, RCA, Polaroid...

Christmas Tree Shop sells 4-packs of Polaroid AA batteries for two bucks.  Polaroid batteries.

Westinghouse might as well be used to sell frozen french fries at this point, with the way it's casually slapped on whatever some company owns the license to use it for.

Pan Am Railways, anyone?

Once-great companies, either merged with a hostile new management or a completely new entity...

East India Company
Hewlett Packard
AT&T

So is Nationalization of the East India Company something we're considering a hostile takeover?  :-D

No, they are really a new entity.  As you know, the East India Company was nationalized in 1858, but somehow a legal existence continued and it was brought back from the dead in 2010, claiming the original trademarks and heritage and selling a little food, tea, and gold coins.  They don't yet have sovereign powers or an army...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-10971109

That has to be pretty satisfying for someone from India to snatch that brand name up all things considered. 

Yeah, pretty amazing.  I wonder if the reborn company is allowed to call itself "The Honourable".
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pete from Boston on January 07, 2017, 01:18:35 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 06, 2017, 09:04:14 PM
The famous clothing store The Limited was said to be closing their brick and mortar/mall stores THIS SUNDAY!

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-suncapital-limitedstores-idUSKBN14R015?il=0

They said they will now be an e-tail only company for internet shoppers.

The teenage girls that built that store in the 80s are now in their 40s and 50s.  I didn't even realize they were still around.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Buck87 on January 07, 2017, 04:01:32 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 05, 2017, 12:22:17 PM
when macy's killed the legendary Marshall Field's store

I thought that was the Silver Streak

:D
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: NJRoadfan on January 07, 2017, 05:53:42 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on January 06, 2017, 03:08:35 PM
Yet under informed old people will still buy them because–"...by god, I bought a Zenith with Chromacolor in '72 to celebrate Nixon's reelection, and it was the best goddam TV I ever had."

Yeah, but that '72 Chromacolor likely still works like the day it left the showroom with zero service! Those things were indestructible, Zenith really knew how to make a TV!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on January 08, 2017, 06:41:54 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 04, 2017, 12:05:35 PM
Also, I have noticed a dramatic increase in Sears commercials, such as in ads while watching videos on YouTube. I'd say for the most part they are pretty good commercials, but maybe they have come in too late to the game. It is probably a last attempt to save the company, and I understand that. It seems like I just hadn't seen many Sears commercials before.

Starting today, I am also now seeing a sharp increase in Kmart commercials as well. The advertisements on almost every single youtube video I have watched today are Kmart ads. These are actually the first Kmart commercials I've ever remembered seeing in recent history.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on January 08, 2017, 08:43:26 PM
I wonder why they keep stopping and restarting the Blue Light Specials. I feel like KMart suffers from a lack of brand identity these days whereas in the '80s and '90s people were always joking about Blue Light Specials. Sure they're a little corny, but they are exclusive to their brand and a lot of other stores do things that get made fun of a lot more. Wal-Mart survived Wal-Mart Bingo just fine for example.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on January 08, 2017, 08:56:44 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 08, 2017, 06:41:54 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 04, 2017, 12:05:35 PM
Also, I have noticed a dramatic increase in Sears commercials, such as in ads while watching videos on YouTube. I'd say for the most part they are pretty good commercials, but maybe they have come in too late to the game. It is probably a last attempt to save the company, and I understand that. It seems like I just hadn't seen many Sears commercials before.

Starting today, I am also now seeing a sharp increase in Kmart commercials as well. The advertisements on almost every single youtube video I have watched today are Kmart ads. These are actually the first Kmart commercials I've ever remembered seeing in recent history.

Could it be because you typed in Kmart and/or Sears in a search engine lately?  It's not exactly a coincidence...they are simply using your cookies to bring you the ads of the places you're visiting.
Title: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pete from Boston on January 09, 2017, 09:26:47 PM

This person does some great logo reinterpretation, including this one relevant to this discussion (apparently can't include image here from Instagram):

https://instagram.com/p/BPEODVKBX53/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on January 11, 2017, 11:15:27 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 08, 2017, 08:56:44 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 08, 2017, 06:41:54 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 04, 2017, 12:05:35 PM
Also, I have noticed a dramatic increase in Sears commercials, such as in ads while watching videos on YouTube. I'd say for the most part they are pretty good commercials, but maybe they have come in too late to the game. It is probably a last attempt to save the company, and I understand that. It seems like I just hadn't seen many Sears commercials before.

Starting today, I am also now seeing a sharp increase in Kmart commercials as well. The advertisements on almost every single youtube video I have watched today are Kmart ads. These are actually the first Kmart commercials I've ever remembered seeing in recent history.

Could it be because you typed in Kmart and/or Sears in a search engine lately?  It's not exactly a coincidence...they are simply using your cookies to bring you the ads of the places you're visiting.

I actually have not looked up Kmart at all in very recent history - I've only been reading this thread on the forum to get up-to-date Kmart news. I could be wrong, though. I think I have searched up Sears a few select times, so that could explain my aforementioned post of seeing many Sears commercials. However, I don't think I have typed in Kmart much, if at all, so I am a bit surprised to see a spontaneous influx of Kmart advertisements.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on January 11, 2017, 05:51:49 PM
Most of the Albany area Kmart stores closed a few years ago. The few that remain are in Queensbury (one of the last Super Kmarts until it reverted a few years ago) and a few rural locations. Don't see the Queensbury one lasting much longer. Bunch still exist in the Southern Tier, probably because there's no competition.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Life in Paradise on January 11, 2017, 08:42:53 PM
10 to 15 years ago, I think there probably was a way to save the stores, but even if K-Mart/Sears did everything right (spruce up stores, utilize helpful associates and pay them accordingly, have the right merchandise mix, and have a daring internet/store synergy) it would appear to be too late.  Either the silver bullet (or wooden stake) is about to be applied.  Unfortunately, those that are responsible (the CEO-Lambert) will probably not suffer at all.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on January 12, 2017, 08:23:19 AM
Quote from: cl94 on January 11, 2017, 05:51:49 PM
Most of the Albany area Kmart stores closed a few years ago.

The closure of the one on Central Ave by New Karner was a mercy killing.  That thing was begging to be put out of its misery for about a decade before they finally shut down.

Of course, now it's a Carmax lot.  Seems to be the trend along Central Ave:  Car lots, big and small.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on January 12, 2017, 08:52:49 AM
Quote from: Rothman on January 12, 2017, 08:23:19 AM
Quote from: cl94 on January 11, 2017, 05:51:49 PM
Most of the Albany area Kmart stores closed a few years ago.

The closure of the one on Central Ave by New Karner was a mercy killing.  That thing was begging to be put out of its misery for about a decade before they finally shut down.

Of course, now it's a Carmax lot.  Seems to be the trend along Central Ave:  Car lots, big and small.

I forgot about that one. Never in that area.

The Super Kmart in Queensbury was where we did a decent amount of grocery shopping. There were no Walmart Supercenters up there yet and dry goods were much cheaper. Still got meat at Hannaford, though.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 12, 2017, 04:39:58 PM
Medina, OH was the the location of the very first Super KMart, which was the new Kmart concept that was supposed to compete against the Walmarts and Super Walmarts of the time -- Open 24 hours with full grocery store under one roof.

They wound up shrinking in half after several years, dropping the grocery side, due to over-saturation of grocers within a 1-mile radius.  Not long after that they closed that one up for good.

Another early Super K store was in Montrose/Akron, OH.  Again, it fell victim to over-saturation of nearby grocery and discount stores...and shoplifting..., and closed around the same time as the original Medina store.  The West Akron K-Mart is now a stand-alone JCPenney and is doing pretty well for a major department store 2 miles from the other anchor stores at nearby Summit Mall (Macy's & Dillards).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Buck87 on January 12, 2017, 05:36:19 PM
Fremont, Ohio had a Super Kmart that just closed last year. It also got dropped the grocery side a while before the final closing.

It was in somewhat of an odd location, being the only thing on the north side of the OH 19 north exit off the bypass (US 20/6), while the main strip with the Wal-Mart, Lowes and other retail and food chains is at the OH 53 north exit.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 12, 2017, 07:17:36 PM
Quote from: Buck87 on January 12, 2017, 05:36:19 PM
Fremont, Ohio had a Super Kmart that just closed last year. It also got dropped the grocery side a while before the final closing.

It was in somewhat of an odd location, being the only thing on the north side of the OH 19 north exit off the bypass (US 20/6), while the main strip with the Wal-Mart, Lowes and other retail and food chains is at the OH 53 north exit.

Kmart has struck out 2 or 3 times with grocery stores. 

- I remember a select few Kmarts in the early 70s also having (smaller) grocery stores, calling them K-Foods (or was that what they called their inside restaurants/cafes back then???)

- The grocery supermarkets as part of Super Kmarts fizzled out, as the posts above attest.

- And now with most of the remaining Big Ks having some aisles of basic grocery items -- about on par with a Big Lots -- I don't know of too many people who would do (or admit to doing) their grocery shopping at Kmart.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on January 13, 2017, 09:41:59 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 11, 2017, 11:15:27 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 08, 2017, 08:56:44 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 08, 2017, 06:41:54 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 04, 2017, 12:05:35 PM
Also, I have noticed a dramatic increase in Sears commercials, such as in ads while watching videos on YouTube. I'd say for the most part they are pretty good commercials, but maybe they have come in too late to the game. It is probably a last attempt to save the company, and I understand that. It seems like I just hadn't seen many Sears commercials before.

Starting today, I am also now seeing a sharp increase in Kmart commercials as well. The advertisements on almost every single youtube video I have watched today are Kmart ads. These are actually the first Kmart commercials I've ever remembered seeing in recent history.

Could it be because you typed in Kmart and/or Sears in a search engine lately?  It's not exactly a coincidence...they are simply using your cookies to bring you the ads of the places you're visiting.

I actually have not looked up Kmart at all in very recent history - I've only been reading this thread on the forum to get up-to-date Kmart news. I could be wrong, though. I think I have searched up Sears a few select times, so that could explain my aforementioned post of seeing many Sears commercials. However, I don't think I have typed in Kmart much, if at all, so I am a bit surprised to see a spontaneous influx of Kmart advertisements.

All it takes is viewing a thread with this many appearances of the term "KMart"
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 13, 2017, 10:03:15 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on January 13, 2017, 09:41:59 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 11, 2017, 11:15:27 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 08, 2017, 08:56:44 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 08, 2017, 06:41:54 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on January 04, 2017, 12:05:35 PM
Also, I have noticed a dramatic increase in Sears commercials, such as in ads while watching videos on YouTube. I'd say for the most part they are pretty good commercials, but maybe they have come in too late to the game. It is probably a last attempt to save the company, and I understand that. It seems like I just hadn't seen many Sears commercials before.

Starting today, I am also now seeing a sharp increase in Kmart commercials as well. The advertisements on almost every single youtube video I have watched today are Kmart ads. These are actually the first Kmart commercials I've ever remembered seeing in recent history.

Could it be because you typed in Kmart and/or Sears in a search engine lately?  It's not exactly a coincidence...they are simply using your cookies to bring you the ads of the places you're visiting.

I actually have not looked up Kmart at all in very recent history - I've only been reading this thread on the forum to get up-to-date Kmart news. I could be wrong, though. I think I have searched up Sears a few select times, so that could explain my aforementioned post of seeing many Sears commercials. However, I don't think I have typed in Kmart much, if at all, so I am a bit surprised to see a spontaneous influx of Kmart advertisements.

All it takes is viewing a thread with this many appearances of the term "KMart"

Which is ironic since I read a lot of business news with Sears/Kmart in it but yet never see commercials on Youtube or adds online anywhere...go figure.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on February 04, 2017, 10:26:44 PM
Update on Sears/Kmart stock prices:

https://www.thestreet.com/story/13969600/1/dying-sears-is-having-one-of-the-most-disastrous-weeks-in-its-history.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO&yptr=yahoo
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on March 22, 2017, 09:00:24 AM
And the bowl circling begins, as the company places the, legally required, "we really don't know if this is a good idea or not" language in its latest SEC filing.


money.cnn.com/2017/03/22/news/companies/sears-kmart-future

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ET21 on March 22, 2017, 09:26:45 AM
One of these isn't making it out of the decade if they don't turn around these losses
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on March 22, 2017, 10:12:38 AM
Quote from: ET21 on March 22, 2017, 09:26:45 AM
One of these isn't making it out of the decade if they don't turn around these losses

Neither will make it out, IMHO.  Sears Holdings (formerly Kmart Corp) is DOA.  Which is a shame, as had neither squandered their goodwill or had seriously gross mismanagement (Lampert is a terrible retailer, maybe a good hedge fund guy, but a terrible retailer), they'd both probably be fine today.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ET21 on March 22, 2017, 08:57:52 PM
Quote from: Brandon on March 22, 2017, 10:12:38 AM
Quote from: ET21 on March 22, 2017, 09:26:45 AM
One of these isn't making it out of the decade if they don't turn around these losses

Neither will make it out, IMHO.  Sears Holdings (formerly Kmart Corp) is DOA.  Which is a shame, as had neither squandered their goodwill or had seriously gross mismanagement (Lampert is a terrible retailer, maybe a good hedge fund guy, but a terrible retailer), they'd both probably be fine today.

I think one could at the others expense. Sears probably survives on what's left over of Kmart
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on March 22, 2017, 09:15:31 PM
Being Sears are found mainly at malls, and malls themselves aren't doing very well, I don't see that happening.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on March 23, 2017, 02:49:11 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 22, 2017, 09:15:31 PM
Being Sears are found mainly at malls, and malls themselves aren't doing very well, I don't see that happening.

Me either. It's only a matter of time before they all close. I also think all of the Kmarts will be gone first since they seem to be the weaker of the two, not that Sears is much stronger.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were another round of store closings announced either mid-summer or fall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on March 23, 2017, 10:06:35 AM
Quote from: LM117 on March 23, 2017, 02:49:11 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 22, 2017, 09:15:31 PM
Being Sears are found mainly at malls, and malls themselves aren't doing very well, I don't see that happening.

Me either. It's only a matter of time before they all close. I also think all of the Kmarts will be gone first since they seem to be the weaker of the two, not that Sears is much stronger.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were another round of store closings announced either mid-summer or fall.

Likely that more closures will be announced Apr/May -- after their Quarterly reports come out.

Did I mention that our Sears mall store is so dead, they close by 8PM while the mall stays open until 9?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on March 23, 2017, 12:01:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on March 23, 2017, 10:06:35 AM
Quote from: LM117 on March 23, 2017, 02:49:11 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 22, 2017, 09:15:31 PM
Being Sears are found mainly at malls, and malls themselves aren't doing very well, I don't see that happening.

Me either. It's only a matter of time before they all close. I also think all of the Kmarts will be gone first since they seem to be the weaker of the two, not that Sears is much stronger.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were another round of store closings announced either mid-summer or fall.

Likely that more closures will be announced Apr/May -- after their Quarterly reports come out.

Did I mention that our Sears mall store is so dead, they close by 8PM while the mall stays open until 9?

Same here at Danville Mall. Mall closes at 9, Sears closes at 8 Sunday-Thursday. The Sears here is mostly used as a mall entrance. There might be a lot of cars in the parking lot in front of the store (which has 2 floors), but once you set foot inside and see how devoid of customers it is, it becomes apparent that it's just an entrance. Hell, if you're on the first floor and someone on the second floor farts, you'd probably hear it.

The Sears at Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro, NC (where I grew up) is the same way also. Mall closes at 9, Sears closes at 8 Monday-Thursday.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on March 23, 2017, 12:08:43 PM
The Sears in Albany downsized a few years ago. About 1/3 of it became a Whole Foods. As far as Kmart, I've mentioned previously that very few remain open in this area.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on March 23, 2017, 05:54:54 PM
KMart doesn't have much of a presence here in the greater Bay Area; the only one I can recall patronizing was the one in Hollister -- and only because I was ferrying a friend around because he needed a new car battery, and KM carried Die Hard (his preference).  Otherwise, the non-mall larger chain stores up here are dominated by Target and Wal-Mart (which has actually closed some of their older outlets as well).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 26, 2017, 11:03:10 PM
New article on Sears Financial position:

https://www.thestreet.com/story/14054951/1/sears-has-finally-admitted-that-it-s-almost-dead.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO&yptr=yahoo
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on March 26, 2017, 11:44:10 PM
And yet they are looking for people to work at our local Sears and Sears Outlet stores (our Kmart closed for good today).  I don't know how anyone would want to apply for a job at any of the Sears/Kmart stores now knowing their position would be considered "temporary".

At least with a seasonal summer or Christmas job at other places, you kind of have a rough estimate on how long the job could last, and there's always a chance you might be picked up permanently or guaranteed a job the following year.  Working for the Sears family now is like playing Russian Roulette.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2017, 09:46:59 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on March 26, 2017, 11:44:10 PM
And yet they are looking for people to work at our local Sears and Sears Outlet stores (our Kmart closed for good today).  I don't know how anyone would want to apply for a job at any of the Sears/Kmart stores now knowing their position would be considered "temporary".

At least with a seasonal summer or Christmas job at other places, you kind of have a rough estimate on how long the job could last, and there's always a chance you might be picked up permanently or guaranteed a job the following year.  Working for the Sears family now is like playing Russian Roulette.

The management or salaried jobs that could be a big problem.  For anyone who is entry level or someone who wants to get a salaried position on their resume there might be an opportunity there.  Really that isn't something that is going to help a retailer that is struggling and could probably use all the skilled staff it can get.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: D-Dey65 on March 27, 2017, 10:14:53 AM
Quote from: LM117 on March 23, 2017, 02:49:11 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on March 22, 2017, 09:15:31 PM
Being Sears are found mainly at malls, and malls themselves aren't doing very well, I don't see that happening.

Me either. It's only a matter of time before they all close. I also think all of the Kmarts will be gone first since they seem to be the weaker of the two, not that Sears is much stronger.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were another round of store closings announced either mid-summer or fall.
The one in Rego Park was closing down and clearing out all their merchandise when I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2017, 12:10:31 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Bad idea, the clothes are the highest profit margin item by a country mile. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on March 27, 2017, 12:14:15 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2017, 12:10:31 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Bad idea, the clothes are the highest profit margin item by a country mile. 

Not to mention places like HH Gregg are shutting down a number of their stores, being people are buying appliances on the internet as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ColossalBlocks on March 27, 2017, 12:32:26 PM
The Kmart back up in Cape Girardeau looked like it was gonna shutter at one point, that time is probably soon, as the quality slowly decreased before I left. Kmart is probably gonna bring Sears down with it, too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on March 27, 2017, 06:12:39 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Lowe's and Home Depot pretty much have a lock on the hardware and appliances here.  Also, Ace for hardware.  I'm not sure there's anything Sears does even as well as its competitors anymore.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on March 27, 2017, 06:15:56 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2017, 12:10:31 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Bad idea, the clothes are the highest profit margin item by a country mile. 

Agreed.  I usually will buy non-clothing items sight unseen after I do my research of ratings and reliability online.   The last few items I bought (bluetooth headphones & a GoPro-like camera) had great ratings, but no stores in my area carried them.

Clothing, OTOH, I need to see and/or try on in person before I buy it.  Only exceptions are socks, underwear and jeans (as I tend to stay with specific brand(s)).  Jeans or sports apparel are the only types of clothing I have/will buy online.

If Sears were to try to stay afloat, I'd ditch the hardlines and auto repair as you can pretty much buy their former exclusive brands at other retailers for less. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on March 27, 2017, 06:51:45 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Just anecdotally, in addition to Lowe's and Home Depot, it seems like Harbor Freight has taken a big chunk out what used to be Sears' bread and butter Saturday mechanic/do-it-yourselfer business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on March 27, 2017, 06:59:13 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on March 27, 2017, 06:15:56 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2017, 12:10:31 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Bad idea, the clothes are the highest profit margin item by a country mile. 

Agreed.  I usually will buy non-clothing items sight unseen after I do my research of ratings and reliability online.   The last few items I bought (bluetooth headphones & a GoPro-like camera) had great ratings, but no stores in my area carried them.

Clothing, OTOH, I need to see and/or try on in person before I buy it.  Only exceptions are socks, underwear and jeans (as I tend to stay with specific brand(s)).  Jeans or sports apparel are the only types of clothing I have/will buy online.

If Sears were to try to stay afloat, I'd ditch the hardlines and auto repair as you can pretty much buy their former exclusive brands at other retailers for less. 

Quite frankly, no one every really went to Sears for their clothing.  The appliances, electronics, and hardware were always the main attraction at Sears.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 07:04:10 PM
Quote from: Brandon on March 27, 2017, 06:59:13 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on March 27, 2017, 06:15:56 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2017, 12:10:31 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.

Bad idea, the clothes are the highest profit margin item by a country mile. 

Agreed.  I usually will buy non-clothing items sight unseen after I do my research of ratings and reliability online.   The last few items I bought (bluetooth headphones & a GoPro-like camera) had great ratings, but no stores in my area carried them.

Clothing, OTOH, I need to see and/or try on in person before I buy it.  Only exceptions are socks, underwear and jeans (as I tend to stay with specific brand(s)).  Jeans or sports apparel are the only types of clothing I have/will buy online.

If Sears were to try to stay afloat, I'd ditch the hardlines and auto repair as you can pretty much buy their former exclusive brands at other retailers for less. 

Quite frankly, no one every really went to Sears for their clothing.  The appliances, electronics, and hardware were always the main attraction at Sears.

That's what I was thinking. Main things I have ever bought there were related to hardware.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on March 27, 2017, 07:34:53 PM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 07:04:10 PM
Quote from: Brandon on March 27, 2017, 06:59:13 PM
Quite frankly, no one every really went to Sears for their clothing.  The appliances, electronics, and hardware were always the main attraction at Sears.

That's what I was thinking. Main things I have ever bought there were related to hardware.

I think the presence of ALL of those things (hardware, housewares, electronics, appliances, clothing....) under one roof is what made Sears what it was in its heyday. Shearing off any part of the business wouldn't save it, in my opinion. The commercial says it all.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on March 28, 2017, 02:28:23 PM
I've had good luck with shopping for electronics online.  I can't even imagine doing so for clothes, though.  It's too bad the department stores are in decline.  Other stores I don't know as well, so shopping would be more of a chore than it already is.  I want something that is decent quality (will last more than a few months, can go in the washer and dryer), doesn't cost too much, and that I can verify will actually fit me (both physical fit and style) before purchase (because so many clothes don't).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on March 28, 2017, 02:45:34 PM
Based on the lines I see at the checkouts in the clothing section, plenty of people went there for their clothing!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on March 28, 2017, 04:09:48 PM
There were times when people went to Sears for clothing, but it was long ago.  It was work clothes for adults who weren't in white-collar fields of work, or play clothes for kids, reasonably well made at a reasonable cost and backed by a good warranty.  But it's not so well-made now and the warranty is limited too, and the styles were never cutting edge but now aren't even trying.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on March 30, 2017, 08:36:08 PM
Well all of Kmarts I know of in Orlando/Kissimmee are history.  The one on US 192 in Kissimmee, is now vacant and the name moved of the building.  That was the last in Orlando I have seen struggle.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on March 30, 2017, 08:52:30 PM
And don't forget the 900-pound gorilla Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always must enter the conversation when talking about uncool clothes.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 30, 2017, 09:14:27 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on March 30, 2017, 08:52:30 PM
And don't forget the 900-pound gorilla Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always must enter the conversation when talking about uncool clothes.

Isn't Wal-Mart basically the paragon of being uncool and the lowest common denominator?  I can't think of many other companies that have exclusive websites dedicated to the everyday human depravity they draw out.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on March 31, 2017, 03:45:29 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 30, 2017, 09:14:27 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on March 30, 2017, 08:52:30 PM
And don't forget the 900-pound gorilla Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always must enter the conversation when talking about uncool clothes.

Isn't Wal-Mart basically the paragon of being uncool and the lowest common denominator?  I can't think of many other companies that have exclusive websites dedicated to the everyday human depravity they draw out.

And yet they can't -- or won't -- pick up the phone and have one of their lobbying minions scream & yell until someone expedites the completion of I-49 between their HQ and I-44.  I guess they're too busy hiring more security guards to emulate Costco and audit receipts of customers leaving the stores! :angry:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on March 31, 2017, 06:28:41 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 30, 2017, 09:14:27 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on March 30, 2017, 08:52:30 PM
And don't forget the 900-pound gorilla Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always must enter the conversation when talking about uncool clothes.

Isn't Wal-Mart basically the paragon of being uncool and the lowest common denominator?

Kmart occupied this niche before WalMart was ascendant.  We just lacked the internet back then.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2017, 07:30:03 AM
Quote from: sparker on March 31, 2017, 03:45:29 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 30, 2017, 09:14:27 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on March 30, 2017, 08:52:30 PM
And don't forget the 900-pound gorilla Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always must enter the conversation when talking about uncool clothes.

Isn't Wal-Mart basically the paragon of being uncool and the lowest common denominator?  I can't think of many other companies that have exclusive websites dedicated to the everyday human depravity they draw out.

And yet they can't -- or won't -- pick up the phone and have one of their lobbying minions scream & yell until someone expedites the completion of I-49 between their HQ and I-44.  I guess they're too busy hiring more security guards to emulate Costco and audit receipts of customers leaving the stores! :angry:

Are they actually doing that again with the receipt checkers?  The last time I stepped foot in a Wal-Mart was on Easter during last year only because I didn't realize Target was closed, I don't recall seeing the customary elderly person occupying the door.  There was a couple cars out in the parking lot like the Pikachu Chevy Tahoe that was worth taking a picture of.  One thing was certain that has never changed though, the cashiers at Wal-Mart can't ring people up with in an efficient manner.  I'm surprised they haven't tried to emulate Target's cashier speed rating program to pick up the pace since it seems to be a common complaint among customers. 

Sam's Club on the other hand I always thought was kinda of sorta okay, especially if you wanted to avoid the huge crowds at the local Costco.  When I had a membership the receipt checkers were notably more aggressive and through compared to their Costco counterparts. 

Quote from: Brandon on March 31, 2017, 06:28:41 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 30, 2017, 09:14:27 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on March 30, 2017, 08:52:30 PM
And don't forget the 900-pound gorilla Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart always must enter the conversation when talking about uncool clothes.

Isn't Wal-Mart basically the paragon of being uncool and the lowest common denominator?

Kmart occupied this niche before WalMart was ascendant.  We just lacked the internet back then.

It probably was, they seemed to have when the "Blue Light Specials" were run in the 1980s.  That begs a question though, is today's lowest common denominator worse than the 1980s counterpart?   I want to say that even though crime rates in general were much higher during the 1980s that people on the whole generally cared about the imagine they presented in public much more.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bmorrill on March 31, 2017, 11:10:52 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2017, 07:30:03 AM

That begs a question though, is today's lowest common denominator worse than the 1980s counterpart? 

Oh yeah, dumber and trashier. I think reality shows/soap operas have something to do with it. My wife used to work at a hospital several years ago, and she said that people seemed to get their cues as to how to dress and behave straight from General Hospital.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on March 31, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
The Target I got to takes forever for checkout.  Though I suspect the customers are to blame for that one... I always seem to get stuck behind several people with complicated issues (a million coupons, paying for each item as a separate transaction, switching items, etc.).  Doesn't help that only two staffed lines are ever open.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on April 01, 2017, 04:08:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2017, 07:30:03 AM
I'm surprised they haven't tried to emulate Target's cashier speed rating program to pick up the pace since it seems to be a common complaint among customers. 

That would require Walmart to care about customer complaints.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 01, 2017, 09:33:31 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 01, 2017, 04:08:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2017, 07:30:03 AM
I'm surprised they haven't tried to emulate Target's cashier speed rating program to pick up the pace since it seems to be a common complaint among customers. 

That would require Walmart to care about customer complaints.

Online retailing will keep chipping away at the brick and mortar market share to a point where they likely will have to.  Right now they are getting by on sheer size and market share to do whatever they want, that attitude might work now but it won't last forever.  Look what happened to the domestic automakers as they were putting out crappy products and didn't listen to their customers as the decades wore on?  I know it is vastly way two different businesses, but it has been proven over and over that given enough time your customer base will bail if you don't care about giving them a good product.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on April 01, 2017, 09:38:27 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 01, 2017, 09:33:31 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 01, 2017, 04:08:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2017, 07:30:03 AM
I'm surprised they haven't tried to emulate Target's cashier speed rating program to pick up the pace since it seems to be a common complaint among customers. 

That would require Walmart to care about customer complaints.

Online retailing will keep chipping away at the brick and mortar market share to a point where they likely will have to.  Right now they are getting by on sheer size and market share to do whatever they want, that attitude might work now but it won't last forever.  Look what happened to the domestic automakers as they were putting out crappy products and didn't listen to their customers as the decades wore on?  I know it is vastly way two different businesses, but it has been proven over and over that given enough time your customer base will bail if you don't care about giving them a good product.

I really don't see where online retailing is the big threat everyone seems to assume it is.  It is no different than the catalogs we go in the pre-internet days, and probably has about the same percentage of users.  Brick and mortar is a threat to brick and mortar.  WalMart will eventually be beat out by someone with a brick and mortar store willing to do it better, faster, cheaper.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 01, 2017, 09:52:36 AM
Quote from: Brandon on April 01, 2017, 09:38:27 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 01, 2017, 09:33:31 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 01, 2017, 04:08:28 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 31, 2017, 07:30:03 AM
I'm surprised they haven't tried to emulate Target's cashier speed rating program to pick up the pace since it seems to be a common complaint among customers. 

That would require Walmart to care about customer complaints.

Online retailing will keep chipping away at the brick and mortar market share to a point where they likely will have to.  Right now they are getting by on sheer size and market share to do whatever they want, that attitude might work now but it won't last forever.  Look what happened to the domestic automakers as they were putting out crappy products and didn't listen to their customers as the decades wore on?  I know it is vastly way two different businesses, but it has been proven over and over that given enough time your customer base will bail if you don't care about giving them a good product.

I really don't see where online retailing is the big threat everyone seems to assume it is.  It is no different than the catalogs we go in the pre-internet days, and probably has about the same percentage of users.  Brick and mortar is a threat to brick and mortar.  WalMart will eventually be beat out by someone with a brick and mortar store willing to do it better, faster, cheaper.

Something is causing so many brands to fail in the retail sector, a lot of it is advancing technology leaving less room.  I don't think it will ever get the point that some of the industry giants are down, but it stands a chance at breaking down market share where they have to compete for business again.  Really having the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world competing for the same customers would be a good thing in the overall scheme of everything. 

I mean look at what happened to Kmart and Sears.  There was probably a time, at least in the case of Sears where it would have been considered an impossibility that they wouldn't be at the top of the retail industry much less going out of business.  What the retail industry might look like in 30-40 years given the way things are progressing will certainly be much different than what we have right now.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on April 02, 2017, 01:26:53 AM
Quote from: Brandon on April 01, 2017, 09:38:27 AM
I really don't see where online retailing is the big threat everyone seems to assume it is.  It is no different than the catalogs we go in the pre-internet days, and probably has about the same percentage of users.

I agree that brick and mortar is a threat to brick and mortar, but I think there are a few key differences that separate online retailers from the catalogs of yesteryear.

One is speed: I remember my dad buying stuff for his Super Beetle from J.C. Whitney years ago. He'd fill out the order form, mail it in, and after what felt like an eternity, the UPS driver would stop at our house and deliver the walnut-grain shift knob or whatever he had ordered. "Allow 4-6 weeks..."  was a common disclaimer. Now, most online retailers will get your order to you in less than a week; depending on where you live, Amazon will deliver the same day.

The other major difference is in the depth and quality of information available about the product. J.C. Whitney would give you a couple of pithy sentences of description and a postage stamp-sized black and white sketch. A more expensive catalog like Spiegel would give you a larger color photograph in color, but you were typically limited to one picture and a short description. With online retailers, you can often see a half dozen photos in high resolution–and sometimes unvarnished user-submitted photos of the product taken in the harsh light of reality. And in addition, you'll usually get a detailed description, a list of specs, and customer reviews.

I get the impression that catalogue shoppers of the past were generally patient types who were very trusting of the merchant's taste and attention to quality. Online shopping helps broaden that constituency to include the impatient, distrustful, and show-me types.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on April 02, 2017, 08:55:16 AM
J.C. Whitney and Sears are a great example of the difference between old-time catalogs and internet retailing today.  Catalogs had two natural customer bases.  One was rural people.  People for whom there were not convenient general merchandise stores available, or for which the few local retailers were, to be blunt, crooks, charging confiscatory prices.  This was Sears original idea, shipping items to rural people with a good selection and fair prices.  The other is specialty products for which even a huge city cannot support a store.  Parts for hobbyist VW modification appeal to hobbyist VW modifiers.  Of which there might be 2 or 3 in any one town.

Now internet retailing has three limitations, IMHO.  The first is the simple economics of shipping.  It will always be more efficient for Kroger to ship a case of corn flakes to my local store than for Amazon to mail me one box.  It just is.  Second is that different items are more or less amenable to delivery.    Some things, such as many segments in the auto parts industry or home improvement sector you just need right now.  Lastly, different products have different applications to mail-order, no matter how well the description.  Some things you just want to examine before buying. 

   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on April 02, 2017, 08:23:22 PM
Internet shopping has arisen during an age of people buying a lot less stuff in general.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on April 02, 2017, 09:07:44 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on April 02, 2017, 08:55:16 AMIt will always be more efficient for Kroger to ship a case of corn flakes to my local store than for Amazon to mail me one box.
   

Heh.  Reminds me of Tuscan Whole Milk on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Tuscan-Dairy-Whole-Vitamin-Gallon/dp/B00032G1S0)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on April 08, 2017, 12:05:38 PM
http://wdtn.com/2017/04/06/local-kmart-to-close/

Update a Dayton area K-Mart is going to close soon.

http://mauinow.com/2017/03/15/kahului-kmart-to-close-liquidation-sale-begins-march-30/

And a Hawaii K-Mart store to close soon.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Avalanchez71 on April 08, 2017, 08:59:57 PM
OK so they just had another sale where they gave out just as many points and I spent.  I just bought something for $29.99 and they gave me $30 back in points. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on April 09, 2017, 02:26:21 AM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 02, 2017, 08:23:22 PM
Internet shopping has arisen during an age of people buying a lot less stuff in general.

A large part of that is that folks are not having as many kids as was common a few generations ago -- much less cultural pressure to do so coupled with corresponding advances in medical technology, enabling decisions to either not have children at all or delay such until fully ready with less regard to age (within limits, of course).  That in turn has meant less child-related "automatic" purchases (recurring diapers, clothing, Gerber's, etc.).  The funds freed up by such decisions are usually spent on fewer total items but with greater aggregate valuation -- including non-permanent things as vacations, travel, and social activities. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 09, 2017, 03:35:05 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on April 08, 2017, 08:59:57 PM
OK so they just had another sale where they gave out just as many points and I spent.  I just bought something for $29.99 and they gave me $30 back in points. 

Remember to redeem them before they go out of business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: I-39 on April 09, 2017, 10:52:38 AM
With HHGregg going under, Sears just needs to liquidate and go completely out of business already. What is taking so long? They are never going to be profitable again.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on April 11, 2017, 08:59:22 PM
Quote from: sparker on April 09, 2017, 02:26:21 AM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 02, 2017, 08:23:22 PM
Internet shopping has arisen during an age of people buying a lot less stuff in general.

A large part of that is that folks are not having as many kids as was common a few generations ago -- much less cultural pressure to do so coupled with corresponding advances in medical technology, enabling decisions to either not have children at all or delay such until fully ready with less regard to age (within limits, of course).  That in turn has meant less child-related "automatic" purchases (recurring diapers, clothing, Gerber's, etc.).  The funds freed up by such decisions are usually spent on fewer total items but with greater aggregate valuation -- including non-permanent things as vacations, travel, and social activities.

Yes, something you don't really notice until you work in a mall is how many pregnant women there are shopping in malls at almost all times. Once you're pregnant and/or have kids, you don't get to dodge the mall like hipsters do.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on April 12, 2017, 12:35:46 AM
When I caught a glimpse of this earlier today, I immediately thought of this ongoing discussion of the moribund Kmart and Sears chains. The vacant parking lot and lack of any signs of life would suggest that the store had been closed permanently, so management felt the need to post a large "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner over the entrance.

In fairness, though, the need to post the sign is as much because this Sears (and a Boscov's) are nearly all that remain of the Granite Run Mall, a formerly declining indoor shopping center near Media, PA that was largely demolished and is being reborn as a live/shop/play outdoor "lifestyle center" .

But the image of the nearly abandoned Sears and insistent "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner were too good to pass up.

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2896/33143739904_ed32687a60_h.jpg)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on April 12, 2017, 03:14:58 AM
Quote from: briantroutman on April 12, 2017, 12:35:46 AM
When I caught a glimpse of this earlier today, I immediately thought of this ongoing discussion of the moribund Kmart and Sears chains. The vacant parking lot and lack of any signs of life would suggest that the store had been closed permanently, so management felt the need to post a large "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner over the entrance.

In fairness, though, the need to post the sign is as much because this Sears (and a Boscov's) are nearly all that remain of the Granite Run Mall, a formerly declining indoor shopping center near Media, PA that was largely demolished and is being reborn as a live/shop/play outdoor "lifestyle center" .

But the image of the nearly abandoned Sears and insistent "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner were too good to pass up.

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2896/33143739904_ed32687a60_h.jpg)

Hate to say it, but that's one of the least inviting retail buildings I've ever seen.  Looks more like a prison or a series of ecru-colored boxes upended in a row!  Where are the windows (yeah, I realize it's metro Philadelphia and the format may be weather-related)?  Sears could well be running an "everything 90% off" sale and not draw customers to that facility.  I loved the local Sears (Glendale, CA) as a kid......but, as the cliche' states, nothing lasts forever. :no:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on April 12, 2017, 09:56:53 AM
So I know that any Kmarts that were up in Canada have been long gone for a good 10-15 years now, but are the Sears in Canada also on their last legs?  I thought they were under a slightly different ownership.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 12, 2017, 10:30:09 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on April 12, 2017, 09:56:53 AM
So I know that any Kmarts that were up in Canada have been long gone for a good 10-15 years now, but are the Sears in Canada also on their last legs?  I thought they were under a slightly different ownership.

And don't forget about Kmart Australia which if I remember correctly is actually still making profits. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on April 12, 2017, 11:23:28 AM
K-Mart of Australia is a totally seperate company.  It once was a joint venture between locals and the USA K-Mart company, but the locals bought their partner out long ago including the rights to the name in Australia and  New Zealand.  If you look at their website, the K-Mart logo is still the one phased out in the USA in the early 90s.  The same company owns a chain of Target stores which never were related to Target USA.  The Americans never bothered to file for a trademark in Australia and they just copied it.    The parent company made US$ 1.76B in profit last year.

Sears Canada was originally also a joint venture between locals (the Simposon's company) and Americans.  In the early 80s  Sears bought out its partner and changed the name to Sears Canada.   It was majority owned by Sears until Sears started down the toilet and began selling Sears Canada stock.  Sears USA ownership is now under 40%.  According to their annual report, their rights to "Sears" "Craftsman" "Kenmore" and so on expire after 5 years of a Sears USA bankruptcy or Sears USA's stock holdings in SC going under 10%.  That company is bleeding money too.

There is also a Sears Mexico, which Sears sold to Carlos Slim (#7 on the Forbes list) , which makes money.  Like K-Mart in Australia, Sears in Mexico still uses logos phased out here long ago.

So, in 10 or 15 years, a traveler of a certain age might find that the long forgotten brand names of Sears on vacation in Mexico and K-Mart in Australia, much as baby boomers traveling outside the USA see an Esso station for the first time since their youth.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 12, 2017, 11:45:18 AM
Quote from: briantroutman on April 12, 2017, 12:35:46 AM
When I caught a glimpse of this earlier today, I immediately thought of this ongoing discussion of the moribund Kmart and Sears chains. The vacant parking lot and lack of any signs of life would suggest that the store had been closed permanently, so management felt the need to post a large "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner over the entrance.

In fairness, though, the need to post the sign is as much because this Sears (and a Boscov's) are nearly all that remain of the Granite Run Mall, a formerly declining indoor shopping center near Media, PA that was largely demolished and is being reborn as a live/shop/play outdoor "lifestyle center" .

But the image of the nearly abandoned Sears and insistent "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner were too good to pass up.

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2896/33143739904_ed32687a60_h.jpg)

Now, that's just depressing as fuck. :wow:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 12, 2017, 01:00:48 PM
Quote from: sparker on April 12, 2017, 03:14:58 AM
Quote from: briantroutman on April 12, 2017, 12:35:46 AM
When I caught a glimpse of this earlier today, I immediately thought of this ongoing discussion of the moribund Kmart and Sears chains. The vacant parking lot and lack of any signs of life would suggest that the store had been closed permanently, so management felt the need to post a large "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner over the entrance.

In fairness, though, the need to post the sign is as much because this Sears (and a Boscov's) are nearly all that remain of the Granite Run Mall, a formerly declining indoor shopping center near Media, PA that was largely demolished and is being reborn as a live/shop/play outdoor "lifestyle center" .

But the image of the nearly abandoned Sears and insistent "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner were too good to pass up.

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2896/33143739904_ed32687a60_h.jpg)

Hate to say it, but that's one of the least inviting retail buildings I've ever seen.  Looks more like a prison or a series of ecru-colored boxes upended in a row!  Where are the windows (yeah, I realize it's metro Philadelphia and the format may be weather-related)?  Sears could well be running an "everything 90% off" sale and not draw customers to that facility.  I loved the local Sears (Glendale, CA) as a kid......but, as the cliche' states, nothing lasts forever. :no:

Hm.  That style of building looks a whole lot like other Sears stores built in the 1960s.  They look friendlier when there's a crowd of parked cars around them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on April 12, 2017, 04:54:34 PM
Quote from: kkt on April 12, 2017, 01:00:48 PM
Quote from: sparker on April 12, 2017, 03:14:58 AM
Quote from: briantroutman on April 12, 2017, 12:35:46 AM
When I caught a glimpse of this earlier today, I immediately thought of this ongoing discussion of the moribund Kmart and Sears chains. The vacant parking lot and lack of any signs of life would suggest that the store had been closed permanently, so management felt the need to post a large "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner over the entrance.

In fairness, though, the need to post the sign is as much because this Sears (and a Boscov's) are nearly all that remain of the Granite Run Mall, a formerly declining indoor shopping center near Media, PA that was largely demolished and is being reborn as a live/shop/play outdoor "lifestyle center" .

But the image of the nearly abandoned Sears and insistent "WE'RE OPEN!"  banner were too good to pass up.

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2896/33143739904_ed32687a60_h.jpg)

Hate to say it, but that's one of the least inviting retail buildings I've ever seen.  Looks more like a prison or a series of ecru-colored boxes upended in a row!  Where are the windows (yeah, I realize it's metro Philadelphia and the format may be weather-related)?  Sears could well be running an "everything 90% off" sale and not draw customers to that facility.  I loved the local Sears (Glendale, CA) as a kid......but, as the cliche' states, nothing lasts forever. :no:

Hm.  That style of building looks a whole lot like other Sears stores built in the 1960s.  They look friendlier when there's a crowd of parked cars around them.


Maybe so -- but that still doesn't say much about the architects Sears hired during that time.  When you have to depend upon parked cars as "accessories", you need to rethink your basic design!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 12, 2017, 07:36:59 PM
Really doesn't look that different from other big retail stores about that time.  Windows distract from the displays, so the architects left them out.  Simple modern architecture, no awning or portico over the door.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on April 12, 2017, 08:51:53 PM
Quote from: kkt on April 12, 2017, 07:36:59 PM
Really doesn't look that different from other big retail stores about that time.  Windows distract from the displays, so the architects left them out.  Simple modern architecture, no awning or portico over the door.


Yecch!  Bauhaus to the max!  Even though the windowless aspect was intended to provide less distraction from the merchandise displays, to me a side-effect would be to induce claustrophobia!  The Sears I grew up with was, according to my parents, built right after WWII -- and it did feature windows where displays could be viewed from the sidewalk or street.  It was somewhat reassuring to be able to look across the store and see daylight -- or streetlights, depending upon the time of day.  Can't get that with a fully enclosed building.  Can't imagine that many people wanting to spend more than minimal time in such a place (sort of defeats the purpose of all those unencumbered displays). 

Just my opinion, of course!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on April 12, 2017, 08:55:10 PM
Quote from: sparker on April 12, 2017, 08:51:53 PM
It was somewhat reassuring to be able to look across the store and see daylight -- or streetlights, depending upon the time of day.  Can't get that with a fully enclosed building.  Can't imagine that many people wanting to spend more than minimal time in such a place (sort of defeats the purpose of all those unencumbered displays). 

Casinos intentionally don't include windows so that the passage of time doesn't become evident to gamblers. They consider it a feature, not a bug.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on April 13, 2017, 04:59:31 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2017, 08:55:10 PM
Quote from: sparker on April 12, 2017, 08:51:53 PM
It was somewhat reassuring to be able to look across the store and see daylight -- or streetlights, depending upon the time of day.  Can't get that with a fully enclosed building.  Can't imagine that many people wanting to spend more than minimal time in such a place (sort of defeats the purpose of all those unencumbered displays). 

Casinos intentionally don't include windows so that the passage of time doesn't become evident to gamblers. They consider it a feature, not a bug.

.........along with the "Vegas Gauntlet", where foot traffic to & from the outside entrances to any part of the casino/hotel complex is deliberately channeled through rows of slots and various gaming tables -- the "as long as I'm here........." concept.  Interestingly, Ian Fleming accurately and exhaustively described this phenomenon in his 1956 book "Diamonds Are Forever", much of which took place in & around Vegas -- so it's been around at least 60+ years, because it works!  Sears should be so lucky -- they did much the same thing in the '50's & '60's with women's cosmetics, perfume, and jewelry -- pretty much all customers had to pass by that area to get to anywhere else in the store (this section was usually located near the central escalators).  Essentially the idea (a bit sexist by today's criteria) was to "peel off" as many female shoppers as possible for the products & services offered by that department (my late aunt managed one of these departments at the Sacramento Arden Fair Sears during this period).  Similar concept, different venue!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on April 13, 2017, 06:15:11 AM
Generally, entire malls don't feature outside windows, except around the doorways leading into the mall.  I'm wondering if anyone has even noticed that, being that you are thinking this Sears is unusual in some aspect unless it was pointed out to you in Street View.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 13, 2017, 06:15:11 AM
Generally, entire malls don't feature outside windows, except around the doorways leading into the mall.  I'm wondering if anyone has even noticed that, being that you are thinking this Sears is unusual in some aspect unless it was pointed out to you in Street View.

If there do they are usually above you in the main atrium of the mall and are partially obscured so just some natural light will come through.  Someone already mentioned the losing the passage of time aspect in regards to casinos but retail stores use the same methodology as well.  They both share the labyrinth-like layout that makes it difficult to find the exit, it is much more pronounced in casinos than malls however which usually throw in a lack of lighting.  The real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach. 

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.  I don't know what the theory is there with that but it is something you'll never not notice once it is pointed out to you.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 13, 2017, 11:49:00 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AMThe real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach.

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.

The only thing I lose is my sanity. Considering that most stores I've been to lately tend to play the same damn songs by the same people over & over (ex: Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry), I consider Target a welcome relief.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on April 13, 2017, 12:11:35 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 13, 2017, 06:15:11 AM
Generally, entire malls don't feature outside windows, except around the doorways leading into the mall.  I'm wondering if anyone has even noticed that, being that you are thinking this Sears is unusual in some aspect unless it was pointed out to you in Street View.

If there do they are usually above you in the main atrium of the mall and are partially obscured so just some natural light will come through.  Someone already mentioned the losing the passage of time aspect in regards to casinos but retail stores use the same methodology as well.  They both share the labyrinth-like layout that makes it difficult to find the exit, it is much more pronounced in casinos than malls however which usually throw in a lack of lighting.  The real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach. 

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.  I don't know what the theory is there with that but it is something you'll never not notice once it is pointed out to you.

On a similar note, Target seems to be one of the few big box stores to still use acoustical ceiling tile over the entire sales floor area in newly-constructed stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 13, 2017, 12:30:38 PM
Quote from: LM117 on April 13, 2017, 11:49:00 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AMThe real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach.

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.

The only thing I lose is my sanity. Considering that most stores I've been to lately tend to play the same damn songs by the same people over & over (ex: Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry), I consider Target a welcome relief.

Yes.  I really dislike having someone else's choice of music inflicted on me.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 12:33:57 PM
Quote from: LM117 on April 13, 2017, 11:49:00 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AMThe real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach.

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.

The only thing I lose is my sanity. Considering that most stores I've been to lately tend to play the same damn songs by the same people over & over (ex: Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry), I consider Target a welcome relief.


Which is probably why a lot more people have an MP3 player in when they shop nowadays.  That seems to be increasingly more common as the years roll by.  The interesting thing is that I noticed it really draws attention away from employees, I guess it is the same effect on the mind that gives one the impression that someone looks busy.  I'd give it a try but usually I'm on a mission that will have me in and out of whatever store I'm in under 10 minutes at worst. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on April 14, 2017, 06:54:55 AM
Quote from: kkt on April 13, 2017, 12:30:38 PM
Quote from: LM117 on April 13, 2017, 11:49:00 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AMThe real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach.

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.

The only thing I lose is my sanity. Considering that most stores I've been to lately tend to play the same damn songs by the same people over & over (ex: Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry), I consider Target a welcome relief.

Yes.  I really dislike having someone else's choice of music inflicted on me.


Just imagine working there and not liking the music. Or, just as bad, there's only a one- or two-hour loop. Most customers won't hear the same song twice, but someone working an 8+ hour shift will.

Sometimes the day-shift management will put the music at work on country and it's abysmal. If I go in a store and they're playing country, I leave and find another company to do business with. This is the metro, not Chickasha.

Quote from: DaBigE on April 13, 2017, 12:11:35 PM
On a similar note, Target seems to be one of the few big box stores to still use acoustical ceiling tile over the entire sales floor area in newly-constructed stores.

I do appreciate that. I imagine most stores have ditched it to save on maintenance–think of the nasty ceilings that most Kmarts seem to have–but it does make the stores look a lot better and feel quieter and more relaxed. For some reason, the exposed beams at Walmarts grate on me; I'm guessing it's the fact that there's nothing keeping sound from echoing off the metal roof. That, and it feels like I'm in some utilitarian corporate warehouse instead of somewhere that's making an effort to serve my needs.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on April 14, 2017, 08:55:05 AM
Quote from: kkt on April 13, 2017, 12:30:38 PM


Yes.  I really dislike having someone else's choice of music inflicted on me.

I work in a warehouse, and our music system is the same they use in my employer's stores..

They play the songs "Welcome to my Life" by Simple Plan and "In The End" by Linkin Park.  Way to get people in the mood to buy, by making them all depressed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 14, 2017, 09:59:07 AM
The worst would have to be when there is a loop of retail Christmas music.  Most of those are pretty short but even the songs would get grating probably a couple in. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on April 18, 2017, 11:13:09 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnLwsVrgrP4&app=desktop
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: allniter89 on April 19, 2017, 08:44:32 PM
I worked in a K-Mart in the 80s. I became so accustomed to the music so it was like white noise way way in the background.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 19, 2017, 09:04:23 PM
Quote from: bing101 on April 18, 2017, 11:13:09 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnLwsVrgrP4&app=desktop

Funny....nowadays the little Mom & Pop shops seem to be making a comeback due to the hipster crowd.  Its almost like in Back to the Future Part 2 when downtown Hill Valley revitalized by 2015.  I guess that all goes back to trend of growth inward towards the urban core.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on April 19, 2017, 09:57:39 PM
It's amazing how much Back to the Future 2 actually got right.  Get rid of Mr. Fusion, flying cars, and hover anything, and it's eerily similar to the real 2015.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on April 19, 2017, 11:19:20 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 19, 2017, 09:57:39 PM
It's amazing how much Back to the Future 2 actually got right.  Get rid of Mr. Fusion, flying cars, and hover anything, and it's eerily similar to the real 2015.

The fashion?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 19, 2017, 11:29:34 PM
Quote from: Rothman on April 19, 2017, 11:19:20 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 19, 2017, 09:57:39 PM
It's amazing how much Back to the Future 2 actually got right.  Get rid of Mr. Fusion, flying cars, and hover anything, and it's eerily similar to the real 2015.

The fashion?

The bombardment of mass media was accurate when it came to TV.  I found it somewhat ironic that Future Marty got fired via a Skype-like device and a fax machine.  3-D movies kind of made a come back and 1980s culture becoming the latest retro craze certainly was a thing as well.  We never really got around to creating a truly viable means of replacing a video game controller which is still largely like a "baby's toy."
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on April 20, 2017, 12:06:09 AM
Quote from: vdeane on April 19, 2017, 09:57:39 PM
It's amazing how much Back to the Future 2 actually got right.

I'm thinking back through the movie...and I'm drawing a blank on what about today it got right. '80s nostalgia perhaps? But that would be pretty easy to see coming. Then again, I haven't seen the movie in several years.

That said, I can easily recall lots of things it got wrong: Self-drying jackets, self-lacing shoes, abolition of all lawyers, automated full-serve gas pumps, paper fax machines in every room, Japanese take over everything (a major '80s fear that went away), scenery screens in home windows, robotic trash cans roaming the streets, dehydrated Pizza Hut pizzas...

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 19, 2017, 11:29:34 PMThe bombardment of mass media was accurate when it came to TV.

Perhaps, but I think that was really just an amplification of what was already well established by the '80s. We already had big screen TVs, picture-in-picture, and dozens of channels by satellite or cable, so it would be pretty logical to imagine that the screens would get bigger and the PIPs would be more numerous. Now if young McFly had divided his attention between a real TV show and some kind of user-generated videos (like we have today with YouTube), that would be more strikingly accurate.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 20, 2017, 12:17:21 AM
Funny to think how the concept of the internet being used day-to-day or even cellular technology wasn't present in any form whatsoever...not even a glimmer.  Basically the future presented in Back to the Future Part 2 really is just an 80s-fication of the jet age future from the 1950s and 60s.

I'd love to see a fourth movie where somehow Doc and Marty are responsible for the present we have now by their actions in the first three movies.  There could be some sort of angle like the smallest change has the biggest ripple given enough attenuation of time.  It would even be more amusing to see them somehow try to fix the future to only have it end up being some depressed hell-scape where Kmart owns 85% of the retail sector which happens to be run by Biff.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on April 20, 2017, 01:18:24 PM
There actually is a short video on that... Doc Brown needed to prevent the invention of hover circuits and Mr. Fusion to prevent a catastrophe a couple decades later.  Personally, though, I prefer to think of the actual 2015 as the "original" one, and the film one as a new version created by Marty's interference in the first movie - with the gadgets invented by people inspired by George's novels.

As for what it got right, don't forget how the kids spent the entire dinner on their cell phones.  Sure, they don't look like actual cell phones, but I'm going for the concept here rather than literal depiction.  The dehydrated foods remind me of the rise of frozen, microwavable meals.  The lack of lawyers is like the increase in the usage of plea bargains.  Skype is real (though not quite as prevalent), as is digital cable.  Hollywood really does love its sequels (though Jaws 19 was never made), and there was a 3d craze.  Downtown revitalization and removing space for cars in favor of parks and development happened exactly as depicted in the movie.  Plastic surgery has become big (too bad the full rejuvenation isn't a thing, though Doc could have conceivably gone even further into the future for that).  And like the 80s cafe, we have hipsters that love retro things (notably record players).  I think Nike was even working on self-lacing shoes, but I'm not sure if anything ever came of it.  Add the jacket to the list of things that didn't happen, though.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on April 20, 2017, 02:38:41 PM
Pretty much everything digital happened from the movie, but nothing involving the physics-based things did. People back then didn't expect innovation in working with physics to cease even though it already had by the time the first movie was made.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Mr_Northside on April 20, 2017, 05:09:49 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 20, 2017, 02:38:41 PM
Pretty much everything digital happened from the movie, but nothing involving the physics-based things did. People back then didn't expect innovation in working with physics to cease even though it already had by the time the first movie was made.

There's a lot about Star Trek you could even say that about.  Especially TOS - We already have beyond a lot of the computer technology they had, and even more refined - but we still don't have matter transportation/teleportation or Light Speed+ capabilities (and may never).  The notion of subspace communications seems irrelevant (for us) at this point)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 20, 2017, 05:21:33 PM
Quote from: kkt on April 13, 2017, 12:30:38 PM
Quote from: LM117 on April 13, 2017, 11:49:00 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 13, 2017, 08:33:18 AMThe real interesting thing is the type of music that is usually played is the vanilla popular stuff to basically enhance that "losing yourself in time" approach.

Now the weird thing is that if you ever go into a Target store there is actually never any music playing.

The only thing I lose is my sanity. Considering that most stores I've been to lately tend to play the same damn songs by the same people over & over (ex: Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry), I consider Target a welcome relief.

Yes.  I really dislike having someone else's choice of music inflicted on me.

I used to work in Macy's and they would play some of the hip hop rejects as many songs were never played on the radio, but were of the same type of music .  I guess you can say it were the artists and songs that never made it to the list that program directors create when marketing.   However, in June and the first few days of July when the store starts being patriotic for Flag Day and Independence Day with the usual John Phillip Souza marches, they start playing popular songs to get shoppers in the mood for Summer.

Its all about marketing even though we do not understand it, they do research on it and just like the nielsons and the polls for elections they can tell by the the few how the rest of the country is going to either watch or vote.  Its called demographics and its why you get junk mail as marketers think that because you like to have a Saturday beer they figure you are going to be buying this because one researcher found out that people who drink on Saturday generally buy such and such merchandise.

To us it sucks but for executives they go by polls and marketers even if the data is unscientific so meanwhile worthless music in stores.  In fact it was worse in the 80's as you went out to dinner in your favorite restaurant and the elevator music would be the norm there because it was believed that people would not eat out if it were not playing.  The Demos changed since and now it went to top 40 style music.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 20, 2017, 05:34:36 PM
Quote from: Mr_Northside on April 20, 2017, 05:09:49 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 20, 2017, 02:38:41 PM
Pretty much everything digital happened from the movie, but nothing involving the physics-based things did. People back then didn't expect innovation in working with physics to cease even though it already had by the time the first movie was made.

There's a lot about Star Trek you could even say that about.  Especially TOS - We already have beyond a lot of the computer technology they had, and even more refined - but we still don't have matter transportation/teleportation or Light Speed+ capabilities (and may never).  The notion of subspace communications seems irrelevant (for us) at this point)


Also World War III that happened in the 90's as they said it would in some TOS episodes. 

In addition many TV shows that took place in the 80's too showed a more modern world even in the late 90's.  Quantum Leap had time travel in 1999 where the start point of lead character Sam Beckett before he got lost in time. Now time travel as far as we know yet to this day and hope we don't as all we need is our enemies to be able to rewrite history.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 20, 2017, 06:30:42 PM
We're still a long way from a united government, not needing money, or medical treatment for people who can't afford to pay.  Some days those seem even farther off than warp drive.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 20, 2017, 07:52:09 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 20, 2017, 05:34:36 PM
Quote from: Mr_Northside on April 20, 2017, 05:09:49 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 20, 2017, 02:38:41 PM
Pretty much everything digital happened from the movie, but nothing involving the physics-based things did. People back then didn't expect innovation in working with physics to cease even though it already had by the time the first movie was made.

There's a lot about Star Trek you could even say that about.  Especially TOS - We already have beyond a lot of the computer technology they had, and even more refined - but we still don't have matter transportation/teleportation or Light Speed+ capabilities (and may never).  The notion of subspace communications seems irrelevant (for us) at this point)


Also World War III that happened in the 90's as they said it would in some TOS episodes. 

In addition many TV shows that took place in the 80's too showed a more modern world even in the late 90's.  Quantum Leap had time travel in 1999 where the start point of lead character Sam Beckett before he got lost in time. Now time travel as far as we know yet to this day and hope we don't as all we need is our enemies to be able to rewrite history.

That detail about WWIII never did get ironed out in the rebooted Star Trek Series.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: slorydn1 on April 21, 2017, 03:16:36 AM
Quote from: Mr_Northside on April 20, 2017, 05:09:49 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on April 20, 2017, 02:38:41 PM
Pretty much everything digital happened from the movie, but nothing involving the physics-based things did. People back then didn't expect innovation in working with physics to cease even though it already had by the time the first movie was made.

There's a lot about Star Trek you could even say that about.  Especially TOS - We already have beyond a lot of the computer technology they had, and even more refined - but we still don't have matter transportation/teleportation or Light Speed+ capabilities (and may never).  The notion of subspace communications seems irrelevant (for us) at this point)



Actually, I saw something on the Science Channel back when they showed quality programming that the concepts behind the transporters have been proven to be possible, and I think they did transport a single atom (so they say) from Tokyo to London I think it was.


If memory serves in that same program it was shown that the actual acceleration of an object itself to speeds faster than the speed of light (Star Wars style) doesn't seem to be possible because of the infinite amount of energy it would take to accelerate from 99% to 100% light speed, however the basic concept behind the Star Trek style transwarp drive (the folding of space-time to make it happen) has been calculated to be possible, the hang-up again is the extreme amount of energy needed to accomplish that is way beyond what humans can produce anytime soon.


Oh and with the advent of 3d printing, we are pretty much just about there when it comes to replicators as well.


I miss when Discovery and it's family of networks had quality informative programming and not the reality trash they show today.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on April 21, 2017, 09:17:50 AM
Quote from: Mr_Northside on April 20, 2017, 05:09:49 PM

There's a lot about Star Trek you could even say that about.  Especially TOS - We already have beyond a lot of the computer technology they had, and even more refined - but we still don't have matter transportation/teleportation or Light Speed+ capabilities (and may never).  The notion of subspace communications seems irrelevant (for us) at this point)


Considering the era, it is indeed astounding how much Star Trek, particularly TOS but also TNG got right.  And it really was not, IMHO, an attempt to be predictive, but rather just pure science fiction that came, at lest close to, true.

Consider:

- Universal translator.  We already have multiple websites that do darn fine translations, and several cellphone aps are not far behind, as in TOS.  TNG concept of an implanted hearing aid type device where each person hears in his own language what the other says in his is reportedly on its way.

- Cellphone.  Well that is what a communicator is.  TOS's even looked like a flip phone. 

- Voice recognition.  Be that in cellphones or interacting with computers, TOS was written in an era when even a keyboard was not a real way to interact with computers.

- Touch screens.  TNG's computers and navigation systems were the modern touch screen just todays cellphones or tablets.  And that was in the late 80s.

- GPS, wi-fi tracking.  TNG replaced the simple patch with a "com badge" and the system always knew where everybody was.

- Voice controled climate.  Found to a small degree in TOS but standard in TNG, this is Alexa and her friend.  Alexa turn on the lights. 

You can also get over into sociology, and leaving out the whole "eugenics war/WWIII" idea, the concept of a one-world government is there, as is the idea (though never specifically mentioned) that the communists would be defeated and the "second world" reintergrated into the first, and the idea that the third world would advance to first world levels, which certainly has happened to some of the former third world.  The concepts of racial equality and, more in TNG than TOS, gender equality is also there. 

Now, IMHO, the big things, which is "warp drive", which is the concept that people will ever be able to go faster than light (which, is 100% necessary as a plot device in any space science fiction, as without it, we are forever limited to this otherwise lifeless solar system) was wrong.  Which is why the space program is about done as a scientific venture, but it was darn good work for 1965.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 21, 2017, 12:20:14 PM
In the TOS they used rollover digits for their clocks instead of digital form we use now.  Also buttons were still shown then as Gene Roddenbery never imagined the touch panels in the era he created the series.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 21, 2017, 12:41:06 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 21, 2017, 12:20:14 PM
In the TOS they used rollover digits for their clocks instead of digital form we use now.  Also buttons were still shown then as Gene Roddenbery never imagined the touch panels in the era he created the series.

I wish someone would un-imagine them in cars.  I can't be the only one that finds all the touch screen controls cars use now to be a complete pain in the ass to use while moving?   I had a Buick Enclave that I rented last year after my daily driver was in an accident, I picked it because it had buttons for everything in addition to the screen.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 21, 2017, 12:53:44 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on April 21, 2017, 09:17:50 AM
Considering the era, it is indeed astounding how much Star Trek, particularly TOS but also TNG got right.  And it really was not, IMHO, an attempt to be predictive, but rather just pure science fiction that came, at lest close to, true.

Consider:

- Universal translator.  We already have multiple websites that do darn fine translations, and several cellphone aps are not far behind, as in TOS.  TNG concept of an implanted hearing aid type device where each person hears in his own language what the other says in his is reportedly on its way.

Darn fine?  We have websites that do crappy translations, misunderstand the object and the subject of the sentence, use the wrong senses of words.  The realtime, idiomatic translations seen in TOS and TNG are still an unsolved problem.  Especially how they start working within seconds of exposure to hitherto undiscovered civilizations, that will probably never be possible.  It's just a dramatic necessity not to get bogged down with translation difficulties on an hour show.

Quote
- Cellphone.  Well that is what a communicator is.  TOS's even looked like a flip phone. 

You mean some flip phones looked like TOS communicators :)

But you're focused on the part held in your hand.  Cell phones need a dense network of cell phone antennas linked by landlines (or microwaves, etc.).  More than about five miles from a cell phone antenna, and your phone is a paperweight.  When Kirk beams down to a new planet, he can communicate with the ship anywhere it's in orbit from anywhere on the surface, even underground as long as it's not too deep.  It also allows the ship to locate him.

Quote
- Voice recognition.  Be that in cellphones or interacting with computers, TOS was written in an era when even a keyboard was not a real way to interact with computers.

Well, there were people using keyboards to communicate with computers even then.  It was early and they were mostly in academic settings experimenting, but they did exist.  The airline computer reservation system, Sabre, was put into use by American Airlines in 1964, and had people interacting with the computer through keyboards.

Quote
- Touch screens.  TNG's computers and navigation systems were the modern touch screen just todays cellphones or tablets.  And that was in the late 80s.

Touch screens were used in an academic system in Project Plato in 1972.

Quote
- GPS, wi-fi tracking.  TNG replaced the simple patch with a "com badge" and the system always knew where everybody was.

The com badge isn't GPS technology, though.  It's better.  Com badges can locate the wearer even if they're not outdoors, they don't rely on satellites, and the ship knows where the com badge is, not just the GPS receiver in the wearer's hand.

Quote
- Voice controled climate.  Found to a small degree in TOS but standard in TNG, this is Alexa and her friend.  Alexa turn on the lights. 

You can also get over into sociology, and leaving out the whole "eugenics war/WWIII" idea, the concept of a one-world government is there, as is the idea (though never specifically mentioned) that the communists would be defeated and the "second world" reintergrated into the first, and the idea that the third world would advance to first world levels, which certainly has happened to some of the former third world.  The concepts of racial equality and, more in TNG than TOS, gender equality is also there. 

Now, IMHO, the big things, which is "warp drive", which is the concept that people will ever be able to go faster than light (which, is 100% necessary as a plot device in any space science fiction, as without it, we are forever limited to this otherwise lifeless solar system) was wrong.  Which is why the space program is about done as a scientific venture, but it was darn good work for 1965.

There's been good and interesting science fiction without FTL travel.  For instance, large sublight ships where the crew is numerous and expected to have children and raise them, through many generations before reaching the nearest star.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on April 21, 2017, 01:35:41 PM
We also have androids (see the video on Erica released by The Guardian on YouTube; can't look it up right now).

I agree about communicators not quite being done.  Cell phones function similarly, but the underlying technology and capabilities are very different.  When they make a cell phone that can call another phone on the Moon without any network, then we'll have communicators as depicted on the show.

Quote from: kkt on April 20, 2017, 06:30:42 PM
We're still a long way from a united government, not needing money, or medical treatment for people who can't afford to pay.  Some days those seem even farther off than warp drive.
Considering that, in canon, World War III and First Contact were both necessary (plus a few decades) for this, not surprising.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 20, 2017, 07:52:09 PM
That detail about WWIII never did get ironed out in the rebooted Star Trek Series.
The newer shows did separate out World War III (2040s-50s) from the Eugenics Wars (1990s), though the Eugenics Wars not happening is something that is consistently glossed over.  One potential explanation is that our reality is an alternate timeline created by an attempt to erase them.  Personally, I like the novels that claim that the did happen, just behind the scenes thanks to the interventions of Gary Seven.

Quote from: SP Cook on April 21, 2017, 09:17:50 AM
Now, IMHO, the big things, which is "warp drive", which is the concept that people will ever be able to go faster than light (which, is 100% necessary as a plot device in any space science fiction, as without it, we are forever limited to this otherwise lifeless solar system) was wrong.  Which is why the space program is about done as a scientific venture, but it was darn good work for 1965.
Ever hear of Firefly?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on April 21, 2017, 06:53:47 PM
Let's go back a few more years when "The Jetsons" came out.  Among some of the "animated" products 'around' in the year 2062: 

- Moving Sidewalks, albeit NOT handrail-less
- Two-way video calling
and most recently,
- Video Wristwatches (Elroy was caught watching "The Flintstones" in class in one episode)


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 21, 2017, 09:56:41 PM
About WWIII never happen it could be Earth's timeline was changed.  Remember in Star Trek Enterprise had the Germans win the first big war when the Xindi gave the early Nazi's 24th Century technology causing the US to fall and there never being a space program to later lead to Star Fleet, and of course the Germans ruling the earth not allowing Earth to interact with anyone such as Klingons, Romulans, and Ferangi etc.

The third season opener had Captain Archer changing history back by destroying the Xindi's attempts to help the Nazi's destroy all history after WWI and create all new Earth from there on.  That moment could have prevented the other wars as now the Xindi in the fictional Star Trek world made Earth history to know about alien worlds in our 20th century as the Xindi did make themselves known to be not only from the future but from outer space when making that deal with the Germans to help them get back home for exchange for hands on technology of the 24th century.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on April 22, 2017, 11:52:52 AM
Sears Holdings to close 50 Sears auto centers and 92 Kmart pharmacies:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/04/21/sears-names-new-cfo-plans-more-store-closures/100763154/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadrunner75 on April 23, 2017, 03:45:30 AM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.
Just catching up on this thread again, but I completely agree with the above.  At least when I think Sears, it's hardware/yard equipment and appliances, and they're really the only reason I go there.  I've thought for awhile that they should just get out of doing everything else and focus on those areas.  But I do miss Sears' better days - I even remember a snack bar in our local store.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 23, 2017, 06:49:12 AM
Quote from: catch22 on April 22, 2017, 11:52:52 AM
Sears Holdings to close 50 Sears auto centers and 92 Kmart pharmacies:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/04/21/sears-names-new-cfo-plans-more-store-closures/100763154/

Ha, they already got ahead of themselves in Goldsboro, NC. The auto center closed at the same time Kmart did.

The Kmart here in Danville has a pharmacy, but I hardly ever see anyone use it. Hell, the blood pressure monitor looks like it's been there many years, considering that it has this logo on it (albeit faded):

(https://www.numensa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Kmart-logo-2.jpg)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 23, 2017, 07:54:01 AM
Anyone seen a list of which 50 Auto Centers and 92 Pharmacies?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 23, 2017, 08:23:18 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on April 23, 2017, 03:45:30 AM
Quote from: cl94 on March 27, 2017, 11:37:15 AM
If I were in control of Sears, I'd dump clothing and related stuff and just focus on the hardware and appliances. Big change from their current model, but it's stuff that the discount and internet stores have really been able to get into.
Just catching up on this thread again, but I completely agree with the above.  At least when I think Sears, it's hardware/yard equipment and appliances, and they're really the only reason I go there.  I've thought for awhile that they should just get out of doing everything else and focus on those areas.  But I do miss Sears' better days - I even remember a snack bar in our local store.
Also the candy counter and full serve auto department.  I remember my parents buying us candy by the pound and non perils were one of my favorite to get.  The only thing good they did was expand their appliance brands as it used to be their own name brand (that I heard was really Whirlpool but with their own name to it) Kenmore.

Craftsmen were always good as far as tools as they offered the lifetime guarantee as if the tool breaks bring it back to any Sears and they will replace the whole broken piece for free!  I do not know if that is the case now, but that was a great thing!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 23, 2017, 08:24:50 AM
There's also this: 

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-4)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 23, 2017, 08:27:50 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 23, 2017, 07:54:01 AM
Anyone seen a list of which 50 Auto Centers and 92 Pharmacies?

List hasn't been released yet.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-sears-closing-auto-centers-0422-biz-20170421-story.html (http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-sears-closing-auto-centers-0422-biz-20170421-story.html)

QuoteThe embattled retailer did not give a timeline for the store closures. Company spokesman Chris Brathwaite said he did not have a list of which locations are scheduled to close.

The company also plans to eliminate senior management roles at Sears and Kmart, though it has not said how many.

Some employees were notified Friday that they would be losing their jobs, Brathwaite said. The rest will be told in the coming weeks.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 23, 2017, 08:33:30 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 23, 2017, 08:24:50 AM
There's also this: 

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-4)

I wonder if that's a typo for the Alamagordo Sears store.  The White Sands Mall doesn't have a Sears Full Line but rather a Sears Home Store.  One of the big anchors is the Kmart Store on the north side of the mall.  Incidentally the White Sands Mall is probably the worst mall I've ever been in and definitely the smallest indoor.  There used to be a decent Mom and Pop burger place that had really good fries next to the Kmart which was a plus.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 23, 2017, 08:38:36 AM
For a while here in Orlando the FL Mall Sears had its furniture store open outside the mall it was in. It moved out of the mainstore and moved a mile south on OBT and it had a different name, but it did display that it was a store by Sears on its sign out front. 

It did not last long, and closed soon afterwards and never moved back in.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 23, 2017, 08:43:52 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 23, 2017, 08:38:36 AM
For a while here in Orlando the FL Mall Sears had its furniture store open outside the mall it was in. It moved out of the mainstore and moved a mile south on OBT and it had a different name, but it did display that it was a store by Sears on its sign out front. 

It did not last long, and closed soon afterwards and never moved back in.

Maybe it is something like that in Alamogordo?  I don't recall there being Sears anything in that mall earlier in the decade, there was a large Home Depot and Lowes across the street which would have ripped a Full-Line store apart for business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on April 23, 2017, 01:54:53 PM
Quote from: LM117 on April 23, 2017, 08:24:50 AM
There's also this: 

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-4)

The Kmart listed in Livonia, MI has already closed, I drove by it last week and it's empty and all signage has been removed.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 25, 2017, 06:13:59 PM
I thought they would make a comeback when they changed their name to Big K in the mid 1990's.  Instead that did not last long and the last ones in Orlando started looking dumpy.  Heck the one in Houma  back in 13 when I was therewas a dump and only had a couple of people in the store which might of been undercover Loss Prevention.

They took a wrong turn for sure.  And buying Sears out after a judge declared bankrupcy was a stupid move on any fallen business' part.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on April 25, 2017, 06:46:21 PM
I didn't realize that Kmart had owned Borders Books for a few years in the mid-90s. I worked there for a few years after Kmart unloaded it and left a few years before it's ultimate demise.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on April 25, 2017, 07:05:05 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on April 25, 2017, 06:46:21 PM
I didn't realize that Kmart had owned Borders Books for a few years in the mid-90s. I worked there for a few years after Kmart unloaded it and left a few years before it's ultimate demise.

Yes, they bought high and sold low.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 25, 2017, 07:09:21 PM
My uncle used to say when he was alive "Its not the times or the location that causes a business to go under, but bad management."  I think K Mart proved that to be true.

They used to be a great store to go in to.  They went down hill slowly from the late 80's to present.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2017, 10:32:08 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 25, 2017, 07:09:21 PM
My uncle used to say when he was alive "Its not the times or the location that causes a business to go under, but bad management."  I think K Mart proved that to be true.

They used to be a great store to go in to.  They went down hill slowly from the late 80's to present.

Funny, now Wal-Mart has been employing the same tactic of sub-standard management for at least the last decade.  Makes you wonder how that is going to play a decade or two down the line?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on April 26, 2017, 01:55:23 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 25, 2017, 10:32:08 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 25, 2017, 07:09:21 PM
My uncle used to say when he was alive "Its not the times or the location that causes a business to go under, but bad management."  I think K Mart proved that to be true.

They used to be a great store to go in to.  They went down hill slowly from the late 80's to present.

Funny, now Wal-Mart has been employing the same tactic of sub-standard management for at least the last decade.  Makes you wonder how that is going to play a decade or two down the line?

It's probable that Wal-Mart corporate is very aware of the fact that management, such that it is at the store level, is less than exemplary.  Good managers tend to have -- and display -- the ability to be somewhat creative and flexible when dealing with customers and the issues that daily transactions invariably create.  From my experience, that doesn't sit well with Wal-Mart corporate practice; they prefer deferential types who "toe the line" when it comes to policy interpretation.  It's as if these in-store management folks are "programmed" to function robotically in that context.  Customer issues are generally addressed by one tactic: the refund!  Other customer requests (inventory discrepancies, store-to-store variances) are generally met with ignorance ("I don't know about that, sir" comes up often) or diversion ("I'll have to take this up with our store/regional supervisor").  More than once, when asking about something that should have been answered by a simple reply (e.g.: "Sorry, that item's been discontinued"), I'll be asked to fill out a form that promises a follow-up email or phone call from corporate -- that never comes! -- and the person who supplies said form acts a bit hostile -- as if your request is upsetting their carefully balanced apple cart! 

It's as if they not only prefer a deferential staff but a deferential clientele as well!   In that respect I can't always oblige them!!!!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on April 26, 2017, 06:07:01 AM
Since the cyber world took over now upper management of course uses that to control their assets better.  In the past it was the lower management's relationships with the hourly employees that got things running.   Department managers usually picked their potential employees from walk ins and at most the HR department that was located in the same building.  Now its given to them as a list from what the corporate computers give them as they look for key words in a person's application to be worthy enough to distribute along the staff.  That is why everything for us job seekers is done on a corporate website, as its those on top who judge us and if their computers see that we are "right" for their lower subsidiaries or such, then that department manager will know that we are alive.

Also they respected all decisions from middle to lower management and that is how it worked.  If numbers failed then the managers were placed under scrutiny only if.  Now with cameras and the technology to see all data, the corporate big wigs, who never worked in the bottom, they can make decisions for the whole entire company on all levels. So now a manager in all levels are just enforcers.

In the past corporate brass had to wait for their paperwork in the mail so meanwhile in those days in between they had to trust all managers below that things went great.  Now with instant reports coming in via the internet, they can see what happened today and mostly five minutes ago.  So the president with no retail knowledge at all, can make his own decisions and get it out fast cause he is there at the local department despite his physical appearance there.

Then there is the bad management aspect that plays out like this:

Look at Wal Mart verses defunct Two Guys, that was a small regional department store chain in the Mid Atlantic Region.  Two Guys was exactly like today's Wal Mart.  It had all departments under one roof including a grocery store.  Eventually Two Guys could not make it and cut out the groceries, and then eventually closed all retail outlets completely.  Then comes along Wal Mart and viola makes a go of the same exact thing.  Why?  Cause one had better management over the other.  However if Wal Mart starts getting to be the way that one said they are, we can see them follow Two Guys and end up first with cut outs and then total closings within 10 to 20 years time.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: MNHighwayMan on April 26, 2017, 06:11:05 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 26, 2017, 06:07:01 AM
However if Wal Mart starts getting to be the way that one said they are, we can see them follow Two Guys and end up first with cut outs and then total closings within 10 to 20 years time.

I really don't see that happening with Wal-Mart. The death of Wal-Mart will come from the Internet–and even then, it might only be the death of physical retail locations. The website would probably survive and even thrive, given that all the logistical and inventory-related stuff has already been figured out. The removal of retail locations might even make them more efficient.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on April 26, 2017, 05:38:00 PM
I can't believe mine still exists
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/580/20833777821_5d74a6d413_b.jpg)
See? it still exists! Somehow...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on April 26, 2017, 08:10:31 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on April 26, 2017, 06:11:05 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on April 26, 2017, 06:07:01 AM
However if Wal Mart starts getting to be the way that one said they are, we can see them follow Two Guys and end up first with cut outs and then total closings within 10 to 20 years time.

I really don't see that happening with Wal-Mart. The death of Wal-Mart will come from the Internet–and even then, it might only be the death of physical retail locations. The website would probably survive and even thrive, given that all the logistical and inventory-related stuff has already been figured out. The removal of retail locations might even make them more efficient.

If Walmart survives a good many decades to come, it will be because of their dry goods/grocery Supercenter combos and their grocery-only Hometown Markets.  Walmarts without a full-sized grocery store will either fall by the wayside over time, or be converted into or be relocated into Supercenters or grocery-only locations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on May 27, 2017, 10:03:55 AM
According to this May 15th article, more stores are closing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-5 (http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-5)

QuoteMost of the stores on the new list will start liquidation sales in April and close in July, though some will shut down in August.

Kmart

803 Martin Street S., Pell City, Alabama

2222 E. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, California

1460 W. 49th St., Hialeah, Florida

424 Dairy Road, Kahului, Hawaii

715 W US Highway 30, Carroll, Iowa

33400 W. Seven Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan

2660 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, New York

950 Ridge Road, Webster, New York

4480 Indian Ripple Road, Dayton, Ohio

1837 Street Road, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

16881 Conneaut Lake Road, Meadville, Pennsylvania

1 Millbrook Plaza Lane, Mill Hall, Pennsylvania

300 Lincoln Ave, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

176 W Street Road, Feasterville, Pennsylvania

1011 Scranton Carbondale Hwy., Scranton, Pennsylvania

1801 Hydraulic Rd, Charlottesville, Virginia

494 Elden St., Herndon, Virginia

17911 Pacific Ave., S. Spanaway, Washington

Sears

273 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo, California

Westfield UTC, 4575 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, California

Southbay Pavilion, 20700 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson, California

290 Providence Highway, Dedham, Massachusetts

Aventura Mall, 19505 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Florida

4250 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico

3199 N White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo, New Mexico

5415 N.E. Antioch Road, Kansas City, Missouri

Monroe Crossing Mall, 2115 W Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe, North Carolina

Northwoods Mall, 7801 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, South Carolina

Valley View Mall, 13131 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas

Provo Towne Centre, 1200 Towne Centre Blvd., Provo, Utah

Then there's this gem in the article:

QuoteIn a rare interview last week, Lampert spoke about the retailer's troubles and said "the reality is better than the perception."

He told the Chicago Tribune that Sears is "fighting like hell" to stay afloat but that unfair media coverage was making it difficult for the company to turn business around.

Regarding the potential for a Sears bankruptcy, he said, "We have as much time as our vendors and our lenders and our shareholders are willing to give us. We're trying to be proactive with our vendors, we're trying to be proactive with our members, with our employees, associates, etc., to explain that the reality is a lot better than the perception. The reality needs to be better than it is for us to really demonstrate to people that the transition is starting to take hold."

:rofl:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on May 27, 2017, 10:09:51 AM
I'm surprised nobody posted the Eddie Lampert interview until, that was a gem.   I love the bit about altering reality for things to be better in face of complete denial of factual information.  :-D
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on May 27, 2017, 10:39:13 AM
And if you believe Eddie, he's got a bridge in New York City he wants to unload and some primo Everglades land in Florida as well...so he can keep Sears & Kmart afloat, of course.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on May 27, 2017, 10:42:11 AM
Quote from: LM117 on May 27, 2017, 10:03:55 AM
According to this May 15th article, more stores are closing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-5 (http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-5)

QuoteMost of the stores on the new list will start liquidation sales in April and close in July, though some will shut down in August.

Kmart

803 Martin Street S., Pell City, Alabama

2222 E. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, California

1460 W. 49th St., Hialeah, Florida

424 Dairy Road, Kahului, Hawaii

715 W US Highway 30, Carroll, Iowa

33400 W. Seven Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan

2660 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, New York

950 Ridge Road, Webster, New York

4480 Indian Ripple Road, Dayton, Ohio

1837 Street Road, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

16881 Conneaut Lake Road, Meadville, Pennsylvania

1 Millbrook Plaza Lane, Mill Hall, Pennsylvania

300 Lincoln Ave, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

176 W Street Road, Feasterville, Pennsylvania

1011 Scranton Carbondale Hwy., Scranton, Pennsylvania

1801 Hydraulic Rd, Charlottesville, Virginia

494 Elden St., Herndon, Virginia

17911 Pacific Ave., S. Spanaway, Washington

Sears

273 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo, California

Westfield UTC, 4575 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, California

Southbay Pavilion, 20700 S. Avalon Blvd., Carson, California

290 Providence Highway, Dedham, Massachusetts

Aventura Mall, 19505 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Florida

4250 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico

3199 N White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo, New Mexico

5415 N.E. Antioch Road, Kansas City, Missouri

Monroe Crossing Mall, 2115 W Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe, North Carolina

Northwoods Mall, 7801 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, South Carolina

Valley View Mall, 13131 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas

Provo Towne Centre, 1200 Towne Centre Blvd., Provo, Utah

Then there's this gem in the article:

QuoteIn a rare interview last week, Lampert spoke about the retailer's troubles and said "the reality is better than the perception."

He told the Chicago Tribune that Sears is "fighting like hell" to stay afloat but that unfair media coverage was making it difficult for the company to turn business around.

Regarding the potential for a Sears bankruptcy, he said, "We have as much time as our vendors and our lenders and our shareholders are willing to give us. We're trying to be proactive with our vendors, we're trying to be proactive with our members, with our employees, associates, etc., to explain that the reality is a lot better than the perception. The reality needs to be better than it is for us to really demonstrate to people that the transition is starting to take hold."

:rofl:

The Kmart in Livonia, MI is already shuttered, and I bet a few more on this list are as well.

I want some of whatever Lambert is smokin'.  His version of reality is just a tad off.  ;)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on May 27, 2017, 11:12:44 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on May 27, 2017, 10:39:13 AM
And if you believe Eddie, he's got a bridge in New York City he wants to unload and some primo Everglades land in Florida as well...so he can keep Sears & Kmart afloat, of course.

What about that whole deal where he was claiming he was kidnapped and negotiated his own way out?  Has that story actually ever been verified by a police report? 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on June 02, 2017, 01:30:01 PM
If all of K Marts close who will own Sears?  You know in Orlando we have more Sears than K Marts left, but I assume it has to do with K Mart still being active in other markets.  Then again nothing is surprising, it may be Sears being the glue holding whats left of K Mart together.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on June 02, 2017, 01:50:42 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 02, 2017, 01:30:01 PM
If all of K Marts close who will own Sears?

The same people that own it now.  "Sears" and "K-Mart" are both divisions of a company called "Sears Holdings" which trades on the NASDAQ as SHLD.  One share of SHLD will run you $7.24 as I type this.  In April of 2007, it was $141.09.  That means for every $1 someone invested in SHLD 10 years ago, they now have about 10 cents. 

One share of Amazon will run you $1007.00 right now.  In April of 2007 it was $79.91, in June of 1998, it was $1.50. 

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on June 02, 2017, 01:57:36 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 02, 2017, 01:30:01 PM
If all of K Marts close who will own Sears?  You know in Orlando we have more Sears than K Marts left, but I assume it has to do with K Mart still being active in other markets.  Then again nothing is surprising, it may be Sears being the glue holding whats left of K Mart together.

There's no glue...it's all a house of cards being held together by luck at this point. Sears and Kmart are two things that duct tape cannot even hold together.

I'm still baffled at the prominent 'Now Hiring' banners at the two Sears stores in our town. Seriously, who would attempt to start a "career" there at this point? Why we even have two stores yet is just as surprising.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadgeekteen on June 02, 2017, 02:09:36 PM
My Mom recently got mad at me for making comments about it being a dying chain in the Kmart in cape cod.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on June 02, 2017, 03:36:21 PM
I guess someone who can't afford to be picky?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on June 02, 2017, 05:34:22 PM
Quote from: catch22 on May 27, 2017, 10:42:11 AM
Quote from: LM117 on May 27, 2017, 10:03:55 AM
According to this May 15th article, more stores are closing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-5 (http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2017-5)

QuoteMost of the stores on the new list will start liquidation sales in April and close in July, though some will shut down in August.

Kmart

2222 E. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, California

When I was living in Anaheim Hills back from '97 to '03, this was the nearest K-mart; it was a P.O.S. 20 years ago -- and I can't imagine its state of being today.  Its only saving grace was it stocked Die Hard batteries (reliable as hell) at a slightly discounted price.  There never seemed to be much traffic in the store; the parking lot was mostly empty (it was more or less on the corner of Lincoln & State College).  I'm just surprised it wasn't gone 10 years ago; it will hardly be missed. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on June 09, 2017, 09:06:59 AM
And another round of closures, including one in Little Rock
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-sears-kmart-20170607-story.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on June 09, 2017, 09:16:07 AM
Quote from: US71 on June 09, 2017, 09:06:59 AM
And another round of closures, including one in Little Rock
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-sears-kmart-20170607-story.html

This one's a little more personal for me.  The Kmart I grew up going to on nearly a weekly basis in Mantua, NJ is finally listed.  I really haven't been in there for years, with the exception of a few Christmas's ago.  They had very good outdoor Christmas decorations which would work well in my display.  What was funny was you would find the same exact items at Sears (like light strings and such)...marked up $2!  It clearly showed they figured they could exploit the Sears 'higher quality' name over the lower quality Kmart name.

The Kmart also had been remodeled a number of years back, with a very bright orange décor that was unlike most other Kmarts around.

In its surrounding area, it outlasted a Caldors and Bradlees.  But now in the adjoining shopping center is now a Kohls, and then you start getting to the Walmarts and Targets of the area nearby as well.

In my region, there's a Kmart in Glassboro, NJ that is still there.  All the others are gone.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on June 09, 2017, 10:18:33 AM
I was in Sears two days ago and saw that they still have the Craftsmen line despite being sold at the FL Mall location. 

As far as their warranty, the lifetime one, from what wiki says its been limited and no longer can you walk up and get a replacement without your purchase receipt.  I would think that if that is not the case something else would be as the new owners do not have to capital like Sears & Roebuck once did to pay for the broken tools.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on June 09, 2017, 10:57:00 AM
I don't know how the hell the Kmart & Sears stores in Danville keep avoiding the ax. They can't be making any profit since hardly anyone goes in them. Sears is just used as a mall entrance and nothing more and Kmart looks like a flea market.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on June 09, 2017, 11:05:50 AM
Quote from: US71 on June 09, 2017, 09:06:59 AM
And another round of closures, including one in Little Rock
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-sears-kmart-20170607-story.html

Anybody seen a list of what's closing? I didn't see a list in the LA Times story linked above.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on June 09, 2017, 11:13:25 AM
Quote from: catch22 on May 27, 2017, 10:42:11 AM

The Kmart in Livonia, MI is already shuttered, and I bet a few more on this list are as well.


At least there is talk about doing something about the property already.  Developers want to put a new Kroger & Applebee's there...

...problem is there are too many Kroger's in the area already (there is one a mile to the north and south of the old Kmart site). 

I wish there were developers in my town who would bulldoze our closed Kmart and at least make the land look presentable for potential retailers.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on June 09, 2017, 11:14:33 AM
This appears to be the latest list as of Tuesday:

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-is-closing-72-stores-heres-the-full-list-2017-6
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on June 09, 2017, 11:18:47 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 09, 2017, 10:18:33 AM
I was in Sears two days ago and saw that they still have the Craftsmen line despite being sold at the FL Mall location. 

As far as their warranty, the lifetime one, from what wiki says its been limited and no longer can you walk up and get a replacement without your purchase receipt.  I would think that if that is not the case something else would be as the new owners do not have to capital like Sears & Roebuck once did to pay for the broken tools.

Sears is also suing two of their Craftsman suppliers
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/08/sears-sues-second-craftsman-supplier-western-forge.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on June 09, 2017, 11:25:18 AM
SEARS:
CA: Chico
GA: Dalton
MS: Biloxi
NC: Asheboro
ND: Minot
NJ: Vineland
OH: Columbus (2 locations), Elyria, Franklin
OK: Midwest City
VA: Richmond
SC: Columbia
TX: Texarkana, Sherman
UT: St. George

K-MART:
AL: Dothan, Muscle Shoals
AR: Little Rock
AZ: Bullhead City
CA: Blythe, Sacramento, Manteca
GA: Fort Oglethorpe, Calhoun
IA: Iowa City, Marshalltown
IN: Mishawaka
MD: Elkton
MI: Traverse City, West Branch, Cheboygan
NJ: Mantua, Manahawkin
NM: Las Cruces, Alamogordo
NV: Las Vegas, Henderson, Sparks
NY: Liverpool, Malone, Cortland, Watertown
OH: Wooster, Streetsboro
OK: Tulsa
OR: Roseburg
PA: Butler, Belle Vernon, Indiana
SC: Summerville, Seneca
TN: Madison, Johnson City
TX: El Paso (2 locations)
UT: Spanish Fork
VA: Virginia Beach (2 locations)
WI: West Allis, La Crosse, Medford
WV: Lewisburg
WY: Sheridan

SEARS AUTO CENTER:
OH: Elyria
OK: Midwest City
SC: Columbia
TX: Texarkana, Sherman
UT: St. George
VA: Richmond

I went to my local K-Mart just to explore last week.  They were having a deep "everything discounted" sale between 10 and 60% and whole sections of the store were just empty and gated off from the public by making walls out of display racks.  Clearly they do not have the credit to replace merchandise as it is sold. 

As to Sears, I went to the one in Huntington and it is the same deal.  Large parts of the store were unused, and they are trying to sell TVs that are way out of date.  The Charleston location has not only been closed, but the mall management has walled it off with a permanent looking facade, rather than just shutting the typical mall type gates.  That is an admission that the place is un-rentable.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Darkchylde on June 09, 2017, 12:45:36 PM
Just saw the other day that the one in Independence, MO at I-70 and Noland Road is shutting down.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on June 09, 2017, 12:55:07 PM
Quote from: LM117 on June 09, 2017, 10:57:00 AM
I don't know how the hell the Kmart & Sears stores in Danville keep avoiding the ax. They can't be making any profit since hardly anyone goes in them. Sears is just used as a mall entrance and nothing more and Kmart looks like a flea market.
Most of the K Marts I went into in the past ten years (the last one in Kissimmee, FL, and previously in 13 in Houma, LA) still had the old style ceiling air intakes for the AC. You know the round intakes with the 3 louvers.  Modern stores do not but have the smaller intakes dropping down from the ceilings like most Walmarts.

Yes, you are right those two visits reminded me of a flea market.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on June 09, 2017, 03:11:41 PM
Last Kmart I was in was in Parkersburg, WV back in February. Dark and depressing.

At least the one in Frankfort, KY is still holding on. It's been awhile since I've been in that one. I have to be back in Frankfort again next week; I might go check it out to see how it's looking. It used to be a fairly nice store when I worked in Frankfort 20 years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on June 10, 2017, 02:39:38 PM
Cabot and Russellville will be the only ones remaining in Arkansas.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: MNHighwayMan on June 10, 2017, 02:45:59 PM
I was in the Kmart in Des Moines a year or two ago (the one on Hubbell Ave, near Easton Blvd) but I don't see it on that list, so I have no idea if it's still open.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on June 10, 2017, 02:47:59 PM
Surprised that there is only four K-marts in all of Connecticut, and yet one of them is in Vernon, I was just there a few days ago.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gu7rGwDcH3A_2W58U0qJFULOUYo2B8Q7peCcB8CQST7Nd-xZu1KIK5pRxP0rOBGpId3z1JLhI2B94hFSU8rA1P9Yx4uOT0_tb_gLwyk1RnjUTw7otuoXrLcOpnvaBclIliSaPTwLwjRhXO5GGo1Kx2TdfTcPAYFn0I4huYnKLLcA-Of2XplRqvWotKAvy6Sg_16DfJh3l0q8yljzf4tkGjzVVR4ihVVfrRjfPT200bLrNMTCKtL1_oFVmzy1yfQa7mVj-IgxFzYtiPn-E2SKNIkGfhjP-HxUeNYb1Qr1vpQDSj8rQ3B1pW83avUUxglxEGIGuF2wubz4UpwDEKm4yeooAQGIbUjgPiddaUG2W2UeoZTL3cfqBpbhAwB0gCTt9S_2vMrN2tOTTCaTFbyknaaSlXPcM3ODdPSvxZJWrUT1_BtJrb7ns1E4wGXbenjyxDDCmJzEcu1xLa8ndHfHikL60YW9wwJ3mP8gG5--iR-HqHvEUQzvDxMyoCJSSXF449vdK-iH4g_kiiXj_h8MRJA334HfrCyJoJMgMyrYunRuj4k40p3Yb-UfFiHVbnw5af88tFewMdPEJpWiVKqvdiA2dsjINluOe-306S9L0yAmh_vBOVzu=w883-h662-no)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on June 11, 2017, 01:08:34 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on June 10, 2017, 02:45:59 PM
I was in the Kmart in Des Moines a year or two ago (the one on Hubbell Ave, near Easton Blvd) but I don't see it on that list, so I have no idea if it's still open.

According to Google Maps, it's still open.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: I-39 on June 11, 2017, 08:56:51 PM
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't seen a K-Mart in years. I guess they've left the suburban landscape completely and now only exist in smaller towns/cities.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on June 11, 2017, 09:32:26 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 11, 2017, 08:56:51 PM
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't seen a K-Mart in years. I guess they've left the suburban landscape completely and now only exist in smaller towns/cities.

In the northeast, they still have some of a presence, partially because Walmart got into the market so late. My hometown had a Super K-Mart long before it got a Walmart Supercenter. Of course, the latest round of closings is getting rid of most suburban locations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 08:04:14 AM
Quote from: cl94 on June 11, 2017, 09:32:26 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 11, 2017, 08:56:51 PM
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't seen a K-Mart in years. I guess they've left the suburban landscape completely and now only exist in smaller towns/cities.

In the northeast, they still have some of a presence, partially because Walmart got into the market so late. My hometown had a Super K-Mart long before it got a Walmart Supercenter. Of course, the latest round of closings is getting rid of most suburban locations.
Well, there goes 3 of the 4 Big K-Marts in Connecticut
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on June 12, 2017, 10:15:46 AM
Quote from: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 08:04:14 AM
Quote from: cl94 on June 11, 2017, 09:32:26 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 11, 2017, 08:56:51 PM
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't seen a K-Mart in years. I guess they've left the suburban landscape completely and now only exist in smaller towns/cities.

In the northeast, they still have some of a presence, partially because Walmart got into the market so late. My hometown had a Super K-Mart long before it got a Walmart Supercenter. Of course, the latest round of closings is getting rid of most suburban locations.
Well, there goes 3 of the 4 Big K-Marts in Connecticut

No closings in CT this time around.  The other 3 are in Milford (standard Big K), Southbury (a two-level store) and Watertown (an antique).  The latter 2 are 10 minutes from each other.  How this relic in Watertown survives is beyond me.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2178%2F2217206372_c41b4f19f2.jpg&hash=93afaa771449f0c87e753bad21ade58fc8b52931)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 10:30:04 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 12, 2017, 10:15:46 AM
Quote from: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 08:04:14 AM
Quote from: cl94 on June 11, 2017, 09:32:26 PM
Quote from: I-39 on June 11, 2017, 08:56:51 PM
I'm gonna be honest, I haven't seen a K-Mart in years. I guess they've left the suburban landscape completely and now only exist in smaller towns/cities.

In the northeast, they still have some of a presence, partially because Walmart got into the market so late. My hometown had a Super K-Mart long before it got a Walmart Supercenter. Of course, the latest round of closings is getting rid of most suburban locations.
Well, there goes 3 of the 4 Big K-Marts in Connecticut

No closings in CT this time around.  The other 3 are in Milford (standard Big K), Southbury (a two-level store) and Watertown (an antique).  The latter 2 are 10 minutes from each other.  How this relic in Watertown survives is beyond me.

[snipped image]
Well, I'm still betting that only the Milford one is going to be still open by 2020, that is if K-Mart is still open. Vernon one is looking like it's about to go soon, with the Stop & Shop less than 1000 feet from it, along with a Price Chopper, Home Goods, Harbor Freight Tools, and Staples 2000 feet from it. This is along with Buckland Hills about 3 miles away.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on June 12, 2017, 11:03:27 AM
As it happened, we were unsuccessfully shopping for a specific pool float this weekend.  I decided to check out the Kmart that will be closing in Mantua, NJ.  We went there, and I was surprised to find the shelves well stocked.  Amazingly well stocked.  As if they had a huge amount of inventory that never gets sold!  Everything was current though, and overall very well organized.

You certainly noticed the lack of shoppers inside the store.  There were some, but you could easily walk a distance without encountering any.

What I did notice though was the lack of sales.  Nothing was on sale!  There were large signs on many of the rack announcing the price like any other store, but nothing shouting out SALE, XX% OFF, or the like.  I did see one item - an outdoor rubber mat - that was signed "$8.99 (Similar Price at Walmart...$17.99).  I then thought about it, and realized I haven't seen a sales ad for them in quite a while either.  They're doing absolutely nothing to draw people into their stores.

I didn't notice much of an electronics department.  I don't recall seeing many TVs and the like...mostly accessory type stuff.

There were a LOT of plants outside.  Too much, really.  Especially further away from the rest of the shopping center, which sees very little foot traffic (this Kmart is on the far right end of the shopping center). 

The Automotive area has been closed for a long time. It had reopened at one point (maybe a Sears Auto?) but it didn't last long.

The Pharmacy inside is only open 10am to 6pm, Monday thru Friday.  Not very convenient.

Prices were mainly high throughout, although my wife did find a few clothing items under $10 that she liked.

Of the 10 registers, I saw up to 5 open at one time!  That I found amazing.  Of course, when we went up, 3 were open, and one of the lines was having an issue with a purchase so only 2 were available.  But the customer service counter was staffed, and that person was calling people over to check out as well. In fact, the entire store seemed to be decently staffed.

When we first entered, someone was handing out raffle tickets for something.  I ignored it.  Later on, my wife said it was a chance to win a shopping spree before they started their Going Out of Business sales.

Oh...they didn't have that pool float we wanted either!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on June 12, 2017, 11:41:40 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 12, 2017, 11:03:27 AM
As it happened, we were unsuccessfully shopping for a specific pool float this weekend.  I decided to check out the Kmart that will be closing in Mantua, NJ.  We went there, and I was surprised to find the shelves well stocked.  Amazingly well stocked.  As if they had a huge amount of inventory that never gets sold!  Everything was current though, and overall very well organized.

You certainly noticed the lack of shoppers inside the store.  There were some, but you could easily walk a distance without encountering any.

What I did notice though was the lack of sales.  Nothing was on sale!  There were large signs on many of the rack announcing the price like any other store, but nothing shouting out SALE, XX% OFF, or the like.  I did see one item - an outdoor rubber mat - that was signed "$8.99 (Similar Price at Walmart...$17.99).  I then thought about it, and realized I haven't seen a sales ad for them in quite a while either.  They're doing absolutely nothing to draw people into their stores.

I didn't notice much of an electronics department.  I don't recall seeing many TVs and the like...mostly accessory type stuff.

There were a LOT of plants outside.  Too much, really.  Especially further away from the rest of the shopping center, which sees very little foot traffic (this Kmart is on the far right end of the shopping center). 

The Automotive area has been closed for a long time. It had reopened at one point (maybe a Sears Auto?) but it didn't last long.

The Pharmacy inside is only open 10am to 6pm, Monday thru Friday.  Not very convenient.

Prices were mainly high throughout, although my wife did find a few clothing items under $10 that she liked.

Of the 10 registers, I saw up to 5 open at one time!  That I found amazing.  Of course, when we went up, 3 were open, and one of the lines was having an issue with a purchase so only 2 were available.  But the customer service counter was staffed, and that person was calling people over to check out as well. In fact, the entire store seemed to be decently staffed.

When we first entered, someone was handing out raffle tickets for something.  I ignored it.  Later on, my wife said it was a chance to win a shopping spree before they started their Going Out of Business sales.

Oh...they didn't have that pool float we wanted either!
No restaurant? Huh...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on June 14, 2017, 10:26:32 AM
The K Marts I remember had just a snack bar.  Nothing elaborate like Wal Mart contracting Subway or McDonalds.  However, later on in FL they did allow Little Caesars to come in and sell their pizza, but that was before they closed the Hunters Creek, FL and Sand Lake Road in Orlando locations back in the 90's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on June 14, 2017, 11:02:49 AM
In that Mantua Kmart, it used to have a snack bar up front (ICEEs!), and a cafeteria-type restaurant in the back center of the store.  Through the years, both of those closed, but an eatery (combo restaurant/snack bar) opened up on the far front left of the store.  This eatery also became a Little Caesars for a while.  For the past many years, there's been no eatery of any sort.

If memory serves me correctly they moved all the checkout points from the right of the main entrance to the left many years ago.  The customer service desk also moved to the left...and was moved again further away from the main doors to the opposite side of the checkouts.

I'm sure when they start closing the store and dismantle the shelving along one particular wall, it will probably expose the doors (and a window or two) that lead to the Automotive area.

Here's the store, btw: https://goo.gl/maps/9acy4Uj9j2U2
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on June 14, 2017, 11:12:17 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 14, 2017, 10:26:32 AM
The K Marts I remember had just a snack bar.  Nothing elaborate like Wal Mart contracting Subway or McDonalds.

In this same thread several months ago, we went through a cycle talking about food service in Kmart stores. Here's a post (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=18856.msg2192630#msg2192630) I had written about my hometown Kmart's former full-service restaurant, and there are posts from others before and after it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: slorydn1 on June 14, 2017, 10:42:40 PM
Back in the 1970's the one on 28th St in Grand Rapids (near US-131) had a large sit down cafeteria style resturant in the back left corner.

When I first moved here to New Bern Kmart was located in the back half of the mall and it had a tiny 2 or 3 table snack bar type arraingement. That Kmart closed in the late 90's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on June 22, 2017, 03:57:12 PM
Another round of Sears store closings, this time it's North of the Border, eh?  Roughly 25% of the stores plus additional staffing cuts.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-canada-files-court-protection-123838117.html


EDIT:  And just for shits and giggles, here are a few more U.S. Sears closings announced today:

http://www.wtol.com/story/35728577/toledo-location-among-latest-round-of-sears-closures?utm_content=buffer93019&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 7/8 on June 22, 2017, 11:19:26 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on June 22, 2017, 03:57:12 PM
Another round of Sears store closings, this time it's North of the Border, eh?  Roughly 25% of the stores plus additional staffing cuts.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-canada-files-court-protection-123838117.html


EDIT:  And just for shits and giggles, here are a few more U.S. Sears closings announced today:

http://www.wtol.com/story/35728577/toledo-location-among-latest-round-of-sears-closures?utm_content=buffer93019&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

This was the top news story on CTV National News tonight. It's sad to hear of 2900 jobs being cut.

Another interesting story on tonight's news was a Canadian sniper in Iraq breaking the world record for longest confirmed sniper kill at 3540 m; the bullet travelled for 10 seconds! https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-elite-special-forces-sniper-sets-record-breaking-kill-shot-in-iraq/article35415651/?ref=https://www.theglobeandmail.com& (https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-elite-special-forces-sniper-sets-record-breaking-kill-shot-in-iraq/article35415651/?ref=https://www.theglobeandmail.com&)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: epzik8 on June 23, 2017, 12:15:00 AM
Back in February, I was driving through Prince Frederick, Maryland and I passed by a Big Kmart that co-anchors a shopping center with a Giant grocery store. Funny thing is, the Tollgate Marketplace up near where I live in Bel Air, Maryland once had Kmart and Giant as co-anchors too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on June 23, 2017, 01:16:28 AM
New List:

8201 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL
- 1601 N Harlem Ave, Chicago, IL
- 9701 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS
- 5715 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA
- 4575 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego
- 126 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD
- 17318 Valley Mall Road, Hagerstown, MD
- 32123 Gratiot Avenue, Roseville, MI
- 14250 Buck Hill Road, Burnsville, MN
1640 Route 22, Watchung, NJ
- 1425 Central Avenue, Albany, NY
- 4000 Jericho Turnpike, East Northport, NY
- 601-635 Harry L. Drive, Johnson City, NY
- 7875 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Mentor, OH
- 6950 W 130th Street, Middleburg Heights, OH
- 3408 W Central Avenue, Toledo, OH
- 650 Bald Hill Road, Warwick, RI
- 300 Baybrook Mall, Friendswood, TX 77546
- 9570 Southwest Freeway, Westwood/Houston TX
- 5200 South 76th Street, Greendale, WI

I'm familiar with a couple on this list.  The Albany one is in Colonie Center, and the Warwick one is the last original holdover from the old Rhode Island Mall
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on June 23, 2017, 02:45:03 AM
The Toledo store was from the 50s and was the last Sears there.

The Middleburg Hts store was also a standalone from the early 60s.  Surprised its finally closing after 20 years being only 10 minutes from the one at South Park Mall. 

The Sears in Mentor was the last on Cleveland's east side.  This will leave Great Northern and South Park as the last 2 Sears in Cleveland & all of Northern Ohio.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on June 23, 2017, 05:37:32 AM
They ought to save us the suspense on which locations are next and just close all of their stores now and get it over with since it's gonna happen sooner or later anyway. I feel for those losing their jobs, but the truth's the truth. There's no chance in hell of that company turning around. What used to be a yearly announcement of closings has now turned into an almost monthly thing. Anybody would have to be insane to apply for a job at Sears or Kmart these days.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on June 23, 2017, 12:29:57 PM
Pretty much.  I guess closing each store takes some overhead for Sears headquarters so it would be hard to do them all at once.  I'm sorry for the people who will be out of work, but unemployment is fairly low right now so it's a good time to be job hunting.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Billy F 1988 on June 23, 2017, 06:15:16 PM
That's a huge blow. The one I remember was located in Missoula at what is now the South Crossing strip mall on Brooks Street. I've only been to that Missoula K-Mart maybe a few times in my lifetime. I don't recall any other Montana K-Mart stores closing other than Missoula. That I think was in 2011.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on June 23, 2017, 06:53:37 PM
The Colonie Center store was one of their older locations. Opened with the mall in 1966. Heck, a subsidiary of Sears (Homart) built the mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on June 24, 2017, 12:01:50 AM
The Sears in Windsor, ON was at Devonshire Mall, and was also one of the nicer malls in the Metro Detroit area.  Back in the 80s they had some weird laws where the mall would be closed by 6 or 7 pm on Saturdays and may have been closed all day Sundays as well.   

Very strange weekend hours for a mall back then.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on June 24, 2017, 10:07:35 PM
Quote from: cl94 on June 23, 2017, 06:53:37 PM
The Colonie Center store was one of their older locations. Opened with the mall in 1966. Heck, a subsidiary of Sears (Homart) built the mall.
And Homart still owns that part of the mall (along with the part that is Whole Foods, which used to be part of the Sears), even though the rest of the mall is now owned by Kohlberg and Colonie Pacific.  That's definitely gonna make filling that space complicated.

Yesterday I was joking that Sears decided to close the store after the NYSDOT employee who loved shopping there was transferred up north.  As such, their customer base is much smaller now.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on June 25, 2017, 08:23:27 AM
Something to note with regard to Sears closing stores, and the malls having trouble "re-renting" them, is that in many instances (certainly not all, but many), Sears own their building, even when it's part of a mall. My brother was the head of loss prevention at the Landmark Mall Sears in Alexandria not quite 20 years ago (he resigned after an argument with his boss) and he said something about how corporate management had preferred to own the space so as not to be subject to the vagaries of mall management arbitrarily changing or remodelling things. Landmark might be a good example of that–it used to be an outdoor mall with three anchors (Sears, Woodies, and Hecht's), then in the 1980s it was turned into an indoor mall, then after Woodies folded Lord & Taylor took over that space but didn't succeed (too upscale and pricey for that location), and now the Hecht's/Macy's is gone too, the mall is closed to be turned back into an outdoor mall with condos and other such stuff, and Sears (plus the Auto Center) is all that remains. No doubt if that Sears closed it would make redevelopment a lot easier, if it ever happens, but the Sears still does a decent business there. No doubt part of that is that particular store seems to have a somewhat lower-income clientele (corporate management consider it an "inner-city" store, according to my brother) who find it easy to get to that store because several bus lines stop at the mall.

So it's not that easy for malls either to evict Sears or to take over or re-rent the space when a Sears location closes.

I seem to recall in first-year contracts class in law school one of the cases we read had to do with Tysons Corner Center. If I recall correctly, Lansburgh's had the space at one end of the mall and went under and Sears were fighting to get that space. Ultimately Bloomingdale's got it instead. I'm sure Sears wanting to own their space, rather than rent, was a major part of it, but I don't remember all the facts anymore. Hard to imagine how different that mall would be had a Sears gone in there instead! I remember when JC Penney took over the old Woodies space at Tysons. The store was a total flop and closed within a few years, the building was demolished, and it was several years before that part of the mall was rebuilt.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM
Well, it's only been 2 weeks since our last list of stores getting the axe, why not another round of closures???

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-closing-43-more-stores-160845669.html

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on July 07, 2017, 02:29:33 PM
And with this, the last Kmart in central Oklahoma goes under.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on July 07, 2017, 02:31:07 PM
Yep, clearly this is heading for the end.  It seems they lack credit to replace merchandise as it is sold, so every couple of weeks they close another 40 or 50 stores, fire sale some of the stuff and reconsolidate the rest.  This list is K-Mart heavy (only 7 Sears),   

The pharmacy at my local K-Mart closed .  Only reason I noticed is Kroger and all the drug store chains had "welcom K-Mart customers" signs up.  As prescription drugs in the USA are on a sort of consignment system, Lord knows how they will unscramble that egg when it all goes under.

Noticed that one of the closures on the most recent list is the K-Mart near the mall in Lexington.  that is a really nice piece of property (location, location, location) and it will be interesting who get in that.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on July 07, 2017, 02:44:09 PM
Yeah, they're going down. Company is announcing that 3-5% of their stores are closing a couple times a month. Kmart will soon exist only in the smallest towns and Sears is leaving a few cities as well. If that rate of closures continues, we may have a year before they announce the final closures.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on July 07, 2017, 02:48:57 PM
Surprised it took them so long to name the Sears in the Peru Mall, Peru, IL. That's a huge nothing mall that should be remade as a strip mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on July 07, 2017, 04:25:02 PM
Wow. Springfield going bye-bye.  The anchor tenant of Springfield Plaza.   I've been to that one before.  There's one about 20 minutes away in Holyoke so it's not a total end to Kmart in the Pioneer Valley.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on July 07, 2017, 06:59:45 PM
It seems that Connecticut has been avoiding closings for a while now...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on July 07, 2017, 07:25:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 07, 2017, 04:25:02 PM
Wow. Springfield going bye-bye.  The anchor tenant of Springfield Plaza.   I've been to that one before.  There's one about 20 minutes away in Holyoke so it's not a total end to Kmart in the Pioneer Valley.

This made me do a double-take because there's a K-Mart in Springfield Plaza here in Virginia, too, but it's staying open (for now). In my unscientific observation it seems to get a lot of foot traffic from nearby apartments.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 11:13:40 PM
The Kmart in the town I grew up in is still alive and kicking in Brunswick, OH.  Probably what's keeping them alive is that despite having a population of about 35,000, they surprisingly have no other competition (no Target, no Walmart) in their town, and I don't consider Big Lots to be in their league.  Both Strongsville to the north and Medina to the south have Targets and Wally-worlds.  Probably also helps that the Brunswick Kmart is right off of I-71.  Unless you live in the Medina city limits, their retail strips are hard to get to.

At one time, up until the 80s, Kmart had 2 other competitors in town:  W.T. Grant's/Grant City (which became Uncle Bills, which became Conley's, which is now a multiplex theater), and Fisher's Big Wheel.  When that location goes, I find it hard for any discount/department store to move into that small footprint of a space.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on July 07, 2017, 11:40:02 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 11:13:40 PM
The Kmart in the town I grew up in is still alive and kicking in Brunswick, OH.  Probably what's keeping them alive is that despite having a population of about 35,000, they surprisingly have no other competition (no Target, no Walmart) in their town, and I don't consider Big Lots to be in their league.  Both Strongsville to the north and Medina to the south have Targets and Wally-worlds.  Probably also helps that the Brunswick Kmart is right off of I-71.  Unless you live in the Medina city limits, their retail strips are hard to get to.

Which is part of why most of the remaining Kmarts in this part of the country are in areas without competition. Most of the remaining ones in New York are relatively far from the nearest Walmart or Target (typically 20+ minute drive). How the Queensbury one has survived with Walmart opening kitty corner a few years back is beyond me.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on July 08, 2017, 03:49:24 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM
Well, it's only been 2 weeks since our last list of stores getting the axe, why not another round of closures???

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-closing-43-more-stores-160845669.html

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

I see they still refuse to put Danville's stores out of their misery.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on July 08, 2017, 09:29:46 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on July 07, 2017, 02:31:07 PM
Noticed that one of the closures on the most recent list is the K-Mart near the mall in Lexington.  that is a really nice piece of property (location, location, location) and it will be interesting who get in that.

Saw that today. That Kmart and the nearby Mr. Wigg's were must-stop places for us when we went to Lexington and were on Nicholasville Road when I was growing up.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 09, 2017, 09:31:39 AM
Last week I had to make a delivery to the Sears Auto department in my town.  I saw a sign that offered "Lifetime Wheel Balancing for a single price".  I wonder how you'd describe the terms of that deal nowadays???
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: renegade on July 09, 2017, 05:04:33 PM
The Kmart in Monroe, Michigan is closing.  In the mid-1970's, there was talk of a second Kmart for the south side of Monroe.

They built that one on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo.  The Kmart on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo is closing.

The last Sears in Toledo is closing.  The Sears in Frenchtown Mall closed several years ago.

There's still a Kmart in Ypsilanti/Belleville, Michigan, and a Sears at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.  Come and get them.



Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 11, 2017, 09:27:28 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

As promised, (dah, dah, dah,...) another 8 bite the dust!!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-stores-closing-list-2017-161147937.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on July 12, 2017, 12:34:45 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 11, 2017, 09:27:28 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

As promised, (dah, dah, dah,...) another 8 bite the dust!!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-stores-closing-list-2017-161147937.html
Actually, it's 43
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on July 12, 2017, 08:23:18 AM
Quote from: JJBers on July 12, 2017, 12:34:45 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 11, 2017, 09:27:28 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

As promised, (dah, dah, dah,...) another 8 bite the dust!!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-stores-closing-list-2017-161147937.html
Actually, it's 43
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html)

WTF?! It hasn't even been a week yet! :-D

At the rate they're going, I wouldn't be surprised if they all closed by the time Santa starts making deliveries.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on July 12, 2017, 08:51:28 AM
Quote from: JJBers on July 12, 2017, 12:34:45 AM

Actually, it's 43
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html)

Quote from: Yahoo FinanceCoeur D'Alene, Ind

???

( I know they meant Idaho... )
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 12, 2017, 10:08:28 AM
Quote from: JJBers on July 12, 2017, 12:34:45 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 11, 2017, 09:27:28 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

That link merged last week's closures with this week's list.

As promised, (dah, dah, dah,...) another 8 bite the dust!!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-stores-closing-list-2017-161147937.html
Actually, it's 43
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on July 12, 2017, 01:11:14 PM
Quote from: LM117 on July 12, 2017, 08:23:18 AM
Quote from: JJBers on July 12, 2017, 12:34:45 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 11, 2017, 09:27:28 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

As promised, (dah, dah, dah,...) another 8 bite the dust!!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-stores-closing-list-2017-161147937.html
Actually, it's 43
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html)

WTF?! It hasn't even been a week yet! :-D

At the rate they're going, I wouldn't be surprised if they all closed by the time Santa starts making deliveries.

"Are you happy?  Are you Satisfied?  How long can you stand the heat?"
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hm insulators on July 12, 2017, 01:26:43 PM
Yeesh. Sears/Kmart really just needs to shoot this horse now and put it out of its misery.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on July 12, 2017, 02:37:00 PM
Quote from: LM117 on July 12, 2017, 08:23:18 AM
Quote from: JJBers on July 12, 2017, 12:34:45 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 11, 2017, 09:27:28 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 07, 2017, 02:09:43 PM

Tune in next week for another edition of "Sears/Kmart Closures".

As promised, (dah, dah, dah,...) another 8 bite the dust!!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-stores-closing-list-2017-161147937.html
Actually, it's 43
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kmart-stores-closing-list-2017-160755680.html)

WTF?! It hasn't even been a week yet! :-D

At the rate they're going, I wouldn't be surprised if they all closed by the time Santa starts making deliveries.
I think these were announced at the same time, they were just put in two separate articles for some reason (one is Sears only, the other is Kmart only).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on July 12, 2017, 03:43:50 PM
Quote from: hm insulators on July 12, 2017, 01:26:43 PM
Yeesh. Sears/Kmart really just needs to shoot this horse now and put it out of its misery.

I think that's what they're doing.  I'm sure each store has contracts tied to it and notice to give etc. and the HQ staff only have so many executives and lawyers so they spread out the closures a few each month.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 12, 2017, 04:32:56 PM
Looks like the Kmart in Kingman hung on way longer than I thought it would.  That place was a ghost town years ago, it had a nice location on AZ 66/Old US 66.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on July 12, 2017, 05:15:02 PM
Seriously, why isn't the government looking into this.  It seems to me that the CEO is purposely killing the corporation for personal gain.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: gonealookin on July 12, 2017, 05:17:48 PM
Our small South Lake Tahoe KMart staggers on, probably because it's the only store with that variety of merchandise within 25 miles.  I would much, much rather drive that far to get to Target or Walmart.  The condition of the SLT KMart interior and the merchandise selection is very reminiscent of the pathetically terminal Woolworth stores of the late 1980s.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on July 12, 2017, 05:28:40 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on July 12, 2017, 05:15:02 PM
Seriously, why isn't the government looking into this.  It seems to me that the CEO is purposely killing the corporation for personal gain.

Would it be illegal even if it was certain that was what was going on?  The remedy for a misbehaving CEO is for the shareholders to revolt.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on July 12, 2017, 06:57:59 PM
Quote from: kkt on July 12, 2017, 05:28:40 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on July 12, 2017, 05:15:02 PM
Seriously, why isn't the government looking into this.  It seems to me that the CEO is purposely killing the corporation for personal gain.

Would it be illegal even if it was certain that was what was going on?  The remedy for a misbehaving CEO is for the shareholders to revolt.
Could be a form of fraud.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on July 12, 2017, 07:55:40 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 12, 2017, 06:57:59 PM
Quote from: kkt on July 12, 2017, 05:28:40 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on July 12, 2017, 05:15:02 PM
Seriously, why isn't the government looking into this.  It seems to me that the CEO is purposely killing the corporation for personal gain.

Would it be illegal even if it was certain that was what was going on?  The remedy for a misbehaving CEO is for the shareholders to revolt.
Could be a form of fraud.

He's closing underperforming stores.  Just look thru the 17 pages of remarks here.  Nearly everyone has said how they don't see people in the stores.  They don't see cars in the parking lots.  They haven't been in Kmart in years.  They're surprised they're still in business.  The stores haven't been remodeled. 

So, how is the CEO misbehaving?  He's certainly in his right to close underperforming stores.  And numerous people here have basically agreed with his decisions!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:15:33 PM
There are countless legitimate reasons to close stores, even profitable ones. Simply blurting out "it could be fraud" is pretty weak without any corresponding evidence.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:32:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 07, 2017, 07:25:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 07, 2017, 04:25:02 PM
Wow. Springfield going bye-bye.  The anchor tenant of Springfield Plaza.   I've been to that one before.  There's one about 20 minutes away in Holyoke so it's not a total end to Kmart in the Pioneer Valley.

This made me do a double-take because there's a K-Mart in Springfield Plaza here in Virginia, too, but it's staying open (for now). In my unscientific observation it seems to get a lot of foot traffic from nearby apartments.

Sure ain't the Trader Joe's customers...

BTW, is it unusual that Springfield Plaza has 2.5 grocery stores (Giant, TJ, and the K-Mart grocery section)?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on July 12, 2017, 09:21:07 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:15:33 PM
There are countless legitimate reasons to close stores, even profitable ones. Simply blurting out "it could be fraud" is pretty weak without any corresponding evidence.
Misleading shareholders is fraud.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on July 12, 2017, 09:47:52 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:32:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 07, 2017, 07:25:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 07, 2017, 04:25:02 PM
Wow. Springfield going bye-bye.  The anchor tenant of Springfield Plaza.   I've been to that one before.  There's one about 20 minutes away in Holyoke so it's not a total end to Kmart in the Pioneer Valley.

This made me do a double-take because there's a K-Mart in Springfield Plaza here in Virginia, too, but it's staying open (for now). In my unscientific observation it seems to get a lot of foot traffic from nearby apartments.

Sure ain't the Trader Joe's customers...

BTW, is it unusual that Springfield Plaza has 2.5 grocery stores (Giant, TJ, and the K-Mart grocery section)?


Plus the Springfield Butcher, which does a thriving business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on July 12, 2017, 10:15:33 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 12, 2017, 09:21:07 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:15:33 PM
There are countless legitimate reasons to close stores, even profitable ones. Simply blurting out "it could be fraud" is pretty weak without any corresponding evidence.
Misleading shareholders is fraud.

If you Google 'Kmart misleading investors', you'll find a multitude of stories. Except....they're all from 2005 or so, where the PREVIOUS CEO had mislead investors.

The current CEO has been fairly straightforward with the investors, issuing reports of serious doubt the chains can continue to operate. There doesn't appear to any misleading going on there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 10:37:49 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 12, 2017, 09:47:52 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:32:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 07, 2017, 07:25:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 07, 2017, 04:25:02 PM
Wow. Springfield going bye-bye.  The anchor tenant of Springfield Plaza.   I've been to that one before.  There's one about 20 minutes away in Holyoke so it's not a total end to Kmart in the Pioneer Valley.

This made me do a double-take because there's a K-Mart in Springfield Plaza here in Virginia, too, but it's staying open (for now). In my unscientific observation it seems to get a lot of foot traffic from nearby apartments.

Sure ain't the Trader Joe's customers...

BTW, is it unusual that Springfield Plaza has 2.5 grocery stores (Giant, TJ, and the K-Mart grocery section)?


Plus the Springfield Butcher, which does a thriving business.

Of course, him too. 2.75 groceries then. Of course, it's such a big shopping center that the distance between the butcher section of Giant and the Springfield Butcher is enough to be a few city blocks .
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 12, 2017, 10:46:26 PM
On the other side of the "Going Out Of Business" coin, in my town there is a shyster who sells western wear and has big signs on his building saying "Going Out Of Business".  These signs have been up for over 3 YEARS!!!

Coincidentally, there is a place a block or so down that just opened...for his SAME business. 

And now, he is touting up to 70% off in his so-called "GOOB Sale".  I went in looking for a leather belt.  He's got the prices jacked up to $160, less 70%, or $48.00.  I can get a similar belt for less than this POS sells at his 70% discount. 

I'm surprised this tool hasn't been fined and/or shut down by the state for false advertising -- you can't/don't stay open for 3+ years once you actually hang a "Going Out Of Business" sign on your door.

Kmart/Sears can do it since they haven't put that official sign on the bulk of their remaining stores...yet...although everyone knows that they pretty much are toast.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on July 13, 2017, 11:16:03 AM
I may have said this before, I'm not sure, but it's obvious why Kmart is slipping. The prices are higher than Walmart, and the facilities seem older and less-well-kept. Kmart never aggressively tried to compete with Walmart when Wally World started becoming dominant in the discount department store field.

Even if I can find an open Kmart -- the nearest one to me that I can think of is in Frankfort -- I will usually choose Walmart if I have a great number of items to purchase. If I'm in Frankfort and just need one thing quickly, and don't want to battle the crowds, I may go to Kmart. IF (a big IF) I think they have it in stock. It's been awhile since I have been in the Frankfort Kmart. Last one I was in was in Vienna, WV. And that was just because it was near my hotel and I just needed one quick thing.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on July 13, 2017, 11:31:53 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 13, 2017, 11:16:03 AM
I may have said this before, I'm not sure, but it's obvious why Kmart is slipping. The prices are higher than Walmart, and the facilities seem older and less-well-kept. Kmart never aggressively tried to compete with Walmart when Wally World started becoming dominant in the discount department store field.


Yep.  K-Mart is just the most national of the many dozens of more regional chains that Wal-Mart took out long ago.  People can rant and rave from the right or the left about it, but the fact is that before Wal-Mart the general retailing business was fat, dumb, and happy and happy to be fat, dumb and happy.  Walton created a company that will look for every possible cost savings in every possible segement (labor, suppliers, workers, landlords, logistics, whatever) and pass that savings on to me, the customer, without sacrificing clean stores and quality products considering the market segment.  Yes, he made a profit.  So did K-Mart, at one time. 

The "Wal-Mart way" of doing things (save every cent you can on every aspect of whatever you do) is being applied to lots of other industries. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.



Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on July 13, 2017, 01:03:17 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 12, 2017, 10:15:33 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 12, 2017, 09:21:07 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:15:33 PM
There are countless legitimate reasons to close stores, even profitable ones. Simply blurting out "it could be fraud" is pretty weak without any corresponding evidence.
Misleading shareholders is fraud.

If you Google 'Kmart misleading investors', you'll find a multitude of stories. Except....they're all from 2005 or so, where the PREVIOUS CEO had mislead investors.

The current CEO has been fairly straightforward with the investors, issuing reports of serious doubt the chains can continue to operate. There doesn't appear to any misleading going on there.
Lambert actually acknowledging the company may not survive is a relatively recent phenomena.  Previously, he'd pretend that he was taking measures to make the stores profitable again while doing everything he could to run the company into the ground so he could sell the real estate.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on July 15, 2017, 09:07:59 AM
Two Guys did that.  They had what Walmart has today, but failed do to not putting every effort into the good that they once had.  They closed and made a killing on real estate instead.

Kmart ruined themselves just as Winn Dixie Supermarkets did.  They failed to achieve what their customers wanted, but Walmart gave us all what we wanted and still want.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on July 15, 2017, 09:38:44 AM
Wal-Mart started as a regional chain, never building more than a day's drive from the warehouse, and often where land was cheap. Plus the philosophy of stack it high, sell it cheap. Nobody gave Wal-Mart a second thought until they became the 800lb gorilla.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on July 16, 2017, 05:14:00 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)

There weren't any Super Targets in the northeast. Closest they got were 2 in Northern Virginia and several in Indiana. There are/were multiple Greatlands out here, every one I know of being in the NYC metro area.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 05:17:53 PM
Quote from: cl94 on July 16, 2017, 05:14:00 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)

There weren't any Super Targets in the northeast. Closest they got were 2 in Northern Virginia and several in Indiana. There are/were multiple Greatlands out here, every one I know of being in the NYC metro area.

The Greatland we had dropped the signage a few years ago and is now a regular Target like every other store around here. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on July 16, 2017, 05:51:39 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 05:17:53 PM
Quote from: cl94 on July 16, 2017, 05:14:00 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)

There weren't any Super Targets in the northeast. Closest they got were 2 in Northern Virginia and several in Indiana. There are/were multiple Greatlands out here, every one I know of being in the NYC metro area.

The Greatland we had dropped the signage a few years ago and is now a regular Target like every other store around here.
Might've been one nearby in Connecticut/Rhode Island. Maybe Dayville's?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on July 16, 2017, 06:01:43 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)

The Target at Brandywine Commons in Delaware (US 202 at DE 92) was a Greatland or Super Target, before losing the adjective.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 06:33:22 PM
Quote from: JJBers on July 16, 2017, 05:51:39 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 05:17:53 PM
Quote from: cl94 on July 16, 2017, 05:14:00 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)

There weren't any Super Targets in the northeast. Closest they got were 2 in Northern Virginia and several in Indiana. There are/were multiple Greatlands out here, every one I know of being in the NYC metro area.

The Greatland we had dropped the signage a few years ago and is now a regular Target like every other store around here.
Might've been one nearby in Connecticut/Rhode Island. Maybe Dayville's?

The one in New Britain near Westfarms Mall was a Greatland.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on July 17, 2017, 07:45:24 AM
Super Target was dropped in some places as well but the grocery store still remained.  Heck even the name Super Center Walmarts are just plain Walmarts now.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DeaconG on July 17, 2017, 10:06:35 AM
Quote from: vdeane on July 13, 2017, 01:03:17 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 12, 2017, 10:15:33 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 12, 2017, 09:21:07 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:15:33 PM
There are countless legitimate reasons to close stores, even profitable ones. Simply blurting out "it could be fraud" is pretty weak without any corresponding evidence.
Misleading shareholders is fraud.

If you Google 'Kmart misleading investors', you'll find a multitude of stories. Except....they're all from 2005 or so, where the PREVIOUS CEO had mislead investors.

The current CEO has been fairly straightforward with the investors, issuing reports of serious doubt the chains can continue to operate. There doesn't appear to any misleading going on there.
Lambert actually acknowledging the company may not survive is a relatively recent phenomena.  Previously, he'd pretend that he was taking measures to make the stores profitable again while doing everything he could to run the company into the ground so he could sell the real estate.

Thank you. Eddie Lampert is a hedge fund manager who is only running the stores because he couldn't unload the property after the commercial real estate implosion in 2007. I wish the retail-worker.com site was still around, it had a HUGE Sears Holdings board and the stories they told would make you scream.

No CapEx in the stores (which is why they looked so dated). Not only screwing the commissioned salesperson out of their commission by taking away their spiffs but by changing their rate so that it was more profitable to sell the Protection Plans than actually selling the product. The multiple screwups when someone actually tried to use their Protection Plans and stumbled multiple times (not showing up on the days they were supposed to then blaming the owner for not being there, not having the parts to fix it when they did show up and oh by the way "would you like to get a better Protection Plan?").

Pissing off their spokespeople to the point where they walked (Ty Pennington and Bob Vila from This Old House walked away from Sears when they tried to screw them), then attempting to sue Martha Stewart and having that 'Original Gangster' take his head off in court.

Spinning off the Craftsman and Kenmore names into their own company in order to generate revenue (when I saw this I thought he'd lost his mind), then refusing to hire anyone who, you know, actually knew retail operations and wouldn't let them do anything when they did get a job with them. He brought in a President of the company who came from Darden Restaurants to try to run the company and for two years Eddie tied his hands behind his back, then this man left (his name was Aylwin Lewis) to go to YUM Brands and took them out of bankruptcy to make them a billion dollar company in five years. Meanwhile, that position stayed vacant for seven years because NO ONE wanted to deal with Eddie.

Did I forget to mention two posters on the Retail Worker forum that worked for Sears as a husband and wife who went to one of Eddie's shareholder meetings and asked him some calm, well-phrased pointed questions about where he was taking the company (solicited from the forum) and within two weeks both of them were FIRED? ON THE SAME DAY? Gee, after over 15 years for the both of them that's kinda odd, ya think?

Oh no, screw Eddie. And if you're damn fool enough to put money into his investment firm, you deserve everything you get.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 17, 2017, 02:34:01 PM
All of that may be true, but that's up to the shareholders/Board to decide. It's not illegal to liquidate/ruin a company.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DeaconG on July 17, 2017, 02:56:18 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 17, 2017, 02:34:01 PM
All of that may be true, but that's up to the shareholders/Board to decide. It's not illegal to liquidate/ruin a company.

The problem is when it starts becoming the norm instead of the exception. Hey, my mom retired from Sears after 22 years; she left around the first round of corporate fuckery in 1991-92 that was known as 'conversion', where they dumped Dean Witter and Allstate and let a lot of people go, when she saw her I-bleed-Sears-blue-will-die-for-Sears store manager put in his papers, she knew something was wrong and put hers in too. Lucky woman. (There's a story about how I lost my mother in a Sears store, but that's for later).

Increasingly companies are going away because of the very thing you say isn't illegal, but there are economic repercussions when it becomes the norm. This is why when folks blame Amazon for the decline of brick and mortar stores I point to Sears and say "They had all the advantages to stand up to Amazon and they deliberately pissed it away to make increasingly smaller amounts of money for shareholders who are now going 'what the hell are you doing?'" Those shareholders are also mutual fund and pension funds...and that has repercussions on anyone who holds this garbage in their 401k's or brokerage accounts.

In closing: there are six groups of people who are tied to companies and only one of those groups gets away with a profit when the company fails-the MANAGEMENT. The shareholders lose their investment, the bondholders usually have to sue to get their money back, the employees get kicked to the curb, the vendors and suppliers get their cash flows wrecked (which then means they have to consider layoffs as well) and the customers get no technical support or repairs, and forget your maintenance plans-they go POOF.

It may not be illegal; but at the very least it's dishonest, it's an abandonment of their fiduciary responsibility, it's not moral and there are financial repercussions.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on July 17, 2017, 06:26:14 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 16, 2017, 02:11:34 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on July 13, 2017, 11:49:59 AM
Another reason why Walmart stole the crowds of Kmart:  During their initial national growth in the 90s, they struck a chord with the population pushing their "Made In The USA" credo at the time.  Once Walmart surpassed Target and Kmart as the discount store leader, they quietly dropped that moniker and more of their products were foreign made again.

Kmart only responded with coming up with the 3 flavors of their store:  Regular K-mart, Big K and Super K (their version of Walmart) with only slight remodels to existing original stores.

Target also tried that 3 flavor approach for a while with regular Target, Target Greatland, and Super Target (although I've never heard of a Super Target being anywhere in the Northeast)

If you think about it, the original Kmart "Supercenters" were the Kmarts themselves.  They were the new 2nd flavor of S.S. Kresge's, which slowly were phased out in favor of the larger Kmarts.  You were hard-pressed to find any S.S. Kresge "five and dime" stores by the end of the 70s.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 17, 2017, 06:55:56 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 17, 2017, 02:56:18 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 17, 2017, 02:34:01 PM
All of that may be true, but that's up to the shareholders/Board to decide. It's not illegal to liquidate/ruin a company.

The problem is when it starts becoming the norm instead of the exception. Hey, my mom retired from Sears after 22 years; she left around the first round of corporate fuckery in 1991-92 that was known as 'conversion', where they dumped Dean Witter and Allstate and let a lot of people go, when she saw her I-bleed-Sears-blue-will-die-for-Sears store manager put in his papers, she knew something was wrong and put hers in too. Lucky woman. (There's a story about how I lost my mother in a Sears store, but that's for later).

Increasingly companies are going away because of the very thing you say isn't illegal, but there are economic repercussions when it becomes the norm. This is why when folks blame Amazon for the decline of brick and mortar stores I point to Sears and say "They had all the advantages to stand up to Amazon and they deliberately pissed it away to make increasingly smaller amounts of money for shareholders who are now going 'what the hell are you doing?'" Those shareholders are also mutual fund and pension funds...and that has repercussions on anyone who holds this garbage in their 401k's or brokerage accounts.

In closing: there are six groups of people who are tied to companies and only one of those groups gets away with a profit when the company fails-the MANAGEMENT. The shareholders lose their investment, the bondholders usually have to sue to get their money back, the employees get kicked to the curb, the vendors and suppliers get their cash flows wrecked (which then means they have to consider layoffs as well) and the customers get no technical support or repairs, and forget your maintenance plans-they go POOF.

It may not be illegal; but at the very least it's dishonest, it's an abandonment of their fiduciary responsibility, it's not moral and there are financial repercussions.

Shareholders ultimately set policy. Plus if the shareholders are shorting the company, then they profit off of the company's decline (a controversial but utterly legal tactic).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on July 17, 2017, 10:44:11 PM
Perhaps in theory, but in practice, shareholders don't set company policy any more than voters set the policy of Congress.  Political dynamics touch all aspects of human society.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Hot Rod Hootenanny on July 17, 2017, 11:40:58 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 17, 2017, 06:55:56 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 17, 2017, 02:56:18 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 17, 2017, 02:34:01 PM
All of that may be true, but that's up to the shareholders/Board to decide. It's not illegal to liquidate/ruin a company.

The problem is when it starts becoming the norm instead of the exception. Hey, my mom retired from Sears after 22 years; she left around the first round of corporate fuckery in 1991-92 that was known as 'conversion', where they dumped Dean Witter and Allstate and let a lot of people go, when she saw her I-bleed-Sears-blue-will-die-for-Sears store manager put in his papers, she knew something was wrong and put hers in too. Lucky woman. (There's a story about how I lost my mother in a Sears store, but that's for later).

Increasingly companies are going away because of the very thing you say isn't illegal, but there are economic repercussions when it becomes the norm. This is why when folks blame Amazon for the decline of brick and mortar stores I point to Sears and say "They had all the advantages to stand up to Amazon and they deliberately pissed it away to make increasingly smaller amounts of money for shareholders who are now going 'what the hell are you doing?'" Those shareholders are also mutual fund and pension funds...and that has repercussions on anyone who holds this garbage in their 401k's or brokerage accounts.

In closing: there are six groups of people who are tied to companies and only one of those groups gets away with a profit when the company fails-the MANAGEMENT. The shareholders lose their investment, the bondholders usually have to sue to get their money back, the employees get kicked to the curb, the vendors and suppliers get their cash flows wrecked (which then means they have to consider layoffs as well) and the customers get no technical support or repairs, and forget your maintenance plans-they go POOF.

It may not be illegal; but at the very least it's dishonest, it's an abandonment of their fiduciary responsibility, it's not moral and there are financial repercussions.

Shareholders ultimately set policy. Plus if the shareholders are shorting the company, then they profit off of the company's decline (a controversial but utterly legal tactic).

Do you own any stock in any company?! Have you ever attended a stockholder's meeting of any company?!  Ever heard of concept called "Board of Directors?!" They hold the largest amount of stock of said company. They get to set policy, not Joe & Jane stockholder.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DeaconG on July 18, 2017, 12:56:18 AM
^^^Not necessarily. According to Wikipedia, "In a stock corporation, non-executive directors are voted for by the shareholders and the board is the highest authority in the management of the corporation. The board of directors appoints the chief executive officer of the corporation and sets out the overall strategic direction."

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

Now, while they get to set policy they don't necessarily get a free hand as to doing whatever they want, they have to submit major proposals to the shareholders at large to be voted on. Depending on the bylaws of the corporation, the vote may or may not be binding. Large institutional investors may give the board a proxy to vote for them but that does not mean that the board members own the shares.

In addition, whether the shareholders have a right to exercise a vote can depend on whether the voting rights are for all stock (common and preferred) or just preferred only. Generally, if you have a 401k from your company and part of your contribution goes toward shares of your company you get voting rights of 'equivalent shares' based on how much of your money is in their stock and what the value of the stock is when they submit a proposal to the stockholders. Generally, those equivalent shares are common stock...but it doesn't mean that the board has to accede to the will of the shareholders if the vote doesn't go their way.

Two cases off the top of my head: about 10 years ago, Disney decided to change their auditor from Ernst and Young to PWC, so they put it to a vote of the shareholders. 70 percent of the shareholders voted to keep Ernst and Young. Disney's reply? "Yes, we heard you, but we think PWC is the better call. Thanks for playing."

Late in the 2000's Comcast wanted to buy AT&T Broadband and several of the large institutional investors didn't like the idea at all, they thought AT&T Broadband was a bad play and let the board know it. The Roberts family, who controlled 30 percent of the stock came back with this: "The only stock that has voting rights is the preferred stock. Your stock is common stock, OUR stock is preferred; we're buying AT&T Broadband, deal with it."
The institutional investors were livid, but they had no game.

What you might be thinking about, and what happens quite a bit, is if you have an activist shareholder or large institutional group that will offer to buy a large amount of stock in the company in exchange for one or more board of director's seats, especially if the company is a startup and needs the money or the company's financials aren't looking great but the investors think that they can get 'value' out of the company. (It was also one of the major contributors to the Dotcom bust of the early 2000's). Usually that threshold is 5% or greater (under SEC rules the investors have to divulge who they are at that point) and can be much greater than that; in any case, you could have a situation where the majority of the board of directors are basically representing one or two large institutional investors and so they will dominate any discussion of what direction the company goes.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on July 19, 2017, 06:09:45 PM
https://consumerist.com/2017/07/18/sears-holdings-ceo-lends-company-another-200m-to-stay-afloat/ (https://consumerist.com/2017/07/18/sears-holdings-ceo-lends-company-another-200m-to-stay-afloat/)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on July 24, 2017, 07:09:48 PM
Sears struck a deal with Amazon.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2017/07/20/sears-to-sell-kenmore-appliances-on-amazon-stock-jumps/#36f5cc515a74 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2017/07/20/sears-to-sell-kenmore-appliances-on-amazon-stock-jumps/#36f5cc515a74)

QuoteYou'll soon be able to buy Kenmore appliances on Amazon.

Sears said on Thursday that it will start selling its full line of Kenmore-branded appliances on Amazon, in an attempt by the struggling retailer to bolster sales.

Shares of Sears jumped 22% in pre-market trading.

This marks the broadest distribution of Kenmore appliances outside of Sears stores and its own websites, the company said.

"We continuously look for opportunities to enhance the reach of our iconic brands to more customers and create additional value from our assets," said Sears CEO Eddie Lampert.

Sears has been trying to stay in business after years of declining sales and big losses. It has been closing stores, slashing costs, selling off real estate and parting ways with some of its brands.

Sears sold its Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million earlier this year, and had been exploring its options for its Kenmore appliance and Diehard car part brands. However, its partnership with Amazon looks like an attempt to hold onto the brand while trying to reignite sales and reach new customers.

"This collaboration is the first of its kind for Kenmore, broadening its accessibility to the next generation of American families outside of Sears branded retail channels," said Tom Park, president of the Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands at Sears.

The Kenmore line of smart appliances have also been linked up to Amazon Alexa, the retailer said. Customers can ask Alexa to change the temperature on their air conditioner, for instance, without getting up from the couch. Kenmore's smart air conditioners, starting at $380, are already on sale on Amazon and are eligible for Amazon Prime's two-day shipping.

Sears was once the biggest retailer in America and its famous catalogs were found in homes across the country. However, it has not fared well amid competition from retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon. Its physical footprint in the U.S. has shrunk from 3,400 stores a decade ago to just 1,400 stores.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on July 25, 2017, 09:22:37 AM
Quote from: LM117 on July 24, 2017, 07:09:48 PM
Sears struck a deal with Amazon.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2017/07/20/sears-to-sell-kenmore-appliances-on-amazon-stock-jumps/#36f5cc515a74 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2017/07/20/sears-to-sell-kenmore-appliances-on-amazon-stock-jumps/#36f5cc515a74)

Honestly, this is probably the best move Sears has done in the last 10 years
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on July 25, 2017, 11:25:11 AM
Two issues.

- Sears has not really made Kenmore items for many years.  Mostly they are just rebadged products made in Asia or Latn America from other manufacturers.  So you can pay Amazon to buy you an air conditioner from Sears and also pay Sears to buy the same air conditioner from LG, who actually made it.  The type of people who still think Kenmore is "solid as Sears" are the least likely to be Amazon people.  Which is to say old people.  Why not just buy an LG and cut out Sears?

- The UPS man is NOT going to deliver a refrigerator to your house.  So, you buy a refrigertor from Amazon.  All Amazon is doing, other than making a profit, is passing that order on to the nearest Sears store which will deliver it to you.  Fine until Sears goes bankrupt in a year and then what?  Amazon is going to have a delivery set up, nationwide, for items that you only buy once a decade or less?   Why would I not just deal directly with Lowes or Home Depot or their regional competitors?

As to the Alexa thing, Alexa will mate with any "smart" thermostat.  I have seen the "smart" refrigerator, I don't get the point of it.   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on July 25, 2017, 03:54:13 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on July 25, 2017, 11:25:11 AM
- Sears has not really made Kenmore items for many years.  Mostly they are just rebadged products made in Asia or Latn America from other manufacturers.  So you can pay Amazon to buy you an air conditioner from Sears and also pay Sears to buy the same air conditioner from LG, who actually made it.  The type of people who still think Kenmore is "solid as Sears" are the least likely to be Amazon people.  Which is to say old people.  Why not just buy an LG and cut out Sears?

Has Kenmore EVER actually made their own appliances? From what I have seen, Sears has contracted production out to other appliance companies for several decades, if not since the beginning. My mini-fridge is indeed a Kenmore, but I knew when buying the thing that it was a rebranded something (can't find manufacturer code 255 anywhere, though).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on July 25, 2017, 06:16:33 PM
^^ No.  Kenmore has typically been made by Whirlpool.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pink Jazz on July 25, 2017, 08:26:16 PM
Quote from: Brandon on July 25, 2017, 06:16:33 PM
^^ No.  Kenmore has typically been made by Whirlpool.


I think in recent years a lot of new Kenmore appliances are now made by LG.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on July 26, 2017, 08:09:21 AM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on July 25, 2017, 08:26:16 PM
Quote from: Brandon on July 25, 2017, 06:16:33 PM
^^ No.  Kenmore has typically been made by Whirlpool.


I think in recent years a lot of new Kenmore appliances are now made by LG.

We have a 7 year old Kenmore refrigerator and a 3-year-old Kenmore washer/dryer pair, all made by Electrolux.

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

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on July 26, 2017, 05:40:39 PM
Kenmore uses a couple dozen manufacturers for the various products. Only way to tell manufacturers apart is the model number.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on July 29, 2017, 03:05:02 AM
...Aand the Kmart here in Philly just closed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on July 29, 2017, 06:19:21 AM
Quote from: Brandon on July 25, 2017, 06:16:33 PM
^^ No.  Kenmore has typically been made by Whirlpool.

Yeah, the last Kenmore we had was made by Whirlpool. My grandmother had bought a brand new Kenmore dryer in either late 1995 or early 1996 (I don't remember which). We were in Lowe's one day and saw a Whirlpool dryer that was identical to our Kenmore.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ixnay on July 29, 2017, 08:54:59 AM
Quote from: Nanis on July 29, 2017, 03:05:02 AM
...Aand the Kmart here in Philly just closed.

The one on Aramingo Ave. or the one on Roosevelt Blvd.?

ixnay
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on July 29, 2017, 10:01:51 AM
Quote from: ixnay on July 29, 2017, 08:54:59 AM
Quote from: Nanis on July 29, 2017, 03:05:02 AM
...Aand the Kmart here in Philly just closed.

The one on Aramingo Ave. or the one on Roosevelt Blvd.?

ixnay
The Roosevelt one and the Aramingo one. Hell, even the one in Willow Grove closed!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on July 29, 2017, 02:00:52 PM
Here's a update photo of the K-Mart in Vernon (July 14)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4265/35926509075_2142c42a57_k.jpg)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on August 01, 2017, 09:01:43 PM
Bye bye as they committed suicide themselves. I don't feel sorry for them at all even though they used to be good in their day, but they did nothing to reconcile their problem and did what Walmart did and got people to em.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JKRhodes on August 04, 2017, 08:48:13 PM
I checked the store locator and found three stores I've frequented in the past to still be open:

Show Low, AZ: Deuce of Clubs Ave

Tucson, AZ: Broadway Road

Las Cruces, NM: Bataan Memorial Hwy

The ones in Show Low and Las Cruces are in good spots, where there isn't a walmart close by. The one in Tucson is located at a very busy intersection, although there's also a recently expanded Walmart Supercenter one mile down the street, along with several new walmarts on the eastern and southern outskirts that have been built in the last 3-5 years.... Then again, Tucson is very anti-walmart, so I think that particular K-Mart will be ok for a while.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 24, 2017, 01:11:41 PM
28 more Kmarts are going bye-bye.  CT now down to 3 with the Southbury closing.  Amazing, since it is a 2-story location, and the hole in the wall Watertown one 10 minutes away survived.  And looks like RI is Kmart-less

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-is-closing-28-kmart-stores-list-2017-8
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on August 24, 2017, 02:44:45 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 24, 2017, 01:11:41 PM
28 more Kmarts are going bye-bye.  CT now down to 3 with the Southbury closing.  Amazing, since it is a 2-story location, and the hole in the wall Watertown one 10 minutes away survived.  And looks like RI is Kmart-less

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-is-closing-28-kmart-stores-list-2017-8
Hopefully Vernon's location survives for me to go back with my camera.   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: tchafe1978 on August 24, 2017, 04:34:38 PM
Why prolong the agony? Just close the whole chain now and be done with it. We all know it's inevitable anyways.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on August 24, 2017, 04:45:35 PM
Quote from: tchafe1978 on August 24, 2017, 04:34:38 PM
Why prolong the agony? Just close the whole chain now and be done with it. We all know it's inevitable anyways.

Exactly what I was thinking.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: steviep24 on August 24, 2017, 06:58:58 PM
The two remaining Kmarts in the Rochester, NY area (810 Paul Road, Rochester (Chili), NY and 10 Cobblestone Court Drive, Victor, NY) are on the list. Both have Walmart and Target near them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DJStephens on August 24, 2017, 08:32:20 PM
Quote from: roadiejay on August 04, 2017, 08:48:13 PM
I checked the store locator and found three stores I've frequented in the past to still be open:

Show Low, AZ: Deuce of Clubs Ave

Tucson, AZ: Broadway Road

Las Cruces, NM: Bataan Memorial Hwy

The ones in Show Low and Las Cruces are in good spots, where there isn't a walmart close by. The one in Tucson is located at a very busy intersection, although there's also a recently expanded Walmart Supercenter one mile down the street, along with several new walmarts on the eastern and southern outskirts that have been built in the last 3-5 years.... Then again, Tucson is very anti-walmart, so I think that particular K-Mart will be ok for a while.

The las Cruces store is closing Aug 31st   It was "walled" off by the US 70 overpass near it, although typical corporate bungling was more to blame for it's demise.   Had some good stuff in it, but it was never well patronized in recent years.   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on August 24, 2017, 09:45:13 PM
Quote from: tchafe1978 on August 24, 2017, 04:34:38 PM
Why prolong the agony? Just close the whole chain now and be done with it. We all know it's inevitable anyways.

I wonder if this Christmas will be the last?  I can't see them going much longer.  The Sears and Sears Outlet stores in my town have no cars, other than their skeletal staffs, in their parking lots.  Their auto repair center was empty one midday, and yet these 2 stores keep missing the chopping block.  Anybody whose drinking Eddie Lampert's "We shall rise again" Kool-Aid deserve to lose their investments at this point.  Sam with the shareholders who don't vote him out of his position.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on August 24, 2017, 11:05:55 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on August 24, 2017, 09:45:13 PMI wonder if this Christmas will be the last?  I can't see them going much longer.  The Sears and Sears Outlet stores in my town have no cars, other than their skeletal staffs, in their parking lots.  Their auto repair center was empty one midday, and yet these 2 stores keep missing the chopping block.  Anybody whose drinking Eddie Lampert's "We shall rise again" Kool-Aid deserve to lose their investments at this point.  Sam with the shareholders who don't vote him out of his position.

If they keep closing stores at the rate they're going, then it's a safe bet that this Christmas will be the last, IMO. I don't know how the hell the Kmart and Sears stores in my area keep dodging the bullet. They're both ghost towns. I doubt anybody would notice if, or should I say when, both stores close. Especially Kmart. That store is screaming to be put out of it's misery.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Urban Prairie Schooner on August 25, 2017, 10:10:19 PM
Kmarts are getting thin on the ground in many places. There are only 4 left in all of Louisiana. The Shreveport, Lafayette, Monroe, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, and Houma MSAs are all Kmartfree.  I don't know how the remaining ones survive. In the long run their failure is assured - operating them is just burning up good capital that can be put to better use. Creative destruction and all that.

Also, the Jackson MS area is Searsfree as well as Kmartfree, as the last full line Sears store (Metrocenter Mall) closed some time ago.

For some reason, the Virgin Islands have several Kmarts but no Walmarts.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on October 07, 2017, 02:47:09 PM
Eddie Lampert shells out $100 million.

https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2017/10/05/sears-ceo-loans-sears-cash-for-holidays.html#i1 (https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2017/10/05/sears-ceo-loans-sears-cash-for-holidays.html#i1)

QuoteSears CEO Eddie Lampert will shell out more than $100 million to keep Sears and Kmart stores operative during the holidays.

The head of the Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based retail chain loaned the money for "general corporate purposes,"  per the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The loans, from divisions of Lampert's ESL Investments, have an interest rate of 11 percent and are backed by the mortgages of select stores.

Lampert will also lend the company an additional $100 million between now and Dec. 1 if the organization requires it. In order to get access to the additional funds, Sears (NASDAQ: SHLD) would have to back the loans with additional real estate holdings.

The CEO has now loaned Sears $499.4 million. The existing loans come due April 3, while the new loan is due on July 20, 2020, per the filing.

Lampert is a hedge fund manager and Sears' biggest investor. As CEO he has promised to reduce the company's debt and pension obligations.

But the troubled department store has lost more than $10 billion in the past few years and weak earnings, causing executives to question the business' sustainability.

The company has been unable to adapt to online sales and competition from the likes of Wal-Mart and Target.

In March, the company said in its annual report filing that it had "substantial doubt"  that it could continue to operate.

The company has sold real estate and recently completed the sale of its Craftsman tool brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million.

In August, the company announced it will shutter 28 Kmart stores in addition to the 180 Sears and Kmart locations that have already closed this year.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: oscar on October 07, 2017, 03:21:11 PM
Kmart's Hawaii presence is now really thin too. I was disappointed to find that the only Kmart on Maui closed a few months after I last visited that island. That store was very close to the airport, and had the best selection of Maui beach towels (in about a dozen and a half colors) on the island. Instead of packing beach towels when I go to Maui, I would just buy a few at the Kmart on my way out of the airport, in colors I don't already have at home.

Next time, I'll have to see whether the local Wal-Mart or the new Target have expanded their selections to fill the void.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on October 07, 2017, 09:35:19 PM
In contrast, I recently encountered a Kmart that was thriving. The one at Elkview, WV recently reopened. You may remember that the single access to the shopping center there was washed out by flooding. They finally got the bridge replaced there and all the stores except Dollar Tree have reopened. I stopped there last week on my way back from the Columbus meet (yes, I came home through West Virginia) and the parking ot was well-filled. They could have used the flood as an excuse to close it, but they didn't, and it appeared to be doing good business when I was there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on October 10, 2017, 07:51:01 PM
In related news, Sears Holdings is closing all remaining Canadian stores per the Toronto Star (https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/10/10/sears-canada-going-out-of-business.html).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 10, 2017, 10:37:57 PM
Quote from: cl94 on October 10, 2017, 07:51:01 PM
In related news, Sears Holdings is closing all remaining Canadian stores per the Toronto Star (https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/10/10/sears-canada-going-out-of-business.html).

Meanwhile, at least a few US Sears stores got the pink slip this week, according to various news sources:

-  Crossroads Center, St. Cloud MN
-  Oxmoor Center, Louisville, KY
-  Midtown, Houston, TX

Looks like this next round of liquidations begins October 28th, with full closures in January.  I wouldn't be surprised if there are more stores TBA this week.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on October 11, 2017, 11:31:15 AM
Quote from: cl94 on October 10, 2017, 07:51:01 PM
In related news, Sears Holdings is closing all remaining Canadian stores per the Toronto Star (https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/10/10/sears-canada-going-out-of-business.html).

A preview of what's to come in the US...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: iowahighways on October 15, 2017, 01:16:09 PM
I've noticed that six of the nine remaining Kmarts in Iowa are in cities with less than 10,000 people that don't have a Walmart (per http://www.kmart.com/stores/iowa.html): Algona, Charles City, Cherokee, Oelwein, Red Oak, and Webster City.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on October 15, 2017, 02:33:11 PM
Quote from: iowahighways on October 15, 2017, 01:16:09 PM
I've noticed that six of the nine remaining Kmarts in Iowa are in cities with less than 10,000 people that don't have a Walmart (per http://www.kmart.com/stores/iowa.html): Algona, Charles City, Cherokee, Oelwein, Red Oak, and Webster City.

That's the case in much of the Northeast. Most of New York's remaining locations are in small towns without a Walmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 15, 2017, 11:07:29 PM
Quote from: iowahighways on October 15, 2017, 01:16:09 PM
I've noticed that six of the nine remaining Kmarts in Iowa are in cities with less than 10,000 people that don't have a Walmart (per http://www.kmart.com/stores/iowa.html): Algona, Charles City, Cherokee, Oelwein, Red Oak, and Webster City.

That's kind of how it is in California, usually Kmart is still around in the towns that don't have Walmart...Coalinga comes to mind.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on October 16, 2017, 12:43:04 AM
Quote from: iowahighways on October 15, 2017, 01:16:09 PM
I've noticed that six of the nine remaining Kmarts in Iowa are in cities with less than 10,000 people that don't have a Walmart (per http://www.kmart.com/stores/iowa.html): Algona, Charles City, Cherokee, Oelwein, Red Oak, and Webster City.

Two of the three remaining Kmarts in CT (Vernon, Watertown) are in towns without a Walmart or Target, although there is a Walmart and a Target about 7 minutes away from the Vernon store in Manchester.  Milford has all 3, but the Kmart is totally across town from the other two; Target is in CT Post Mall, and Walmart is a strip mall away from CT Post. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheArkansasRoadgeek on October 24, 2017, 04:00:09 PM
Damn, I can't remember the last (if ever) I was in a Kmart. Am I that old?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on October 24, 2017, 04:03:12 PM
Quote from: TheArkansasRoadgeek on October 24, 2017, 04:00:09 PM
Damn, I can't remember the last (if ever) I was in a Kmart. Am I that old?

The last time I was in a Kmart was to take pictures back in June (it was one of the last Super Kmart Centers, downsized a few years ago). Time before then was the summer of 2015 when I was working at an MPO and needed somewhere to use the restroom when I was doing a traffic count in Niagara Falls. Time before that? Probably before 2010, so yeah...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 27, 2017, 01:44:06 PM
I don't know if this has been posted, but I think it nails it, mostly.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 28, 2017, 12:18:09 AM
I see Sears is reviving their Wish Book (Christmas Catalog) this year.  This *has* to be their swan song as they try to go out in a blaze of "glory". 

I was just in my local Sears store and, to put it bluntly, I've seen a better Men's clothing department at my local Goodwill.  Their selection was about 1/8th the size of the Men's department at the JCPenney on the other end of the mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on October 28, 2017, 10:49:16 AM
Sears will no longer carry Whirpool products once the current inventory is sold.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/10/24/sears-stop-selling-whirlpool-appliances/793517001/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/10/24/sears-stop-selling-whirlpool-appliances/793517001/)

QuoteIf you are in the market for a new Whirlpool washer and dryer or Maytag dishwasher, don't expect Sears to be the place where America shops.

For the first time in more than a century, the troubled retailer will no longer sell appliances from Whirlpool, which also makes KitchenAid, Maytag and Jenn-Air products.

In a memo sent to stores last week, Sears told employees that Whirlpool made pricing demands "that would have prohibited us from offering Whirlpool products to our members at a reasonable price," the retailer said in a memo, a copy of which was sent to USA TODAY.

Sears will only sell what Whirlpool products are currently in inventory. The news hammered the stock prices of both companies. Sears shares fell more than 8% to close at $5.99 and Whirlpool was down almost 11% to $163.26.

Whirlpool CEO Marc Robert Bitzer said that the decision to pull the brand came in the spring.

"We did inform Sears in May that we would no longer supply Whirlpool branded products as we simply could not reach terms that are acceptable to both parties," Bitzer said Tuesday in a conference call with Wall Street analysts.

However, Bitzer said Whirlpool will continue to supply to Sears 10 appliances sold under the Kenmore brand.

Sears, founded in 1887 as Sears, Roebuck & Co., had sold Whirlpool appliances for more than a century.

Whirlpool has also made Kenmore dishwashers, washers and dryers and refrigerators. Sears declined to confirm which Kenmore appliances are produced by Whirlpool, but spokesman Howard Riefs said that "Whirlpool will continue to  supply the Kenmore products it makes for us.'' 

In addition to Kenmore appliances, Sears said in its memo the chain "will continue to make available top brands that members expect from us including LG, Samsung, GE, Frigidaire, Electrolux, and Bosch."

Still, the loss of the Whirlpool brand is another sign of how Sears, a one-time retail giant that was the go-to for home appliance purchases ranging from freezers to dryers, is no longer a dominant player.

"This move seems to be isolated to a dispute over pricing so is not linked to the company's financial woes,'' says Neil Saunders, managing director of the consultancy GlobalData Retail. "That said, it is another sign that Sears is becoming less relevant in the retail market and in that sense it is unwelcome news."

The partnership Sears and Whirlpool have through the Kenmore brand is likely to continue, says Matt Sargent, senior vice president of retail at Magid, a research-based consultancy.   

"Whirlpool works with them as a contract manufacturer on the Kenmore brand,'' Sargent says. "Obviously Whirlpool has to compete for that business ... I don't see that Whirlpool would choose to back away from that partnership.''

But more telling – and troubling – is that Whirlpool ultimately would not budge enough on prices to make sure its branded products would continue to be sold by the iconic retailer.

"Seeing that Whirlpool is OK backing away from Sears shows ... from a size perspective, they are no longer the dominant force they once were,'' Sargent says. While Walmart is a major player based on its sheer size, and chains such as Best Buy cater to more affluent consumers, Sears is struggling in the middle, he says.

"Sears has entered into that box of neither being big, nor serving the high end,'' he says. "If you're neither, it's very hard to continue.''

Sears has enacted several rounds of store closures this year in its struggle to stay in business. Facing growing competition from Amazon.com and other retailers such as Home Depot, Sears Holdings has said it would close more than 300 Sears or Kmart locations as part of its cost-cutting campaign. That would leave it with more than 1,200 stores.

In March, Sears rattled investors when it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business unless it could borrow more and wring cash from assets.

Earlier this year, the retailer initiated a restructuring program with the aim of cutting $1 billion in costs annually and reducing debt by $1.5 billion –it sold one of its most valuable brands, Craftsman, to Stanley Black & Decker as part of that initiative.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 28, 2017, 09:24:21 PM
Quote from: LM117 on October 28, 2017, 10:49:16 AM
Sears will no longer carry Whirpool products once the current inventory is sold.


Maybe Sears is going "Buy American" (Whirlpool is now made in Mexico)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 29, 2017, 10:41:55 AM
Quote from: US71 on October 28, 2017, 09:24:21 PM
Quote from: LM117 on October 28, 2017, 10:49:16 AM
Sears will no longer carry Whirpool products once the current inventory is sold.


Maybe Sears is going "Buy American" (Whirlpool is now made in Mexico)

Not quite accurate, as their washing machines are still made in their factory in Clyde, OH.

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2017/03/19/Huge-Whirlpool-plant-runs-heart-of-Clyde.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on October 29, 2017, 12:40:44 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 28, 2017, 09:24:21 PM
Quote from: LM117 on October 28, 2017, 10:49:16 AM
Sears will no longer carry Whirpool products once the current inventory is sold.


Maybe Sears is going "Buy American" (Whirlpool is now made in Mexico)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171029/2d54df4638989fcfeaf7c7ba3c6cc719.jpg)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: allniter89 on October 29, 2017, 04:37:33 PM
Quote from: tchafe1978 on August 24, 2017, 04:34:38 PM
Why prolong the agony? Just close the whole chain now and be done with it. We all know it's inevitable anyways.

:hmmm:Maybe they're waiting for Trump to be impeached & then he'll buy K Mart/Sears & save the world. :-D

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 29, 2017, 05:02:39 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on October 29, 2017, 10:41:55 AM

Not quite accurate, as their washing machines are still made in their factory in Clyde, OH.

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2017/03/19/Huge-Whirlpool-plant-runs-heart-of-Clyde.html

Well, I know John "I-57" Boozman arranged tax incentives so they could leave Ft Smith and move to Mexico.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on October 29, 2017, 09:24:39 PM
Trump is not stupid enough to buy a failing company, at least not with his own money.

By closing stores a few at a time, they're able to get better money for their real estate and administer laying off their staff according to whatever laws and policies apply in their jurisdictions.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on November 02, 2017, 05:08:50 PM
A new list was just published today...  18 Sears stores & 45 Kmarts are getting the ax:

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/18_sears_stores_45_kmart_store.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on November 02, 2017, 06:52:35 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on November 02, 2017, 05:08:50 PM
A new list was just published today...  18 Sears stores & 45 Kmarts are getting the ax:

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/18_sears_stores_45_kmart_store.html

Looks like they finally decided to put Danville's Kmart out of it's misery. Welp, I'll be taking advantage of clearance sales soon.

Oh, and the Lynchburg location doesn't surprise me either. It was shitty too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on November 02, 2017, 09:08:53 PM
Several in Kentucky are going bye-bye.

http://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article182418451.html#storylink=latest_side

I've been wondering what took them so long to close Frankfort, and I wonder if the snobs in Versailles will change their minds about Walmart coming in now that Kmart is leaving?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on November 02, 2017, 09:19:30 PM
Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas Sears stores are closing in January. Auto Centers close in December.

The Fayetteville Sears dates back to the early 1970's when it was the first store in the Northwest Arkansas Mall.  Before that, it was a catalog store near downtown.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: steviep24 on November 04, 2017, 09:28:01 AM
New link for the most recent round of closings.
http://www.businessinsider.com/list-sears-kmart-store-closures-2017-11

No New York stores this time around at least.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Takumi on November 04, 2017, 10:15:08 AM
My local Sears (the Southpark Circle one) is on the list. It was one of the original anchors when the mall was built. The last one left using its own name will be JCPenney, as the Macy's was originally Thalheimer's and then Hecht's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Revive 755 on November 04, 2017, 10:51:46 AM
With all of the Kmart closings, it is going be to be easier for many, particularly in parts of the Midwest to not notice when the remaining ones close.  Maybe they should just throw in the towel already and focus on saving the remaining Sears.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on November 04, 2017, 12:09:22 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on November 04, 2017, 10:51:46 AM
With all of the Kmart closings, it is going be to be easier for many, particularly in parts of the Midwest to not notice when the remaining ones close.  Maybe they should just throw in the towel already and focus on saving the remaining Sears.
I'm not sure Fast Eddie cares about saving them. He seems to be milking them dry piece by piece. Then he'll sell the corpses to the highest bidder.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: freebrickproductions on November 04, 2017, 01:17:02 PM
The last Kmart in Alabama is closing next year, and since it ain't far from me, I'll see about going down there sometime in the near future and documenting it. Maybe chase the ATN while I'm at it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on November 04, 2017, 02:21:45 PM
Included in this list is the Sears at the Lycoming Mall, which is near Williamsport. Growing up, this was my local indoor shopping mall. The mall's Macy's was closed in March. The same month, JCPenney listed the Lycoming location among the raft of stores it planned to close. Now, the mall's Sears is slated for closure.

When these three large vacant anchor spaces are added to the numerous other empty storefronts inside the mall (Gap, Aéropostale, PacSun, RadioShack, and CVS all departed within the past few years), I estimate the mall will have more leasable square footage vacant than occupied. I don't know what the tipping point is–when a shopping mall ceases being viable and ends up on a downward spiral to its ultimate end–but I'd say this mall is about to pick up a lot of downhill speed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on November 07, 2017, 09:44:50 PM
Looks like Tar-get isn't immune to store closings.  12 to close in February:

The stores being shuttered include those in: Minneapolis' Twin Cities metro area (Hastings); Fergus Falls in outstate Minnesota; Harper Woods, Michigan (Eastland); Hutchinson, Kansas; Benton Harbor, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Slidell, Louisiana; Lauderhill, Florida; Matteson, Illinois; Romeoville, Illinois; Baltimore (West), and San Antonio (Far East).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on November 07, 2017, 10:11:41 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 07, 2017, 09:44:50 PM
Looks like Tar-get isn't immune to store closings.  12 to close in February:

The stores being shuttered include those in: Minneapolis' Twin Cities metro area (Hastings); Fergus Falls in outstate Minnesota; Harper Woods, Michigan (Eastland); Hutchinson, Kansas; Benton Harbor, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Slidell, Louisiana; Lauderhill, Florida; Matteson, Illinois; Romeoville, Illinois; Baltimore (West), and San Antonio (Far East).

Matteson? Well, there's still Lincoln Mall...oh, wait!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on November 08, 2017, 04:35:14 AM
There are only two Kmart's that I can even think of within 50 miles of here. Saginaw use to have 3 Kmart's now there is none and another one closing in Bay City soon. Midland and Clio are the only two within 50 miles of Saginaw and Clio is the ONLY Kmart left in Genesee County, a county with a population of about 400,000.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on November 08, 2017, 08:53:09 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 07, 2017, 09:44:50 PM
Looks like Tar-get isn't immune to store closings.  12 to close in February:

Romeoville, Illinois;

Oh wow.  That's just a few miles from where I work.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on November 08, 2017, 11:20:30 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on November 08, 2017, 08:53:09 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 07, 2017, 09:44:50 PM
Looks like Tar-get isn't immune to store closings.  12 to close in February:

Romeoville, Illinois;

Oh wow.  That's just a few miles from where I work.

I'm not overly shocked about that one, even though it is newer.  There's a Target up in Bolingbrook at Boughton, one in Joliet by the mall, and another nearby in Plainfield at 127th & 59.  Across the river, there's one at 135th & Archer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on November 08, 2017, 03:32:25 PM
Target closed their store in the Bay City Mall about 4-5 years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on November 08, 2017, 10:14:47 PM
And the beat goes on:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/sears-to-sell-up-to-140-more-stores-as-losses-mount/ar-BBEJliz?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartanntp
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on November 12, 2017, 12:46:04 AM
Ouch, the closest Kmart to me is currently in Vernon, though the one in Manchester was closer. The closest Sears is in the Crystal Mall in Waterford.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on November 20, 2017, 11:41:31 PM
Quote from: renegade on July 09, 2017, 05:04:33 PM
The Kmart in Monroe, Michigan is closing.  In the mid-1970's, there was talk of a second Kmart for the south side of Monroe.

They built that one on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo.  The Kmart on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo is closing.

The last Sears in Toledo is closing.  The Sears in Monroe Mall closed several years ago.

There's still a Kmart in Ypsilanti/Belleville, Michigan, and a Sears at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.  Come and get them.

Belleville Kmart is still open. Went there last night to look and see how it was doing and there had to be 30-40 cars in the parking lot. It definitely helps that Walmart and Meijer are not right next door. Also, the last Kmart in the Toledo area (OH 2 in Oregon) is closing.

In northern Michigan, the only Kmarts left are Charlevoix, Grayling, and Oscoda (none of whom have Walmart or Meijer). Just in the last two years, Kmart has closed in Acme, Cheboygan, Houghton Lake, Manistee, Traverse City, and West Branch. That doesn't even include the communities that lost theirs farther back, such as Alpena, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Gaylord, Ludington, and Petoskey (Cadillac and Ludington closed during the 2002 bankruptcy, while Alpena, BR, Gaylord, and Petoskey lasted a little longer)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on November 20, 2017, 11:50:18 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on November 20, 2017, 11:41:31 PM
Quote from: renegade on July 09, 2017, 05:04:33 PM
The Kmart in Monroe, Michigan is closing.  In the mid-1970's, there was talk of a second Kmart for the south side of Monroe.

They built that one on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo.  The Kmart on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo is closing.

The last Sears in Toledo is closing.  The Sears in Monroe Mall closed several years ago.

There's still a Kmart in Ypsilanti/Belleville, Michigan, and a Sears at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.  Come and get them.

Belleville Kmart is still open. Went there last night to look and see how it was doing and there had to be 30-40 cars in the parking lot. It definitely helps that Walmart and Meijer are not right next door. Also, the last Kmart in the Toledo area (OH 2 in Oregon) is closing.

In northern Michigan, the only Kmarts left are Charlevoix, Grayling, and Oscoda (none of whom have Walmart or Meijer). Just in the last two years, Kmart has closed in Acme, Cheboygan, Houghton Lake, Manistee, Traverse City, and West Branch. That doesn't even include the communities that lost theirs farther back, such as Alpena, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Gaylord, Ludington, and Petoskey (Cadillac and Ludington closed during the 2002 bankruptcy, while Alpena, BR, Gaylord, and Petoskey lasted a little longer)
Saginaw no longer has any Kmart's, Bay City's is closing, Midland has one, Clio has one, Flint has none. That's pretty much my part of Michigan.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: renegade on November 21, 2017, 12:05:20 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 20, 2017, 11:50:18 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on November 20, 2017, 11:41:31 PM
Quote from: renegade on July 09, 2017, 05:04:33 PM
The Kmart in Monroe, Michigan is closing.  In the mid-1970's, there was talk of a second Kmart for the south side of Monroe.

They built that one on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo.  The Kmart on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo is closing.

The last Sears in Toledo is closing.  The Sears in Monroe Mall closed several years ago.

There's still a Kmart in Ypsilanti/Belleville, Michigan, and a Sears at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.  Come and get them.

Belleville Kmart is still open. Went there last night to look and see how it was doing and there had to be 30-40 cars in the parking lot. It definitely helps that Walmart and Meijer are not right next door. Also, the last Kmart in the Toledo area (OH 2 in Oregon) is closing.

In northern Michigan, the only Kmarts left are Charlevoix, Grayling, and Oscoda (none of whom have Walmart or Meijer). Just in the last two years, Kmart has closed in Acme, Cheboygan, Houghton Lake, Manistee, Traverse City, and West Branch. That doesn't even include the communities that lost theirs farther back, such as Alpena, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Gaylord, Ludington, and Petoskey (Cadillac and Ludington closed during the 2002 bankruptcy, while Alpena, BR, Gaylord, and Petoskey lasted a little longer)
Saginaw no longer has any Kmart's, Bay City's is closing, Midland has one, Clio has one, Flint has none. That's pretty much my part of Michigan.

Don't forget the one in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan has closed.  Come to think of it, the one in Soo, Ontario is long gone as well, although Kmart in Canada had little to do with its U.S. counterpart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on November 21, 2017, 02:44:55 PM
Quote from: renegade on November 21, 2017, 12:05:20 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 20, 2017, 11:50:18 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on November 20, 2017, 11:41:31 PM
Quote from: renegade on July 09, 2017, 05:04:33 PM
The Kmart in Monroe, Michigan is closing.  In the mid-1970's, there was talk of a second Kmart for the south side of Monroe.

They built that one on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo.  The Kmart on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo is closing.

The last Sears in Toledo is closing.  The Sears in Monroe Mall closed several years ago.

There's still a Kmart in Ypsilanti/Belleville, Michigan, and a Sears at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.  Come and get them.

Belleville Kmart is still open. Went there last night to look and see how it was doing and there had to be 30-40 cars in the parking lot. It definitely helps that Walmart and Meijer are not right next door. Also, the last Kmart in the Toledo area (OH 2 in Oregon) is closing.

In northern Michigan, the only Kmarts left are Charlevoix, Grayling, and Oscoda (none of whom have Walmart or Meijer). Just in the last two years, Kmart has closed in Acme, Cheboygan, Houghton Lake, Manistee, Traverse City, and West Branch. That doesn't even include the communities that lost theirs farther back, such as Alpena, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Gaylord, Ludington, and Petoskey (Cadillac and Ludington closed during the 2002 bankruptcy, while Alpena, BR, Gaylord, and Petoskey lasted a little longer)
Saginaw no longer has any Kmart's, Bay City's is closing, Midland has one, Clio has one, Flint has none. That's pretty much my part of Michigan.

Don't forget the one in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan has closed.  Come to think of it, the one in Soo, Ontario is long gone as well, although Kmart in Canada had little to do with its U.S. counterpart.
Wasn't sure about that one. I haven't been in the U.P. in quite a long time, I use to go that way to get to the Twin Cities to avoid Chicago traffic. I was at the one in Cheboygan this past summer and heard that one has closed as well as the one in West Branch which is another one I had been in the last few years.

Saginaw's last Kmart closed kind of strangely. About 3 years ago in the middle of the winter (happened while the store was closed) the roof collapsed and they just ended up closing the store down for good. Now a Kroger in that same shopping plaza is closing for good this week. The entire plaza is going to be empty.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: renegade on November 22, 2017, 01:14:54 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 21, 2017, 02:44:55 PM
Quote from: renegade on November 21, 2017, 12:05:20 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 20, 2017, 11:50:18 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on November 20, 2017, 11:41:31 PM
Quote from: renegade on July 09, 2017, 05:04:33 PM
The Kmart in Monroe, Michigan is closing.  In the mid-1970's, there was talk of a second Kmart for the south side of Monroe.

They built that one on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo.  The Kmart on W. Alexis Rd in Toledo is closing.

The last Sears in Toledo is closing.  The Sears in Frenchtown Mall closed several years ago.

There's still a Kmart in Ypsilanti/Belleville, Michigan, and a Sears at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor.  Come and get them.

Belleville Kmart is still open. Went there last night to look and see how it was doing and there had to be 30-40 cars in the parking lot. It definitely helps that Walmart and Meijer are not right next door. Also, the last Kmart in the Toledo area (OH 2 in Oregon) is closing.

In northern Michigan, the only Kmarts left are Charlevoix, Grayling, and Oscoda (none of whom have Walmart or Meijer). Just in the last two years, Kmart has closed in Acme, Cheboygan, Houghton Lake, Manistee, Traverse City, and West Branch. That doesn't even include the communities that lost theirs farther back, such as Alpena, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Gaylord, Ludington, and Petoskey (Cadillac and Ludington closed during the 2002 bankruptcy, while Alpena, BR, Gaylord, and Petoskey lasted a little longer)
Saginaw no longer has any Kmart's, Bay City's is closing, Midland has one, Clio has one, Flint has none. That's pretty much my part of Michigan.

Don't forget the one in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan has closed.  Come to think of it, the one in Soo, Ontario is long gone as well, although Kmart in Canada had little to do with its U.S. counterpart.
Wasn't sure about that one. I haven't been in the U.P. in quite a long time, I use to go that way to get to the Twin Cities to avoid Chicago traffic. I was at the one in Cheboygan this past summer and heard that one has closed as well as the one in West Branch which is another one I had been in the last few years.

Saginaw's last Kmart closed kind of strangely. About 3 years ago in the middle of the winter (happened while the store was closed) the roof collapsed and they just ended up closing the store down for good. Now a Kroger in that same shopping plaza is closing for good this week. The entire plaza is going to be empty.
I remember in the late 1970s/early '80s, the Kmart in Soo, Michigan was little more than a pole-barn-type structure out on the edge of town.  They remodeled and expanded the building in the early '90s so that it looked less like a pole-barn.

Sault Ste Marie getting a Walmart Supercenter is what ultimately did that Kmart in.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on December 02, 2017, 03:47:01 PM
Quote from: renegade on November 22, 2017, 01:14:54 PM
I remember in the late 1970s/early '80s, the Kmart in Soo, Michigan was little more than a pole-barn-type structure out on the edge of town.  They remodeled and expanded the building in the early '90s so that it looked less like a pole-barn.

Sault Ste Marie getting a Walmart Supercenter is what ultimately did that Kmart in.
More like Meijer coming to town did Soo Kmart in (same with Manistee, Acme, and Escanaba).

There will be only 15 Kmarts left in Michigan as of January 2018: Belleville, Charlevoix, Clio, Grayling, Greenville, Hastings, Lake Orion, Marine City, Marshall, Menominee, Midland, Oscoda, Richmond, Warren, and Waterford. Many of these communities either don't have any other big box stores or are on the opposite side of town as other big boxes. I think Kmart had over 100 stores in MI (and over 2,000 nationwide) at its peak.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 03, 2017, 04:29:03 PM
Bay City's is closed I was in that area on Friday night.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 03, 2017, 04:33:51 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 02, 2017, 03:47:01 PM
Quote from: renegade on November 22, 2017, 01:14:54 PM
I remember in the late 1970s/early '80s, the Kmart in Soo, Michigan was little more than a pole-barn-type structure out on the edge of town.  They remodeled and expanded the building in the early '90s so that it looked less like a pole-barn.

Sault Ste Marie getting a Walmart Supercenter is what ultimately did that Kmart in.
More like Meijer coming to town did Soo Kmart in (same with Manistee, Acme, and Escanaba).

There will be only 15 Kmarts left in Michigan as of January 2018: Belleville, Charlevoix, Clio, Grayling, Greenville, Hastings, Lake Orion, Marine City, Marshall, Menominee, Midland, Oscoda, Richmond, Warren, and Waterford. Many of these communities either don't have any other big box stores or are on the opposite side of town as other big boxes. I think Kmart had over 100 stores in MI (and over 2,000 nationwide) at its peak.
The one in Clio is on the opposite side of I-75 from a Walmart. The one in Midland is indeed on the opposite side of town from Meijer and Walmart. The one in Greenville is in between Meijer and Walmart all within about a quarter mile of each other. I'm not positive but I believe Mt. Pleasant still has a Kmart as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on December 04, 2017, 08:15:24 PM
I saw the one in New Smyrna Beach, FL is now closed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on December 10, 2017, 08:45:14 PM
the one in Willow Grove closed
now only 52 Kmarts in PA
NJ only has 18
DE only has 4
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on December 10, 2017, 09:53:42 PM
New England now has 21 K-Marts (soon to be 19) left:  3 in CT (Milford, Watertown, Vernon); 9 in MA (Acton, Billerica, Brocton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Palmer, Saugus Somerville, Webster); 2 in NH (Hooksett, Rochester [closing soon]); 2 in VT (Bennington, Rutland [closing soon]); and 5 in ME (Auburn, Augusta, Madawaska, Presque Isle, Waterville).  Totally gone from RI
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: stormwatch7721 on December 10, 2017, 10:11:39 PM
Does anyone know what happened to the Wooster and Medina Ohio K-marts?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 11, 2017, 10:09:30 AM
Quote from: stormwatch7721 on December 10, 2017, 10:11:39 PM
Does anyone know what happened to the Wooster and Medina Ohio K-marts?

Medina and nearby Montrose/Copley were the first 2 "Super Kmart" formats which opened up in the 90s -- these were the Kmart equivalents of the Walmart Super Center (retail and grocery).  They never did good on the grocery side, competing with Tops and locally run Buehlers, both within a mile of Super K,  so by the mid 00s, they closed off the grocery side, dropped the 24-hour operation and became just a Big K.  With (regular-sized) Wal-Mart and Target within a mile of Kmart and the recession, they wound up closing for good.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on December 12, 2017, 06:59:00 AM
Quote from: stormwatch7721 on December 10, 2017, 10:11:39 PM
Does anyone know what happened to the Wooster and Medina Ohio K-marts?

Medina's Kmart was downsized to a regular Kmart in the spring of 2011 and ultimately shut down for good in 2012.  As for Wooster, its last day was September 3, 2017.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: stormwatch7721 on December 12, 2017, 03:19:59 PM
Thanks for the Info, Ryan. Those are the two I went to as a kid.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on December 13, 2017, 08:07:24 AM
Quote from: stormwatch7721 on December 12, 2017, 03:19:59 PM
Thanks for the Info, Ryan. Those are the two I went to as a kid.

You're welcome!

The Kmart I visited most often was Wooster (we lived in Orrville), but Wadsworth & Barberton were ones I ended up in occasionally too.  I spent a lot of money on 35mm film at the Super Kmart in Montrose before they pulled the plug on that one.  I think I was only at the Medina Super K once, and that was shortly after it opened.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on December 16, 2017, 10:14:08 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 03, 2017, 04:33:51 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 02, 2017, 03:47:01 PM
Quote from: renegade on November 22, 2017, 01:14:54 PM
I remember in the late 1970s/early '80s, the Kmart in Soo, Michigan was little more than a pole-barn-type structure out on the edge of town.  They remodeled and expanded the building in the early '90s so that it looked less like a pole-barn.

Sault Ste Marie getting a Walmart Supercenter is what ultimately did that Kmart in.
More like Meijer coming to town did Soo Kmart in (same with Manistee, Acme, and Escanaba).

There will be only 15 Kmarts left in Michigan as of January 2018: Belleville, Charlevoix, Clio, Grayling, Greenville, Hastings, Lake Orion, Marine City, Marshall, Menominee, Midland, Oscoda, Richmond, Warren, and Waterford. Many of these communities either don't have any other big box stores or are on the opposite side of town as other big boxes. I think Kmart had over 100 stores in MI (and over 2,000 nationwide) at its peak.
The one in Clio is on the opposite side of I-75 from a Walmart. The one in Midland is indeed on the opposite side of town from Meijer and Walmart. The one in Greenville is in between Meijer and Walmart all within about a quarter mile of each other. I'm not positive but I believe Mt. Pleasant still has a Kmart as well.
The one in Mt. Pleasant is closing in January, along with Clinton Township and Battle Creek.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 17, 2017, 04:39:30 AM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 16, 2017, 10:14:08 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 03, 2017, 04:33:51 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 02, 2017, 03:47:01 PM
Quote from: renegade on November 22, 2017, 01:14:54 PM
I remember in the late 1970s/early '80s, the Kmart in Soo, Michigan was little more than a pole-barn-type structure out on the edge of town.  They remodeled and expanded the building in the early '90s so that it looked less like a pole-barn.

Sault Ste Marie getting a Walmart Supercenter is what ultimately did that Kmart in.
More like Meijer coming to town did Soo Kmart in (same with Manistee, Acme, and Escanaba).

There will be only 15 Kmarts left in Michigan as of January 2018: Belleville, Charlevoix, Clio, Grayling, Greenville, Hastings, Lake Orion, Marine City, Marshall, Menominee, Midland, Oscoda, Richmond, Warren, and Waterford. Many of these communities either don't have any other big box stores or are on the opposite side of town as other big boxes. I think Kmart had over 100 stores in MI (and over 2,000 nationwide) at its peak.
The one in Clio is on the opposite side of I-75 from a Walmart. The one in Midland is indeed on the opposite side of town from Meijer and Walmart. The one in Greenville is in between Meijer and Walmart all within about a quarter mile of each other. I'm not positive but I believe Mt. Pleasant still has a Kmart as well.
The one in Mt. Pleasant is closing in January, along with Clinton Township and Battle Creek.
Yep, along with Battle Creek and Clinton Twp.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on December 23, 2017, 12:10:50 AM
Well, I guess the time has come. According to my parents, who heard the news from other people around town, both Kmart stores here in Dalton, Georgia will be closing down at the end of the month. It will be very sad to see the nostalgic chain from my childhood go, but after it goes, something good will surely be coming in its place, so we will just have wait to see what that will be.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 23, 2017, 11:04:54 AM
The former Big Kmart in my town is going to be converted to a U-Haul trailer and indoor self-storage center.  Not a bad turnaround time of a a building and large lot being a little more than a year of being closed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 23, 2017, 02:16:04 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 23, 2017, 11:04:54 AM
The former Big Kmart in my town is going to be converted to a U-Haul trailer and indoor self-storage center.  Not a bad turnaround time of a a building and large lot being a little more than a year of being closed.

The former Kmart in Goldsboro, NC where I used to live is becoming a Planet Fitness. That Kmart has been closed since March. While I'm not overly thrilled over Planet Fitness, at least it beats the alternative of an empty, decaying building.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on December 23, 2017, 02:58:59 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 23, 2017, 11:04:54 AM
The former Big Kmart in my town is going to be converted to a U-Haul trailer and indoor self-storage center.  Not a bad turnaround time of a a building and large lot being a little more than a year of being closed.
The former K-mart in Green Bay (east) had been closed for many years before becoming a U-Haul center.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:07:31 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 23, 2017, 11:04:54 AM
The former Big Kmart in my town is going to be converted to a U-Haul trailer and indoor self-storage center.  Not a bad turnaround time of a a building and large lot being a little more than a year of being closed.
That's funny because the former Kmart on Bay Road in Saginaw, Michigan turned into a CubeSmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on December 23, 2017, 06:49:37 PM
Trying to think of what each KMart became in my area. :hmmm:

Southington and Bristol, CT.  Both became Price Chopper supermarkets (Bristol was formerly a Caldor)
Plainville, CT: This one was open for less than 2 years.  Opened with the reconstructed plaza.  Now I think it's DSW shoes.
Wallingford, CT:  Old one became a movie plex.  Newer Super K became Walmart Supercenter
New Haven, CT: Super K became Walmart Supercenter
East Haven, CT: Became National Wholesale Liquidators, then an indoor flea market. CarMax now sits on the property.
Manchester, CT: Building torn down.  Space is now empty.  May become a Walmart Supercenter
Waterbury, CT: Now an Ollie's Bargain Outlet
Cromwell, CT: Closed about a year ago.  ShopRite coming soon.
Southbury, CT: Just closed recently.  Vacant (formerly Caldor)
Putnam, CT: Vacant
West Haven, CT: Torn down.  Empty spot.
Norwalk, CT: Now Best Buy
Torrington, CT: Now Ocean State Job Lot
New Milford, CT: Now a Home Depot (?)
Great Barrington, MA: Vacant
Springfield, MA: Vacant
Hadley, MA: Now Target
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on December 23, 2017, 10:29:42 PM
One near here (130th and Aurora) became a Petsmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on December 24, 2017, 02:31:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
The ones on Miller, Dort, and South Saginaw closed within the last several years. The Pierson one closed during their 2002 bankruptcy and there was one on North Saginaw in the Beecher area which closed prior to the bankruptcy.

Here is a link of former Kmarts in Michigan (which hasn't been updated in recent years): http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cactusbob2k2/kmart.html

Speaking of Flint, their population has dropped dramatically in the last 50-60 years. At one point, Flint was larger than Grand Rapids. Now, Flint Public Schools is down to one high school (although several other school districts serve small parts of the city of Flint).

Speaking of Grand Rapids, there aren't any Kmarts left in the immediate Grand Rapids area (the last two closed just before Christmas 2016) and there are only two left within 50 miles of Grand Rapids (Greenville and Hastings)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 24, 2017, 06:52:18 PM
Another Kmart that I was familiar with other than the one in Goldsboro, NC was the one in nearby Wilson. It was located in Gateway Plaza at the corner of Forest Hills Road and Raleigh Road Parkway. It closed in 2003 during the bankruptcy closings. The building was torn down in 2007 and a Home Depot was built in it's place, which barely lasted a year. Home Depot closed in 2010 and Hobby Lobby moved into the building and has been there ever since.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DJStephens on December 24, 2017, 07:37:53 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 24, 2017, 02:31:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
The ones on Miller, Dort, and South Saginaw closed within the last several years. The Pierson one closed during their 2002 bankruptcy and there was one on North Saginaw in the Beecher area which closed prior to the bankruptcy.

Here is a link of former Kmarts in Michigan (which hasn't been updated in recent years): http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cactusbob2k2/kmart.html

Speaking of Flint, their population has dropped dramatically in the last 50-60 years. At one point, Flint was larger than Grand Rapids. Now, Flint Public Schools is down to one high school (although several other school districts serve small parts of the city of Flint).

Speaking of Grand Rapids, there aren't any Kmarts left in the immediate Grand Rapids area (the last two closed just before Christmas 2016) and there are only two left within 50 miles of Grand Rapids (Greenville and Hastings)

Flint, MI at one time possibly had two huge GM operations- Buick Assembly and an Engine Plant similar to Tonowanda, NY.   Correct me if wrong.   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 24, 2017, 11:38:31 PM
Quote from: DJStephens on December 24, 2017, 07:37:53 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 24, 2017, 02:31:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
The ones on Miller, Dort, and South Saginaw closed within the last several years. The Pierson one closed during their 2002 bankruptcy and there was one on North Saginaw in the Beecher area which closed prior to the bankruptcy.

Here is a link of former Kmarts in Michigan (which hasn't been updated in recent years): http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cactusbob2k2/kmart.html

Speaking of Flint, their population has dropped dramatically in the last 50-60 years. At one point, Flint was larger than Grand Rapids. Now, Flint Public Schools is down to one high school (although several other school districts serve small parts of the city of Flint).

Speaking of Grand Rapids, there aren't any Kmarts left in the immediate Grand Rapids area (the last two closed just before Christmas 2016) and there are only two left within 50 miles of Grand Rapids (Greenville and Hastings)

Flint, MI at one time possibly had two huge GM operations- Buick Assembly and an Engine Plant similar to Tonowanda, NY.   Correct me if wrong.   


They also had a big bus factory up there as well, IIRC.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 27, 2017, 09:18:01 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 24, 2017, 11:38:31 PM
Quote from: DJStephens on December 24, 2017, 07:37:53 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 24, 2017, 02:31:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
The ones on Miller, Dort, and South Saginaw closed within the last several years. The Pierson one closed during their 2002 bankruptcy and there was one on North Saginaw in the Beecher area which closed prior to the bankruptcy.

Here is a link of former Kmarts in Michigan (which hasn't been updated in recent years): http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cactusbob2k2/kmart.html

Speaking of Flint, their population has dropped dramatically in the last 50-60 years. At one point, Flint was larger than Grand Rapids. Now, Flint Public Schools is down to one high school (although several other school districts serve small parts of the city of Flint).

Speaking of Grand Rapids, there aren't any Kmarts left in the immediate Grand Rapids area (the last two closed just before Christmas 2016) and there are only two left within 50 miles of Grand Rapids (Greenville and Hastings)

Flint, MI at one time possibly had two huge GM operations- Buick Assembly and an Engine Plant similar to Tonowanda, NY.   Correct me if wrong.   


They also had a big bus factory up there as well, IIRC.
Too many to name there were several GM plants in Flint.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 27, 2017, 09:24:59 AM
Flint still has two high schools. Northwestern is still open as is Southwestern. Carman-Ainsworth serves Flint city students as well. Flint's population was larger than GR's for only one census 1960 which is when Flint was at it's peak. Grand Rapids still has roughly the same population it did in 1960.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on December 27, 2017, 12:05:27 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 27, 2017, 09:18:01 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 24, 2017, 11:38:31 PM
Quote from: DJStephens on December 24, 2017, 07:37:53 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 24, 2017, 02:31:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
The ones on Miller, Dort, and South Saginaw closed within the last several years. The Pierson one closed during their 2002 bankruptcy and there was one on North Saginaw in the Beecher area which closed prior to the bankruptcy.

Here is a link of former Kmarts in Michigan (which hasn't been updated in recent years): http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cactusbob2k2/kmart.html

Speaking of Flint, their population has dropped dramatically in the last 50-60 years. At one point, Flint was larger than Grand Rapids. Now, Flint Public Schools is down to one high school (although several other school districts serve small parts of the city of Flint).

Speaking of Grand Rapids, there aren't any Kmarts left in the immediate Grand Rapids area (the last two closed just before Christmas 2016) and there are only two left within 50 miles of Grand Rapids (Greenville and Hastings)

Flint, MI at one time possibly had two huge GM operations- Buick Assembly and an Engine Plant similar to Tonowanda, NY.   Correct me if wrong.   


They also had a big bus factory up there as well, IIRC.

Too many to name there were several GM plants in Flint.

Flint was basically a GM company town.  It would rise with GM and fall with GM.  In fact, the decline of the US auto industry hit Flint the hardest, as it really was the decline of GM (Ford's and Chrysler's shares of the market didn't drop as much).  GM went from having over 50% of the market in 1962 to having a mere 17% today.  For the record, Ford was at 27% in 1962, 14.5% now; Chrysler was at 10% in 1962, 12.5% now.

https://knoema.com/floslle/top-vehicle-manufacturers-in-the-us-market-1961-2016
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 03, 2018, 09:42:19 PM
Quote from: Brandon on December 27, 2017, 12:05:27 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 27, 2017, 09:18:01 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on December 24, 2017, 11:38:31 PM
Quote from: DJStephens on December 24, 2017, 07:37:53 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 24, 2017, 02:31:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:09:26 PM
There are a lot of abandoned Kmart's in the Flint area. I can think of about where 4 of them are off the top of my head and Genesee County only has one Kmart left and it's in Clio. There's one on Miller, one on Pierson, one on Dort Hwy., one on Saginaw in Grand Blanc and many others it's crazy that Flint, Michigan a city that still has around 90,000 people doesn't have a single Kmart.
The ones on Miller, Dort, and South Saginaw closed within the last several years. The Pierson one closed during their 2002 bankruptcy and there was one on North Saginaw in the Beecher area which closed prior to the bankruptcy.

Here is a link of former Kmarts in Michigan (which hasn't been updated in recent years): http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/cactusbob2k2/kmart.html

Speaking of Flint, their population has dropped dramatically in the last 50-60 years. At one point, Flint was larger than Grand Rapids. Now, Flint Public Schools is down to one high school (although several other school districts serve small parts of the city of Flint).

Speaking of Grand Rapids, there aren't any Kmarts left in the immediate Grand Rapids area (the last two closed just before Christmas 2016) and there are only two left within 50 miles of Grand Rapids (Greenville and Hastings)

Flint, MI at one time possibly had two huge GM operations- Buick Assembly and an Engine Plant similar to Tonowanda, NY.   Correct me if wrong.   


They also had a big bus factory up there as well, IIRC.

Too many to name there were several GM plants in Flint.

Flint was basically a GM company town.  It would rise with GM and fall with GM.  In fact, the decline of the US auto industry hit Flint the hardest, as it really was the decline of GM (Ford's and Chrysler's shares of the market didn't drop as much).  GM went from having over 50% of the market in 1962 to having a mere 17% today.  For the record, Ford was at 27% in 1962, 14.5% now; Chrysler was at 10% in 1962, 12.5% now.

https://knoema.com/floslle/top-vehicle-manufacturers-in-the-us-market-1961-2016
Flint fell with GM no doubt. Flint is just a dying town with a decent downtown area but nobody really wants to be in Flint.

SAMSUNG-SM-J727A

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 03, 2018, 09:44:18 PM
My favorite Flint area eatery continues to thrive though. Starlite Coney Island in Burton. I drive from Saginaw to eat there three times a week.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 04, 2018, 02:24:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that another round of closures for Kmart/Sears should be coming in the next week or so.  We're due!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 03:48:08 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 04, 2018, 02:24:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that another round of closures for Kmart/Sears should be coming in the next week or so.  We're due!

Well, there's a round of Macy's closures: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/01/04/macys-announces-job-cuts-7-new-store-closures/1002886001/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on January 04, 2018, 04:34:04 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 04, 2018, 02:24:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that another round of closures for Kmart/Sears should be coming in the next week or so.  We're due!

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/04/sears-is-closing-more-than-100-more-stores.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on January 04, 2018, 04:37:58 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on January 04, 2018, 04:34:04 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 04, 2018, 02:24:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that another round of closures for Kmart/Sears should be coming in the next week or so.  We're due!

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/04/sears-is-closing-more-than-100-more-stores.html

Beat me to posting it.

The Hicksville location has been on the chopping block for years. Only thing new is the official closing date. Store is supposedly falling apart and it's in a prime location on NY 106/107, so Sears will make a large amount of money from the property sale.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 04, 2018, 05:40:18 PM
Cabot, Arkansas will be closing in April. That will leave Russellville as the last store in Arkansas.  I'd be willing to bet they don't see Christmas 2018.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on January 04, 2018, 06:11:32 PM
Looks like VT and NH each had their store presence cut in half with the Rutland and Rochester stores on the chopping block.  This will cut the number in New England down to 19 (9 in MA, 5 in ME, 3 in CT, 1 each in VT and NH). 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 04, 2018, 06:42:11 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on January 04, 2018, 04:34:04 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 04, 2018, 02:24:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that another round of closures for Kmart/Sears should be coming in the next week or so.  We're due!

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/04/sears-is-closing-more-than-100-more-stores.html

But no prize for predicting that :(
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 07:02:50 PM
Here's the list: http://searsholdings.com/docs/010418-store-closing-list.pdf

They're leaving highly successful malls now such as Orland Square.  Orland should have an easy time filling the spot with something better.

And then there's this: http://fortune.com/2018/01/04/jcpenney-sears-appliances-2/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 04, 2018, 07:06:58 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 04, 2018, 02:24:23 PM
I'm willing to bet that another round of closures for Kmart/Sears should be coming in the next week or so.  We're due!

You're a wizard, Harry.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 07:09:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 07:02:50 PM
Here's the list: http://searsholdings.com/docs/010418-store-closing-list.pdf

They're leaving highly successful malls now such as Orland Square.  Orland should have an easy time filling the spot with something better.

And then there's this: http://fortune.com/2018/01/04/jcpenney-sears-appliances-2/
I can't believe that Sears location is closing. Orland Square has always done pretty well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 04, 2018, 07:12:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 07:09:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 07:02:50 PM
Here's the list: http://searsholdings.com/docs/010418-store-closing-list.pdf

They're leaving highly successful malls now such as Orland Square.  Orland should have an easy time filling the spot with something better.

And then there's this: http://fortune.com/2018/01/04/jcpenney-sears-appliances-2/
I can't believe that Sears location is closing. Orland Square has always done pretty well.

Have you been in there recently?  In the Sears store I was in last, there was hardly anything to buy.  Manufacturers and wholesalers will no longer extend Sears credit to put stock on the shelves.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 07:15:37 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 04, 2018, 07:12:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 07:09:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 07:02:50 PM
Here's the list: http://searsholdings.com/docs/010418-store-closing-list.pdf

They're leaving highly successful malls now such as Orland Square.  Orland should have an easy time filling the spot with something better.

And then there's this: http://fortune.com/2018/01/04/jcpenney-sears-appliances-2/
I can't believe that Sears location is closing. Orland Square has always done pretty well.

Have you been in there recently?  In the Sears store I was in last, there was hardly anything to buy.  Manufacturers and wholesalers will no longer extend Sears credit to put stock on the shelves.
I haven't been in there in about 3 years and it seemed pretty busy to me for a shopping mall and features quite a few stores. It seemed nicer to me than say Woodfield Mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 04, 2018, 07:18:50 PM
The bigger they come, the harder they fall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 04, 2018, 07:22:36 PM
Two Sears locations that I'm surprised didn't make the latest shit-list is the one here in Danville Mall since there's usually nobody in there except for the employees and the other is a stand-alone store in Greenville, NC for the same reason.

The Sears in my old stomping grounds of Goldsboro, NC appears to still have some life left in it. I went to Berkeley Mall there last month and while it wasn't particularly busy, it wasn't abandoned the way they are in Danville and Greenville, though it's obviously seen better days where inventory is concerned.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 07:24:52 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 04, 2018, 07:12:21 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 07:09:43 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 07:02:50 PM
Here's the list: http://searsholdings.com/docs/010418-store-closing-list.pdf

They're leaving highly successful malls now such as Orland Square.  Orland should have an easy time filling the spot with something better.

And then there's this: http://fortune.com/2018/01/04/jcpenney-sears-appliances-2/
I can't believe that Sears location is closing. Orland Square has always done pretty well.

Have you been in there recently?  In the Sears store I was in last, there was hardly anything to buy.  Manufacturers and wholesalers will no longer extend Sears credit to put stock on the shelves.

The mall (Orland Square) is alive and vibrant.  Sears there, not quite so much.  It might be an opening for the South Suburbs to gain a Nordstrom.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 08:15:47 PM
Lansing, Michigan has two major shopping malls. One on the eastern side of the metro called Meridian Mall and one on the western side of the metro called Lansing Mall. Neither mall has ever had a Sears store in it. There is only one Sears store in Lansing and it's located in between the two malls in an older shopping plaza called Frandor. I don't think that store has made the chopping block but it makes more sense to have Sears in this location in between the two malls rather than having a store at each mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on January 04, 2018, 08:27:26 PM
I'm a little surprised the Sears at Landmark Mall in Alexandria isn't on the list. Since the Macy's closed a year or two ago, Sears is all that's left there. The mall is to be redeveloped at some point into a "town center,"  but it's taking a long time.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 08:38:34 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 08:15:47 PM
Lansing, Michigan has two major shopping malls. One on the eastern side of the metro called Meridian Mall and one on the western side of the metro called Lansing Mall. Neither mall has ever had a Sears store in it. There is only one Sears store in Lansing and it's located in between the two malls in an older shopping plaza called Frandor. I don't think that store has made the chopping block but it makes more sense to have Sears in this location in between the two malls rather than having a store at each mall.

Lansing Mall did lose its Macy's though.  I think the proximity of MSU to the Sears by Frandor (its never actually been part of Frandor, just a close shadow anchor) is what's keeping that Sears alive (for now).  Of the two, Meridian Mall's always been the nicer one.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on January 04, 2018, 11:37:44 PM
It's a miracle how the Traverse City Sears manages to survive. They are in the Cherryland Center, which was de-malled not long after Grand Traverse Mall opened in the early 1990s. Cherryland also had a Kmart which closed last year. Speaking of Grand Traverse Mall, it's one of the few malls that still has all of its original anchors (if you count Hudson's/Marshall Fields/Macy's as one; their other anchors are JCPenney and Target).

Down to 13 Kmarts in Michigan with Greenville and Richmond on the chopping block. I'm surprised Greenville made it this long with Walmart and Meijer nearby (in fact, Meijer, which was founded in Greenville, is right across the road and Walmart is less than a half mile away from the Greenville Kmart)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 11:44:28 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 04, 2018, 08:38:34 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 08:15:47 PM
Lansing, Michigan has two major shopping malls. One on the eastern side of the metro called Meridian Mall and one on the western side of the metro called Lansing Mall. Neither mall has ever had a Sears store in it. There is only one Sears store in Lansing and it's located in between the two malls in an older shopping plaza called Frandor. I don't think that store has made the chopping block but it makes more sense to have Sears in this location in between the two malls rather than having a store at each mall.

Lansing Mall did lose its Macy's though.  I think the proximity of MSU to the Sears by Frandor (its never actually been part of Frandor, just a close shadow anchor) is what's keeping that Sears alive (for now).  Of the two, Meridian Mall's always been the nicer one.
I know Lansing quite well. Meridian typically has the more upscale stores and has more stores and it's closer to MSU too so it doesn't do too bad. Lansing Mall though is in a somewhat rougher part of town and draws that crowd.  I think with the closing of the S. Cedar Kmart that Lansing is now Kmartless and the one in St. Johns closed too. I don't even consider them as in business anymore really but if I see one I'll stop and walk around inside it just to see what it looks like to be in a Kmart again.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 11:52:54 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 04, 2018, 11:37:44 PM
It's a miracle how the Traverse City Sears manages to survive. They are in the Cherryland Center, which was de-malled not long after Grand Traverse Mall opened in the early 1990s. Cherryland also had a Kmart which closed last year. Speaking of Grand Traverse Mall, it's one of the few malls that still has all of its original anchors (if you count Hudson's/Marshall Fields/Macy's as one; their other anchors are JCPenney and Target).

Down to 13 Kmarts in Michigan with Greenville and Richmond on the chopping block. I'm surprised Greenville made it this long with Walmart and Meijer nearby (in fact, Meijer, which was founded in Greenville, is right across the road and Walmart is less than a half mile away from the Greenville Kmart)
I didn't even know Traverse City still had a Sears but now that I look at it I have never really spent much time around that part of Traverse City but I can't believe they are still able to survive up there either. I kind of like Grand Traverse as a mall though being that it's smaller than most malls.
I'm surprised Richmond lasted this long with Kmart but it's kind of off the beaten path a little bit. I can't remember if the Marine City Kmart has closed or not but if it hasn't I wonder how the heck that one survives too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2018, 11:53:15 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 04, 2018, 08:27:26 PM
I'm a little surprised the Sears at Landmark Mall in Alexandria isn't on the list. Since the Macy's closed a year or two ago, Sears is all that's left there. The mall is to be redeveloped at some point into a "town center,"  but it's taking a long time.

Still can't fathom how that Sears outlasted everything else. Maybe Sears is holding out for a better sale price to Hughes (new developer), I've also heard it's because of the auto center. That whole property is a mess (although I did get my first-ever suit from the Hect's there).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 05, 2018, 08:50:07 AM
And, over 100 more store closures have been announced...

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-list-2018-1

Northfield Square in the Kankakee, IL area and Orland Square in Orland Park, IL are amongst the closing.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Life in Paradise on January 05, 2018, 09:17:18 AM
The most recent store closings caught me off guard.  They are closing the Evansville, IN Sears store, which according to mall operators, is still profitable.  Between the K-Mart and Sears closings will basically remove the stores from our regional area.  What many people don't realize is that the first actual Sears store was in Evansville IN (they were catalog before).  It was actually located in downtown Evansville, and the existing store opened at a new mall that was christened in 1963.  I just want to know why don't they just pull the plug?  They have been beyond the point of no return for years.  The joke in these releases is that employees of closing stores are welcome to apply for jobs at other Sears/K-Mart stores (Where?  Are they really looking for employees somewhere?  I know shoppers are looking for employees, since there aren't too many of them at the stores).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 05, 2018, 09:31:10 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 11:52:54 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 04, 2018, 11:37:44 PM
It's a miracle how the Traverse City Sears manages to survive. They are in the Cherryland Center, which was de-malled not long after Grand Traverse Mall opened in the early 1990s. Cherryland also had a Kmart which closed last year. Speaking of Grand Traverse Mall, it's one of the few malls that still has all of its original anchors (if you count Hudson's/Marshall Fields/Macy's as one; their other anchors are JCPenney and Target).

Down to 13 Kmarts in Michigan with Greenville and Richmond on the chopping block. I'm surprised Greenville made it this long with Walmart and Meijer nearby (in fact, Meijer, which was founded in Greenville, is right across the road and Walmart is less than a half mile away from the Greenville Kmart)
I didn't even know Traverse City still had a Sears but now that I look at it I have never really spent much time around that part of Traverse City but I can't believe they are still able to survive up there either. I kind of like Grand Traverse as a mall though being that it's smaller than most malls.
I'm surprised Richmond lasted this long with Kmart but it's kind of off the beaten path a little bit. I can't remember if the Marine City Kmart has closed or not but if it hasn't I wonder how the heck that one survives too.

The last time I looked at a P&L for that store was maybe circa 2007?   They were doing surprisingly well at the onset of the recession, it doesn't surprise me that they made it to Sears last stand.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 05, 2018, 11:25:51 AM
Sears has been closing about 400 stores a year, so at that rate they have a couple more years before the last one.  That's probably about as fast as their headquarters can handle.  For each one, there's real estate to sell, severance checks to write, relationships to wrap up with supporting contractors.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SectorZ on January 05, 2018, 11:41:05 AM
The Sears in Burlington MA closing is an odd bellwether. The Burlington Mall is one of the busiest malls in America. It already downsized from two stories to one. When I was a kid, in the 80's, that store was always mobbed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 05, 2018, 11:44:15 AM
Quote from: kkt on January 05, 2018, 11:25:51 AM
Sears has been closing about 400 stores a year, so at that rate they have a couple more years before the last one.  That's probably about as fast as their headquarters can handle.  For each one, there's real estate to sell, severance checks to write, relationships to wrap up with supporting contractors.
As of the 3rd quarter of 2017 they had 594 stores remaining. Both Sears and Kmart have an extremely high chance of disappearing and going defunct in 2018. After Sears closes the 39 stores they'll be at 555 stores and probably announce more closings.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 05, 2018, 11:52:45 AM
Bay City, Michigan lost it's Sears in 2014 and Sears had a location in Bay City since 1928. A month after Sears announced this closing Target announced they were closing their store in the same mall which closed in early 2015.  In 2010, GGP who owned the mall at the time listed Bay City Mall among its least profitable malls.

Midland, Michigan, about 20 miles west of Bay City lost it's Sears and JCPenney both in the same mall. Sears closed in 2016 and JCPenney closed last year. Midland Mall is the smallest of the three malls in the Tri-Cities area but has the lowest vacancy rate of the three.

Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw, the other Tri City continues to have a Sears, Macy's and JCPenney with really no threat of losing any of them. JCPenney use to have a location in downtown Saginaw and one at Green Acres Plaza in Saginaw Township. The downtown one closed and relocated to the mall and the Green Acres one closed several years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 05, 2018, 12:00:01 PM
I see they are closing the Kmart in Warren, OH.  Kmart has (or probably now, had) a huge distribution center in Warren on the northwest side of town.  Before I moved out west, I worked for a courier/delivery company that delivered there.  It was an indoor dock facility with well over 100 spots for trucks to dock and load/unload.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on January 05, 2018, 12:27:40 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on January 04, 2018, 11:53:15 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 04, 2018, 08:27:26 PM
I'm a little surprised the Sears at Landmark Mall in Alexandria isn't on the list. Since the Macy's closed a year or two ago, Sears is all that's left there. The mall is to be redeveloped at some point into a "town center,"  but it's taking a long time.

Still can't fathom how that Sears outlasted everything else. Maybe Sears is holding out for a better sale price to Hughes (new developer), I've also heard it's because of the auto center. That whole property is a mess (although I did get my first-ever suit from the Hect's there).

It's strange. Sears corporate considers that store to be an "inner-city" store due to shopper demographics, and I'd interpret that to be a negative factor against that store because the "inner-city" stores also all have greater issues with shoplifting and the like (this information all comes from a relative who used to work loss prevention for Sears). But on the other hand, maybe the store gets a fair amount of business from people who ride the DASH bus route that stops there. There also isn't another Sears store nearby to compete directly with it–the only other two around are at Seven Corners (the former Lord & Taylor) and at Fair Oaks. People who ride the DASH bus don't really have other easy department store options unless they take the Metrorail to Springfield Mall or Pentagon City (or somewhere further away), so perhaps they get more business than we might think.

The really strange local store setup is at Fair Oaks, where there are two Macy's (Macy'ses? Not sure what the correct plural is!). One of them was a Macy's originally and the other was a Hecht's. Apparently when Macy's took over Hecht's they decided they would rather have two stores there than allow a competitor to take over the space. (Once upon a time there was a plan for Nordstrom to open at Fair Oaks, but obviously that never happened.) I would think if Macy's are having trouble, as has been reported in the news, they would axe one of those Fair Oaks stores, but on the other hand maybe the landlord (Taubman Centers) gives them some kind of incentives out of the perfectly legitimate fear that losing two anchors (Macy's and Sears) would cause major problems for the mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: doorknob60 on January 05, 2018, 04:59:16 PM
Wow, the Magic Valley Mall (Twin Falls, ID) is screwed. Two of its anchors (Macy's and Sears) are closing within the next few months. That leaves Shopko (another dying chain, though they're treading water better than Kmart) and JC Penney (doing OK, but if Macy's closed wouldn't surprise me to see them go soon too) as anchors. The location (well, never been to the mall itself, but the road and surrounding area) is very high traffic and generally good (surrounded by Costco, Best Buy, Target, Home Depot, etc. just off the mall itself) so it will probably survive in some form, but wouldn't surprise me if some major changes happen over the next 5-10 years (like turning it into more of a strip mall).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 05, 2018, 09:46:46 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 05, 2018, 12:27:40 PM
The really strange local store setup is at Fair Oaks, where there are two Macy's (Macy'ses? Not sure what the correct plural is!). One of them was a Macy's originally and the other was a Hecht's. Apparently when Macy's took over Hecht's they decided they would rather have two stores there than allow a competitor to take over the space.

Not necessarily uncommon, but there are malls with 2 buildings with the same stores.

There was a mall in Cleveland (Westgate Mall) where Dillard's occupied 2 separate anchor stores.  One was the original Higbees (which became Dillard's) and one was once Halle's and later Joseph Hornes.  When the latter went out of business, Higbee's/Dillards made their original store Housewares and Men's, while the Women's related clothing & jewelry moved over to the larger building. Both anchor stores were now Dillards, with Kohls added later. Westgate Mall has since been torn down but the Kohl's is still around.

Down in Akron, Higbee's/Dillards moved into the old Halle's department store when Halle's went out of business at Summit Mall.  Then they bought and expanded into what was the old Polsky's/Jewel Mart department store space, again putting men's and housewares into one building and all the women's apparel into the other.  Summit Mall is still alive with 3 Department Store anchors -- Macy's (Now the only one in Akron) and the 2 Dillard stores.

Oddly enough, Sears nor JCPenney's never were a part of either mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on January 06, 2018, 12:56:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 11:52:54 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 04, 2018, 11:37:44 PM
It's a miracle how the Traverse City Sears manages to survive. They are in the Cherryland Center, which was de-malled not long after Grand Traverse Mall opened in the early 1990s. Cherryland also had a Kmart which closed last year. Speaking of Grand Traverse Mall, it's one of the few malls that still has all of its original anchors (if you count Hudson's/Marshall Fields/Macy's as one; their other anchors are JCPenney and Target).

Down to 13 Kmarts in Michigan with Greenville and Richmond on the chopping block. I'm surprised Greenville made it this long with Walmart and Meijer nearby (in fact, Meijer, which was founded in Greenville, is right across the road and Walmart is less than a half mile away from the Greenville Kmart)
I didn't even know Traverse City still had a Sears but now that I look at it I have never really spent much time around that part of Traverse City but I can't believe they are still able to survive up there either. I kind of like Grand Traverse as a mall though being that it's smaller than most malls.
I'm surprised Richmond lasted this long with Kmart but it's kind of off the beaten path a little bit. I can't remember if the Marine City Kmart has closed or not but if it hasn't I wonder how the heck that one survives too.
Marine City Kmart is still open. The nearest competitors are Meijer stores in Marysville and Chesterfield Township. The nearest Walmart is on the north end of Port Huron. Most of the remaining Kmart stores have little to no close competition. It would be very interesting to see a map of all the Kmart and Sears stores that have closed over the last few years
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 06, 2018, 06:52:05 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 06, 2018, 12:56:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 04, 2018, 11:52:54 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 04, 2018, 11:37:44 PM
It's a miracle how the Traverse City Sears manages to survive. They are in the Cherryland Center, which was de-malled not long after Grand Traverse Mall opened in the early 1990s. Cherryland also had a Kmart which closed last year. Speaking of Grand Traverse Mall, it's one of the few malls that still has all of its original anchors (if you count Hudson's/Marshall Fields/Macy's as one; their other anchors are JCPenney and Target).

Down to 13 Kmarts in Michigan with Greenville and Richmond on the chopping block. I'm surprised Greenville made it this long with Walmart and Meijer nearby (in fact, Meijer, which was founded in Greenville, is right across the road and Walmart is less than a half mile away from the Greenville Kmart)
I didn't even know Traverse City still had a Sears but now that I look at it I have never really spent much time around that part of Traverse City but I can't believe they are still able to survive up there either. I kind of like Grand Traverse as a mall though being that it's smaller than most malls.
I'm surprised Richmond lasted this long with Kmart but it's kind of off the beaten path a little bit. I can't remember if the Marine City Kmart has closed or not but if it hasn't I wonder how the heck that one survives too.
Marine City Kmart is still open. The nearest competitors are Meijer stores in Marysville and Chesterfield Township. The nearest Walmart is on the north end of Port Huron. Most of the remaining Kmart stores have little to no close competition. It would be very interesting to see a map of all the Kmart and Sears stores that have closed over the last few years
Which is probably why the one in Midland remains open too. The Walmart and Meijer in Midland are in the same part of town but Kmart is on the other side of town. Bay City lost it's last Kmart just a few months ago and that was in between a Meijer and Walmart both about a mile or so away. I think one major thing about Kmart is they refused to remodel their stores to keep up with Walmart and Meijer. At least Meijer has been renovating their stores and keeping them up to date. The Burton Meijer is the oldest Meijer in Genesee County and was just remodeled for the first time in years in 2016.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on January 07, 2018, 12:36:09 PM
^^ You're too young.  Back, prior to 1983, JCPenney sold appliances, tools, & had auto centers.  Basically, everything Sears had.  In the late 1980s, they discontinued electronics as well.  Other stores, such as Carson's & Field's even had TVs.  Others, like Wieboldt's, had tire centers.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 07, 2018, 12:57:23 PM
I don't remember if this has already been posted, but here's a good read:

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-eddie-lampert-set-sears-up-to-fail-2017-5 (http://www.businessinsider.com/how-eddie-lampert-set-sears-up-to-fail-2017-5)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 07, 2018, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
JCPenney at one time sold all these things. They had appliance, hardware and auto center departments but discontinued them in the 1980's. Before 1966 most JCPenney locations were in the downtown's of cities too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 05:32:43 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 07, 2018, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
JCPenney at one time sold all these things. They had appliance, hardware and auto center departments but discontinued them in the 1980's. Before 1966 most JCPenney locations were in the downtown's of cities too.
Come to think about it I think JCPenney may still sell some appliances although not as large of a selection as Sears. I do vaguely remember when Bon Ton in our area known as Boston Store sold electronics we bought our VCR there. Now without Sears it just feels like all the department stores are all basically the same. Von Maur recently opened in my area but they basically sell the same stuff that Nordstrom, Macy's and Bon Ton does.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on January 07, 2018, 09:47:01 PM
The markup isn't high enough on appliances, hardware, and auto repair to pay a mall's cut and still make money.  And they're worth enough that people will shop around.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 07, 2018, 09:53:49 PM
Quote from: kkt on January 07, 2018, 09:47:01 PM
The markup isn't high enough on appliances, hardware, and auto repair to pay a mall's cut and still make money.  And they're worth enough that people will shop around.

My local JCP put up a sign that they now sell appliances.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 07, 2018, 10:25:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 07, 2018, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
JCPenney at one time sold all these things. They had appliance, hardware and auto center departments but discontinued them in the 1980's. Before 1966 most JCPenney locations were in the downtown's of cities too.

Don't forget Monkey,...er Montgomery Wards.  They were the competitors to Sears as they had hardware and Auto Stores until their end in the 90s.

FUN FACTS:  To my knowledge, for reasons I have yet to figure out, Montgomery Wards never had *ANY* store presence in the Cleveland, Ohio market, even though they had stores in surrounding Akron, Canton, Youngstown & Toledo.

And since the early-mid 80's, Kroger's has no stores in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton market.  IIRC, Kroger had pulled out all their stores from this area as a result of bitter disputes from the grocery union (UFCW).  Yet despite Giant Eagle now being the only large regional grocery-only market chain in the area once Tops left, and Kroger being an Ohio company, Kroger still will not come back to NE OH.  Toledo and Columbus are the closest Krogers.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on January 08, 2018, 09:57:39 AM
The reason the then "Big 3" (Sears, JC Penney, and Wards) sold appliances and electronics and did mid-level auto repairs and sold tires and batteries, was credit cards.  Back in the day, the only people that had general credit cards like MC, Visa and AMEX, were the upper middle class and above and people who traveled a great deal.  But stores all had their own credit cards, and the Big 3, and particularly Sears would give credit very liberally.  As such, while better prices and/or quality was available elsewhere, people shopped where they could, as the phrase of the day went, get the products "on time". 

Sears, until I think the early 90s IIRC, insisted on having its own brand names on EVERYTHING in the store.    Even things that clearly were just relabeled products.  I remember when the Atari 2600 came out, Sears sold it as the "Sears Tele Game" and even sold its own (totally compatible) cartridges, the earliest of which it would rename these (Combat, which came with the game, was "Tanks Plus" and so on).  When the Mattel "Intelivision" came out, it did the same thing, calling it the "Sears Super Tele Game".  Same deal with Sony Batamax (while there is a lot of material on that "format war", no one ever mentions that Sony lost despite Sears, which had a huge share of the TV market in that era, on its side), which was relabeled as just "Sears".

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 08, 2018, 12:46:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on January 08, 2018, 09:57:39 AM


Sears, until I think the early 90s IIRC, insisted on having its own brand names on EVERYTHING in the store.    Even things that clearly were just relabeled products.  I remember when the Atari 2600 came out, Sears sold it as the "Sears Tele Game" and even sold its own (totally compatible) cartridges, the earliest of which it would rename these (Combat, which came with the game, was "Tanks Plus" and so on). 

As a retro gamer, I may add, that Sears also carried the Tele-Games II.  This was the Atari 2800 which was only released in Japan, rebranded with the Sears trademarks.  It was fully compatible with the 2600.  Sleek little system too.  The joysticks and paddles were on one controller.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on January 08, 2018, 12:53:18 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, MI had a backup plan when Sears closed its store there. A Von Maur is going into that mall where Sears was. Woodland has had relative anchor stability compared to most malls. Until Sears closed, the only anchor change was the addition of Hudson's and then that store's subsequent renames into Marshall Fields and then Macy's (Sears and JCPenney were Woodland's original anchors).

Fun fact 1: The Sears store in RiverTown Crossings is the only SHC property left in the immediate Grand Rapids/Muskegon area (Kmart closed its last Grand Rapids stores in 2016 and its last Muskegon store in 2017)

Fun fact 2: Dick's Sporting Goods, mentioned a few posts up, has been an anchor at RiverTown since they bought Galyan's (which was an original anchor when that mall opened in 1999)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 08, 2018, 04:49:08 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 05:32:43 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 07, 2018, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
JCPenney at one time sold all these things. They had appliance, hardware and auto center departments but discontinued them in the 1980's. Before 1966 most JCPenney locations were in the downtown's of cities too.
Come to think about it I think JCPenney may still sell some appliances although not as large of a selection as Sears. I do vaguely remember when Bon Ton in our area known as Boston Store sold electronics we bought our VCR there. Now without Sears it just feels like all the department stores are all basically the same. Von Maur recently opened in my area but they basically sell the same stuff that Nordstrom, Macy's and Bon Ton does.
I indeed remember the appliances, I also remember they made a CB radio as well. The Sears here is still open but two other one's nearby have closed in recent years (Bay City and Midland, but Saginaw is a larger urban area I shouldn't say city anymore since Midland is approaching Saginaw in population but still has a lot less in the surrounding area). Flint has also retained it's Sears but there is a dead mall on the eastern side of Flint in the suburb of Burton that has a mall that is on death row. Courtland Center still has a JCPenney that survives along with some other mall type stores and a Planet Fitness but the mall has an extremely high vacancy rate so high that pictures taken inside the mall on Google show the vast amount of vacant storefronts. A Target store on the other side of I-69 closed a few years ago. Sears is in Genesee Valley Mall though and that mall still does pretty good.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on January 09, 2018, 08:42:27 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 08, 2018, 12:53:18 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on January 07, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
The sad thing about Sears going away is that it was very unique when it came to mall based retail. It sold things that other stores didn't like electronics appliances, tools ect they had auto centers. While JCPenny's Macy's, Bon Ton, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Von Maur ect never sold any of those products. I think it came down to we just had too many stores but it still sad to see this happen. At least my local mall had a backup plan with Sears knowing the odds of it closing were high. Although I am not to thrilled about another movie theater as we already have enough of those as is. Now it appears the trend is going to be Target and Dick's Sporting Goods serving more as mall anchors something you never saw 20 or 30 years ago.
Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, MI had a backup plan when Sears closed its store there. A Von Maur is going into that mall where Sears was. Woodland has had relative anchor stability compared to most malls. Until Sears closed, the only anchor change was the addition of Hudson's and then that store's subsequent renames into Marshall Fields and then Macy's (Sears and JCPenney were Woodland's original anchors).

Fun fact 1: The Sears store in RiverTown Crossings is the only SHC property left in the immediate Grand Rapids/Muskegon area (Kmart closed its last Grand Rapids stores in 2016 and its last Muskegon store in 2017)

Fun fact 2: Dick's Sporting Goods, mentioned a few posts up, has been an anchor at RiverTown since they bought Galyan's (which was an original anchor when that mall opened in 1999)
Unfortunately it's too late for Von Maur to be an option for Brookfield Sqaure as Von Maur already built a store just down the road. Their backup plan is a Biestroplex theater it's basically a theater and a restaurant. They opened another one up in the area last summer. I was there when it opened it's very expensive you can spend around $30 I question if it can be successful nobody is going to pay that kind of money to see a movie especially since we have many other theaters in the area. The good news is the small leftover space may become a Sears Home and Outlet store it would just sell appliances and hardware. At least we won't be stuck with an empty building but I can't say I am thrilled about another movie theater as we have plenty of them as is. I also heard that the Orland Park Mall in the Chicago area is planning a movie theater for their Sears that is closing although that one will be an AMC theater.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 09, 2018, 10:50:20 PM
With all the talk about retail chains dying, how about one that is coming back from the dead...Circuit City!?!???

https://www.twice.com/retailing/circuit-city-set-return-spring-60261
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Takumi on January 09, 2018, 11:25:41 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 09, 2018, 10:50:20 PM
With all the talk about retail chains dying, how about one that is coming back from the dead...Circuit City!?!???

https://www.twice.com/retailing/circuit-city-set-return-spring-60261
That's from 2016.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 10, 2018, 08:57:51 AM
Quote from: Takumi on January 09, 2018, 11:25:41 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 09, 2018, 10:50:20 PM
With all the talk about retail chains dying, how about one that is coming back from the dead...Circuit City!?!???

https://www.twice.com/retailing/circuit-city-set-return-spring-60261
That's from 2016.

Montgomery Wards isn't dead.  The name is now owned by the mail order cheese company The Swiss Colony

The website actually looks pretty nice, and sort of feels like classic Wards..

https://www.wards.com/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on January 11, 2018, 12:58:37 PM
Looks like Walmart is killing off Sam's Club.  2 of the 3 stores in my area are closing either now or this month, and have already been removed form their website.

http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-suddenly-closes-sams-club-stores-2018-1
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 11, 2018, 01:23:03 PM

I just came across an article on my yahoo feed where a Michigan article says after this round of cuts, the Wolverine State will only have 13 Kmarts and 17 Sears stores remaining.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on January 11, 2018, 12:58:37 PM
Looks like Walmart is killing off Sam's Club.  2 of the 3 stores in my area are closing either now or this month, and have already been removed form their website.

http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-suddenly-closes-sams-club-stores-2018-1

My Sam's Club just expanded and it was just announced that wally world is making their minimum wage $11 an hour plus more bonuses and insurance benefits.  Interesting.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on January 11, 2018, 02:07:57 PM
Years ago, Kmart had a warehouse club similar to Sam's, and I think the name of it was Pace. I wasn't a member long; I used a guest membership provided by a co-worker and bought a set of tires there years ago at the Lexington location. Shortly thereafter, they closed and were absorbed by Sam's, which had recently opened in Lexington. The road hazard warranty on my tires was honored by Sam's.

Ironically, two representatives from Sam's were at my office this morning selling memberships.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on January 11, 2018, 02:34:23 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 10:34:14 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts

I think that it has more to do with Wal-Mart trying to find something to offset the costs of boosting the minimum pay company wide.  Drug testing would be an easy slash, especially if you expect 50% turnover on any given year.  It doesn't really say much for safety standards though possibly having a druggie riding a fork lift that could have been screened out before their start date.

Except you're not gonna save any money at all if your workers' comp insurance premiums skyrocket because you stopped drug testing. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on January 11, 2018, 02:36:23 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on September 22, 2016, 11:58:13 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 22, 2016, 10:07:52 AM

I'm no so sure I buy that completely.  JCPenney has managed to do rather well when they get back to basics (selling decent clothing, towels, sheets, shoes, etc) and away from trends (like the Ron Johnson fiasco).  Others that sell to this price point include Kohl's and Target.  Sears screwed the pooch when they first had a mismatch between their hard lines (middle to high end) and their soft lines (decidedly low end), and then by being nonchalant on customer service.  It was ultimately their approach (really, lack thereof) to customer service that did them in.  Red Lobster is still around, but other seafood places have come along that do a far better job of it.  As for Howard Johnson's...

Howard Johnson's helped then really hurt themselves with their approach to food consistency.  They helped themselves by making the food consistent over the entire chain.  They hurt themselves by cooking it all in a commissary and flash freezing it, only to be reheated at the restaurant.  No matter what you do, reheated food tastes like reheated food, and all it takes is someone using fresh food, and doing the same type of consistent food to put a major dent in your business.  People like fresh food, not flash frozen nuked food.  Howard Johnson's, for all their nostalgia, probably tasted like a modern TV dinner.  Which is good as long as your competition is worse.  Which would you rather have, a TV dinner, or freshly cooked food?

I had no idea that HoJo cooked everything in a commisary (like Taco Bell does) then flash froze everything only to be reheated.  I learn something new everyday.

One of the big modern issues with Sears / KMart is that their website is a huge cluster.  They don't get online retailing (as far as I see it.)

Yesterday I learned that, towards the end, Bill Knapp's was doing the same thing.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on January 11, 2018, 05:19:42 PM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 12, 2017, 08:32:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 07, 2017, 07:25:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 07, 2017, 04:25:02 PM
Wow. Springfield going bye-bye.  The anchor tenant of Springfield Plaza.   I've been to that one before.  There's one about 20 minutes away in Holyoke so it's not a total end to Kmart in the Pioneer Valley.

This made me do a double-take because there's a K-Mart in Springfield Plaza here in Virginia, too, but it's staying open (for now). In my unscientific observation it seems to get a lot of foot traffic from nearby apartments.

Sure ain't the Trader Joe's customers...

BTW, is it unusual that Springfield Plaza has 2.5 grocery stores (Giant, TJ, and the K-Mart grocery section)?

TJs is a specialty grocery store where you could do some, but not all, of your weekly shopping, and it doesn't compete with Giant on that or prices.

It'd be a cold day in hell before I bought groceries at a K-Mart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on January 11, 2018, 11:42:42 PM
Two posts from TheLayoff about the uncertain future of SHLD:
https://www.thelayoff.com/t/RaQGBlB
https://www.thelayoff.com/t/RaUEmEu

Eddie Lampert (who might be the worst CEO ever) posted a blog yesterday: https://blog.searsholdings.com/eddie-lampert/enhancing-our-liquidity-and-accelerating-our-return-to-profitability/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 12, 2018, 12:23:58 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on January 11, 2018, 02:34:23 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 21, 2016, 10:34:14 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on September 21, 2016, 10:25:26 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 19, 2016, 10:38:48 PM
Quote from: ET21 on September 19, 2016, 10:25:44 PM
K-Mart is the ghetto of the big chain stores.

At least I think they are still doing pre-employment drug test.  Wal-Mart stopping doing though to make your shopping experience more meth-tastic.
That's how they can work overnight shifts

I think that it has more to do with Wal-Mart trying to find something to offset the costs of boosting the minimum pay company wide.  Drug testing would be an easy slash, especially if you expect 50% turnover on any given year.  It doesn't really say much for safety standards though possibly having a druggie riding a fork lift that could have been screened out before their start date.

Except you're not gonna save any money at all if your workers' comp insurance premiums skyrocket because you stopped drug testing.

Probably a calculated risk given the overwhelming number of Work Comp claims don't exceed $2,500.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 12, 2018, 01:01:06 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 11, 2018, 02:07:57 PM
Years ago, Kmart had a warehouse club similar to Sam's, and I think the name of it was Pace. I wasn't a member long; I used a guest membership provided by a co-worker and bought a set of tires there years ago at the Lexington location. Shortly thereafter, they closed and were absorbed by Sam's, which had recently opened in Lexington. The road hazard warranty on my tires was honored by Sam's.

Ironically, two representatives from Sam's were at my office this morning selling memberships.
I remember Pace Membership Warehouse which was the full name. It was indeed owned by Kmart and sold to Walmart in 1993 and most locations became Sam's Club's.

I can remember the original Sam's Club in Saginaw, Michigan was once a Pace and then when they built a new Walmart on the north end of town they relocated and built a new Sam's Club too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jwolfer on January 13, 2018, 09:16:19 AM
I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but in Florida if you file a workman's comp claim one of the first things done at doctor's visit us drug test... Any illegal ( no prescription) drugs in your system, no claim.



Z981

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on January 13, 2018, 10:51:39 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on January 13, 2018, 09:16:19 AM
I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but in Florida if you file a workman's comp claim one of the first things done at doctor's visit us drug test... Any illegal ( no prescription) drugs in your system, no claim.


Doesn't Rick Scott own the drug testing lab?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jwolfer on January 13, 2018, 10:54:11 AM
Probably.. he was an executive with hospital chain. I am a chiropractor and we don't like Rick Scott as a profession.

He was behind a push to eliminate chiropractic Care care from coverage with automobile PIP coverage.. get the injured to the hospitals! Thankfully it didn't fully pass

Z981
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 13, 2018, 10:50:26 PM
Welp, I stopped by the Kmart in my neck of the woods today and most of the store was already taped off inside with employees busy dismantling the shelves. What items are left has been thrown in the center and front of the store. It's basically nothing but a flea market now. The pharmacy has already been closed with signs telling customers that CVS Pharmacy on Riverside Drive will be handling their prescriptions.

On the flip side, the place was PACKED with people taking advantage of the clearance sale. That was the only time I ever saw that store busy. Hell, one guy pulled up in a damn U-Haul and loaded it up with store shelves and clothes racks, which were also put up for sale. People were going ape shit.

The cashier told me that they would be open until Jan. 28. I don't see how since most of their shit is already gone.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 13, 2018, 11:12:54 PM
Quote from: LM117 on January 13, 2018, 10:50:26 PM
Welp, I stopped by the Kmart in my neck of the woods today and most of the store was already taped off inside with employees busy dismantling the shelves. What items are left has been thrown in the center and front of the store. It's basically nothing but a flea market now. The pharmacy has already been closed with signs telling customers that CVS Pharmacy on Riverside Drive will be handling their prescriptions.

On the flip side, the place was PACKED with people taking advantage of the clearance sale. That was the only time I ever saw that store busy. Hell, one guy pulled up in a damn U-Haul and loaded it up with store shelves and clothes racks, which were also put up for sale. People were going ape shit.

The cashier told me that they would be open until Jan. 28. I don't see how since most of their shit is already gone.
Honestly there are pictures from January 2018 in the Danville Kmart and I can see from the pictures exactly what you are talking about.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kmart/@36.5837316,-79.4253546,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x8852b376269ebea9:0x51153eeeaebd457b!2sKmart!8m2!3d36.5834925!4d-79.4250436!3m4!1s0x8852b376269ebea9:0x51153eeeaebd457b!8m2!3d36.5834925!4d-79.4250436
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on January 14, 2018, 06:02:04 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 13, 2018, 11:12:54 PM
Quote from: LM117 on January 13, 2018, 10:50:26 PM
Welp, I stopped by the Kmart in my neck of the woods today and most of the store was already taped off inside with employees busy dismantling the shelves. What items are left has been thrown in the center and front of the store. It's basically nothing but a flea market now. The pharmacy has already been closed with signs telling customers that CVS Pharmacy on Riverside Drive will be handling their prescriptions.

On the flip side, the place was PACKED with people taking advantage of the clearance sale. That was the only time I ever saw that store busy. Hell, one guy pulled up in a damn U-Haul and loaded it up with store shelves and clothes racks, which were also put up for sale. People were going ape shit.

The cashier told me that they would be open until Jan. 28. I don't see how since most of their shit is already gone.
Honestly there are pictures from January 2018 in the Danville Kmart and I can see from the pictures exactly what you are talking about.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kmart/@36.5837316,-79.4253546,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x8852b376269ebea9:0x51153eeeaebd457b!2sKmart!8m2!3d36.5834925!4d-79.4250436!3m4!1s0x8852b376269ebea9:0x51153eeeaebd457b!8m2!3d36.5834925!4d-79.4250436

Some of those shelves you see are gone now and that taped off doorway led to what was the Garden Center. Nearly half of the store is just wide open space.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 14, 2018, 01:59:44 PM
Quote from: LM117 on January 14, 2018, 06:02:04 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 13, 2018, 11:12:54 PM
Quote from: LM117 on January 13, 2018, 10:50:26 PM
Welp, I stopped by the Kmart in my neck of the woods today and most of the store was already taped off inside with employees busy dismantling the shelves. What items are left has been thrown in the center and front of the store. It's basically nothing but a flea market now. The pharmacy has already been closed with signs telling customers that CVS Pharmacy on Riverside Drive will be handling their prescriptions.

On the flip side, the place was PACKED with people taking advantage of the clearance sale. That was the only time I ever saw that store busy. Hell, one guy pulled up in a damn U-Haul and loaded it up with store shelves and clothes racks, which were also put up for sale. People were going ape shit.

The cashier told me that they would be open until Jan. 28. I don't see how since most of their shit is already gone.
Honestly there are pictures from January 2018 in the Danville Kmart and I can see from the pictures exactly what you are talking about.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kmart/@36.5837316,-79.4253546,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x8852b376269ebea9:0x51153eeeaebd457b!2sKmart!8m2!3d36.5834925!4d-79.4250436!3m4!1s0x8852b376269ebea9:0x51153eeeaebd457b!8m2!3d36.5834925!4d-79.4250436

Some of those shelves you see are gone now and that taped off doorway led to what was the Garden Center. Nearly half of the store is just wide open space.
Can't imagine them being open another two weeks missing that much stuff.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on January 14, 2018, 02:49:05 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on January 11, 2018, 05:19:42 PM
It'd be a cold day in hell before I bought groceries at a K-Mart.

Growing up in Glens Falls, NY, we had a Super K-Mart that lasted until ~5 years ago (around the time a Walmart Supercenter opened kitty-corner from it). My family did a decent amount of shopping there in the late 90s and early 2000s, as it was about 5 minutes from our house and the closest Walmart Supercenter at the time was in Saratoga (20 minutes). We didn't get everything there, but for dry goods, the prices were a heck of a lot better than Price Chopper and generally better than Hannaford. Location is still open as a regular K-Mart and the receipts still say "Super K-Mart Center Queensbury".
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JJBers on January 14, 2018, 07:56:50 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on December 23, 2017, 06:49:37 PM
Trying to think of what each KMart became in my area. :hmmm:

Manchester, CT: Building torn down.  Space is now empty.  May become a Walmart Supercenter
Nah, it's not going to. They renovated the Buckland Hills Walmart a few years back.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on January 14, 2018, 08:14:37 PM
Maybe bringing back Rosie O Donnell could save them.  As many of us know her and Trump had a feud going on for decades and now with the recent turn of events, people may side with her critique of the POTUS and may shop at the dying store if they see her on the commercials again. :biggrin:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 01:11:47 AM
These are what the former Kmart's in my area are now.

Saginaw use to have three Kmart's now Saginaw has zero Kmart's.
*There was a location in Fort Saginaw Mall on Holland Avenue (M-46) near it's interchange with I-75. That location along with the mall were demolished in 2009 and currently is a vacant lot.
*The location on Bay and Schust in Saginaw Township is a CubeSmart, the only Saginaw Kmart location that closed and is occupied again.
*The location on Gratiot and Center had a somewhat strange closing. It's believed that the store would have remained open but 4 years ago this month as a matter of fact the roof collapsed in the middle of the night after heavy snowfall. The store was deemed closed until further notice but has never re-opened. Here's an article about it http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/01/saginaw_township_k-mart_closed.html
*Bay City had one Kmart which closed in 2017, the building is still vacant and was a much older Kmart store. Another store across town in Essexville closed about 15 years ago along with the Hampton Square Mall in which Kmart was an anchor store.
*Flint has numerous vacant Kmart's most of which haven't been occupied since Kmart left.

There are two locations within 25-30 miles of here, one in Midland which hangs on I believe mostly due to the fact that it isn't in direct competition with Walmart or Meijer which are located on the other side of Midland. The other one is in Clio and that store is located next to the M-57/I-75 interchange (Exit 131 on I-75). Other than that Mt. Pleasant is losing it's store with this go around of closures and a couple are still in the Thumb area I believe. I know Sandusky lost it's Kmart last year and Bad Axe once had a Kmart but no longer does.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 01:49:39 AM
Also in the Detroit area Kroger has done a good job at reutilizing old Kmart stores. Kroger has demolished the Kmart's and rebuilt them. One Kmart store that I think is still open at 9 Mile and Harper in St. Clair Shores is slated to be demolished after it closes and will become a Kroger Marketplace. Kroger opened a new store in Southgate in September 2017 which was a former Kmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Hurricane Rex on January 15, 2018, 02:35:14 AM
 The Tualatin, OR Kmart store was changed into a Cabela's which benefits me greatly but took a long time for the conversion.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on January 15, 2018, 10:57:08 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 01:49:39 AM
Also in the Detroit area Kroger has done a good job at reutilizing old Kmart stores. Kroger has demolished the Kmart's and rebuilt them. One Kmart store that I think is still open at 9 Mile and Harper in St. Clair Shores is slated to be demolished after it closes and will become a Kroger Marketplace. Kroger opened a new store in Southgate in September 2017 which was a former Kmart.
I wonder if that new Kroger will replace two nearby smaller Krogers (9 Mile and Greater Mack & 8 Mile and Harper). I could see the Rawsonville Rd Kmart become a Kroger as there are no grocery stores within 3-4 miles.

In my home area, there are several former Kmarts.
*The two in Traverse City (Acme Township and Cherryland Center) are vacant, since they both closed within the last year.
*Manistee, which closed in 2016, is vacant.
*The original Manistee location (which was originally Grant City and was replaced by the recently closed location in 1992) is now home to Peebles and Dunham's Sports.
*Kmart also relocated in Ludington, and both former locations are in use. The first one (which was also Grant City) is subdivided between Peebles, Dollar General, and Aaron's. The second location (which opened around the same time as the second Manistee location and closed during the 2002 bankruptcy) is now Lowe's.
*Muskegon had two. The one on Apple Ave at US-31 (which just closed) is being replaced in part by Planet Fitness. The one on Henry Ave between Norton and Seminole has been vacant since it closed during the 2002 bankruptcy.

The Grand Rapids area had six Kmarts at one point; now they have none.
*28th and Buchanan (closed mid to late 1990s; now Richwood Industries)
*28th and Lake Eastbrook (closed 2002 bankruptcy; now Burlington Coat Factory)
*Alpine and I-96 (closed 2000; now Marshalls)
*Chicago Dr and Cottonwood Dr (closed 1994/5; now At Home)
*68th and US-131 (closed 2016; vacant; opened not long before the Chicago Dr location closed)
*Plainfield and Jupiter (North Kent Mall; closed 2016; vacant)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 02:00:45 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 15, 2018, 10:57:08 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 01:49:39 AM
Also in the Detroit area Kroger has done a good job at reutilizing old Kmart stores. Kroger has demolished the Kmart's and rebuilt them. One Kmart store that I think is still open at 9 Mile and Harper in St. Clair Shores is slated to be demolished after it closes and will become a Kroger Marketplace. Kroger opened a new store in Southgate in September 2017 which was a former Kmart.
I wonder if that new Kroger will replace two nearby smaller Krogers (9 Mile and Greater Mack & 8 Mile and Harper). I could see the Rawsonville Rd Kmart become a Kroger as there are no grocery stores within 3-4 miles.

In my home area, there are several former Kmarts.
*The two in Traverse City (Acme Township and Cherryland Center) are vacant, since they both closed within the last year.
*Manistee, which closed in 2016, is vacant.
*The original Manistee location (which was originally Grant City and was replaced by the recently closed location in 1992) is now home to Peebles and Dunham's Sports.
*Kmart also relocated in Ludington, and both former locations are in use. The first one (which was also Grant City) is subdivided between Peebles, Dollar General, and Aaron's. The second location (which opened around the same time as the second Manistee location and closed during the 2002 bankruptcy) is now Lowe's.
*Muskegon had two. The one on Apple Ave at US-31 (which just closed) is being replaced in part by Planet Fitness. The one on Henry Ave between Norton and Seminole has been vacant since it closed during the 2002 bankruptcy.

The Grand Rapids area had six Kmarts at one point; now they have none.
*28th and Buchanan (closed mid to late 1990s; now Richwood Industries)
*28th and Lake Eastbrook (closed 2002 bankruptcy; now Burlington Coat Factory)
*Alpine and I-96 (closed 2000; now Marshalls)
*Chicago Dr and Cottonwood Dr (closed 1994/5; now At Home)
*68th and US-131 (closed 2016; vacant; opened not long before the Chicago Dr location closed)
*Plainfield and Jupiter (North Kent Mall; closed 2016; vacant)
Yep the one at 9 Mile and Greater Mack will be closing when the new store at 9 Mile and Harper opens. Not sure about the one at 8 Mile and Harper. Kroger does have the two Dearborn locations across the street from each other though and one at 13 Mile and Little Mack as well as 13 Mile and Gratiot. I know the one at 9 Mile and Greater Mack though will be closing for sure and it would make sense for the one at 8 Mile and Harper to close as well. I'm surprised they haven't combined the two Dearborn stores and the two stores on 13 Mile. Kroger closed a store in Saginaw in November at Gratiot and Center but added onto the one on State Street in Green Acres Plaza, now I learn the Green Acres store will no longer be open 24 hours starting next month.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 02:06:05 PM
One I forgot but it hasn't been a Kmart in at least 25 years is the one on State Street in Saginaw. It became Horizons Conference Center years ago and is still there. That Kmart though was relocated to the one where the roof collapsed on Gratiot four years ago.

As far as I'm concerned Kmart doesn't even exist anymore to me. The one in Midland is the closest one and it seems odd that they'd close that one but I wouldn't be surprised if it did close.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 15, 2018, 03:21:34 PM
I literally just got a message on Facebook from the Joliet, IL Sears store, and they said the reason they're closing the Orland Square Mall (Orland Park, IL) Sears is because the chain sold the spot to AMC theaters.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on January 15, 2018, 08:36:15 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 15, 2018, 03:21:34 PM
I literally just got a message on Facebook from the Joliet, IL Sears store, and they said the reason they're closing the Orland Square Mall (Orland Park, IL) Sears is because the chain sold the spot to AMC theaters.

There aren't as many modern movie theaters anymore that I know of that are attached to, or are inside malls, anymore.   Mainly because those that were in the malls in the 60s-80s had 1, 2, or 3 screens, and the mega-multiplexes that sprouted up in the 90s and beyond figured it was cheaper to build stand-alone theaters near malls, but not in them.

I think not having theaters within their complexes anymore put a damper on the amount of foot traffic, leading to dying malls to some extent.   But I have seen a few malls (like the aforementioned Orland Square) trying to bring back movie chains as "anchor stores" because, unlike the Sears, Macy's and JCPs of the world, most multiplex theaters aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 09:10:36 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 15, 2018, 08:36:15 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 15, 2018, 03:21:34 PM
I literally just got a message on Facebook from the Joliet, IL Sears store, and they said the reason they're closing the Orland Square Mall (Orland Park, IL) Sears is because the chain sold the spot to AMC theaters.

There aren't as many modern movie theaters anymore that I know of that are attached to, or are inside malls, anymore.   Mainly because those that were in the malls in the 60s-80s had 1, 2, or 3 screens, and the mega-multiplexes that sprouted up in the 90s and beyond figured it was cheaper to build stand-alone theaters near malls, but not in them.

I think not having theaters within their complexes anymore put a damper on the amount of foot traffic, leading to dying malls to some extent.   But I have seen a few malls (like the aforementioned Orland Square) trying to bring back movie chains as "anchor stores" because, unlike the Sears, Macy's and JCPs of the world, most multiplex theaters aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
The Bay City Mall, or I should say Bay City Town Center has a 10 screen movie theater right inside the mall. It was built with the mall though. This same mall removed it's food court to add a PetSmart to the mall. This mall has also lost two anchors (Sears and Target). When GGP owned this mall they listed it as one of their least profitable malls.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on January 16, 2018, 09:39:49 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 15, 2018, 09:10:36 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on January 15, 2018, 08:36:15 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on January 15, 2018, 03:21:34 PM
I literally just got a message on Facebook from the Joliet, IL Sears store, and they said the reason they're closing the Orland Square Mall (Orland Park, IL) Sears is because the chain sold the spot to AMC theaters.

There aren't as many modern movie theaters anymore that I know of that are attached to, or are inside malls, anymore.   Mainly because those that were in the malls in the 60s-80s had 1, 2, or 3 screens, and the mega-multiplexes that sprouted up in the 90s and beyond figured it was cheaper to build stand-alone theaters near malls, but not in them.

I think not having theaters within their complexes anymore put a damper on the amount of foot traffic, leading to dying malls to some extent.   But I have seen a few malls (like the aforementioned Orland Square) trying to bring back movie chains as "anchor stores" because, unlike the Sears, Macy's and JCPs of the world, most multiplex theaters aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
The Bay City Mall, or I should say Bay City Town Center has a 10 screen movie theater right inside the mall. It was built with the mall though. This same mall removed it's food court to add a PetSmart to the mall. This mall has also lost two anchors (Sears and Target). When GGP owned this mall they listed it as one of their least profitable malls.

In the last 5 years Cinemark opened a huge new theater complex in the Louis Joliet Mall (Joliet, IL,) right next to the food court.  Pretty damn good location.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on January 16, 2018, 01:25:20 PM
A lot of the movie theaters in New York are still in malls or near them. All of the big theaters in Albany are in malls and both of the major malls have them. Crossgates Mall had 30 screens for a while between the old (80s, now closed) and new (well, 90s) theaters. Big theater in Syracuse is at the big mall, as is one of the big ones in Buffalo. Funny thing is, except for the Crossgates one, most of these are relatively new builds.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on January 19, 2018, 07:51:09 PM
Back in the eightees, Kmart was the place to go to develop the old film before digital technology came by.  They had a great photo lab and great prices, however, we had to limit ourselves to the amount of photos we take on road trips as just to even cover every road sign on the NJ Turnpike would have used over 10 rolls of 36 at least to capture it all.

I still have their old print folder envelopes for my old rail photos from the day plus the big envelope you dropped off in the box at the store.  It is sad they are almost gone, but Walmart and Target gave em more that they can handle.  Plus investing into Sears after they got government bailout was not a good move either, but nothing lasts forever.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on January 26, 2018, 09:22:29 AM
Sears stock hit an all time low yesterday, getting as low as 2.75 per share before closing at 2.78, down 11% from open. I think the remainder of stores could be on the chopping block in the near future.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on January 26, 2018, 09:32:56 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 19, 2018, 07:51:09 PM
Back in the eightees, Kmart was the place to go to develop the old film before digital technology came by.  They had a great photo lab and great prices, however, we had to limit ourselves to the amount of photos we take on road trips as just to even cover every road sign on the NJ Turnpike would have used over 10 rolls of 36 at least to capture it all.

I still have their old print folder envelopes for my old rail photos from the day plus the big envelope you dropped off in the box at the store.  It is sad they are almost gone, but Walmart and Target gave em more that they can handle.  Plus investing into Sears after they got government bailout was not a good move either, but nothing lasts forever.

Around here, a local store called Drug Emporium (long gone now) was very popular for developing film because on Wednesday you got double prints for free.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on January 26, 2018, 01:55:13 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 26, 2018, 09:22:29 AM
Sears stock hit an all time low yesterday, getting as low as 2.75 per share before closing at 2.78, down 11% from open. I think the remainder of stores could be on the chopping block in the near future.
I was in Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw for about 5 minutes yesterday around 6pm and the mall was as dead as I've ever seen it. There was maybe 2 other people walking around the inside of the mall in the part I was and Sears was completely dead for business but still remains open. I'm wondering if the Saginaw Sears will be closing, Fashion Square has never lost an anchor other than Wichmann's years ago and that became the food court.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on February 02, 2018, 11:47:17 AM
I was in Midland, Michigan last night and decided to go into Kmart just so I could say I've been in a Kmart recently. I walked around the store and was just looking around at stuff, it's a typical Kmart and there was only one other customer that I spotted while in there at about 8:00pm.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on February 02, 2018, 12:14:53 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 26, 2018, 09:32:56 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on January 19, 2018, 07:51:09 PM
Back in the eightees, Kmart was the place to go to develop the old film before digital technology came by.  They had a great photo lab and great prices, however, we had to limit ourselves to the amount of photos we take on road trips as just to even cover every road sign on the NJ Turnpike would have used over 10 rolls of 36 at least to capture it all.

I still have their old print folder envelopes for my old rail photos from the day plus the big envelope you dropped off in the box at the store.  It is sad they are almost gone, but Walmart and Target gave em more that they can handle.  Plus investing into Sears after they got government bailout was not a good move either, but nothing lasts forever.

Around here, a local store called Drug Emporium (long gone now) was very popular for developing film because on Wednesday you got double prints for free.
I remember we had one if FL on OBT at FL 528.  They sold coke and coke products for a quarter in their vending machines which made them break even in sales.  This was a Thank You for shopping with us hence sacrificing the profit.  Walmart tried it out with 50 cents later on and 40 cents for Sams Choice  which is Walmart's brand name in store vending machines, but since then they got rid of the machines.
[/quote]

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on February 02, 2018, 12:18:49 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on February 02, 2018, 11:47:17 AM
I was in Midland, Michigan last night and decided to go into Kmart just so I could say I've been in a Kmart recently. I walked around the store and was just looking around at stuff, it's a typical Kmart and there was only one other customer that I spotted while in there at about 8:00pm.
I bet the nearest Walmart had lines at the check out.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on February 02, 2018, 12:33:32 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on February 02, 2018, 12:18:49 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on February 02, 2018, 11:47:17 AM
I was in Midland, Michigan last night and decided to go into Kmart just so I could say I've been in a Kmart recently. I walked around the store and was just looking around at stuff, it's a typical Kmart and there was only one other customer that I spotted while in there at about 8:00pm.
I bet the nearest Walmart had lines at the check out.
I'm not sure I didn't go into the Walmart in Midland last night. I was in Target a little while after I was in Kmart and Target was indeed busier but not real busy. Kmart is in a different part of Midland than Target, Meijer and Walmart, it's probably about 4 miles but Target, Meijer and Walmart are all in the same area. Target is in the Midland Mall and Meijer and Walmart are on the same street just north of the mall. That is the only Kmart within a 50 mile radius of Midland.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol' heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on April 19, 2018, 08:40:54 PM
Funny that the day Sears announced another round of closings on Tuesday, once again the eerily empty Sears at the mall in my town survives yet another round.  But Herberger's -- part of the Bon-Ton chain -- is the store that is going out of business.  Well, actually ALL the Bon-Ton stores are closing by the end of summer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on April 20, 2018, 05:28:55 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol' heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)

There are some rather successful malls and shopping areas on that list.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on April 20, 2018, 12:49:03 PM
Quote from: Brandon on April 20, 2018, 05:28:55 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol' heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)

There are some rather successful malls and shopping areas on that list.
I'm guessing some of the better malls have tenants lined up to replace Sears. The Woodland Mall (Grand Rapids) Sears closed last year and is in the middle of becoming Von Maur.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on April 20, 2018, 12:59:39 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on April 20, 2018, 12:49:03 PM
Quote from: Brandon on April 20, 2018, 05:28:55 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol' heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)

There are some rather successful malls and shopping areas on that list.
I'm guessing some of the better malls have tenants lined up to replace Sears. The Woodland Mall (Grand Rapids) Sears closed last year and is in the middle of becoming Von Maur.
They just demolished the Sears store about a month ago. I figured something was getting built there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on April 20, 2018, 02:24:39 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on April 19, 2018, 08:40:54 PM
Sears announced another round of closings on Tuesday...ALL the Bon-Ton stores are closing by the end of summer.

Somewhere upthread, I mentioned that my hometown mall (Lycoming - east of Williamsport, PA) lost its Sears at the end of 2017, capping a year in which the mall's Macy's and JCPenney also closed their doors. Following the impending closure of all Bon-Ton stores, Lycoming will be completely without either anchors or department stores–unless you want to count a junky (even by Burlington standards) Burlington.

Add these anchor losses to what I estimate is about a 40% vacancy rate among interior storefronts and the apparent conversion of the former Macy's into some kind of a storage facility, and I can't imagine this mall lasting much longer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: freebrickproductions on April 20, 2018, 02:29:56 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on April 20, 2018, 12:49:03 PM
Quote from: Brandon on April 20, 2018, 05:28:55 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol’ heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)

There are some rather successful malls and shopping areas on that list.
I'm guessing some of the better malls have tenants lined up to replace Sears. The Woodland Mall (Grand Rapids) Sears closed last year and is in the middle of becoming Von Maur.
I'm willing to bet that those are ones with leases that are about to expire, and Sears Holdings doesn't want to bother renewing them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on April 20, 2018, 04:30:06 PM
Quote from: Brandon on April 20, 2018, 05:28:55 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol' heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)

There are some rather successful malls and shopping areas on that list.

A lot of Sears recent closures appear to be real estate market driven, rather than store sales.  If they can get some quick cash out of the deal I don't think it matters to them at this point how that store is performing.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on April 20, 2018, 04:55:40 PM
Quote from: Brandon on April 20, 2018, 05:28:55 AM
Quote from: LM117 on April 19, 2018, 07:06:14 PM
More stores have been given the ol' heave-ho.

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4 (http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closing-stores-letter-to-workers-2018-4)

There are some rather successful malls and shopping areas on that list.

The mall in Wilmington is fixing to get a makeover, so this confirms what the locals have already guessed for a month now.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20180319/sears-wing-at-independence-mall-to-be-demolished (http://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20180319/sears-wing-at-independence-mall-to-be-demolished)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on April 20, 2018, 07:56:01 PM
I just realized that the Feasterville Kmart closed. Still wondering how the Kmart in Mayfair (19149) is still afloat. Especially since the nearest open Kmart is in Clifton Heights, PA.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on April 20, 2018, 11:08:09 PM
Kmart has officially been completely 100% wiped out from here in Dalton, Georgia.

Today, I stumbled upon a local news article, (http://www.unionrecorder.com/news/ga_fl_news/food-city-breaks-ground-for-store-in-dalton-promises-first/article_33ee78d4-9599-5376-b8a1-3befcbc5e390.html) which detailed what is going to happen to one of the old Kmart lots (there was two different Kmarts here in Dalton) - specifically, the one off of Georgia Highway 52 close to I-75's Exit 333. According to this article, on this piece of commercial property that was formerly a Kmart, they will be reeling in a Food City, Ross, Ulta, PetSmart, Rak Outfitters, and maybe more.

It was sad to see Kmart go (and see the entire company being ruined by what was seemingly a terrible CEO), but I am excited to see these new businesses coming in, and I think they will highly benefit my town. They have already started construction on all of this, and torn down a good bit of the old Kmart building. It will be very interesting to see and experience the final result of this!  :nod:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on April 21, 2018, 11:36:21 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
It only survives as it's four miles from the nearest Meijer, six miles from the nearest Walmart, and eight miles from the nearest Target. There also doesn't appear to be enough room for any of those chains to open another location nearby
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 06:00:19 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on April 21, 2018, 11:36:21 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
It only survives as it's four miles from the nearest Meijer, six miles from the nearest Walmart, and eight miles from the nearest Target. There also doesn't appear to be enough room for any of those chains to open another location nearby
Which is probably the same reason the Midland Kmart survives. I'm surprised that the Clio Kmart survives being directly across I-75 from a Walmart Supercenter.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Sctvhound on April 21, 2018, 07:02:35 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

That exterior looks straight out of the 60s.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 10:24:06 PM
Quote from: Sctvhound on April 21, 2018, 07:02:35 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

That exterior looks straight out of the 60s.
The interior is very dated. When I was walking inside the store I was thinking, this is a Kmart?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on May 03, 2018, 06:55:25 PM
Welp, it's just been announced that the Sears in my area is closing in August. I'm surprised it lasted this long, given that people use it as a mall entrance and nothing more. Not good news for the already struggling mall...

http://www.godanriver.com/work_it_sova/news/sears-to-close-at-danville-mall/article_d695d4a2-4f10-11e8-8aad-0fd19ea3ef26.html (http://www.godanriver.com/work_it_sova/news/sears-to-close-at-danville-mall/article_d695d4a2-4f10-11e8-8aad-0fd19ea3ef26.html)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 03, 2018, 10:07:41 PM
I walked through the Sears in Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw tonight around 8:00pm and saw 2 people in the store total.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:49:54 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me
I've never been in that one but from just looking at it I'd say it looks more like a normal Kmart than the one Waterford. I had driven past it numerous times and knew it was there but hadn't gone inside it until recently. I should have took some pictures of the inside of it so I could post them it was like everything was from the 50's or 60's and not updated since.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on May 06, 2018, 10:18:26 AM
K Marts have made themselves less known these days in Central Florida I could care less if they completely go under.  They made no attempt to fight Walmart and Target, but while the other two retailers are growing these guys just let em grow!

Plus buying Sears after they applied for bankruptcy did not restore my faith in them either. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadrunner75 on May 06, 2018, 12:06:52 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:49:54 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me
I've never been in that one but from just looking at it I'd say it looks more like a normal Kmart than the one Waterford. I had driven past it numerous times and knew it was there but hadn't gone inside it until recently. I should have took some pictures of the inside of it so I could post them it was like everything was from the 50's or 60's and not updated since.

They're all really outdated - it's KMart.  They've done absolutely nothing to improve or update their stores.  On the rare occasion I go into the one remaining KMart in my area it's like hopping into a time machine back to grade school days.

I probably mentioned it before somewhere on this same thread, but my mom recalled recently a KMart she worked near in the early 80s which was the only convenient place someone could get to on a quick lunch break in the office park she was in.  She said the place would be packed with other office workers at noon trying do some quick shopping on their break or get some lunch.  KMart responded in the only way KMart knew how - Staff exactly one checkout lane with a long line behind it.  As usual it never occurred to them that this would infuriate their customers, who would eventually find somewhere else to shop - and this was typical of KMart over the years.  When Target came on the scene I was always impressed that they were smart enough to well staff the checkout lanes - They realized it was well worth the money in customer relations.  KMart never learned this lesson - and that's why we have threads entitled "More KMart stores closing".
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 01:05:26 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
That Kmart closed? I know the Pathmark next to it closed and of course Toys R Us will be closing. I think the Walmart your talking about is on Butler next to Lowe's right?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on May 06, 2018, 03:14:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 01:05:26 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
That Kmart closed? I know the Pathmark next to it closed and of course Toys R Us will be closing. I think the Walmart your talking about is on Butler next to Lowe's right?
There's also Target and ShopRite in that area. Also kind of unusual for Walmart to have a location (they have at least three) inside Philadelphia city limits.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 03:48:28 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on May 06, 2018, 03:14:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 01:05:26 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
That Kmart closed? I know the Pathmark next to it closed and of course Toys R Us will be closing. I think the Walmart your talking about is on Butler next to Lowe's right?
There's also Target and ShopRite in that area. Also kind of unusual for Walmart to have a location (they have at least three) inside Philadelphia city limits.
I believe there are as many as five inside Philly's city limits. There's the one off Christopher Columbus Blvd. right on the river and there is a Target there as well. Then the one mentioned off Aramingo. Two on Roosevelt. One off Knights Road in Philly Mills. Those are the only Walmart's in Philly I know of. It seemed kind of unusual for a store like Walmart to build inside an urban area. Meijer has opened two stores in Detroit and I know there are a few Walmart's in Chicago too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on May 06, 2018, 07:02:49 PM
^^  Walmart has a location in the Steeltown Commons Shopping Center, located about 4 miles south of Public Square/Downtown Cleveland.  From what I hear, it's a shoplifter's paradise.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 11:01:53 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 03:48:28 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on May 06, 2018, 03:14:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 01:05:26 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
That Kmart closed? I know the Pathmark next to it closed and of course Toys R Us will be closing. I think the Walmart your talking about is on Butler next to Lowe's right?
There's also Target and ShopRite in that area. Also kind of unusual for Walmart to have a location (they have at least three) inside Philadelphia city limits.
I believe there are as many as five inside Philly's city limits. There's the one off Christopher Columbus Blvd. right on the river and there is a Target there as well. Then the one mentioned off Aramingo. Two on Roosevelt. One off Knights Road in Philly Mills. Those are the only Walmart's in Philly I know of. It seemed kind of unusual for a store like Walmart to build inside an urban area. Meijer has opened two stores in Detroit and I know there are a few Walmart's in Chicago too.
There is also the one on Cheltenham, but that is right outside Philly
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 07, 2018, 12:18:40 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on May 06, 2018, 07:02:49 PM
^^  Walmart has a location in the Steeltown Commons Shopping Center, located about 4 miles south of Public Square/Downtown Cleveland.  From what I hear, it's a shoplifter's paradise.
Doesn't surprise me. Cleveland is actually a lot like Detroit just smaller.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 07, 2018, 12:23:08 AM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 11:01:53 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 03:48:28 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on May 06, 2018, 03:14:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 01:05:26 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
That Kmart closed? I know the Pathmark next to it closed and of course Toys R Us will be closing. I think the Walmart your talking about is on Butler next to Lowe's right?
There's also Target and ShopRite in that area. Also kind of unusual for Walmart to have a location (they have at least three) inside Philadelphia city limits.
I believe there are as many as five inside Philly's city limits. There's the one off Christopher Columbus Blvd. right on the river and there is a Target there as well. Then the one mentioned off Aramingo. Two on Roosevelt. One off Knights Road in Philly Mills. Those are the only Walmart's in Philly I know of. It seemed kind of unusual for a store like Walmart to build inside an urban area. Meijer has opened two stores in Detroit and I know there are a few Walmart's in Chicago too.
There is also the one on Cheltenham, but that is right outside Philly
That one probably gets a lot of business from within the city limits too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on May 08, 2018, 03:35:02 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 07, 2018, 12:23:08 AM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 11:01:53 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 03:48:28 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on May 06, 2018, 03:14:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 06, 2018, 01:05:26 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 06, 2018, 12:59:33 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 05, 2018, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: Nanis on May 05, 2018, 10:40:13 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on April 21, 2018, 12:12:25 AM
This right here is perhaps the most outdated Kmart I have ever seen. I'm surprised that this store survives when I was in it there were maybe 3 people total inside the store that I saw. You should see the inside of this store.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6934381,-83.3904745,3a,19.3y,34.47h,88.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D71xEi736Nvtf-UIegEYOBA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.30811%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0413876,-75.0572726,3a,37.5y,95.51h,93.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8nmN11kzXaNO8UPFHrxv5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 this one seems even more outdated to me

By the way, This K mart is in the Mayfair neighborhood in NE Philly. It used to be the Kmart that served everything south of the creek in the northeast. Ever since the one on Frankford Ave closed though, It serves the entire Northeast.

Sandwiched between two walmarts that are 7 miles away from each other, It's a miracle this one survived. also Both Walmarts are on the same road as this Kmart, to make matters worse
I see what you're talking about and found both Walmart's and there is also a Target store closer to the Kmart. I'm surprised that one lasted, wasn't there one on Kensington and Allegheny too?
The Kmart you are talking about was on Aramingo, near Westmoreland. I'm pretty sure there is a Walmart on Aramingo and Castor. The Kmart was right next to a Toys R Us.
That Kmart closed? I know the Pathmark next to it closed and of course Toys R Us will be closing. I think the Walmart your talking about is on Butler next to Lowe's right?
There's also Target and ShopRite in that area. Also kind of unusual for Walmart to have a location (they have at least three) inside Philadelphia city limits.
I believe there are as many as five inside Philly's city limits. There's the one off Christopher Columbus Blvd. right on the river and there is a Target there as well. Then the one mentioned off Aramingo. Two on Roosevelt. One off Knights Road in Philly Mills. Those are the only Walmart's in Philly I know of. It seemed kind of unusual for a store like Walmart to build inside an urban area. Meijer has opened two stores in Detroit and I know there are a few Walmart's in Chicago too.
There is also the one on Cheltenham, but that is right outside Philly
That one probably gets a lot of business from within the city limits too.
Even though I live in NE Philly, I have been to it and can confirm this statement. Another place that is far off that gets buissness from NW Philly is the Trader Joes on Old York. That one gets buissness from both NW Philly and NE Philly
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on May 08, 2018, 09:23:35 PM
The still-limping Sears store at Mesa Mall will have it's busiest parking lot traffic the next 2 weekends...

...The Carnies set up shop the next 2 weekends with the annual parking lot amusement park next to Sears!!!

The best thing to happen to Sears every year!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 09, 2018, 09:16:34 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on May 08, 2018, 09:23:35 PM
The still-limping Sears store at Mesa Mall will have it's busiest parking lot traffic the next 2 weekends...

...The Carnies set up shop the next 2 weekends with the annual parking lot amusement park next to Sears!!!

The best thing to happen to Sears every year!

When you want to buy a pair of dungarees and ride the Tilt-A-Whirl, but you only want to make one stop!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on May 09, 2018, 09:27:06 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on May 08, 2018, 09:23:35 PM
The still-limping Sears store at Mesa Mall will have it's busiest parking lot traffic the next 2 weekends...

...The Carnies set up shop the next 2 weekends with the annual parking lot amusement park next to Sears!!!

The best thing to happen to Sears every year!

Heh. The Sears at Landmark Mall in Alexandria is still open, though everything else in the mall is closed, and there's a carnival there each year too. But Landmark is going to see something far more interesting this summer:

Part of Wonder Woman 2 is to be filmed there. (http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/wonder-woman-2-to-film-at-alexandrias-deserted-landmark-mall)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on May 09, 2018, 11:18:28 AM
In Florida Sears is doing better than Kmart, as they still get locations where Kmart does not.  The one in Florida Mall is still doing okay, but so is Macy's in the same mall and when I worked for Macy's two years ago, I found that they were in financial trouble that they had to pay sales people draw on commission (which means that your minimum wage rate had to get funded from future sales, which meant you never got your commission until after the pay periods wages were paid back) so this way it looks good on the books as those wages (despite being shitty to begin with) are covered in numbers and looks like they are operating payroll in the black.  So anything is possible.

It may look good but on the inside it could be hurting.  Heck look at Whataburger, who was doing well in Orlando, but they closed up their stores in this part of Florida, because the good we saw was not good in the books.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 09, 2018, 12:52:47 PM
I've been in Saginaw's Sears in Fashion Square Mall just to walk through the store and every time I'm in there it's always dead. Sears closed two other Tri-Cities locations one in Midland and one in Bay City within the last few years. I'm just wondering how long it'll be before the Saginaw Sears closes. Fashion Square Mall still has all three of their anchor stores left (Sears, Macy's and JCPenney) but has pockets of vacant storefronts.

The Sears that closed in Bay City the store was taken over half by Younker's second store in the mall and Ollie's Bargain Outlet. I've heard that Younker's is going to be closing so that'll leave half of the Sears vacancy vacant again. The Target store in the Bay City Mall still sits vacant and the Midland Mall still has JCPenney's and Sears old locations vacant. The next closest Sears to Saginaw is in Flint at Genesee Valley Mall. Lansing has always had only one Sears despite having two malls and having a JCPenney in both malls, Macy's closed their Lansing Mall location but still has a location in Meridian Mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on May 09, 2018, 05:04:15 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 09, 2018, 12:52:47 PM
I've been in Saginaw's Sears in Fashion Square Mall just to walk through the store and every time I'm in there it's always dead. Sears closed two other Tri-Cities locations one in Midland and one in Bay City within the last few years. I'm just wondering how long it'll be before the Saginaw Sears closes. Fashion Square Mall still has all three of their anchor stores left (Sears, Macy's and JCPenney) but has pockets of vacant storefronts.

The Sears that closed in Bay City the store was taken over half by Younker's second store in the mall and Ollie's Bargain Outlet. I've heard that Younker's is going to be closing so that'll leave half of the Sears vacancy vacant again. The Target store in the Bay City Mall still sits vacant and the Midland Mall still has JCPenney's and Sears old locations vacant. The next closest Sears to Saginaw is in Flint at Genesee Valley Mall. Lansing has always had only one Sears despite having two malls and having a JCPenney in both malls, Macy's closed their Lansing Mall location but still has a location in Meridian Mall.
Midland Mall will be down to one anchor in the next couple of months: Target.
Also, the Lansing Sears is not in either of the two malls (it's in a strip mall by MSU).
RiverTown Crossings (the larger and newer mall in Grand Rapids) will likely have two anchors to fill soon (Younkers is in their Chapter 7 liquidation sale and they still have a Sears for now; the Woodland Sears closed last year).
Meridian Mall (the Lansing mall that's not in a rough area) is losing two anchors, as Younkers fills two of its five anchors (the others are JCPenney, Macy's, and Dick's Sporting Goods). Younkers also has a location in Lansing Mall, which will leave that mall with only JCPenney as a department store anchor (they do have T.J. Maxx and a movie theater).
Cherryland Center (a dead mall in TC) will likely lose both of its remaining anchors (Younkers is in Chapter 7 and the other anchor is Sears; they lost their Kmart last year).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 09, 2018, 10:43:46 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on May 09, 2018, 05:04:15 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 09, 2018, 12:52:47 PM
I've been in Saginaw's Sears in Fashion Square Mall just to walk through the store and every time I'm in there it's always dead. Sears closed two other Tri-Cities locations one in Midland and one in Bay City within the last few years. I'm just wondering how long it'll be before the Saginaw Sears closes. Fashion Square Mall still has all three of their anchor stores left (Sears, Macy's and JCPenney) but has pockets of vacant storefronts.

The Sears that closed in Bay City the store was taken over half by Younker's second store in the mall and Ollie's Bargain Outlet. I've heard that Younker's is going to be closing so that'll leave half of the Sears vacancy vacant again. The Target store in the Bay City Mall still sits vacant and the Midland Mall still has JCPenney's and Sears old locations vacant. The next closest Sears to Saginaw is in Flint at Genesee Valley Mall. Lansing has always had only one Sears despite having two malls and having a JCPenney in both malls, Macy's closed their Lansing Mall location but still has a location in Meridian Mall.
Midland Mall will be down to one anchor in the next couple of months: Target.
Also, the Lansing Sears is not in either of the two malls (it's in a strip mall by MSU).
RiverTown Crossings (the larger and newer mall in Grand Rapids) will likely have two anchors to fill soon (Younkers is in their Chapter 7 liquidation sale and they still have a Sears for now; the Woodland Sears closed last year).
Meridian Mall (the Lansing mall that's not in a rough area) is losing two anchors, as Younkers fills two of its five anchors (the others are JCPenney, Macy's, and Dick's Sporting Goods). Younkers also has a location in Lansing Mall, which will leave that mall with only JCPenney as a department store anchor (they do have T.J. Maxx and a movie theater).
Cherryland Center (a dead mall in TC) will likely lose both of its remaining anchors (Younkers is in Chapter 7 and the other anchor is Sears; they lost their Kmart last year).
Midland Mall and Bay City Towne Center are pretty dead to be honest about it. The Lansing Sears is in a stand alone building next to Frandor in between the two malls but closer to Meridian. Younkers really doesn't have that many locations and I don't think I've ever seen one outside of the Midwest. Lansing Mall though is active on weekends but otherwise is pretty dead I've always entered/exited that mall through T.J. Maxx. I'm surprised that Cherryland is still there, Grand Traverse Mall killed that place.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Nanis on May 11, 2018, 11:41:49 PM
I just realized the sears next to Roosevelt Mall closed. It was o the other side of Bustleton
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on May 14, 2018, 05:06:54 PM
http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2018/05/14/hawaii-news/kailua-kona-kmart-to-close-in-august/

One of the last two remaining Kmarts in the state of Hawaii will be closing in August. The last one remaining is on Kauai (the forgotten major island)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on May 28, 2018, 04:13:11 PM
Updated list.

http://www.thisisinsider.com/sears-kmart-stores-closing-list-2018-4?utm_content=bufferc1216&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-insider-main (http://www.thisisinsider.com/sears-kmart-stores-closing-list-2018-4?utm_content=bufferc1216&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-insider-main)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 05:30:49 PM
I was in the Kmart in Valparaiso, IN yesterday and it was a sad state of affairs. The electronics section only consisted of a few aisles and catered to electronic several years old (I was looking for a case for my new iPhone 8 and they were selling 30-pin sync cables and cases for the 5/5S). The also had an aisle of appliances, mainly washes and dryers and chest freezers, possibly courtesy of Sears. Overall the store was bare and rundown and reminded me of a Big Lots or dollar store. They just got a Meijer in Valpo to go with the Walmart, I'd guess Kmart's days are numbered.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on May 28, 2018, 10:12:27 PM
Sears is selling these stores in an online auction.Real Insight Marketplace

The properties are advertised as sale-and-leaseback deals, meaning Sears would make rent payments to the winning bidders to remain in the space. The following Sears stores are for sale:

    Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi, Michigan
   
    Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted, Ohio
     
    SouthPark Mall, Strongsville, Ohio

These are just 3 of the Sears stores on this particular list that currently reside at still-healthy malls.  SouthPark is one of the newest malls on the list as it is only in it's early 20-somethings as far as age goes.  It will be curious to see if anybody wants to be a landlord to a tenant that could move out at a drop of a hat.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 10:49:00 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 05:30:49 PM
I'd guess Kmart's days are numbered.

Good guess.
That's why this thread (a) exists and (b) has over 650 replies.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 10:56:15 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 10:49:00 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 05:30:49 PM
I'd guess Kmart's days are numbered.

Good guess.
That's why this thread (a) exists and (b) has over 650 replies.

I meant that particular Kmart, not the chain in general.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 28, 2018, 11:08:14 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 10:56:15 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 10:49:00 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 05:30:49 PM
I'd guess Kmart's days are numbered.

Good guess.
That's why this thread (a) exists and (b) has over 650 replies.

I meant that particular Kmart, not the chain in general.
That's probably going to happen to the entire chain sooner or later. Like with Younker's closing all their stores I can see Sears and Kmart doing this as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 11:21:27 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 10:56:15 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 10:49:00 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 05:30:49 PM
I'd guess Kmart's days are numbered.

Good guess.
That's why this thread (a) exists and (b) has over 650 replies.
I meant that particular Kmart, not the chain in general.

Now that I read more closely (I'm a fast reader), I see that.
Even so, I quite enjoyed clipping your quote and turning it into a sweeping generalization. Because it is true in general, too  :)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 09:26:17 AM
Quote from: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 11:21:27 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 10:56:15 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 28, 2018, 10:49:00 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 28, 2018, 05:30:49 PM
I'd guess Kmart's days are numbered.
Good guess.
That's why this thread (a) exists and (b) has over 650 replies.
I meant that particular Kmart, not the chain in general.
Now that I read more closely (I'm a fast reader), I see that.
Even so, I quite enjoyed clipping your quote and turning it into a sweeping generalization. Because it is true in general, too  :)
I'm a lot clearer and a lot more elegant when I'm not trying to write a post on my iPhone.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.

I remember stopping at one somewhere in Indiana in 2013, along US 41 somewhere between Evansville and northwest Indiana, and it was also thriving.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on May 29, 2018, 11:59:23 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.

I remember stopping at one somewhere in Indiana in 2013, along US 41 somewhere between Evansville and northwest Indiana, and it was also thriving.

I'm not terrible sure if there's much rhyme or reason as to when they decide which stores to close.  Maybe it's something well beyond what is in the public eye, such as lease or mortgage agreements, or negotiations with landlords.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kkt on May 29, 2018, 12:06:53 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 29, 2018, 11:59:23 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.

I remember stopping at one somewhere in Indiana in 2013, along US 41 somewhere between Evansville and northwest Indiana, and it was also thriving.

I'm not terrible sure if there's much rhyme or reason as to when they decide which stores to close.  Maybe it's something well beyond what is in the public eye, such as lease or mortgage agreements, or negotiations with landlords.

I expect that's the case.  Their sales are pretty much awful everywhere.  Each store may have lease agreements that make it better to keep open than to close, even if it's losing money, and each store will take administrative staff to see if it's possible to back out of leases, lay off employees, etc., so they can't do them all at once.  However it will happen, and sooner rather than later.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Life in Paradise on May 30, 2018, 11:29:02 AM
I don't think I've stopped in at any K-Mart or Sears in the past decade in which I didn't feel that I was in a way outdated store at the time (70s or 80s style).  How did anyone ever think they were going to convince anyone that they were trying to update their stores and model to be relevant?  Even the smoke and mirrors were poisonous and cracked.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 01:54:35 PM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on May 30, 2018, 11:29:02 AM
I don't think I've stopped in at any K-Mart or Sears in the past decade in which I didn't feel that I was in a way outdated store at the time (70s or 80s style).  How did anyone ever think they were going to convince anyone that they were trying to update their stores and model to be relevant?  Even the smoke and mirrors were poisonous and cracked.
That's how I felt when I walked into the Kmart in Waterford, Michigan. I knew it was an outdated store just from looking at the outside of the building but once I got inside I thought seriously this is a Kmart? It looked like I was in a building out of the 1940's that hasn't been updated since and I'm not making this up. Next time I get in that area if I'm looking for something to do I'll take pics of this Kmart if it's not on the chopping block of the next round of Kmart's to close. I'm with you too every Kmart I've been in over the course of the last decade or so has been very outdated and every Kmart seems to be the same way too unless they took over for another store but the buildings that were built to be Kmart's the typical Kmart looking building is very outdated. My closest Kmart is in Midland and there is also one in Clio and the reason the Waterford store hangs on is because it's quite a distance from the nearest Walmart, Meijer and Target, the one in Clio is right next to I-75 across I-75 from a Walmart and there's a Meijer in Birch Run about 5 miles north so I don't see how this Kmart hangs on with a Walmart across I-75 from there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 02:00:02 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 29, 2018, 11:59:23 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.

I remember stopping at one somewhere in Indiana in 2013, along US 41 somewhere between Evansville and northwest Indiana, and it was also thriving.

I'm not terrible sure if there's much rhyme or reason as to when they decide which stores to close.  Maybe it's something well beyond what is in the public eye, such as lease or mortgage agreements, or negotiations with landlords.
I know this isn't Kmart but a Kroger store in my town closed due to the landlord not wanting to do the updates that Kroger wanted to do and now the shopping plaza that the Kroger store was located in (use to have a Kmart in the same plaza) only has a thrift store and a baseball batting cage. Kroger closed the store last November and last year put money into expanding another location about 2 miles away. Kmart on the other end of the plaza about 4 years ago in the middle of the winter the roof collapsed and Kmart closed the store for good, it happened when the store was closed in the middle of the night and the abandoned Kmart sits behind an abandoned bank building that hasn't been used in over 30 years and just sits there and continues to rot right on M-46.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on May 30, 2018, 02:05:47 PM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on May 30, 2018, 11:29:02 AM
I don't think I've stopped in at any K-Mart or Sears in the past decade in which I didn't feel that I was in a way outdated store at the time (70s or 80s style).  How did anyone ever think they were going to convince anyone that they were trying to update their stores and model to be relevant?  Even the smoke and mirrors were poisonous and cracked.

This is how my local Kmart had tried 'updating' their store.  https://goo.gl/images/p1r1T8   I found the pic on the internet, but it doesn't do it justice.  If you walked into the store you would've seen this color scheme throughout the entire store.  It was loud.  It was bright.  And it was definitely not what someone walking into a store this decade wanted.  Of course, the bright walls clashed with a ceiling that hadn't been cleaned, much less replaced, for decades. 

I could only best describe it as "A 14 year old painting their bedroom in some hideous fashion that mom and dad would grimace at, but not so bad that they would go in and repaint the walls themselves".
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: slorydn1 on May 30, 2018, 03:34:46 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 02:00:02 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 29, 2018, 11:59:23 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.

I remember stopping at one somewhere in Indiana in 2013, along US 41 somewhere between Evansville and northwest Indiana, and it was also thriving.

I'm not terrible sure if there's much rhyme or reason as to when they decide which stores to close.  Maybe it's something well beyond what is in the public eye, such as lease or mortgage agreements, or negotiations with landlords.
I know this isn't Kmart but a Kroger store in my town closed due to the landlord not wanting to do the updates that Kroger wanted to do and now the shopping plaza that the Kroger store was located in (use to have a Kmart in the same plaza) only has a thrift store and a baseball batting cage. Kroger closed the store last November and last year put money into expanding another location about 2 miles away. Kmart on the other end of the plaza about 4 years ago in the middle of the winter the roof collapsed and Kmart closed the store for good, it happened when the store was closed in the middle of the night and the abandoned Kmart sits behind an abandoned bank building that hasn't been used in over 30 years and just sits there and continues to rot right on M-46.

We had the same issue with a Food Lion here in my town 20-plus years ago. The landlord raised the rent so high and really didn't want to do any updates to the shopping center that Food Lion built a brand new store (and convinced their new landlord to build out the rest of the shopping center) right next door to the old one. The old center is still there but most of the tenants that had been there moved out, either to the new shopping center or to other stand alone buildings in the area.

Our K-Mart closed in the late 90's-early 2000's. It was one of the anchor stores for our mall (along with Belks and JC Penny's).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 09:49:05 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on May 30, 2018, 03:34:46 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 02:00:02 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 29, 2018, 11:59:23 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 29, 2018, 11:38:52 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 29, 2018, 11:08:16 AM
Every time I pass the Kmart in Somerset, Ky., it seems to be doing a pretty good business. I'm surprised that one hasn't gone under yet, but I guess it still draws enough of a crowd to remain profitable.

I remember stopping at one somewhere in Indiana in 2013, along US 41 somewhere between Evansville and northwest Indiana, and it was also thriving.

I'm not terrible sure if there's much rhyme or reason as to when they decide which stores to close.  Maybe it's something well beyond what is in the public eye, such as lease or mortgage agreements, or negotiations with landlords.
I know this isn't Kmart but a Kroger store in my town closed due to the landlord not wanting to do the updates that Kroger wanted to do and now the shopping plaza that the Kroger store was located in (use to have a Kmart in the same plaza) only has a thrift store and a baseball batting cage. Kroger closed the store last November and last year put money into expanding another location about 2 miles away. Kmart on the other end of the plaza about 4 years ago in the middle of the winter the roof collapsed and Kmart closed the store for good, it happened when the store was closed in the middle of the night and the abandoned Kmart sits behind an abandoned bank building that hasn't been used in over 30 years and just sits there and continues to rot right on M-46.

We had the same issue with a Food Lion here in my town 20-plus years ago. The landlord raised the rent so high and really didn't want to do any updates to the shopping center that Food Lion built a brand new store (and convinced their new landlord to build out the rest of the shopping center) right next door to the old one. The old center is still there but most of the tenants that had been there moved out, either to the new shopping center or to other stand alone buildings in the area.

Our K-Mart closed in the late 90's-early 2000's. It was one of the anchor stores for our mall (along with Belks and JC Penny's).
The Kroger store that's about 2 miles away from that store replaced two stores in 2008 they built one store in between the two stores that closed, this one stayed open until 2017 and there was another Kroger across town that closed in 2016.

Hampton Towne Centre had a Kmart as an anchor but the whole mall has closed now and Kmart was gone years before the mall closed. There are only two Kmart stores within a radius of about 60 miles from me, one in Midland and one in Clio. Flint's Kmart stores have all closed and they are down to 13 left in the state of Michigan, 1 in the Upper Peninsula and 12 in the Lower Peninsula.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on May 31, 2018, 08:21:39 AM
Another 72 stores just got canned. Sears is expected to announce which locations later today.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/31/sears-plans-to-close-72-more-stores-closing-sales-to-start-in-near-future.html (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/31/sears-plans-to-close-72-more-stores-closing-sales-to-start-in-near-future.html)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on May 31, 2018, 08:40:43 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 01:54:35 PM
That's how I felt when I walked into the Kmart in Waterford, Michigan. I knew it was an outdated store just from looking at the outside of the building but once I got inside I thought seriously this is a Kmart? It looked like I was in a building out of the 1940's that hasn't been updated since and I'm not making this up. Next time I get in that area if I'm looking for something to do I'll take pics of this Kmart if it's not on the chopping block of the next round of Kmart's to close. I'm with you too every Kmart I've been in over the course of the last decade or so has been very outdated and every Kmart seems to be the same way too unless they took over for another store but the buildings that were built to be Kmart's the typical Kmart looking building is very outdated. My closest Kmart is in Midland and there is also one in Clio and the reason the Waterford store hangs on is because it's quite a distance from the nearest Walmart, Meijer and Target, the one in Clio is right next to I-75 across I-75 from a Walmart and there's a Meijer in Birch Run about 5 miles north so I don't see how this Kmart hangs on with a Walmart across I-75 from there.

Waterford Twp. Kmart, you say?  I've got you covered!  Full album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/busman_49/albums/72157694144109302
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: briantroutman on May 31, 2018, 11:32:57 AM
^ I must say from a quick glance that the place looks pretty tidy and well stocked for a Kmart (at least in comparison to the few others I've seen in the past decade). Of course the mishmash of signage, fixtures, and flooring from various eras and the half-hearted renovations and repairs over the years don't help appearances any.

And honestly, the disconnect between Kmart's scant attempts at marketing and the stores' grim reality is quite depressing. Like the sign display near the entrance: "We. Hire. Happy. Apply for some FUN today"  In what world does working a dead-end minimum wage job at an understaffed store that's likely to be shuttered within months qualify as "FUN" ?

I had a few déjà vu moments looking at those pictures–some of the store interior looks very much like the Kmart in my hometown (Williamsport, PA) which coincidentally was also formerly a Grants. Particularly this shot (https://www.flickr.com/photos/busman_49/40655336880/in/album-72157694144109302/) of the customer service counter...looks exactly like it.

I assume that the '80s-looking solarium area was once a restaurant...right? The Williamsport Kmart had a full-service restaurant with table service–something along the lines of a Denny's–which I understand was typical at Grants stores but somewhat novel for Kmarts (which were typically limited to a counter service snack bar).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 12:39:13 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on May 31, 2018, 08:40:43 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 30, 2018, 01:54:35 PM
That's how I felt when I walked into the Kmart in Waterford, Michigan. I knew it was an outdated store just from looking at the outside of the building but once I got inside I thought seriously this is a Kmart? It looked like I was in a building out of the 1940's that hasn't been updated since and I'm not making this up. Next time I get in that area if I'm looking for something to do I'll take pics of this Kmart if it's not on the chopping block of the next round of Kmart's to close. I'm with you too every Kmart I've been in over the course of the last decade or so has been very outdated and every Kmart seems to be the same way too unless they took over for another store but the buildings that were built to be Kmart's the typical Kmart looking building is very outdated. My closest Kmart is in Midland and there is also one in Clio and the reason the Waterford store hangs on is because it's quite a distance from the nearest Walmart, Meijer and Target, the one in Clio is right next to I-75 across I-75 from a Walmart and there's a Meijer in Birch Run about 5 miles north so I don't see how this Kmart hangs on with a Walmart across I-75 from there.

Waterford Twp. Kmart, you say?  I've got you covered!  Full album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/busman_49/albums/72157694144109302
Yeah that's it. I guess you might have to see it in person to know what I'm talking about. The flooring and lighting were two things I thought were pretty outdated. It isn't laid out too bad but it is outdated just like every Kmart I've been into during the last 15 or so years. It seems like Kmart's are never remodeled and take over for other department stores in some locations that they never remodel either. I just don't get how you can go with the same looking buildings today that might of been ok in the 1970's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on May 31, 2018, 03:36:16 PM
Here is the latest closing list, cut down to 63 stores (48 Sears, 15 Kmarts).

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closes-72-stores-as-sales-tumble-2018-5
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on May 31, 2018, 03:48:57 PM
Must be getting close to the ultimate end if they are shutting down the Sears at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville/Cleveland, OH -- the youngest Sears in NEOH.  That will leave only ONE full-sized Sears in Cleveland (Great Northern Mall).

OMG, they killed SouthPark Sears...You Bastard!!!


And yet,  the Sears in my neck of the world (GJ, CO) survives the cut.  What the Mesa Mall Sears gets in foot traffic in a week is probably what SouthPark had been getting in an hour (or in a  half-day).

Only 2 Kmarts to remain in all of Colorado...for now.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on May 31, 2018, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.

I don't get that the Louis JOliet Mall location is staying open.  I would have thought they would have closed that before Orland and Fox Valley.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on May 31, 2018, 04:57:35 PM
Duluth/Superior will officially be a Kmart/Sears-less market as the other two Kmarts in the metro had closed previously.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:03:13 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on May 31, 2018, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.

I don't get that the Louis Joliet Mall location is staying open.  I would have thought they would have closed that before Orland and Fox Valley.

And the Louis location is owned by Seritage, not Sears.  Thus, my only guess is that the location must be profitable enough.  Hell, I would've though Sears to be the first anchor to go at Louis, not Carson's.  At least it buys the owners time to deal with the soon-to-be-former Carson's store (a Von Maur would be nice) before Sears kicks the proverbial bucket.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 05:03:26 PM
Michigan is down to 13 Kmart stores and none of the closings from this round are in Michigan.

There's a Kmart in Belleville, Charlevoix, Clio, Grayling, Hastings, Lake Orion, Marine City, Marshall, Menominee, Midland, Oscoda, Warren and Waterford. Out of those I can see the Clio and Lake Orion stores closing soon. Menominee's is the only one left in the U.P. and there are only 4 left in the Metro Detroit area where about half the state's population resides.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 05:27:11 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:03:13 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on May 31, 2018, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.

I don't get that the Louis Joliet Mall location is staying open.  I would have thought they would have closed that before Orland and Fox Valley.

And the Louis location is owned by Seritage, not Sears.  Thus, my only guess is that the location must be profitable enough.  Hell, I would've though Sears to be the first anchor to go at Louis, not Carson's.  At least it buys the owners time to deal with the soon-to-be-former Carson's store (a Von Maur would be nice) before Sears kicks the proverbial bucket.

Considering the fact that the only time I've ever set foot in a Carson's since moving back 5 years ago was for the liquidation sale, I wasn't surprised at Carson's going away.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:49:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 05:27:11 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:03:13 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on May 31, 2018, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.

I don't get that the Louis Joliet Mall location is staying open.  I would have thought they would have closed that before Orland and Fox Valley.

And the Louis location is owned by Seritage, not Sears.  Thus, my only guess is that the location must be profitable enough.  Hell, I would've though Sears to be the first anchor to go at Louis, not Carson's.  At least it buys the owners time to deal with the soon-to-be-former Carson's store (a Von Maur would be nice) before Sears kicks the proverbial bucket.

Considering the fact that the only time I've ever set foot in a Carson's since moving back 5 years ago was for the liquidation sale, I wasn't surprised at Carson's going away.

Just because you don't set foot in a store doesn't mean anything about how well or not well it is doing.  I haven't stepped foot in a Kohl's for years (as an example) to buy anything there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on May 31, 2018, 06:02:31 PM
Isn't Robinson Town Center near Pittsburgh the strongest mall in the Steel City area?  That one is a shocker as well. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: PHLBOS on June 01, 2018, 09:14:39 AM
Quote from: catch22 on May 31, 2018, 03:36:16 PM
Here is the latest closing list, cut down to 63 stores (48 Sears, 15 Kmarts).

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closes-72-stores-as-sales-tumble-2018-5
Wow, so the Peabody, MA (Rt. 114 & 128) Sears is on that list.  My brother first worked at that location circa 1980.  Such was the beginning of his 25-year career with Sears.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on June 01, 2018, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
The only one I expected to see on the list was Traverse City as that location is in a dead mall that is also losing Younkers due to Bon-Ton's Chapter 7 liquidation
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on June 01, 2018, 11:46:40 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 05:27:11 PM


Considering the fact that the only time I've ever set foot in a Carson's since moving back 5 years ago was for the liquidation sale, I wasn't surprised at Carson's going away.

I remember when Bergner * Weise opened at the Louis.  I was..10-12 at the time and it was my first experience in a glass elevator.  Architecturally, it was my favorite looking anchor at the Louis.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on June 01, 2018, 12:43:05 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:49:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 05:27:11 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:03:13 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on May 31, 2018, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.

I don't get that the Louis Joliet Mall location is staying open.  I would have thought they would have closed that before Orland and Fox Valley.

And the Louis location is owned by Seritage, not Sears.  Thus, my only guess is that the location must be profitable enough.  Hell, I would've though Sears to be the first anchor to go at Louis, not Carson's.  At least it buys the owners time to deal with the soon-to-be-former Carson's store (a Von Maur would be nice) before Sears kicks the proverbial bucket.

Considering the fact that the only time I've ever set foot in a Carson's since moving back 5 years ago was for the liquidation sale, I wasn't surprised at Carson's going away.

Just because you don't set foot in a store doesn't mean anything about how well or not well it is doing.  I haven't stepped foot in a Kohl's for years (as an example) to buy anything there.

I don't know how Kohl's is still in business, either.  They seem to subscribe to the old Penney's approach of "give an item an overinflated price tag, then have a perpetual 30% off sale."
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SectorZ on June 01, 2018, 01:36:17 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 01, 2018, 09:14:39 AM
Quote from: catch22 on May 31, 2018, 03:36:16 PM
Here is the latest closing list, cut down to 63 stores (48 Sears, 15 Kmarts).

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closes-72-stores-as-sales-tumble-2018-5
Wow, so the Peabody, MA (Rt. 114 & 128) Sears is on that list.  My brother first worked at that location circa 1980.  Such was the beginning of his 25-year career with Sears.

Per a local story I read that I cannot currently find to link here, a developer already wanted to put a three-story gym where the Sears is, so that Sears was going away soon regardless of their current plight. They had already filed with the city the paperwork for the plans in March.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on June 01, 2018, 02:35:31 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 01, 2018, 12:43:05 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:49:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 05:27:11 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 31, 2018, 05:03:13 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on May 31, 2018, 04:51:57 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 31, 2018, 04:14:33 PM
Good Lord, Hawthorn, Fox Valley, and Gurnee Mills are all losing their Sears stores.

I don't get that the Louis Joliet Mall location is staying open.  I would have thought they would have closed that before Orland and Fox Valley.

And the Louis location is owned by Seritage, not Sears.  Thus, my only guess is that the location must be profitable enough.  Hell, I would've though Sears to be the first anchor to go at Louis, not Carson's.  At least it buys the owners time to deal with the soon-to-be-former Carson's store (a Von Maur would be nice) before Sears kicks the proverbial bucket.

Considering the fact that the only time I've ever set foot in a Carson's since moving back 5 years ago was for the liquidation sale, I wasn't surprised at Carson's going away.

Just because you don't set foot in a store doesn't mean anything about how well or not well it is doing.  I haven't stepped foot in a Kohl's for years (as an example) to buy anything there.

I don't know how Kohl's is still in business, either.  They seem to subscribe to the old Penney's approach of "give an item an overinflated price tag, then have a perpetual 30% off sale."

Unlike Penney's, they're not changing their store every 5 years to try to appeal to a trend that's not happening yet. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on June 02, 2018, 06:28:14 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 01, 2018, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
The only one I expected to see on the list was Traverse City as that location is in a dead mall that is also losing Younkers due to Bon-Ton's Chapter 7 liquidation
I can't even remember and without even looking I'm assuming it's in Cherryland. I have no idea how anyone thought Traverse City was going to succeed with two shopping malls.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on June 02, 2018, 09:59:57 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on June 02, 2018, 06:28:14 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 01, 2018, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
The only one I expected to see on the list was Traverse City as that location is in a dead mall that is also losing Younkers due to Bon-Ton's Chapter 7 liquidation
I can't even remember and without even looking I'm assuming it's in Cherryland. I have no idea how anyone thought Traverse City was going to succeed with two shopping malls.
Cherryland predated Grand Traverse by many years. Grand Traverse seems to be doing surprisingly well for a small town mall (having no vacant anchors). Cherryland has struggled ever since Grand Traverse managed to get JCPenney to relocate from downtown and Hudson's and Target to enter the market. Cherryland will only have Big Lots left as an anchor (Kmart closed last year).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on June 04, 2018, 12:58:51 AM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 02, 2018, 09:59:57 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on June 02, 2018, 06:28:14 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 01, 2018, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
The only one I expected to see on the list was Traverse City as that location is in a dead mall that is also losing Younkers due to Bon-Ton's Chapter 7 liquidation
I can't even remember and without even looking I'm assuming it's in Cherryland. I have no idea how anyone thought Traverse City was going to succeed with two shopping malls.
Cherryland predated Grand Traverse by many years. Grand Traverse seems to be doing surprisingly well for a small town mall (having no vacant anchors). Cherryland has struggled ever since Grand Traverse managed to get JCPenney to relocate from downtown and Hudson's and Target to enter the market. Cherryland will only have Big Lots left as an anchor (Kmart closed last year).
Cherryland opened in the 70's and Grand Traverse in the early 90's so I'm just assuming that Grand Traverse got all the tenants to move to a newer mall back then and Traverse City certainly isn't big enough for two malls.

Grand Traverse is the same size as the Bay City Mall, I've been in that mall quite a bit and consider it to be kind of small. Fashion Square is 800,000 square feet and Genesee Valley is about 1.3 million square feet so I guess I'm just use to bigger malls. It'll be strange to see a vacant anchor in Genesee Valley when Sears closes but I could see that one coming. I'm surprised that JCPenney in Courtland is still open since that side of Flint is pretty dead and lost a Target a few years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on June 04, 2018, 10:45:55 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on June 04, 2018, 12:58:51 AM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 02, 2018, 09:59:57 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on June 02, 2018, 06:28:14 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 01, 2018, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
The only one I expected to see on the list was Traverse City as that location is in a dead mall that is also losing Younkers due to Bon-Ton's Chapter 7 liquidation
I can't even remember and without even looking I'm assuming it's in Cherryland. I have no idea how anyone thought Traverse City was going to succeed with two shopping malls.
Cherryland predated Grand Traverse by many years. Grand Traverse seems to be doing surprisingly well for a small town mall (having no vacant anchors). Cherryland has struggled ever since Grand Traverse managed to get JCPenney to relocate from downtown and Hudson's and Target to enter the market. Cherryland will only have Big Lots left as an anchor (Kmart closed last year).
Cherryland opened in the 70's and Grand Traverse in the early 90's so I'm just assuming that Grand Traverse got all the tenants to move to a newer mall back then and Traverse City certainly isn't big enough for two malls.

Grand Traverse is the same size as the Bay City Mall, I've been in that mall quite a bit and consider it to be kind of small. Fashion Square is 800,000 square feet and Genesee Valley is about 1.3 million square feet so I guess I'm just use to bigger malls. It'll be strange to see a vacant anchor in Genesee Valley when Sears closes but I could see that one coming. I'm surprised that JCPenney in Courtland is still open since that side of Flint is pretty dead and lost a Target a few years ago.
JCPenney still has random locations in Michigan. They pulled out of Midland, but still have locations in Alpena, Big Rapids (a downtown one to boot!), Cadillac, and Mount Pleasant.

Back on topic, no Kmarts closed in Michigan this round. However, most of the remaining ones aren't in direct competition with Walmart, Meijer, or Target.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: PHLBOS on June 04, 2018, 11:58:00 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on June 01, 2018, 01:36:17 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 01, 2018, 09:14:39 AM
Quote from: catch22 on May 31, 2018, 03:36:16 PM
Here is the latest closing list, cut down to 63 stores (48 Sears, 15 Kmarts).

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closes-72-stores-as-sales-tumble-2018-5
Wow, so the Peabody, MA (Rt. 114 & 128) Sears is on that list.  My brother first worked at that location circa 1980.  Such was the beginning of his 25-year career with Sears.

Per a local story I read that I cannot currently find to link here, a developer already wanted to put a three-story gym where the Sears is, so that Sears was going away soon regardless of their current plight. They had already filed with the city the paperwork for the plans in March.
IIRC, at least prior to my moving out of the area circa July of 1990; there was a Bally's/Holiday's Fitness Center in the adjacent North Shore Mall.  I know, ancient history. 

Looking at the most current mall directory map; such wasn't replaced with another gym/fitness center since, so using the old Sears space would make sense.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on June 04, 2018, 12:13:18 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 04, 2018, 11:58:00 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on June 01, 2018, 01:36:17 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 01, 2018, 09:14:39 AM
Quote from: catch22 on May 31, 2018, 03:36:16 PM
Here is the latest closing list, cut down to 63 stores (48 Sears, 15 Kmarts).

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-closes-72-stores-as-sales-tumble-2018-5
Wow, so the Peabody, MA (Rt. 114 & 128) Sears is on that list.  My brother first worked at that location circa 1980.  Such was the beginning of his 25-year career with Sears.

Per a local story I read that I cannot currently find to link here, a developer already wanted to put a three-story gym where the Sears is, so that Sears was going away soon regardless of their current plight. They had already filed with the city the paperwork for the plans in March.
IIRC, at least prior to my moving out of the area circa July of 1990; there was a Bally's/Holiday's Fitness Center in the adjacent North Shore Mall.  I know, ancient history. 

Looking at the most current mall directory map; such wasn't replaced with another gym/fitness center since, so using the old Sears space would make sense.

I don't know if Bally's was acquired by LA Fitness nationwide or just in the Chicago area, but the former Bally's locations here are almost universally dumps.  There's one in a former department store in Morton Grove, I think it might be a former Carson Pirie Scott based on the tilework on the floor, and I feel like you need a shot of penicillin just walking in there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on June 04, 2018, 12:24:49 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 04, 2018, 10:45:55 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on June 04, 2018, 12:58:51 AM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 02, 2018, 09:59:57 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on June 02, 2018, 06:28:14 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on June 01, 2018, 09:23:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 31, 2018, 04:59:50 PM
I see Genesee Valley Mall is losing it's Sears. I was just in that Sears last week and it didn't really look as dead as the one in Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall looks every time I'm in that Sears store. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is losing their Sears, as is Fairlane and Traverse City. Lakeside is the largest shopping mall in the state of Michigan by Gross Leasable Area and it's usually pretty busy when I'm there.
The only one I expected to see on the list was Traverse City as that location is in a dead mall that is also losing Younkers due to Bon-Ton's Chapter 7 liquidation
I can't even remember and without even looking I'm assuming it's in Cherryland. I have no idea how anyone thought Traverse City was going to succeed with two shopping malls.
Cherryland predated Grand Traverse by many years. Grand Traverse seems to be doing surprisingly well for a small town mall (having no vacant anchors). Cherryland has struggled ever since Grand Traverse managed to get JCPenney to relocate from downtown and Hudson's and Target to enter the market. Cherryland will only have Big Lots left as an anchor (Kmart closed last year).
Cherryland opened in the 70's and Grand Traverse in the early 90's so I'm just assuming that Grand Traverse got all the tenants to move to a newer mall back then and Traverse City certainly isn't big enough for two malls.

Grand Traverse is the same size as the Bay City Mall, I've been in that mall quite a bit and consider it to be kind of small. Fashion Square is 800,000 square feet and Genesee Valley is about 1.3 million square feet so I guess I'm just use to bigger malls. It'll be strange to see a vacant anchor in Genesee Valley when Sears closes but I could see that one coming. I'm surprised that JCPenney in Courtland is still open since that side of Flint is pretty dead and lost a Target a few years ago.
JCPenney still has random locations in Michigan. They pulled out of Midland, but still have locations in Alpena, Big Rapids (a downtown one to boot!), Cadillac, and Mount Pleasant.

Back on topic, no Kmarts closed in Michigan this round. However, most of the remaining ones aren't in direct competition with Walmart, Meijer, or Target.
I would have thought they would have pulled out of Bay City instead of Midland and now the Midland Mall is about to be down to only one anchor (Target) after Younker's closes. But you are correct they do have some really random locations, they use to have two JCPenney's in Saginaw one in Fashion Square Mall and one in Green Acres Plaza which is a strip mall on State Street just west of the city limits in Saginaw Township but that one closed probably about 15 years ago. Alma also has a JCPenney in a strip plaza so does Greenville. Petoskey has a downtown location in an old building.

Now regarding Kmart I agree that most of the remaining ones aren't in direct competition with Walmart, Meijer or Target. I can think of one that is in direct competition with a Walmart (Clio). We're down to 13 Kmart locations in Michigan and unless something big happens with Kmart I don't think we'll lose too many more.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadrunner75 on June 04, 2018, 10:03:39 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 04, 2018, 12:13:18 PM
I don't know if Bally's was acquired by LA Fitness nationwide or just in the Chicago area, but the former Bally's locations here are almost universally dumps.  There's one in a former department store in Morton Grove, I think it might be a former Carson Pirie Scott based on the tilework on the floor, and I feel like you need a shot of penicillin just walking in there.
I had a Ballys lifetime membership that I purchased from a coworker (they got it when it was a Jack LaLanne) that was dirt cheap.  My local Ballys got bought out by 24 Hour Fitness (transfering my membership) and then soon after the local club closed permanently and that was that.  I found that 24 Hour Fitness apparently counted the 24 hours over separate days, as they closed at 10pm just like before.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on June 05, 2018, 07:22:30 AM
I hope you were able to get some sort of pro-rated refund. Although gyms tend to use a pretty liberal definition of time and distance when you tell them you need to cancel because there isn't a club nearby. An old roommate tired to do just that, and the response was "but there's a gym 90 minutes away."
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on June 05, 2018, 01:17:19 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 05, 2018, 07:22:30 AM
I hope you were able to get some sort of pro-rated refund. Although gyms tend to use a pretty liberal definition of time and distance when you tell them you need to cancel because there isn't a club nearby. An old roommate tired to do just that, and the response was "but there's a gym 90 minutes away."

That would be an evil little company that does billing for a lot of gyms called "ABC Financial".
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Roadrunner75 on June 05, 2018, 09:41:23 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 05, 2018, 07:22:30 AM
I hope you were able to get some sort of pro-rated refund. Although gyms tend to use a pretty liberal definition of time and distance when you tell them you need to cancel because there isn't a club nearby. An old roommate tired to do just that, and the response was "but there's a gym 90 minutes away."
I had a $60/year deal, that I got when I purchased it from a coworker (using their one-time transfer option) who originally got it back in the mid 80s.  It was so cheap that I would just renew it each year even though I went less and less (which is exactly what they want of course).  Surprisingly, 24 Hour Fitness still honored the same price.  When the place closed, the nearest one was pretty far away and it didn't look like they were going to continue to honor the original price, so I just dropped it.  I think they just gave me a refund for a portion of the yearly renewal fee.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on June 06, 2018, 07:29:42 AM
Oh, you had an annual membership, not a lifetime one. Yes, that's exactly what gyms want you to do: Prepay an annual membership and never come back again. My health insurance company has a program where I can pay $25 a month and go to any of a network of thousands of gyms in the country, including any LA Fitness.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on June 07, 2018, 03:06:06 PM
Looks like a Sears near me that wasn't on the recent list is on the chopping block.  Brass Mill Center in Waterbury is only 20 years old but is essentially a dying mall full of dollar stores and not in a great neighborhood.  There's another one 20-25 minutes away in Meriden in a better (and older) mall.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/38373392/recently-announced-sears-closings-include-connecticut-store
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on June 07, 2018, 03:15:09 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 07, 2018, 03:06:06 PM
Looks like a Sears near me that wasn't on the recent list is on the chopping block.  Brass Mill Center in Waterbury is only 20 years old but is essentially a dying mall full of dollar stores and not in a great neighborhood.  There's another one 20-25 minutes away in Meriden in a better (and older) mall.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/38373392/recently-announced-sears-closings-include-connecticut-store
Sort of reminds me of how Eastland Mall in Harper Woods, Michigan is. It sits on the border with Detroit and draws from that area which is one of the most crime ridden areas in the city of Detroit the 48205 zip code. Eastland almost has no anchors left and is full of dollar store type stores. There was a shooting outside of Eastland last summer and another shooting about 2-3 years ago there. The only anchor stores this mall has is a K&G Fashion Superstore and Shoppers World so you can imagine how this mall is. It lost Sears about 5 years ago, which replaced a JCPenney in the mall, it lost Macy's last year and it lost Target and Burlington Coat Factory this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see this entire mall shut down.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: WR of USA on June 07, 2018, 08:27:45 PM
The Kmart near me on Cape Cod has its lease up sometime in the next few years, and the town is planning to redevelop the plaza into mixed use. I never really liked it, the store was always kinda run down, with cheap lighting and a old musty smell. Won't miss it at all once it's gone.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on June 07, 2018, 11:30:39 PM
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.

How does Puerto Rico support so many??  :-o
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on July 03, 2018, 01:05:07 PM
Sears is now announced in Florida many store closings such as the one Altamonte which will have a price markdown soon as that is one of the many stores on the chopping block.  Considering that the chain survived over its parent is an impressive feat, especially that all Kmarts in Orlando have gone along time ago.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/companies/sears-adds-more-stores-to-closings-list-78-set-to-close-in-september/ar-AAzu6S2
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on July 03, 2018, 04:28:15 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on June 07, 2018, 11:30:39 PM
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.

How does Puerto Rico support so many??  :-o
I don't think Walmart has a presence in PR or USVI (they may have a presence in PR). Also, the map does not include the Kmarts that closed prior to the bankruptcy in 2002 (in some markets, Kmart relocated in the late 1980s or early 1990s from an older store [usually former Grant stores] into a newer ground-up store)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Pink Jazz on July 03, 2018, 06:26:21 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on July 03, 2018, 04:28:15 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on June 07, 2018, 11:30:39 PM
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.

How does Puerto Rico support so many??  :-o
I don't think Walmart has a presence in PR or USVI (they may have a presence in PR). Also, the map does not include the Kmarts that closed prior to the bankruptcy in 2002 (in some markets, Kmart relocated in the late 1980s or early 1990s from an older store [usually former Grant stores] into a newer ground-up store)

There are actually several Walmarts in Puerto Rico.  No Target stores though.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: adventurernumber1 on July 05, 2018, 10:22:37 AM
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.

It is interesting to see that Kmart is still doing well in the Florida Keys (at least sort of), according to that map. There are still three green pins all along the keys, with no red ones there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on July 05, 2018, 12:14:04 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on July 05, 2018, 10:22:37 AM
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.

It is interesting to see that Kmart is still doing well in the Florida Keys (at least sort of), according to that map. There are still three green pins all along the keys, with no red ones there.


I think Russellville is the last K-Mart in Arkansas

Still a handful of Sears, but mostly in the central part of the state
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on July 06, 2018, 09:29:36 PM
Quote from: US71 on July 05, 2018, 12:14:04 PM
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on July 05, 2018, 10:22:37 AM
Quote from: lepidopteran on June 07, 2018, 07:47:51 PM
Google MyMap of Kmart stores (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwjuddilMljN7EpwUDJA_Kp7nd4iOKm&usp=sharing)

Although the list that this map was derived from is titled "Year-2012 Store Locations", many seem to be from before then.  Placemarkers in red are closed, in green are open.  Selecting a pin will bring up additional information (where available) such as the store number and the year it first opened.

It is interesting to see that Kmart is still doing well in the Florida Keys (at least sort of), according to that map. There are still three green pins all along the keys, with no red ones there.


I think Russellville is the last K-Mart in Arkansas

Still a handful of Sears, but mostly in the central part of the state
And that Kmart is right next door to a Walmart Supercenter so I'm quite surprised Kmart is still open there and it is the lone Arkansas location left.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on August 22, 2018, 08:54:52 PM
Another round of closures has been announced.

https://searsholdings.com/docs/082118-store_closing_list.pdf (https://searsholdings.com/docs/082118-store_closing_list.pdf)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on August 22, 2018, 09:35:32 PM
I think Russellville is the last one in Arkansas, and it survives for another day
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 22, 2018, 10:06:17 PM
Quote from: US71 on August 22, 2018, 09:35:32 PM
I think Russellville is the last one in Arkansas, and it survives for another day
It is the only Arkansas location left.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on August 22, 2018, 10:19:48 PM
Funny that they called the La Crosse WI store address as US Highway 16.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on August 22, 2018, 10:36:59 PM
FINALLY!!! They are closing the Sears at Mesa Mall, Grand Junction, CO.  Considering they could've partnered with a Funeral Home and nobody would've noticed over the last few years...

Not to worry, we still have a Sears Outlet in town, and there are some Sears Hometown stores still treading water around Western Colorado.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 22, 2018, 11:06:23 PM
I truly believe that I stepped foot inside the Sears location at Genesee Valley Mall in Flint, Michigan for the last time the other day. I entered the mall through the Sears store so I walked across the store twice. Pretty much everything is gone and cleared in just about every area of the store. I didn't go upstairs while I was there but that's probably about as empty as the first floor. It'll be strange that there will no longer be a Sears location in Flint in a city that still has two JCPenney locations, one in Genesee Valley Mall and one in Courtland Center that I'm kind of surprised hasn't closed yet that side of Flint has lost several stores. Courtland is actually in Burton but it's right across the street from the Flint/Burton border and really isn't a large mall only 460,000 square feet but has at least 20 vacant storefronts and is basically used by mall walkers.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 23, 2018, 01:20:27 AM
And then there were 2 in CT.  Milford about to bite the dust.  It's in an area of town far away from the Post Mall.  Last time I was in there a couple years ago it looked like it had been hit by a tornado.  The two survivors are Vernon (remodeled to the Big K concept), and the famed relic in Watertown that just had its vintage signage replaced recently.  I've also been to the Newark, DE one that is closing (the one in Bear was nicer, relatively speaking).   
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 23, 2018, 05:20:25 AM
I personally wouldn't care if the Sears in Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw closed but it would leave that mall with a vacant anchor which right now it has no vacant anchors. They've closed two other Sears stores in the Tri-Cities (Midland and Bay City) and are closing the one in Flint. If Saginaw does close then I believe Lansing would be the nearest Sears store.

Lansing's Sears isn't in a mall though. Lansing has two malls (Meridian and Lansing Mall) and the Sears is about halfway in between them. Lansing Mall lost Macy's and Younker's leaving just JCPenney as the lone anchor and Meridian lost Younker's which will leave two vacancies since one is the Home and Furniture store. They had this in the Bay City Mall too moving their Home and Furniture store in the Sears vacancy. Bay City Mall will also have JCPenney as their lone anchor and JCPenney pulled out of Midland Mall, that mall only has a Target left as an anchor now. JCPenney seems to do ok in Courtland Center where it's really the only anchor but they consider Dunham's Sports, JoAnn Fabrics and Staples as anchors too and I really don't see how those stores are mall anchors.

An odd thing in Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw. Once in awhile I've been going to the mall about an hour before it closes just to walk around and the times I've been in there Macy's has been closing before the mall closes just doesn't make much sense. The Sears store in this mall is pretty dead to be honest, anytime I've walked through the store I only see employees.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on August 23, 2018, 09:07:44 AM
Scott Depot, WV finally makes the list.  Place has been obviously going for some time, only about half the store has merchandise and large areas are filled with "new old stock" generations out of date unsold appliances and TVs from some forgotten corner of some warehouse, just to fill up space. 

As I stated up thread, place is next door to a Kroger which has not been updated in a long time.  My assumption is that Kroger will raze the K-Mart and build a modern store and sell the place next door to someone not in the grocery business.

The area will now have lost this K-Mart and regional chains Magic Mart (downscale) and Elder-Beerman (upscale) within 1 mile of each other in a six week period.   Leaving Wal-Mart as the only general retailer in the county.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on August 23, 2018, 09:49:19 AM
Louis Joliet Mall still not on the list.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on August 23, 2018, 09:59:56 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on August 23, 2018, 09:49:19 AM
Louis Joliet Mall still not on the list.

My only guess is that that Sears must still be making enough money somehow.  However, Sears is a ghost town when compared to JCPenney and Macy's in the mall.  I had to stand in a line, on a Tuesday evening, to make a purchase at Penney's.  The place was actually pretty busy for a Tuesday.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on August 23, 2018, 11:31:06 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 23, 2018, 09:07:44 AM
Scott Depot, WV finally makes the list.  Place has been obviously going for some time, only about half the store has merchandise and large areas are filled with "new old stock" generations out of date unsold appliances and TVs from some forgotten corner of some warehouse, just to fill up space. 

As I stated up thread, place is next door to a Kroger which has not been updated in a long time.  My assumption is that Kroger will raze the K-Mart and build a modern store and sell the place next door to someone not in the grocery business.

The area will now have lost this K-Mart and regional chains Magic Mart (downscale) and Elder-Beerman (upscale) within 1 mile of each other in a six week period.   Leaving Wal-Mart as the only general retailer in the county.


Kroger already has their gas stop in the corner of the Kmart parking lot in Scott Depot, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if Kroger were to build a new store on the site of the soon-to-be-former Kmart
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 11:36:42 AM
I think the Sears at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax is the first Northern Virginia location to go.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on August 23, 2018, 11:37:13 AM
Quote from: LM117 on August 22, 2018, 08:54:52 PM
Another round of closures has been announced.

https://searsholdings.com/docs/082118-store_closing_list.pdf (https://searsholdings.com/docs/082118-store_closing_list.pdf)

Quite the list, actually.  A number of successful malls that Sears is in are on the list.  That tells me that Sears/Kmart is going downhill in a hurry.  Any bets on when they finally give it all up?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on August 23, 2018, 11:45:26 AM
The only Sears in NJ on this list is at the Hamilton Mall, where US 40 & 322 meet up near AC.   This mall is a relative newcomer to the mall scene, built about 30 years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on August 23, 2018, 11:45:39 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 11:36:42 AM
I think the Sears at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax is the first Northern Virginia location to go.
Is the one at Landmark still open?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on August 23, 2018, 12:53:54 PM
Quote from: Brandon on August 23, 2018, 11:37:13 AM
Quote from: LM117 on August 22, 2018, 08:54:52 PM
Another round of closures has been announced.

https://searsholdings.com/docs/082118-store_closing_list.pdf (https://searsholdings.com/docs/082118-store_closing_list.pdf)

Quite the list, actually.  A number of successful malls that Sears is in are on the list.  That tells me that Sears/Kmart is going downhill in a hurry.  Any bets on when they finally give it all up?

Agreed. The one that caught me by surprise is the one in Raleigh, NC at Crabtree Valley Mall. Crabtree is arguably the most successful mall in the whole Triangle metro, with The Streets at Southpoint in Durham being a very close second. Raleigh's other mall, Triangle Town Center, is bleeding tenants and yet that Sears still remains. The nearby Northgate Mall in Durham off of I-85 is the worst mall in the Triangle and that Sears survives too.

I give it 2 years at the most.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 23, 2018, 11:45:39 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 11:36:42 AM
I think the Sears at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax is the first Northern Virginia location to go.
Is the one at Landmark still open?

Yes, and it's the only thing at that mall that remains open.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on August 23, 2018, 03:46:40 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 23, 2018, 11:45:39 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 11:36:42 AM
I think the Sears at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax is the first Northern Virginia location to go.
Is the one at Landmark still open?
Yes, and it's the only thing at that mall that remains open.
I'm so old, I used to get my car worked on at that Sears Auto, and rent cargo fans from the Budget location there.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 07:52:11 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 23, 2018, 03:46:40 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 23, 2018, 11:45:39 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 23, 2018, 11:36:42 AM
I think the Sears at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax is the first Northern Virginia location to go.
Is the one at Landmark still open?
Yes, and it's the only thing at that mall that remains open.
I'm so old, I used to get my car worked on at that Sears Auto, and rent cargo fans from the Budget location there.

I've bought tires at that Sears Auto within the past ten years. My brother worked there as head of the loss prevention department about 20 years ago. I've bought appliances, tools, and even two neckties there (the latter were Miles Davis ties–my brother had one and I liked it, so I stopped by to get the same tie). I think the most recent purchase was our current laundry machine some six or seven years ago. The old one's bearings failed and the repair estimate was $580, but a new machine at Sears was $66, so it was an easy call.

WTOP confirms that Fair Oaks will be the first Northern Virginia Sears to close. I find it mildly interesting that the standalone location on Route 7 at Seven Corners, the one that used to be Lord & Taylor, is still open. Who knows for how long. Talk about a comedown: When I was a kid, there were three department stores located on either side of Route 7 there–Lord & Taylor on the west side, and Garfinckel's and Woodies anchored the mall on the east side. Lord & Taylor closed and it briefly became a Caldor (only one I ever knew of around here) before becoming Sears. Garfinckel's is now a Ross Dress for Less and Woodies is a Shoppers Food Warehouse. How the mighty have fallen.  :ded:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on August 24, 2018, 04:40:46 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 22, 2018, 10:06:17 PM
Quote from: US71 on August 22, 2018, 09:35:32 PM
I think Russellville is the last one in Arkansas, and it survives for another day
It is the only Arkansas location left.

Odd how it hasn't closed. I wonder if there's some quirky financial advantage (like taking it off their taxes)?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 24, 2018, 05:20:36 PM
Quote from: US71 on August 24, 2018, 04:40:46 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 22, 2018, 10:06:17 PM
Quote from: US71 on August 22, 2018, 09:35:32 PM
I think Russellville is the last one in Arkansas, and it survives for another day
It is the only Arkansas location left.

Odd how it hasn't closed. I wonder if there's some quirky financial advantage (like taking it off their taxes)?
And there's a Walmart Supercenter next door too. I'm surprised they haven't closed it yet.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ET21 on August 27, 2018, 09:20:49 AM
Chicago Ridge and Woodfield for me are still holding on  :bigass:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 27, 2018, 11:06:56 AM
I see the Glenbrook Square Sears is closing in Fort Wayne. That Sears has been there as long as the mall has.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on August 27, 2018, 01:28:49 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 27, 2018, 09:20:49 AM
Chicago Ridge and Woodfield for me are still holding on  :bigass:

Still extant Sears department stores in Illinois (not including Sears Appliance & Hardware or dealer stores):

Chicago Ridge Mall
Woodfield
Louis Joliet Mall
Cherryvale (Rockford)
North Riverside Park Mall
Spring Hill Mall
Golf Mill Mall (where Sears is a walk-through between parts of the mall)
Stratford Square (how the hell is this still here!?!)
Northwoods Mall (Peoria)
St. Clair Square (Metro East)
Oakbrook Center (currently closed for reconfiguring - I suspect it may never reopen)

Of these, only three are outside the Chicagoland area.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on August 27, 2018, 04:09:20 PM
Quote from: Brandon on August 27, 2018, 01:28:49 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 27, 2018, 09:20:49 AM
Chicago Ridge and Woodfield for me are still holding on  :bigass:

Still extant Sears department stores in Illinois (not including Sears Appliance & Hardware or dealer stores):

Chicago Ridge Mall
Woodfield
Louis Joliet Mall
Cherryvale (Rockford)
North Riverside Park Mall
Spring Hill Mall
Golf Mill Mall (where Sears is a walk-through between parts of the mall)
Stratford Square (how the hell is this still here!?!)
Northwoods Mall (Peoria)
St. Clair Square (Metro East)
Oakbrook Center (currently closed for reconfiguring - I suspect it may never reopen)

Of these, only three are outside the Chicagoland area.
Looks like Oakbrook is not reopening as it isn't on the Sears website
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on August 28, 2018, 12:53:11 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 27, 2018, 09:20:49 AM
Chicago Ridge and Woodfield for me are still holding on  :bigass:

Woodfield Sears sold or leased a bunch of space to NAMCO for the 257 Pac-Man themed arcade / restaurant.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on August 28, 2018, 02:10:16 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on August 28, 2018, 12:53:11 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 27, 2018, 09:20:49 AM
Chicago Ridge and Woodfield for me are still holding on  :bigass:

Woodfield Sears sold or leased a bunch of space to NAMCO for the 257 Pac-Man themed arcade / restaurant.
OT but Level 257 was such a disappointment when I finally went.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on August 28, 2018, 03:58:36 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 28, 2018, 02:10:16 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on August 28, 2018, 12:53:11 PM
Quote from: ET21 on August 27, 2018, 09:20:49 AM
Chicago Ridge and Woodfield for me are still holding on  :bigass:

Woodfield Sears sold or leased a bunch of space to NAMCO for the 257 Pac-Man themed arcade / restaurant.
OT but Level 257 was such a disappointment when I finally went.

I agree. Up until recently it was the only arcade in the Chicago area that had a Baby Pac-Man machine, but now Galloping Ghost has one.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on September 25, 2018, 09:39:00 AM
Latest status of the company.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/09/24/sears-ceo-has-come-up-with-last-minute-plan-save-it-bankruptcy/?noredirect=on (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/09/24/sears-ceo-has-come-up-with-last-minute-plan-save-it-bankruptcy/?noredirect=on)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on September 25, 2018, 10:25:08 AM
Quote from: LM117 on September 25, 2018, 09:39:00 AM
Latest status of the company.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/09/24/sears-ceo-has-come-up-with-last-minute-plan-save-it-bankruptcy/?noredirect=on (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/09/24/sears-ceo-has-come-up-with-last-minute-plan-save-it-bankruptcy/?noredirect=on)

The phrase "stick a fork in them, they're done" comes to mind.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on September 25, 2018, 11:11:53 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 25, 2018, 10:25:08 AM
The phrase "stick a fork in them, they're done" comes to mind.

Sears/Kmart seems to be the chain with 9 lives. Just when you think they're finally dead, they keep going. Small towns with no other options and places where Walmart won't enter due to political/other reasons appear to be their lifeline.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on September 25, 2018, 11:23:56 AM
Quote from: cl94 on September 25, 2018, 11:11:53 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 25, 2018, 10:25:08 AM
The phrase "stick a fork in them, they're done" comes to mind.

Sears/Kmart seems to be the chain with 9 lives. Just when you think they're finally dead, they keep going. Small towns with no other options and places where Walmart won't enter due to political/other reasons appear to be their lifeline.
Places where Walmart isn't welcome, Target usually is. I have no idea what niche Kmart is filling.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: cl94 on September 25, 2018, 11:32:37 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 25, 2018, 11:23:56 AM
Places where Walmart isn't welcome, Target usually is. I have no idea what niche Kmart is filling.

Towns too small for either Walmart or Target in many cases. Many of the Northeast's remaining Kmarts are in places without Walmart due to a variety of reasons (population, politics) and Target (demographics, population) close by, often lacking both. Target in particular is targeting (no pun intended) white collar families with a more "upscale" appearance and product line. Both Walmart and Target are generally confined to larger settlements in this part of the country. Places like Wellsville and Sidney, NY are too small for Walmart, but Kmart is willing to keep a store open.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on September 25, 2018, 02:30:34 PM
My biggest complaint about Target is that it's more expensive than Walmart. But of course, Kmart is too, which is the biggest reason Walmart wiped the floor with Kmart in most places where they've been going head-to-head.

The Kmart in Kingsport, Tenn., seems to be going strong still, which surprises me because there's tons of competition in that area. There's a Target, at least two Walmart Supercenters, and at least one Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on September 25, 2018, 02:54:16 PM
I went by my local K-Mart, which is closing, and I have seen better and more organized Goodwill stores.  Clearly a lot of stuff just brought in to fill space, with no legitimate expectation of actually selling it.  Ironically, the place was hiring, as much of the staff had left, with a poster aimed, it seems, at housewives, saying you could earn a couple of hundred over the next month and then go back to your life. 

Some observations:

- Huge amount of geographically illogical logo wear.  100s of Univ. of Oklahoma and Univ. of Arkansas medical scrubs; maybe 200 Univ. of Minnesota baby jumpers, all 18 month size; Boise State hats; unopened cases of NFL backpacks for random teams; kids baseball hats for random teams.  Even at virtually free the number of people who are in the market in Scott Depot, WV for 18 month size Golden Gopher jumpers is probably zero. 

- The stuff that you might actually want, like the OTC medicines, health and beauty, and such.

- Electronics area was flashback land.  Lots of "new old stock" obsolete electronics spanning many generations. 

- Appliances that had clearly been on display somewhere for a decade or more.

- Former garden center filled with out-of-season leftovers and tons of Christmas decorations.

- The tools and auto parts had been stripped. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheStranger on September 25, 2018, 03:19:17 PM
Was in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago and drove by the KMart on Stockton Boulevard which had closed in the last year.  It had the old KMart full-letter signage until about 5-6 years ago, and was the last in the city to remain operating if I recall.  (A friend over there told me the roof collapsed on it several months before the store finally went under)

Another KMart that had held on for years up in Citrus Heights closed in 2016 and is slated to become a theater.

Meanwhile, the Kmart on Veterans Boulevard in Redwood City has somehow continued to operate after all this time.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on September 25, 2018, 03:35:04 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 25, 2018, 02:54:16 PM- Electronics area was flashback land.  Lots of "new old stock" obsolete electronics spanning many generations. 

- Appliances that had clearly been on display somewhere for a decade or more
Yep, this is what I encountered when I went to the Kmart in Valparaiso, IN earlier this year. I had just upgraded to the iPhone 8, and I went in to look for a new case for it. They were still selling 30-pin-to-USB cables.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 25, 2018, 04:57:07 PM
K-Mart is perhaps one of the worst ran stores of it's kind. It really wouldn't sadden me if the entire chain closed down for good. None of their stores I have been in have even looked like they've been touched in 20-30 years. K-Mart is so out of date with the times it's not even funny. Meijer is the store around here that everyone shops at, Meijer even blows Walmart away in Michigan. You could go past a Meijer store and it's parking lot will be full, Walmart's will be half full, K-Mart's not even a quarter full.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 25, 2018, 05:04:49 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on September 25, 2018, 03:19:17 PM
Was in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago and drove by the KMart on Stockton Boulevard which had closed in the last year.  It had the old KMart full-letter signage until about 5-6 years ago, and was the last in the city to remain operating if I recall.  (A friend over there told me the roof collapsed on it several months before the store finally went under)

Another KMart that had held on for years up in Citrus Heights closed in 2016 and is slated to become a theater.

Meanwhile, the Kmart on Veterans Boulevard in Redwood City has somehow continued to operate after all this time.
That is the same fate that Saginaw, Michigan's last K-Mart had. About 4 years ago, maybe 5 years ago in the dead of winter right after the New Year K-Mart's roof collapsed and the store was closed to repair that, then they never re-opened. A Kroger store at the other end of the same plaza closed late last year and an Aco Hardware store closed years ago. The only stores left in this plaza are a Thrift Store and a Batting Cage.

This is the plaza I'm talking about. You can see the Kroger store still open on the left and the K-Mart was on the right. The ugly building in front of where K-Mart was use to be a bank and has been abandoned for at least 30 years.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4153224,-84.0170914,3a,71.5y,168.46h,80.35t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1s5-07splBbPZix43Bpk6jdA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D5-07splBbPZix43Bpk6jdA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D204.1217%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

I had to get over to Center Road to get K-Mart still open, along with Aco Hardware still open.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4148252,-84.0147779,3a,15y,240.04h,90.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7MsWGg_coVJbD9lATI8-mg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 25, 2018, 05:09:53 PM
Can't remember if I ever posted this but Saginaw use to have 3 K-Mart's. One was in Fort Saginaw Mall on Holland and Outer Drive (the entire mall along with K-Mart, except for a small strip plaza near Outer Drive was demolished around 2009), another one was on Bay Road and Schust and that is now a CubeSmart, I really don't even know what it is I think it's a storage place. And of course the Gratiot and Center location that I mentioned in my previous post.

Bay City lost it's last K-Mart last year or earlier this year one of the two. Midland still has one and somehow Clio still has one despite a Walmart Supercenter being located near it. Seems like most of the K-Mart's that are left in Michigan are located a good distance away from a Walmart or Meijer location.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: txstateends on September 25, 2018, 08:15:17 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on September 25, 2018, 05:09:53 PM
, another one was on Bay Road and Schust and that is now a CubeSmart, I really don't even know what it is I think it's a storage place.

CubeSmart is a self-storage chain.  Several new ones have popped up in the last year or 2 in north TX.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: CapeCodder on September 30, 2018, 06:55:40 PM
I'm surprised the Hyannis K-Mart has held on this long. Walking in there feels like you're in the 80's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on September 30, 2018, 06:57:30 PM
I went to the one at Mannheim and Oakton in Des Plaines today, and it must be the crown jewel of the Kmart empire. They actually had what I was looking for (a two port USB car charger).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on October 03, 2018, 02:08:43 PM
Three more on the chopping block.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/10/03/sears-kmart-store-closures/1510265002/

I'm willing to bet that many more are in the works.

/modification

And they are, for a total of 11 stores minimum.  There may be more for this round.

https://www.businessinsider.com/sears-kmart-list-of-stores-closing-before-holidays-2018-10

Sears
Golf Mill Shopping Center, 400 Golf Mill Ctr, Niles, Illinois
Eastern Hills Mall, 4545 Transit Rd, Williamsville, New York
The Mall at Fairfield Commons, 2727 Fairfield Commons, Beavercreek, Ohio
San Jacinto Mall, 1000 San Jacinto Mall, Baytown, Texas
Broadway Square, 4701 S Broadway Ave, Tyler, Texas
Grand Central Mall, 500 Grand Central Ave, Vienna, West Virginia

Kmart
1500 Fitzgerald Dr, Pinole, California
6865 Hollister Ave, Goleta, California
635 Dutchess Turnpike, Poughkeepsie, New York
6626 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, New York
4251 John Marr Drive, Annandale, Virginia

Sears occupies a unique position in Golf Mill Mall, being a central "walk-through" anchor, connecting the larger JCPenney/theater mall to the south with the smaller Kohl's/Target/Value City Furniture mall to the north.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on October 03, 2018, 05:28:35 PM
I wasn't even aware there was a Sears at Golf Mill, but I've only been there once and didn't leave Penney's.

I hope they find a solution to the pass-through issue that isn't "have shoppers walk through a giant empty store."  Maybe some temporary walls.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: JoePCool14 on October 03, 2018, 05:34:04 PM
Quote from: Brandon on October 03, 2018, 02:08:43 PM
Three more on the chopping block.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/10/03/sears-kmart-store-closures/1510265002/

I'm willing to bet that many more are in the works.

/modification

And they are, for a total of 11 stores minimum.  There may be more for this round.

https://www.businessinsider.com/sears-kmart-list-of-stores-closing-before-holidays-2018-10

Sears
Golf Mill Shopping Center, 400 Golf Mill Ctr, Niles, Illinois
Eastern Hills Mall, 4545 Transit Rd, Williamsville, New York
The Mall at Fairfield Commons, 2727 Fairfield Commons, Beavercreek, Ohio
San Jacinto Mall, 1000 San Jacinto Mall, Baytown, Texas
Broadway Square, 4701 S Broadway Ave, Tyler, Texas
Grand Central Mall, 500 Grand Central Ave, Vienna, West Virginia

Kmart
1500 Fitzgerald Dr, Pinole, California
6865 Hollister Ave, Goleta, California
635 Dutchess Turnpike, Poughkeepsie, New York
6626 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, New York
4251 John Marr Drive, Annandale, Virginia

Sears occupies a unique position in Golf Mill Mall, being a central "walk-through" anchor, connecting the larger JCPenney/theater mall to the south with the smaller Kohl's/Target/Value City Furniture mall to the north.

My mom worked at that Sears in Golf Mill when she was in college. She would come home every other weekend to work and get money to take back to school (and work in the summer). I will have to let her know of the news.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on October 04, 2018, 11:23:14 AM
For years, Sears was the south anchor at Fayette Mall in Lexington. At some point 20-something years ago, the mall was expanded southward and Sears became a walk-through anchor. The Sears there closed a few years ago and I have no idea what took its place, because I try to stay away from malls as much as possible.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on October 04, 2018, 11:53:06 AM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 03, 2018, 05:28:35 PM
I wasn't even aware there was a Sears at Golf Mill, but I've only been there once and didn't leave Penney's.

I hope they find a solution to the pass-through issue that isn't "have shoppers walk through a giant empty store."  Maybe some temporary walls.

The Gallery in Philly had this same feature/issue, ironically with a Kmart.  I forget exactly what they did, as the entire mall is underdoing renovations now.  I think you could still get from one side to another via the underground portion of the mall which Kmart didn't occupy (but it's been years, so I could be totally wrong about that).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on October 05, 2018, 11:59:47 AM
Thought this one would be closed permanently.  Question is, how long will it be open?

Jaclyn Smith, 300 shoppers come out for Sears reopening at Oakbrook Center (http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-brook/news/ct-dob-sears-grand-opening-tl-1011-story.html)

QuoteThe remodeling/downsizing started 13 months ago and left Sears with 62,000 square feet – about one-third the size of its previous space – all on the lower level.

Considered by Sears as "a smaller format store,"  the Oakbrook Center location still carries shoes, apparel, appliances, tools, mattresses, sporting goods, jewelry, grills and lawn and garden items. Some other previously available products, such as consumer electronics, are no longer are sold on site.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 05, 2018, 12:10:36 PM
Quote from: Brandon on October 05, 2018, 11:59:47 AM
Thought this one would be closed permanently.  Question is, how long will it be open?

Jaclyn Smith, 300 shoppers come out for Sears reopening at Oakbrook Center (http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-brook/news/ct-dob-sears-grand-opening-tl-1011-story.html)

QuoteThe remodeling/downsizing started 13 months ago and left Sears with 62,000 square feet – about one-third the size of its previous space – all on the lower level.

Considered by Sears as "a smaller format store,"  the Oakbrook Center location still carries shoes, apparel, appliances, tools, mattresses, sporting goods, jewelry, grills and lawn and garden items. Some other previously available products, such as consumer electronics, are no longer are sold on site.

That's kinda what happened at Woodfield mall, what with the overrated 257 restaurant / arcade opening in former Sears space.

I still say Sears isn't going to totally go under.  I think they'll keep the upscale stores open, and the neighborhood ones, IIRC, were spun off into their own actually profitable company.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on October 05, 2018, 12:57:42 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 05, 2018, 12:10:36 PM
Quote from: Brandon on October 05, 2018, 11:59:47 AM
Thought this one would be closed permanently.  Question is, how long will it be open?

Jaclyn Smith, 300 shoppers come out for Sears reopening at Oakbrook Center (http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-brook/news/ct-dob-sears-grand-opening-tl-1011-story.html)

QuoteThe remodeling/downsizing started 13 months ago and left Sears with 62,000 square feet – about one-third the size of its previous space – all on the lower level.

Considered by Sears as "a smaller format store,"  the Oakbrook Center location still carries shoes, apparel, appliances, tools, mattresses, sporting goods, jewelry, grills and lawn and garden items. Some other previously available products, such as consumer electronics, are no longer are sold on site.

That's kinda what happened at Woodfield mall, what with the overrated 257 restaurant / arcade opening in former Sears space.

I still say Sears isn't going to totally go under.  I think they'll keep the upscale stores open, and the neighborhood ones, IIRC, were spun off into their own actually profitable company.
The people who are loyal to the Sears brand are dying due to old age/natural causes and not being replaced by anyone else. No company can survive that.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on October 05, 2018, 05:24:16 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 05, 2018, 12:57:42 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 05, 2018, 12:10:36 PM
Quote from: Brandon on October 05, 2018, 11:59:47 AM
Thought this one would be closed permanently.  Question is, how long will it be open?

Jaclyn Smith, 300 shoppers come out for Sears reopening at Oakbrook Center (http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oak-brook/news/ct-dob-sears-grand-opening-tl-1011-story.html)

QuoteThe remodeling/downsizing started 13 months ago and left Sears with 62,000 square feet – about one-third the size of its previous space – all on the lower level.

Considered by Sears as "a smaller format store,"  the Oakbrook Center location still carries shoes, apparel, appliances, tools, mattresses, sporting goods, jewelry, grills and lawn and garden items. Some other previously available products, such as consumer electronics, are no longer are sold on site.

That's kinda what happened at Woodfield mall, what with the overrated 257 restaurant / arcade opening in former Sears space.

I still say Sears isn't going to totally go under.  I think they'll keep the upscale stores open, and the neighborhood ones, IIRC, were spun off into their own actually profitable company.
The people who are loyal to the Sears brand are dying due to old age/natural causes and not being replaced by anyone else. No company can survive that.

And those of us that used to be at least somewhat loyal (I was brought up on Craftsman tools being the "benchmark", right or wrong) and are in the younger age group (I refuse to use the "M" word, at least on myself), have abandoned Sears because of what they've turned themselves into. Other tool brands have taken over, with regards to warranty, durability, ease of acquisition (web, brick & mortar), and innovation.

Quote from: inkyatari on October 05, 2018, 12:10:36 PM
I still say Sears isn't going to totally go under.  I think they'll keep the upscale stores open, and the neighborhood ones, IIRC, were spun off into their own actually profitable company.

What the hell is an "upscale" Sears?? I've never heard of such a concept. Lands' End has already abandoned Sears. Kmart = upscale?  :-D
Is it a store with snottier and even less knowledgeable staff (if such a thing exists)?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on October 05, 2018, 05:56:43 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on October 05, 2018, 05:24:16 PMAnd those of us that used to be at least somewhat loyal (I was brought up on Craftsman tools being the "benchmark", right or wrong) and are in the younger age group (I refuse to use the "M" word, at least on myself), have abandoned Sears because of what they've turned themselves into. Other tool brands have taken over, with regards to warranty, durability, ease of acquisition (web, brick & mortar), and innovation.
I hear you - ditto DieHard batteries and Kenmore appliances.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 06, 2018, 01:31:03 PM
I've been hearing that someone just bought the Bon Ton stores and plans to reopen many of the stores that just closed.  Heck, they are doing reboots of old songs, movies, TV and game shows so why not Retail Stores?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on October 07, 2018, 02:01:30 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on October 06, 2018, 01:31:03 PM
I've been hearing that someone just bought the Bon Ton stores and plans to reopen many of the stores that just closed.  Heck, they are doing reboots of old songs, movies, TV and game shows so why not Retail Stores?

DirectBuy obtained the trademarks from the bankruptcy court.  As far as I know, they didn't pick up any of the real estate.  They don't have a good track record with brick-and-mortar; they filed bankruptcy themselves in 2016 and closed all their stores as part of that.  I doubt that we'll see them opening stores any time soon.


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 10, 2018, 09:34:28 AM
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/sears-said-to-hire-advisers-as-it-prepares-to-file-for-bankruptcy-2018-10-09

Annnd it looks like the end is in actual sight.  This sounds like the final nail going into the coffin.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kevinb1994 on October 11, 2018, 12:44:16 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on October 10, 2018, 09:34:28 AM
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/sears-said-to-hire-advisers-as-it-prepares-to-file-for-bankruptcy-2018-10-09

Annnd it looks like the end is in actual sight.  This sounds like the final nail going into the coffin.

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. About time!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on October 11, 2018, 09:07:43 AM
This is an attempt at a "reorgination" but in reality there is not much worth saving. 

Sears, and to a lesser extent K-Mart, still own a good amount of real estate which can be liquidated.  And there is the "intelectual property".  There are bottom feeder firms that will buy brand names and then produce unrelated products under the same name for many decades. 

As to a post mortem, IMHO, K-Mart's collapse can be summed up as Wal-Mart did it better, it joins the 100s of regional retailers Wally killed off.  No real loss.  One big company replaces another.  Sears, on the other hand, has a lot of self-inflicted wounds.  It was fundamentally tone deaf to what retailers call "assortment" which is to say what it carried in its stores; and it fundamentally refused to accept the changing retail environment and to remember that the customer is always right.  Always. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 11, 2018, 09:52:12 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on October 11, 2018, 09:07:43 AM
And there is the "intelectual property".  There are bottom feeder firms that will buy brand names and then produce unrelated products under the same name for many decades. 

This is exactly what happened with Atari :(
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on October 11, 2018, 10:25:27 AM
Not just Atari.  Look at TVs.  Zenith is a more complex story involving actual patents, but most every old brand of TV, radio, or stereo was bought up (Philco, Signature, RCA, Curtis Mathes, Admiril, GE, Magnavox, Motorola, and many others are made today by unrelated companies with no relationship to the orignials.  Making money selling, mostly, to old people who retain brand loyalites.  Somebody even bought the instant camera brand name Polaroid, which never made electronics, and makes Polaroid TVs and computers. 

Also unrelated firms have bought the Wards brand name and the radio shack brand name, both continue on line, as does Sharper Image. 

I'm sure there will be a low market sears.com and cheap Kenmore appliances for years to come.

I surprised the government didn't make GM and Mopar sell off Olds and Plymouth and like that.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on October 11, 2018, 11:19:19 AM
I think the thing that will always seem so weird as to Sears is that their catalog business was such a strength of theirs for so many years, yet they totally dropped the ball with the advent of e-commerce and they never recovered.

I tried using their website several years ago when I was doing some research in advance of replacing our clothes dryer. It was by far the worst website of the various ones I tried.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on October 11, 2018, 11:56:25 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 11, 2018, 11:19:19 AM
I think the thing that will always seem so weird as to Sears is that their catalog business was such a strength of theirs for so many years, yet they totally dropped the ball with the advent of e-commerce and they never recovered.

I tried using their website several years ago when I was doing some research in advance of replacing our clothes dryer. It was by far the worst website of the various ones I tried.
A few years ago, I bought clothing on Kmart.com that could be picked up at Sears, but I couldn't return it at Sears, only Kmart. So asinine.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: renegade on October 11, 2018, 02:35:26 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 11, 2018, 09:52:12 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on October 11, 2018, 09:07:43 AMAnd there is the "intelectual property".  There are bottom feeder firms that will buy brand names and then produce unrelated products under the same name for many decades.
This is exactly what happened with Atari :(
... and Polaroid.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on October 11, 2018, 07:42:51 PM
Intellectual property .... I'm betting Craftsman tools are nowhere near the quality they were 10 years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on October 12, 2018, 12:15:07 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 11, 2018, 07:42:51 PM
Intellectual property .... I'm betting Craftsman tools are nowhere near the quality they were 10 years ago.

They're not.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on October 12, 2018, 12:17:06 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 11, 2018, 07:42:51 PM
Intellectual property .... I'm betting Craftsman tools are nowhere near the quality they were 10 years ago.

Definitely not, and certainly no where near the innovation they had during the 'Bob Vila days'. In any case, I though they already sold off Craftsman?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheStranger on October 12, 2018, 02:39:39 AM
Quote from: DaBigE on October 12, 2018, 12:17:06 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 11, 2018, 07:42:51 PM
Intellectual property .... I'm betting Craftsman tools are nowhere near the quality they were 10 years ago.

Definitely not, and certainly no where near the innovation they had during the 'Bob Vila days'. In any case, I though they already sold off Craftsman?

IIRC Stanley bought Craftsman and Dewalt some time ago (which has resulted in all the brands in that sentence being sponsors of various Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR entries in the last few years)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: KEVIN_224 on October 12, 2018, 07:25:36 AM
I believe so with Stanley/Black and Decker. New Britain Stadium gave away small little Dewalt branded tape measures before one of the New Britain Bees home games this year.

Even I sometimes wonder if they're really still based here in New Britain or not. The old red "THE STANLEY WORKS" sign, visible from CT Route 72 to the north, is no longer there, from what I've seen. Some of the older buildings from that complex were demolished within the past 1.5 years.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 12, 2018, 08:52:48 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on October 11, 2018, 10:25:27 AM
Not just Atari.  Look at TVs.  Zenith is a more complex story involving actual patents, but most every old brand of TV, radio, or stereo was bought up (Philco, Signature, RCA, Curtis Mathes, Admiril, GE, Magnavox, Motorola, and many others are made today by unrelated companies with no relationship to the orignials.  Making money selling, mostly, to old people who retain brand loyalites.  Somebody even bought the instant camera brand name Polaroid, which never made electronics, and makes Polaroid TVs and computers. 

Also unrelated firms have bought the Wards brand name and the radio shack brand name, both continue on line, as does Sharper Image. 

I'm sure there will be a low market sears.com and cheap Kenmore appliances for years to come.

I surprised the government didn't make GM and Mopar sell off Olds and Plymouth and like that.

I get that, it's just that Atari is a particular sore spot with me..  Just look at my name!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on October 12, 2018, 01:08:31 PM
As to Craftsman tools, they are nothing like the real Craftsman tools of previous times, which really would last multi-generations. 

In any event, today's WSJ (paywalled, as always) reports that this really may be the end for Sears and fast Eddie.  Fast Eddie wants a "reorginization bankruptcy" which means the current creditors get screwed, but the debt-o-meter gets reset to zero, so he can borrow money anew, restock the remaining stores, sell more and more of the remaining assets (Kenmore and lots of mall properites) to himself, and push the actual liquidation down the road another year or so. 

So far, no big lenders are willing to even take that risk.  The only loan offers in hand are ones to fund a quick liquidation. 

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 14, 2018, 02:52:12 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!
Ok then maybe it's Target that's the new Kmart lol.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 14, 2018, 02:52:43 PM
I've seen Subway locations inside Meijer stores now too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 14, 2018, 04:11:31 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)
I once saw a Pizza Hut and Cinnabon in a Wal-Mart, but that was 15 years ago
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 14, 2018, 05:29:30 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 14, 2018, 04:11:31 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)
I once saw a Pizza Hut and Cinnabon in a Wal-Mart, but that was 15 years ago

Cinnabon usually sets up with Schlotzky's now days, at least from what I've seen
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on October 14, 2018, 06:04:32 PM
The Walmart on Touhy in Skokie has a Burger King, and the one a little further out in Niles has the world's last remaining Fluky's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on October 14, 2018, 08:05:27 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 14, 2018, 04:11:31 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)
I once saw a Pizza Hut and Cinnabon in a Wal-Mart, but that was 15 years ago
When I went to the Super Target near the Mall at Millenia a few weeks ago, they have a Pizza Hut Express inside
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 14, 2018, 09:55:14 PM
I have only seen McDonald's and Subway in Walmart's. I remember though when they had a restaurant called Radio Grill in them. I never have been in a Radio Grill so I have no idea what it's even like but I remember the name. I think it was owned by Walmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 14, 2018, 10:00:10 PM
Not Kmart related really but I remember back in the day there was a supermarket chain in the Tri-Cities/Flint area of Michigan called Kessel. They opened in the early 80's mainly in former Kroger locations and some former Hamady locations and carried Kroger products. Anyway, they had a hot dog stand outside the store at their locations that sold hot dogs and a few other things. Kroger bought the entire chain around 2000 and all stores are now either closed, a Save A Lot or Kroger.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on October 15, 2018, 01:37:57 PM
It's been awhile since I have been there, the the Walmart at Hamburg Paviliion in Lexington had an Auntie Anne's pretzel place.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on October 15, 2018, 01:51:07 PM
My local Walmart has a Chinese place in it. It replaced the McDonald's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 15, 2018, 02:09:21 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 15, 2018, 01:37:57 PM
It's been awhile since I have been there, the the Walmart at Hamburg Paviliion in Lexington had an Auntie Anne's pretzel place.

There is one here, too, plus McDonald's.  Auntie Anne's had 2 locations, but closed one a couple years ago.  Two of our 3 stores have Subway instead of McDonald's, but there is a free standing McDonald's in the parking lot. All of them still have the deli counter, as do the 2 Neighborhood Markets.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kevinb1994 on October 15, 2018, 02:37:52 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on October 14, 2018, 08:05:27 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 14, 2018, 04:11:31 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)
I once saw a Pizza Hut and Cinnabon in a Wal-Mart, but that was 15 years ago
When I went to the Super Target near the Mall at Millenia a few weeks ago, they have a Pizza Hut Express inside
We have two Targets nearby; one was renovated earlier this year and just has a cafe with an Icee machine inside (no more Pizza Hut-just a Starbucks) and the other one still has its Pizza Hut.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on October 15, 2018, 02:40:14 PM
The company has finally filed for bankruptcy, although the "reorg" Chapter 11 type. 

Will close 142 more stores, all by year's end. 

https://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2018/10/sears_bankruptcy_list_of_142_s.html

West Virginia will be left with 2 K-Marts, both in poor suburbs of Charleston, and the Sears in the Huntington Mall, where Sears owns the space, not renting from the mall. 

The company will clearly fail as a reorg and convert to Chapter 7 liquidation after Christmas.  My bet is the whole thing is gone by next summer.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: doorknob60 on October 15, 2018, 03:19:10 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)

The Walmart on Fairview in Meridian, ID has a Burger King inside, so you could probably get an ICEE there. I don't think I've ever seen another Walmart with BK though, the other 2 in Meridian are Subway. The Boise and Caldwell ones are McDonalds. The 2 in Nampa are McDonalds and Subway. Garden City one, last I saw was a smoothie place I'd never heard of. Can't find anything online though so not sure.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 15, 2018, 03:44:42 PM
Quote from: doorknob60 on October 15, 2018, 03:19:10 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 14, 2018, 01:49:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 12, 2018, 01:20:23 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 12, 2018, 11:15:51 AM
Kmart is lost the 80's. Walmart is the new Kmart and some of their stores make you feel like you are in a Kmart.

Not until there's a snack bar near the front door with an Icee machine!

Like Target? ;)

Closest you'll find at Wal-Mart is McDonald's or Subway (but no Icees)

The Walmart on Fairview in Meridian, ID has a Burger King inside, so you could probably get an ICEE there. I don't think I've ever seen another Walmart with BK though, the other 2 in Meridian are Subway. The Boise and Caldwell ones are McDonalds. The 2 in Nampa are McDonalds and Subway. Garden City one, last I saw was a smoothie place I'd never heard of. Can't find anything online though so not sure.
The one in Skokie, Illinois has a BK inside it, as mentioned already.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on October 15, 2018, 03:49:57 PM
A couple of Walmarts near me have Dunkin Donuts in them.  One of them is about 1000 feet from a freestanding Dunkin location.  But this is New England, so there has to be one within a 1 mile radius of any given spot.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: tchafe1978 on October 15, 2018, 03:58:03 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 14, 2018, 09:55:14 PM
I have only seen McDonald's and Subway in Walmart's. I remember though when they had a restaurant called Radio Grill in them. I never have been in a Radio Grill so I have no idea what it's even like but I remember the name. I think it was owned by Walmart.

The Radio Grill was in the old Walmarts that were just general merchandise stores, before they basically all went supercenter. It wasn't a separate company, just another division of Walmart. It was just basically a snack bar, though you could get a burger, hot dog, or other sandwiches and snacks. The Radio Grill wasn't necessary in a supercenter, because most have a deli that serves hot food along with a tenant restaurant, which is usually a Subway or McDonald's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 15, 2018, 03:58:18 PM
I'm trying to think if I can recall any Michigan Walmart locations having anything but a Subway in them. All of them around me have Subway's and I count 12 Subway locations in Saginaw which is wayyyyyyy too many locations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Takumi on October 15, 2018, 06:26:53 PM
Most Targets around Richmond have a Starbucks as opposed to a snack bar.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on October 15, 2018, 06:41:28 PM
The Clio Kmart (across I-75 from a Walmart) survives for now
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 15, 2018, 08:17:21 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on October 15, 2018, 06:41:28 PM
The Clio Kmart (across I-75 from a Walmart) survives for now
I'm always surprised how that one hangs on. I haven't been in that one in awhile but the last time I was I counted maybe 4 or 5 other people in there not counting employees. There's also a Meijer at the next exit 5 miles away in Birch Run. It's the only one left in Genesee County.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 16, 2018, 10:19:11 AM
Meijer has in it's sights a superstore to be built in suburban Cleveland (Seven Hills)...

One problem (for now):  What will be Kmart's last location in the Cleveland Area (2nd to last if you include Brunswick), occupies a good chunk of that proposed Meijer property -- and yet it has survived the chopping block AGAIN!!

https://www.cleveland.com/seven-hills/index.ssf/2018/10/seven_hills_planning_commissio_1.html

Only a matter of time...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on October 16, 2018, 01:06:23 PM
I can't help but wonder if that's intentional.  Sears/Kmart trying to hobble a competitor by keeping a store the competitor needs land from in business?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on October 16, 2018, 04:14:29 PM
Quote from: vdeane on October 16, 2018, 01:06:23 PM
I can't help but wonder if that's intentional.  Sears/Kmart trying to hobble a competitor by keeping a store the competitor needs land from in business?


Interestingly, that particular Kmart is the only discount department store in at least a 5 mile radius in suburbia so they have no direct competitors nearby.

I'm sure Kmart is trying to get as much money for their property that they can from Meijer.  Meijer will wait it out until the ultimate fire sale of remaining Kmarts/Sears stores happens and they'll get the property for dirt cheap.  Meijer will do very well in that area when it finally gets built.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: rawmustard on October 18, 2018, 10:02:19 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 15, 2018, 03:58:18 PM
I'm trying to think if I can recall any Michigan Walmart locations having anything but a Subway in them. All of them around me have Subway's and I count 12 Subway locations in Saginaw which is wayyyyyyy too many locations.
When the Walmart in Battle Creek first opened (as only a general merchandise store), it had a McDonald's which sublet where Walmart's generic snack bar would have been in other stores. I'm pretty sure this location went away at about the same time a standalone McDonald's opened across the road.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on October 18, 2018, 10:28:18 AM
Quote from: rawmustard on October 18, 2018, 10:02:19 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 15, 2018, 03:58:18 PM
I'm trying to think if I can recall any Michigan Walmart locations having anything but a Subway in them. All of them around me have Subway's and I count 12 Subway locations in Saginaw which is wayyyyyyy too many locations.
When the Walmart in Battle Creek first opened (as only a general merchandise store), it had a McDonald's which sublet where Walmart's generic snack bar would have been in other stores. I'm pretty sure this location went away at about the same time a standalone McDonald's opened across the road.

In the newer Walmarts near me, they both have Subways within them, and a more recent addition of the Philly Pretzel Factory (which oddly doesn't make the same style pretzels found in their shopping center locations). Older locations have McDonalds.  In many cases, there are traditional standalone stores nearby as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AM
One big drawback of having a McDonald's location is that a restaurant inside a Walmart can't operate a drive-thru window. McDonald's does probably about half their business in the drive-thru. It seems like Subway is the go to restaurant for the inside of a Walmart more so than McDonald's anymore though. I know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: inkyatari on October 18, 2018, 11:18:53 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AM
One big drawback of having a McDonald's location is that a restaurant inside a Walmart can't operate a drive-thru window. McDonald's does probably about half their business in the drive-thru. It seems like Subway is the go to restaurant for the inside of a Walmart more so than McDonald's anymore though. I know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.

When I worked at a McD's in the early 90's, I was told we did 75% of our business through the drive thru
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on October 18, 2018, 11:39:51 AM
Based solely on observation of relative line lengths, I'd guess 75% is an underestimate.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on October 18, 2018, 11:43:06 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AMI know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.
The Walmart in Skokie has one.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 05:16:37 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 18, 2018, 11:43:06 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AMI know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.
The Walmart in Skokie has one.
I think that might be it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: KEVIN_224 on October 18, 2018, 09:48:07 PM
Walmart #2965 of Newington, CT has a Subway. The Cromwell, CT store has a Dunkin' Donuts in it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 09:49:26 PM
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on October 18, 2018, 09:48:07 PM
Walmart #2965 of Newington, CT has a Subway. The Cromwell, CT store has a Dunkin' Donuts in it.
There are some in the Chicago area with Dunkin Donuts in them too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on December 04, 2018, 11:10:17 PM
Shopko is closing 39 stores.  Locations not listed in this article: https://www.retaildive.com/news/debtwire-shopko-explores-restructuring/543527/?fbclid=IwAR0d0rDEaAsqSNmNqWRYiCOIawlxUdDDSaHT41rrDaQArVxehVsKoctaiHw
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on December 05, 2018, 12:34:08 AM
Quote from: Big John on December 04, 2018, 11:10:17 PM
Shopko is closing 39 stores.  Locations not listed in this article: https://www.retaildive.com/news/debtwire-shopko-explores-restructuring/543527/?fbclid=IwAR0d0rDEaAsqSNmNqWRYiCOIawlxUdDDSaHT41rrDaQArVxehVsKoctaiHw

I'm surprised it took this long for their next round. I rarely see a lot of people in them (still more than any Sears or Kmart, though). The older stores aren't kept up quite as well - ceiling tiles that should have been replaced a decade ago, stock is hit or miss, and their prices are usually higher than Walmart and Target. I envision many of the closures will be their more urban locations where they have more fierce competitors. I could see the Madison, WI market losing at least one more store (East Towne) and maybe Monona, as well as some consolidation up in the Fox Valley. I think they'll likely hold on to many of their "Hometown" stores in the more rural locations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:14:38 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AM
One big drawback of having a McDonald's location is that a restaurant inside a Walmart can't operate a drive-thru window. McDonald's does probably about half their business in the drive-thru. It seems like Subway is the go to restaurant for the inside of a Walmart more so than McDonald's anymore though. I know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.

I know this is an old post, but the McDonald's in the Walmart in Lindsay, OK has a drive thru (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8352387,-97.598033,3a,75y,99.08h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soAfaOA-LajnBJrJxbjKIzg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on December 05, 2018, 08:42:17 AM
On a somewhat related note, I see U-Haul (https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2018/12/03/u-haul-subsidiary-amerco-real-estate-wants-buy-sears-kmart-stores/2192533002/) is buying some old K-Marts to turn into storage units.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on December 05, 2018, 10:13:35 AM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 08:42:17 AM
On a somewhat related note, I see U-Haul (https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2018/12/03/u-haul-subsidiary-amerco-real-estate-wants-buy-sears-kmart-stores/2192533002/) is buying some old K-Marts to turn into storage units.
Good use for them - the high ceilings would mean they could install effective fire suppression systems.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 05, 2018, 10:29:03 AM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 08:42:17 AM
On a somewhat related note, I see U-Haul (https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2018/12/03/u-haul-subsidiary-amerco-real-estate-wants-buy-sears-kmart-stores/2192533002/) is buying some old K-Marts to turn into storage units.

That's what U-Haul is doing to the Kmart in Grand Junction, CO.  Oddly enough, there is another large U-Haul self storage less than 2 miles down the street on North Avenue.  Not sure if they will merge or remain separate.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:55:01 PM
I was in the Kmart in Clio, Michigan last night and walked around. I wasn't shopping there I just wanted to stop in and see what the store looked like. I did buy a pop from there on my way out just so I can say I made a purchase at Kmart. When I was walking around it seemed like an early 1990's type of store, the walls were white with sections of yellow. The entire store was dated like all Kmart's are since I can't remember the last time they opened a store was and this Kmart hasn't been remodeled since it opened I can tell. The floor had a large crack in it that ran through much of the store in the center.

For the first time though I noticed that all Kmart stores only have one entrance and exit to the store where Meijer and Walmart usually have two, Target also usually has one entrance and exit like Kmart. I've seen some Walmart's like that but not many and can't think of a Meijer that is like that. The store was stocked well though and doesn't have any signs of closing and had a decent amount of people in there. This Kmart is across I-75 from a Walmart and there is a Meijer at the next exit north (Birch Run) so I'm kind of surprised it was as busy as it was. When I went through Walmart's lot (didn't go in the store) the parking lot had twice as many cars in it as Kmart's did.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:56:18 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 08:42:17 AM
On a somewhat related note, I see U-Haul (https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2018/12/03/u-haul-subsidiary-amerco-real-estate-wants-buy-sears-kmart-stores/2192533002/) is buying some old K-Marts to turn into storage units.
I noticed that at the old Super Kmart on Telegraph, south of 8 Mile in Detroit. Kroger has been buying some old Kmart's too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: abefroman329 on December 05, 2018, 12:57:53 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:55:01 PM
I was in the Kmart in Clio, Michigan last night and walked around. I wasn't shopping there I just wanted to stop in and see what the store looked like. I did buy a pop from there on my way out just so I can say I made a purchase at Kmart. When I was walking around it seemed like an early 1990's type of store, the walls were white with sections of yellow. The entire store was dated like all Kmart's are since I can't remember the last time they opened a store was and this Kmart hasn't been remodeled since it opened I can tell. The floor had a large crack in it that ran through much of the store in the center.

For the first time though I noticed that all Kmart stores only have one entrance and exit to the store where Meijer and Walmart usually have two, Target also usually has one entrance and exit like Kmart. I've seen some Walmart's like that but not many and can't think of a Meijer that is like that. The store was stocked well though and doesn't have any signs of closing and had a decent amount of people in there. This Kmart is across I-75 from a Walmart and there is a Meijer at the next exit north (Birch Run) so I'm kind of surprised it was as busy as it was. When I went through Walmart's lot (didn't go in the store) the parking lot had twice as many cars in it as Kmart's did.
It's usually the Super Walmarts/Targets/Meijers that have two entrances and exits.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: busman_49 on December 05, 2018, 12:58:17 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:55:01 PM
I was in the Kmart in Clio, Michigan last night and walked around. I wasn't shopping there I just wanted to stop in and see what the store looked like. I did buy a pop from there on my way out just so I can say I made a purchase at Kmart. When I was walking around it seemed like an early 1990's type of store, the walls were white with sections of yellow. The entire store was dated like all Kmart's are since I can't remember the last time they opened a store was and this Kmart hasn't been remodeled since it opened I can tell. The floor had a large crack in it that ran through much of the store in the center.

For the first time though I noticed that all Kmart stores only have one entrance and exit to the store where Meijer and Walmart usually have two, Target also usually has one entrance and exit like Kmart. I've seen some Walmart's like that but not many and can't think of a Meijer that is like that. The store was stocked well though and doesn't have any signs of closing and had a decent amount of people in there. This Kmart is across I-75 from a Walmart and there is a Meijer at the next exit north (Birch Run) so I'm kind of surprised it was as busy as it was. When I went through Walmart's lot (didn't go in the store) the parking lot had twice as many cars in it as Kmart's did.

I was in that store twice, two summers ago.  Out of all the Kmarts I visited that summer, it was certainly one of my favorites.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:58:43 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:14:38 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AM
One big drawback of having a McDonald's location is that a restaurant inside a Walmart can't operate a drive-thru window. McDonald's does probably about half their business in the drive-thru. It seems like Subway is the go to restaurant for the inside of a Walmart more so than McDonald's anymore though. I know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.

I know this is an old post, but the McDonald's in the Walmart in Lindsay, OK has a drive thru (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8352387,-97.598033,3a,75y,99.08h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soAfaOA-LajnBJrJxbjKIzg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).
That Walmart looks so tiny.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 05, 2018, 01:08:21 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on December 05, 2018, 12:57:53 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:55:01 PM
I was in the Kmart in Clio, Michigan last night and walked around. I wasn't shopping there I just wanted to stop in and see what the store looked like. I did buy a pop from there on my way out just so I can say I made a purchase at Kmart. When I was walking around it seemed like an early 1990's type of store, the walls were white with sections of yellow. The entire store was dated like all Kmart's are since I can't remember the last time they opened a store was and this Kmart hasn't been remodeled since it opened I can tell. The floor had a large crack in it that ran through much of the store in the center.

For the first time though I noticed that all Kmart stores only have one entrance and exit to the store where Meijer and Walmart usually have two, Target also usually has one entrance and exit like Kmart. I've seen some Walmart's like that but not many and can't think of a Meijer that is like that. The store was stocked well though and doesn't have any signs of closing and had a decent amount of people in there. This Kmart is across I-75 from a Walmart and there is a Meijer at the next exit north (Birch Run) so I'm kind of surprised it was as busy as it was. When I went through Walmart's lot (didn't go in the store) the parking lot had twice as many cars in it as Kmart's did.
It's usually the Super Walmarts/Targets/Meijers that have two entrances and exits.

At least with Walmart and Target, they've done away with "Super", "Heartland" or whatever brand they tried giving the larger stores.  Nearly all of Walmart's new stores have two entrances, even their smaller stores.  I think Target had an era of 2 entrances for larger stores, but mostly returned to a single entrance format.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 01:12:49 PM
Quote from: busman_49 on December 05, 2018, 12:58:17 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:55:01 PM
I was in the Kmart in Clio, Michigan last night and walked around. I wasn't shopping there I just wanted to stop in and see what the store looked like. I did buy a pop from there on my way out just so I can say I made a purchase at Kmart. When I was walking around it seemed like an early 1990's type of store, the walls were white with sections of yellow. The entire store was dated like all Kmart's are since I can't remember the last time they opened a store was and this Kmart hasn't been remodeled since it opened I can tell. The floor had a large crack in it that ran through much of the store in the center.

For the first time though I noticed that all Kmart stores only have one entrance and exit to the store where Meijer and Walmart usually have two, Target also usually has one entrance and exit like Kmart. I've seen some Walmart's like that but not many and can't think of a Meijer that is like that. The store was stocked well though and doesn't have any signs of closing and had a decent amount of people in there. This Kmart is across I-75 from a Walmart and there is a Meijer at the next exit north (Birch Run) so I'm kind of surprised it was as busy as it was. When I went through Walmart's lot (didn't go in the store) the parking lot had twice as many cars in it as Kmart's did.

I was in that store twice, two summers ago.  Out of all the Kmarts I visited that summer, it was certainly one of my favorites.
My favorite Kmart is the one in Waterford. The place looks like it hasn't been remodeled since the 1940's I thought wow this is actually kind of cool. I've always found the one in Waterford to be a strange store even on the outside it doesn't look like a typical Kmart. I think that one stays in business though because there aren't any Meijer or Walmart stores within 3 or 4 miles of that store and I'm thinking that's how the one in Marine City stays open too.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:35:24 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 05, 2018, 12:58:43 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:14:38 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on October 18, 2018, 10:38:20 AM
One big drawback of having a McDonald's location is that a restaurant inside a Walmart can't operate a drive-thru window. McDonald's does probably about half their business in the drive-thru. It seems like Subway is the go to restaurant for the inside of a Walmart more so than McDonald's anymore though. I know of at least one Walmart in the Chicago area that has a Burger King in it.

I know this is an old post, but the McDonald's in the Walmart in Lindsay, OK has a drive thru (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8352387,-97.598033,3a,75y,99.08h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soAfaOA-LajnBJrJxbjKIzg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).
That Walmart looks so tiny.

It's not a Supercenter. It's from an experimental program Walmart was doing to make larger stores before they invented the Supercenter concept, thus the McDonald's, but it's big enough (and the town of Lindsay is small enough) that Walmart hasn't felt the need to upgrade it to a full Supercenter.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: tchafe1978 on December 05, 2018, 02:41:50 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 08:42:17 AM
On a somewhat related note, I see U-Haul (https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2018/12/03/u-haul-subsidiary-amerco-real-estate-wants-buy-sears-kmart-stores/2192533002/) is buying some old K-Marts to turn into storage units.

The former Kmart in Platteville, will also getting changed into a U-haul self storage and truck rental. The Kmart closed in March of last year. The interior of the store will be changed into self storage units and retail space for moving related products. The city rejected a plan to build storage units outside in the parking lot, however.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: webny99 on December 05, 2018, 05:25:48 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:14:38 AM
the McDonald's in the Walmart in Lindsay, OK has a drive thru (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8352387,-97.598033,3a,75y,99.08h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soAfaOA-LajnBJrJxbjKIzg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).

Anyone else having problems with this link?
It's giving me a "500 - that's an error" message.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on December 05, 2018, 05:34:48 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 05, 2018, 05:25:48 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:14:38 AM
the McDonald's in the Walmart in Lindsay, OK has a drive thru (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8352387,-97.598033,3a,75y,99.08h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soAfaOA-LajnBJrJxbjKIzg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).

Anyone else having problems with this link?
It's giving me a "500 - that's an error" message.

No problems here (just tried it)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on December 05, 2018, 06:48:31 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3UconU9e8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3UconU9e8)

Remember when Montgomery ward and Sears used to been rivals as in this tractor commercial back in 1992. Wow today when you think about buying lawnmowers we tend to think of the Home Depot and Lowes being rivals for the current lawnmower models



https://www.lowes.com/pd/Husqvarna-YTH22V46-CARB-22-HP-V-twin-Hydrostatic-46-in-Riding-Lawn-Mower-with-Mulching-Capability-Kit-Sold-Separately-CARB/1000368433



https://www.homedepot.com/s/Tractor?NCNI-5
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on December 05, 2018, 07:11:15 PM
Quote from: bing101 on December 05, 2018, 06:48:31 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3UconU9e8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3UconU9e8)

Remember when Montgomery ward and Sears used to been rivals as in this tractor commercial back in 1992. Wow today when you think about buying lawnmowers we tend to think of the Home Depot and Lowes being rivals for the current lawnmower models



https://www.lowes.com/pd/Husqvarna-YTH22V46-CARB-22-HP-V-twin-Hydrostatic-46-in-Riding-Lawn-Mower-with-Mulching-Capability-Kit-Sold-Separately-CARB/1000368433



https://www.homedepot.com/s/Tractor?NCNI-5

How do Ace Hardware or True Value survive?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 05, 2018, 07:45:35 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 07:11:15 PM
Quote from: bing101 on December 05, 2018, 06:48:31 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3UconU9e8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3UconU9e8)

Remember when Montgomery ward and Sears used to been rivals as in this tractor commercial back in 1992. Wow today when you think about buying lawnmowers we tend to think of the Home Depot and Lowes being rivals for the current lawnmower models



https://www.lowes.com/pd/Husqvarna-YTH22V46-CARB-22-HP-V-twin-Hydrostatic-46-in-Riding-Lawn-Mower-with-Mulching-Capability-Kit-Sold-Separately-CARB/1000368433



https://www.homedepot.com/s/Tractor?NCNI-5

How do Ace Hardware or True Value survive?

In my neck of the woods they are either in towns not big enough for a Walmart, etc... or are in denser neighborhoods where there isn't space for a megastore.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: webny99 on December 05, 2018, 09:08:59 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 05:34:48 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 05, 2018, 05:25:48 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 05, 2018, 01:14:38 AM
the McDonald's in the Walmart in Lindsay, OK has a drive thru (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8352387,-97.598033,3a,75y,99.08h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soAfaOA-LajnBJrJxbjKIzg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656).
Anyone else having problems with this link?
It's giving me a "500 - that's an error" message.
No problems here (just tried it)

I think it might be a mobile issue. Works fine on the computer, but not the phone.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Revive 755 on December 05, 2018, 10:05:18 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 07:11:15 PM
How do Ace Hardware or True Value survive?

I think they are a little more specialized in some areas, such as screws and nails, compared to the bigger stores.



The following article has a list of the Shopko stores closing:  https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Shopko-closing-39-stores-including-4-North-Dakota-and-2-Minnesota-locations-502006351.html (https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Shopko-closing-39-stores-including-4-North-Dakota-and-2-Minnesota-locations-502006351.html) 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: bing101 on December 18, 2018, 10:36:12 AM
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/03/22/sears-retirees-worry-their-pensions-company-raises-doubts-its-future/99497610/


Uncertainties with pensions for Sears retirees.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on December 19, 2018, 03:37:22 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on December 05, 2018, 10:05:18 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 07:11:15 PM
How do Ace Hardware or True Value survive?

I think they are a little more specialized in some areas, such as screws and nails, compared to the bigger stores.

Ace is also more like IGA or most hotel chains, where Aces are independently-run businesses that carry the Ace flag. That means you tend to see Aces in markets that are too small for Lowe's or Home Depot to bother with.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on December 24, 2018, 09:22:40 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 19, 2018, 03:37:22 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on December 05, 2018, 10:05:18 PM
Quote from: US71 on December 05, 2018, 07:11:15 PM
How do Ace Hardware or True Value survive?

I think they are a little more specialized in some areas, such as screws and nails, compared to the bigger stores.

Ace is also more like IGA or most hotel chains, where Aces are independently-run businesses that carry the Ace flag. That means you tend to see Aces in markets that are too small for Lowe's or Home Depot to bother with.

We have two Ace Hardwares here plus Lowes and Home Depot.  Ace is closer to downtown, Lowes and Depot are on the east end, about 3 miles apart from each other.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on January 09, 2019, 10:14:43 PM
Shopko is expected to file for bankruptcy next week after failing to pay a pharmaceutical provider.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on January 10, 2019, 01:37:52 PM
Quote from: Big John on January 09, 2019, 10:14:43 PM
Shopko is expected to file for bankruptcy next week after failing to pay a pharmaceutical provider.

$67M+ owed. I'm not surprised. A few weeks before, they announced they were selling many of their pharmacies off, many/most to Hyvee. Shopko's stores (other than their flagship in Green Bay), are far from what they used to be. I equate them now to a higher-priced Kmart. Their smaller-format 'Hometown' stores are basically a higher-end dollar store in size and selection, with online ordering/in-store pickup.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: rawmustard on January 16, 2019, 03:22:04 PM
Quote from: Big John on January 09, 2019, 10:14:43 PM
Shopko is expected to file for bankruptcy next week after failing to pay a pharmaceutical provider.

Bankruptcy was filed today (https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/money/2019/01/16/shopko-files-bankruptcy-close-38-more-stores/2551819002/); 105 stores listed to close including the original location.

And now the landlord filed a motion to have ShopKo liquidate (https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/money/2019/01/28/shopko-landlord-calls-liquidation-after-pharmacy-auction-results/2699333002/), as an auction for pharmacy assets fell short of expectations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on February 06, 2019, 10:03:23 PM
Shopko adds 139 store closings to make to 250.  https://fox11online.com/news/business/more-shopko-closings-listed
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on February 06, 2019, 10:31:56 PM
Quote from: Big John on February 06, 2019, 10:03:23 PM
Shopko adds 139 store closings to make to 250.  https://fox11online.com/news/business/more-shopko-closings-listed

Now they're closing all of them in the Madison metro area...even their new-ish Hometown store in Columbus. Not a single one will survive in Dane County. Yet, Sears East Towne remains  :hmmm:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on February 22, 2019, 02:55:48 PM
In an odd twist to the demise of our Sears store at Mesa Mall in Grand Junction, CO (closed 12/18) , it was just announced that the mall will be tearing down the old Sears store and building a (I assume a slightly larger) Dillard's in it's place.

Still have the former Herberger's/Bon Ton and Sports Authority anchor stores still empty...
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on March 18, 2019, 04:26:27 PM
Shopko to close all remaining stores: https://fox11online.com/news/local/shopko-closing-all-remaining-stores
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on March 18, 2019, 05:14:20 PM
Quote from: Big John on March 18, 2019, 04:26:27 PM
Shopko to close all remaining stores: https://fox11online.com/news/local/shopko-closing-all-remaining-stores

A shame, but they couldn't compete with Walmart or Target, and with Meijer entering their home territory, I guess it was a matter of time.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SSOWorld on March 18, 2019, 07:35:28 PM
Beat me to it.  Looks like I'll be getting glasses elsewhere from here.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on August 07, 2019, 10:42:43 AM
Sears first post-bankruptcy closure list - late October :

Brimingham, AL
Antioch, CA
Littleton, CO
Vero Beach, CA
Sebring, FL
Athens, GA
Bloomingdale, IL
Merrillville, IN
Mishawaka, IN
Baltimore, MD
Portage, MI
Independence, MO
St. Peters, MO
Cape Giradeau, MO
Mansfield, OH
Hurst, TX
Texas City, TX
Roanoke, VA
Spokane, WA
Barboursville, WV

Redlands, CA K-Mart
Hot Springs, CA K-Mart
Palmer, MA K-Mart
Jamestown, NY K-Mart
Guayama, PR K-Mart

The Huntington Mall closure ends the corporation's presence in WV.  And it owns the store, meaning all it had to do was pay the electric bill and the employees, no rent.  And it still can't make money.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on August 07, 2019, 11:29:44 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 07, 2019, 10:42:43 AM
...
The Huntington Mall closure ends the corporation's presence in WV.  And it owns the store, meaning all it had to do was pay the electric bill and the employees, no rent.  And it still can't make money.

Maybe because they didn't have running water since apparently they didn't have a water bill?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: rawmustard on August 07, 2019, 11:58:43 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 07, 2019, 10:42:43 AM
Sears first post-bankruptcy closure list - late October :
...


The Sears store in Saginaw, MI, is also on the list, and it should be Vero Beach, FL. Of course the mantra is there could be more coming. In the release, the new company (Transformco or however it's spelt) even said the focus now would be on the Sears Hometown stores the company is reacquiring.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Life in Paradise on August 07, 2019, 01:27:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 07, 2019, 11:29:44 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 07, 2019, 10:42:43 AM
...
The Huntington Mall closure ends the corporation's presence in WV.  And it owns the store, meaning all it had to do was pay the electric bill and the employees, no rent.  And it still can't make money.

Maybe because they didn't have running water since apparently they didn't have a water bill?
You can't guarantee that the store wasn't making money.  The Evansville, IN Sears store was still making the company money when they closed it.  It goes back to Eddie's master plan, which probably doesn't include anyone else but him.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on August 07, 2019, 03:26:36 PM
Here's the list.

https://searsholdings.com/docs/080619_store_closing_list.pdf (https://searsholdings.com/docs/080619_store_closing_list.pdf)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 08, 2019, 01:27:10 AM
Well, that leaves 12 Kmart locations in all of New England.  RI and VT have long since been donezo.

CT: Watertown (the dinosaur that refuses to die)
MA: Acton, Billerica, Brockton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Webster
ME: Auburn, Augusta
NH: Hooksett, Salem, West Lebanon
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on August 08, 2019, 06:07:05 AM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on August 07, 2019, 01:27:39 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 07, 2019, 11:29:44 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 07, 2019, 10:42:43 AM
...
The Huntington Mall closure ends the corporation's presence in WV.  And it owns the store, meaning all it had to do was pay the electric bill and the employees, no rent.  And it still can't make money.

Maybe because they didn't have running water since apparently they didn't have a water bill?
You can't guarantee that the store wasn't making money.  The Evansville, IN Sears store was still making the company money when they closed it.  It goes back to Eddie's master plan, which probably doesn't include anyone else but him.

And that's what I suspect.  They're closing stores systematically.  I'm sure some were money losers, but by this point they've probably all been closed...remember, closures have been going on for several years now.   Now they're closing existing stores that probably were making money.  And the point I tried making to SP above...there's a hell more to a building and store's expenses than electric and payroll.  Way more.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 08, 2019, 08:47:27 AM
The Sears in Saginaw finally got on the list of closings. The Sears in Fashion Square Mall is closing and it doesn't really surprise me as last week I glanced into the malls parking lot and saw one side of Sears totally voided of any parked cars, 4 cars on the north side and a few on the east side. That property most likely won't sit vacant for long as it's on prime property. Macy's in the same mall might be close to closing too they often close before the mall does.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ET21 on August 08, 2019, 08:47:59 AM
Chicago Ridge Sears survives the cut again
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SectorZ on August 08, 2019, 03:48:12 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 08, 2019, 01:27:10 AM
Well, that leaves 12 Kmart locations in all of New England.  RI and VT have long since been donezo.

CT: Watertown (the dinosaur that refuses to die)
MA: Acton, Billerica, Brockton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Webster
ME: Auburn, Augusta
NH: Hooksett, Salem, West Lebanon

I'm only a few miles from the Billerica one. How it has survived for even the past 20 years astounds me. A much nicer one on the Tewksbury/Lowell line closed years ago and that thing opened in 1993. The Billerica one has survived the Billerica Mall dying around it.

Also, the Acton one has this rather strange "shrunken head" sign for its location, and its not due to a local sign ordinance so no one knows why it's so tiny, https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4738435,-71.4556293,3a,75y,318.62h,96.5t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sn3_Z2RRz9ibHhDFB0CJpLg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dn3_Z2RRz9ibHhDFB0CJpLg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D47.863426%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on August 08, 2019, 09:41:52 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if some of the closing Sears in decent areas already have a replacement in line (a la Woodland Mall)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on August 18, 2019, 10:58:56 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 08, 2019, 01:27:10 AM
Well, that leaves 12 Kmart locations in all of New England.  RI and VT have long since been donezo.

CT: Watertown (the dinosaur that refuses to die)
MA: Acton, Billerica, Brockton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Webster
ME: Auburn, Augusta
NH: Hooksett, Salem, West Lebanon
VT had the Bennington store as late as 2018.

The Watertown store will probably be one of the last to close since it isn't anywhere near a Walmart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 18, 2019, 03:07:35 PM
Sears and Kmart never updated there stores like Meijer, Walmart, Kroger and Target have done. Sears is ugly. Here's the Saginaw Fashion Square Mall Sears location.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190818/2a9e69a4d0bd34d16feb339f8e106933.jpg)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 18, 2019, 03:10:23 PM
Another one on the side I have mentioned has very little to no cars usually but I think now that Sears is going out of business there is more traffic in there. I went inside the store and there was a good amount of people in Sears. That'll die as it gets closer to the final days.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190818/b5d6103a68fde18c81919aa44c75a26c.jpg)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on August 18, 2019, 04:51:32 PM
The Sears at Manchester Mall in Fresno seems to be hanging in there.  They presently even have a store remodel project going on which I found to be odd this close to bankruptcy.  The Sierra Vista Mall Sears is a way nicer store (not anywhere close to modern still) but had a pretty selection of merchandise.  I actually made my first purchase at Sears in years when I had to replace my old Kennmore dryer.  We got some weird rewards thing where you get $15 dollars in points that have to be used during the week they are given.  My wife has been using them to buy cheaper Christmas gifts and usually go by every week so for some hand tools. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on August 18, 2019, 08:54:26 PM
The Palmer store is in the next round of closures.  My manager at the Vernon store (closed since March) is good friends with the manager at Palmer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: -- US 175 -- on August 19, 2019, 02:11:18 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on August 08, 2019, 03:48:12 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 08, 2019, 01:27:10 AM
Well, that leaves 12 Kmart locations in all of New England.  RI and VT have long since been donezo.

CT: Watertown (the dinosaur that refuses to die)
MA: Acton, Billerica, Brockton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Webster
ME: Auburn, Augusta
NH: Hooksett, Salem, West Lebanon

I'm only a few miles from the Billerica one. How it has survived for even the past 20 years astounds me. A much nicer one on the Tewksbury/Lowell line closed years ago and that thing opened in 1993. The Billerica one has survived the Billerica Mall dying around it.

Also, the Acton one has this rather strange "shrunken head" sign for its location, and its not due to a local sign ordinance so no one knows why it's so tiny, https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4738435,-71.4556293,3a,75y,318.62h,96.5t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sn3_Z2RRz9ibHhDFB0CJpLg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dn3_Z2RRz9ibHhDFB0CJpLg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D47.863426%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

I saw that, then checked for a sign at the street--wow, they didn't break their neck for that one, either.  But, you are right about sign laws.  Usually when I see weird-sized signs or none up on poles it pretty much means some kind of local sign restriction.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: -- US 175 -- on August 19, 2019, 02:21:49 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 07, 2019, 10:42:43 AM
Sears first post-bankruptcy closure list - late October :
[...]
Hurst, TX
[...]

That closing (North East Mall) will only leave 3 Sears in DFW: Arlington (Parks at Arlington), Fort Worth (Hulen Mall), and Mesquite (Town East Mall), with none in Dallas at all.  As far as Kmart, they've been gone from north TX for several years now, with most of the remaining recent stores in the state now closed or about to be.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Great Lakes Roads on August 19, 2019, 10:08:43 PM
The last 2 Sears stores in the NW Indiana region (Southlake Mall in Merrillville and University Park Mall in Mishawaka) will be closing in October. So, where will the nearest Sears store be for us?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on August 20, 2019, 06:58:37 AM
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on August 19, 2019, 10:08:43 PM
The last 2 Sears stores in the NW Indiana region (Southlake Mall in Merrillville and University Park Mall in Mishawaka) will be closing in October. So, where will the nearest Sears store be for us?

Chicago Ridge Mall.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on August 20, 2019, 06:32:14 PM
Quote from: Brandon on August 20, 2019, 06:58:37 AM
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on August 19, 2019, 10:08:43 PM
The last 2 Sears stores in the NW Indiana region (Southlake Mall in Merrillville and University Park Mall in Mishawaka) will be closing in October. So, where will the nearest Sears store be for us?

Chicago Ridge Mall.
For some (especially in the South Bend area), RiverTown Crossings might be closer unless Fort Wayne still has a Sears
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Great Lakes Roads on August 21, 2019, 01:26:00 AM
Quote from: ftballfan on August 20, 2019, 06:32:14 PM
Quote from: Brandon on August 20, 2019, 06:58:37 AM
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on August 19, 2019, 10:08:43 PM
The last 2 Sears stores in the NW Indiana region (Southlake Mall in Merrillville and University Park Mall in Mishawaka) will be closing in October. So, where will the nearest Sears store be for us?

Chicago Ridge Mall.
For some (especially in the South Bend area), RiverTown Crossings might be closer unless Fort Wayne still has a Sears

The Fort Wayne Sears was shut down back in November 2018, and it is now being demolished as we speak.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on August 29, 2019, 03:27:02 PM
What I never understood is why back a couple years ago when Sears was really going down hill why didn't they just give up on one brand and just try to save the other? You have 2 failing brands the odds of saving the both are slim to none. I always thought that merging Sears and KMart as one company was a bad idea from the start.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on August 29, 2019, 03:57:20 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on August 29, 2019, 03:27:02 PM
What I never understood is why back a couple years ago when Sears was really going down hill why didn't they just give up on one brand and just try to save the other? You have 2 failing brands the odds of saving the both are slim to none. I always thought that merging Sears and KMart as one company was a bad idea from the start.

Likely because the powers that be ultimately don't care about either brand. They likely figure they can milk more personal financial gains out of keeping both around. It also looks better from a PR standpoint. Frog in the pot theory: Kill off one entirely all at once => public outcry over all the lost jobs; allow both to slowly wither, and people glaze over with each store closing.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on August 31, 2019, 12:57:47 PM
And we have the next round of closures...Looks like at least Northern Ohio will be Kmart-less in 2020 with Brunswick and Barberton going bye-bye:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/31/kmart-sears-store-closings-more-locations-shutter-end-2019/2168435001/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 31, 2019, 05:16:28 PM
RIP KMart.  The one that refused to die in Watertown, CT (the last one in the state) has given up the ghost.  And with Webster, MA closing, that leaves Holyoke, MA as the only one within a 100 mile radius. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on August 31, 2019, 06:36:51 PM
My unofficial count of all the Kmart stores there ever will be in CT:
Vernon, Manchester, Windsor, Putnam, Cromwell, Torrington, Watertown, Southbury, Milford, Orange, Southington.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on August 31, 2019, 08:56:08 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on August 31, 2019, 12:57:47 PM
And we have the next round of closures...Looks like at least Northern Ohio will be Kmart-less in 2020 with Brunswick and Barberton going bye-bye:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/31/kmart-sears-store-closings-more-locations-shutter-end-2019/2168435001/

Grove City goes down in this round which means Central Ohio will be K-Mart-free as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 31, 2019, 09:17:08 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on August 31, 2019, 06:36:51 PM
My unofficial count of all the Kmart stores there ever will be in CT:
Vernon, Manchester, Windsor, Putnam, Cromwell, Torrington, Watertown, Southbury, Milford, Orange, Southington.

A few more. 
Plainville (lasted only a couple of years when Connecticut Commons was first built.)
Bristol (only lasted a couple of years when it took over for Caldor.  Like the Southington one, now a Price Chopper)
Wallingford (the old one is now a movie theater, the Super K that replaced it is now a Walmart Supercenter)
New Haven (a Super K on Route 80, now a Walmart Supercenter)
Derby (now Lowe's)
East Haven (became National Wholesale Liquidators and a Flea Market, now a CarMax)
Waterbury (now an Ollie's Bargain Outlet)
Pretty sure there was one in Enfield as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on August 31, 2019, 10:03:26 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

Comparing the latest closure list with the store directory on Kmart's web site leaves only Marshall,  Warren and Waterford as survivors (unless these are already on some other list that I missed).


Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 11:12:26 PM
Quote from: catch22 on August 31, 2019, 10:03:26 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

Comparing the latest closure list with the store directory on Kmart's web site leaves only Marshall,  Warren and Waterford as survivors (unless these are already on some other list that I missed).
Out of those three Waterford is closest, about 70 miles away. That Kmart looks like it was was maintained in the 50's. I can't believe we're going to be down to three Kmart's in Michigan. Kmart's original home state btw.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on August 31, 2019, 11:39:34 PM
Colorado will be down to 2 Sears and 1 lowly Kmart come 2020.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on August 31, 2019, 11:45:32 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on August 31, 2019, 08:56:08 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on August 31, 2019, 12:57:47 PM
And we have the next round of closures...Looks like at least Northern Ohio will be Kmart-less in 2020 with Brunswick and Barberton going bye-bye:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/31/kmart-sears-store-closings-more-locations-shutter-end-2019/2168435001/

Grove City goes down in this round which means Central Ohio will be K-Mart-free as well.

Only N.Canton and Marietta left for Ohio Kmarts.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: noelbotevera on September 01, 2019, 12:38:21 AM
There goes the Chambersburg K-Mart for me.

Not like it was any good anyways.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Great Lakes Roads on September 01, 2019, 12:53:10 AM
And there goes all the Indiana Kmart stores. None around my area. Even worse, there are no Sears around the NW Indiana region!  :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

EDIT: Illinois will be down to ONE Kmart store, which is in Des Plains. Wisconsin will also be down to ONE Kmart store, which is in Kenosha.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thspfc on September 01, 2019, 08:09:33 AM
The sudden rise of Costco was the final blow to K mart in Wisconsin.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 08:35:33 AM
When will Kmart close all there stores? I could go on about their stores. They refused to remodel any of their stores. Like the one in Clio that's closing doesn't look like it was touched since the 1990s. The one in Waterford that isn't closing looks like something out of the 1950s. Just file chapter 7 already Kmart/Sears after this next two rounds of Sears and Kmart closings there won't be either one of their stores within 70 miles of my house.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on September 01, 2019, 09:20:12 AM
We seem to be getting into the part of the program where the small-town Kmarts that might be the only game in town are now going under. That's not good news at all for them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on September 01, 2019, 10:45:24 AM
The Enfield, CT store was probably  where Kohl's is now.  GSV pics show the store has older walls.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 10:48:21 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 01, 2019, 09:20:12 AM
We seem to be getting into the part of the program where the small-town Kmarts that might be the only game in town are now going under. That's not good news at all for them.
Two Michigan examples of that would be Grayling and Marine City. No Walmart or Meijer stores nearby.

Midland's closing is somewhat odd since in that city the Kmart is located on the other side of town from Walmart and Meijer.  Clio makes since it's located on the other side of I-75 from a Walmart and the next exit north has a Meijer. I was in that Kmart recently just to look around I bought a 20 ounce pop. The walls are yellow and white, the pharmacy had been closed for years and I think something about the flooring was strange.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: mgk920 on September 01, 2019, 11:45:07 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

The company was originally HQed in the Detroit area, too.

Their Waupaca, WI store is on their latest closing list (will there be any more left in the state?).

The powers that be should just put Sears Holdings out of their misery.

:no:

Mike
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 02:04:17 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 01, 2019, 11:45:07 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

The company was originally HQed in the Detroit area, too.

Their Waupaca, WI store is on their latest closing list (will there be any more left in the state?).

The powers that be should just put Sears Holdings out of their misery.

:no:

Mike
Yup it was in Troy. The building is still vacant I believe.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 02:07:24 PM
I'm actually in the Midland Kmart as I post this. There aren't any store closing signs or anything yet. There are a few people walking around here and there but not busy at all. Every department I walk in has either 1 or 2 people or nobody.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on September 02, 2019, 12:10:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 10:48:21 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 01, 2019, 09:20:12 AM
We seem to be getting into the part of the program where the small-town Kmarts that might be the only game in town are now going under. That's not good news at all for them.
Two Michigan examples of that would be Grayling and Marine City. No Walmart or Meijer stores nearby.

Midland's closing is somewhat odd since in that city the Kmart is located on the other side of town from Walmart and Meijer.  Clio makes since it's located on the other side of I-75 from a Walmart and the next exit north has a Meijer. I was in that Kmart recently just to look around I bought a 20 ounce pop. The walls are yellow and white, the pharmacy had been closed for years and I think something about the flooring was strange.
Add Oscoda to that category of "only game in town" Kmarts that are closing. There is a Walmart in Tawas City to the south and both Walmart and Meijer in Alpena to the north (both within an hour of Oscoda).
Grayling is within a half hour of Gaylord, which has both Walmart and Meijer. Also, Houghton Lake and West Branch to the south have Walmart.
Marine City has two Meijers within a half hour of it (New Haven and Marysville).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 02, 2019, 08:39:59 AM
Quote from: ftballfan on September 02, 2019, 12:10:54 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 10:48:21 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 01, 2019, 09:20:12 AM
We seem to be getting into the part of the program where the small-town Kmarts that might be the only game in town are now going under. That's not good news at all for them.
Two Michigan examples of that would be Grayling and Marine City. No Walmart or Meijer stores nearby.

Midland's closing is somewhat odd since in that city the Kmart is located on the other side of town from Walmart and Meijer.  Clio makes since it's located on the other side of I-75 from a Walmart and the next exit north has a Meijer. I was in that Kmart recently just to look around I bought a 20 ounce pop. The walls are yellow and white, the pharmacy had been closed for years and I think something about the flooring was strange.
Add Oscoda to that category of "only game in town" Kmarts that are closing. There is a Walmart in Tawas City to the south and both Walmart and Meijer in Alpena to the north (both within an hour of Oscoda).
Grayling is within a half hour of Gaylord, which has both Walmart and Meijer. Also, Houghton Lake and West Branch to the south have Walmart.
Marine City has two Meijers within a half hour of it (New Haven and Marysville).
I love walking out of that Walmart in Tawas City and looking right at Lake Huron across the street. Some of those you mentioned are s little lengthy drive just to get there. Graying is smaller than Gaylord which was nice to at least have a Kmart there. It'll just be you have to drive a lot further. Yesterday when I was in the Midland store I kept thinking they might have something I want in here, turns out I still walked out empty handed.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on September 02, 2019, 11:04:37 AM
Quote from: thspfc on September 01, 2019, 08:09:33 AM
The sudden rise of Costco was the final blow to K mart in Wisconsin.

:confused: :confused:

Huh?? You're talking about two different types of stores with different types of shoppers. There are 8 Costcos in the whole state (Kmart had that many+ in the Milwaukee metro market alone), many in locations that opened after Kmart was gone from that city or market. Costco locations like Middleton and Sun Prairie never even had a Kmart (yes, Madison had at least three at one point, but Costco didn't move in until Kmart was gone). Similar case with Grafton and Menomonee Falls. If anything, Meijer was the final blow, but even they didn't really start moving in until Kmart was already in serious trouble.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on September 02, 2019, 11:16:05 AM
I vaguely remember going to the Kmart in Belleville, MI as a kid when we lived there from 1993-1995.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on September 02, 2019, 11:52:54 AM
If SHC had actually consolidated the operations of Kmart and Sears instead of just acting as the management division, I think things would have turned out a lot better.  Some examples of what I mean:

1) You cannot return Sears merchandise at a Kmart and vice versa.  Well, you technically can if it's a Sears item bought online at kmart.com but that's the only exception.

2) Management structure is highly fragmented and the company should have adopted a uniform structure that all stores must stick to.

3) Merge Sears and Kmart regional operations.  All districts contain both stores and each district has one DM.

4) Completely merge logistical systems and online ordering.  Have there be one uniform process for ordering freight, DC operations, customer order processing.

5) Adopt a uniform training policy.

6) Adopt a modern, unified POS system.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: dvferyance on September 03, 2019, 12:30:26 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 01, 2019, 11:45:07 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

The company was originally HQed in the Detroit area, too.

Their Waupaca, WI store is on their latest closing list (will there be any more left in the state?).

The powers that be should just put Sears Holdings out of their misery.

:no:

Mike
I know the one in Racine is closing that was the last one left in SE Wisconsin. As the ones in Oconomowoc and Cudahy closed early this year. It was 16 years ago when the first closed in New Berlin and that was the newest store in our area. Only been in operation 12 years it served as a Wal Mart from 2004 to 2015 but now it's vacant again as Wal Mart build a newer bigger store. Just goes to show you KMart never kept up with the times and the deiceded to close the newest store in my area first yeah that made sense.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 03, 2019, 01:29:48 PM
Here is my opinion of Kmart

I think there stores are very outdated and none of them have ever gone through a remodel like they should have. They did a very poor job keeping up with the competition. Any of their stores located near a Walmart, Meijer or Target have been shut down for awhile for the most part.

Walking around the Clio Kmart yesterday it's very unorganized, the decor of the interior of the store is awful. In the Clio store it's white and yellow walls. It'll be white for awhile, then change to yellow, back to white, back to yellow and so on.

Kmart use to be a nice chain of stores. But today both Kmart and Sears are a joke. Just belly up and file for chapter 7 and get it over with already.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on September 03, 2019, 01:59:00 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on September 03, 2019, 12:30:26 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 01, 2019, 11:45:07 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

The company was originally HQed in the Detroit area, too.

Their Waupaca, WI store is on their latest closing list (will there be any more left in the state?).

The powers that be should just put Sears Holdings out of their misery.

:no:

Mike
I know the one in Racine is closing that was the last one left in SE Wisconsin. As the ones in Oconomowoc and Cudahy closed early this year. It was 16 years ago when the first closed in New Berlin and that was the newest store in our area. Only been in operation 12 years it served as a Wal Mart from 2004 to 2015 but now it's vacant again as Wal Mart build a newer bigger store. Just goes to show you KMart never kept up with the times and the deiceded to close the newest store in my area first yeah that made sense.

Isn't the one in Kenosha remaining open?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on September 03, 2019, 02:04:01 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 02:04:17 PM
Yup it was in Troy. The building is still vacant I believe.

Yes, still vacant.  It has a really weird "bunch of boxes" design that no one else seems to be able to find a use for.  There was some discussion in the press a while back about nuking the building and redeveloping the parcel, but it still sits.  Here's a Google aerial view and a look from Big Beaver Road.  Imagine having to walk from one end to the other through the maze.

https://goo.gl/maps/3StN8z5Fm3bTHJz69

https://goo.gl/maps/5EqWrsbVnQeX8Gaq8

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: In_Correct on September 03, 2019, 07:35:10 PM
Quote from: catch22 on September 03, 2019, 02:04:01 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on September 01, 2019, 02:04:17 PM
Yup it was in Troy. The building is still vacant I believe.

Yes, still vacant.  It has a really weird "bunch of boxes" design that no one else seems to be able to find a use for.  There was some discussion in the press a while back about nuking the building and redeveloping the parcel, but it still sits.  Here's a Google aerial view and a look from Big Beaver Road.  Imagine having to walk from one end to the other through the maze.

https://goo.gl/maps/3StN8z5Fm3bTHJz69

https://goo.gl/maps/5EqWrsbVnQeX8Gaq8

Interesting. And The Kresge Foundation is located across the street from it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: mgk920 on September 03, 2019, 09:34:57 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on September 03, 2019, 01:59:00 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on September 03, 2019, 12:30:26 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 01, 2019, 11:45:07 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 31, 2019, 06:41:54 PM
Wow Michigan is pretty mushed going to be wiped out. I had a count of 13 stores about a year and a half ago and this list has 9 Michigan locations closing including two within 30 miles of me. I'm not even sure where the nearest locations going to be.

The company was originally HQed in the Detroit area, too.

Their Waupaca, WI store is on their latest closing list (will there be any more left in the state?).

The powers that be should just put Sears Holdings out of their misery.

:no:

Mike
I know the one in Racine is closing that was the last one left in SE Wisconsin. As the ones in Oconomowoc and Cudahy closed early this year. It was 16 years ago when the first closed in New Berlin and that was the newest store in our area. Only been in operation 12 years it served as a Wal Mart from 2004 to 2015 but now it's vacant again as Wal Mart build a newer bigger store. Just goes to show you KMart never kept up with the times and the deiceded to close the newest store in my area first yeah that made sense.

Isn't the one in Kenosha remaining open?

I just learned of another one in NE Wisconsin that is on the latest hit list - Ripon, WI.

Mike
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Revive 755 on September 03, 2019, 10:42:57 PM
Quote from: thspfc on September 01, 2019, 08:09:33 AM
The sudden rise of Costco was the final blow to K mart in Wisconsin.

Yet Kenosha (with what appears to be the only surviving K mart in Wisconsin) has a Costco, as well as a Target and Meijers.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on September 04, 2019, 12:09:10 AM
This may be the definitive article that summons the Grim Reaper.   The article also mentions that the Chicago HQ is becoming a ghost town...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2019/09/03/is-this-the-sears-endgame-reported-77-more-stores-closing-hq-being-sold/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: In_Correct on September 04, 2019, 07:52:06 PM
I am going to type my commentary about Sears K Mart. Basically I have no use for either place. If they go away, I can not say that I will miss them.

Sears has been around for ever as a Store and as well as a Foundation. But now the Store is going down hill. I remember Sears being a department store ranging from clothes and linens to appliances and tools. The tools include silly "Craftsman" with many commercials by Bob Vila. They are also a Carrier H.V.A.C. dealer. Other stores sell clothes and linens. As for appliances and tools, I prefer Lowe's and Home Depot.

Kresge Mart, never mind ... It is better as K Mart, also has a Kresge Foundation. So that is another Store with a founder that started both a Store and a Foundation. Another store with a truncated last name of its founder Walmart (or Wal-Mart ... or perhaps Wal * Mart ... or perhaps Wal  :bigass: Mart ) has expanded tremendously. K Mart was ahead of its time, as it seemed to be Walmart before Walmart expanded. K Mart had numerous expansions, most of them discontinued. Walmart's various expansions seem to be much more successful. Also with Walmart's successful expansions no need for "Super K Mart". And with Dollar General Market, there is no need for "Big K Mart" any more either. And finally, there is a Hyper Market (or Hypermarket) known as Target which is an alternative to Walmart. K Mart now has to compete with Walmart and Target. I remember Blue Light Special, and just as Sears, K Mart also relied on Celebrity Endorsements.

So Fear Not, Shoppers Of Sears And / Or K Mart! Target is probably a replacement store of K Mart for you. Also there is Walmart and Dollar General Market which are effective replacements for K Mart. Lowe's and Home Depot can replace Sears.

I will shop at Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, and some times Target be cause some times it has things that Walmart does not. Dollar General Market is silly but I might shop there some times. Sears K Mart is too much of a disorganized mess. When The Aisles Resemble Alleys, I will not feel safe shopping at either place.

If nobody wants Sears K Mart to go away, the Sears K Mart must be organized. Forget about Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Dollar General Market, and Walmart for a moment. Sears K Mart will not survive even if there was no other competition. They are also closing many stores be cause they are disorganized. It is so bad, shopping at either place online is not recommended unless the entire businesses of Sears and K Mart are reorganized.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 04, 2019, 08:05:07 PM
Sears was a big giant at one time.  My uncle once told me that its not the times or the lack of customers to make or break a business, but the management.  If you have bad management, you have a not so profitable business.   Yes, Sears used to be big as far as location and reputation, but they dropped the ball when the times changed as the management did not move along with it.

I will miss the Sears of when I was a child, but not of today.    It's sad to see the store my mom took us as a child to in NJ close and have the building torn down for a new strip mall.  It was like an institution, but the new owner feels that putting up a new structure with a different design can be more profitable in the long run. 

I do, however, think that Sears got worse when the troubled Kmart acquired them.  A company that took a bailout should not be getting more assets as Kmart had previously filed for bankruptcy.  Its a shame Walmart could not have bought Sears, as they most likely would have made the Sears that are left much better than Sears Holdings has done recently.

I think we are at the end of an era and the institution we once knew as Sears and Kmart are history.  It's a shame, but all good things must go at some time and considering all, Sears is like a landmark as they once ruled and their catalogue was the number one out of store shopping before the internet.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on September 04, 2019, 08:32:21 PM
I think it would be interesting if Amazon bought Sears/Kmart's assets, assumed and paid off its debt, and used the remaining store locations as Amazon stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on September 04, 2019, 08:51:20 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 04, 2019, 08:05:07 PM
It's a shame, but all good things must go at some time
I think Q put it better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-olnnGBJQV4
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Rothman on September 04, 2019, 08:59:45 PM
It is too easy to just blame bad management.  Read up on disruption theory, where businesses like Sears get so good at what they do that they don't keep a bigger picture of what could threaten them due to advances in technology and other innovations.  There's a lot of fluff and probably TED talks devoted to it, but I don't know how a lot of brick and mortar stores expect to survive in the number that we have, even when management is aware of the broader picture.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: webny99 on September 04, 2019, 09:11:44 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 04, 2019, 08:59:45 PM
It is too easy to just blame bad management. Read up on disruption theory, where businesses like Sears get so good at what they do that they don't keep a bigger picture of what could threaten them due to advances in technology and other innovations.

Kodak is another classic example.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on September 04, 2019, 11:47:25 PM
I think Sears Roebuck was set in its ways by the time the merger happened.  Lampert was busy championing Kmart coming out of bankruptcy and got too greedy.  And what's irritating is he's still a billionaire after all these years
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 05, 2019, 10:22:58 AM
Someone should take them over who is good at what they do.   Both are historical icons. 

On another note, a gentleman got a video out on youtube just before the Sears Watchung, NJ store closed and he pointed out the size of the parking lot of the store that was never used completely.  He suggested that Sears should have sold part of it for other use, like allowing restaurants to build there or even some small stores.

Citrus Tower did it in Clermont, FL as they were a big tourist attraction years ago.  When development took place and changed the landscape surrounding it all, it lost its appeal for tourists and lost a lot.  Now the tower got other businesses to build in its parking lot and saved itself from closing and having the taxpayers flip to save the historic tower.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on September 05, 2019, 10:05:04 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 04, 2019, 08:59:45 PM
It is too easy to just blame bad management.  Read up on disruption theory, where businesses like Sears get so good at what they do that they don't keep a bigger picture of what could threaten them due to advances in technology and other innovations.  There's a lot of fluff and probably TED talks devoted to it, but I don't know how a lot of brick and mortar stores expect to survive in the number that we have, even when management is aware of the broader picture.

Focus on demos that aren't cracked-out on e-commerece. There's still a lot of them and there still will be in the future. Basically anyone but college-educated white people under 50 living in cities that make less than $150,000. Avoid those folks... they're gone from B&M except for weird, unusual products. That's how Wal-Mart does fine; rural folk don't spend all their free time surfing the 'net or sipping in taprooms/coffee shops.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 05, 2019, 10:07:54 PM
Quote from: In_Correct on September 04, 2019, 07:52:06 PM
I am going to type my commentary about Sears K Mart. Basically I have no use for either place. If they go away, I can not say that I will miss them.

Sears has been around for ever as a Store and as well as a Foundation. But now the Store is going down hill. I remember Sears being a department store ranging from clothes and linens to appliances and tools. The tools include silly "Craftsman" with many commercials by Bob Vila. They are also a Carrier H.V.A.C. dealer. Other stores sell clothes and linens. As for appliances and tools, I prefer Lowe's and Home Depot.

Kresge Mart, never mind ... It is better as K Mart, also has a Kresge Foundation. So that is another Store with a founder that started both a Store and a Foundation. Another store with a truncated last name of its founder Walmart (or Wal-Mart ... or perhaps Wal * Mart ... or perhaps Wal  :bigass: Mart ) has expanded tremendously. K Mart was ahead of its time, as it seemed to be Walmart before Walmart expanded. K Mart had numerous expansions, most of them discontinued. Walmart's various expansions seem to be much more successful. Also with Walmart's successful expansions no need for "Super K Mart". And with Dollar General Market, there is no need for "Big K Mart" any more either. And finally, there is a Hyper Market (or Hypermarket) known as Target which is an alternative to Walmart. K Mart now has to compete with Walmart and Target. I remember Blue Light Special, and just as Sears, K Mart also relied on Celebrity Endorsements.

So Fear Not, Shoppers Of Sears And / Or K Mart! Target is probably a replacement store of K Mart for you. Also there is Walmart and Dollar General Market which are effective replacements for K Mart. Lowe's and Home Depot can replace Sears.

I will shop at Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, and some times Target be cause some times it has things that Walmart does not. Dollar General Market is silly but I might shop there some times. Sears K Mart is too much of a disorganized mess. When The Aisles Resemble Alleys, I will not feel safe shopping at either place.

If nobody wants Sears K Mart to go away, the Sears K Mart must be organized. Forget about Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Dollar General Market, and Walmart for a moment. Sears K Mart will not survive even if there was no other competition. They are also closing many stores be cause they are disorganized. It is so bad, shopping at either place online is not recommended unless the entire businesses of Sears and K Mart are reorganized.
Meijer pioneered the supercenter concept long before Walmart did.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on September 05, 2019, 10:16:44 PM
They used to say (10 years ago) that Wal-Mart's dirty secret was that they were terrified of Meijer even though the foot traffic at the average Meijer is quite a bit lower than Wal-Mart's. Wal-Mart doesn't like that Meijer is privately held so therefore doesn't have to spend a bunch of money on crazy optimization and gets decide on their own whether or not to expand and show sales growth. Also, almost every store's shrinkage and return fraud rates are lower than Wal-Mart's and they don't have to have the cops come to the store multiple times a day -- this goes for Meijer as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 05, 2019, 10:34:22 PM
The Meijer stores around here dominate Walmart. Walmart even closed a store that was across from a Meijer in Hartland.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Tonytone on September 06, 2019, 11:34:22 PM
IMHO. I went into target recently & they look like Wal-mart in 2005. Items not stocked, the store wasn't the "clean target we know"  & the grocery aisle has lost alot of the items they used to have.

Wal-mart for the 3rd time in my lifetime, has changed/upgraded all the stores again to a more modern look. This shows they are still growing. Wal-Mart now looks like a Target in 2009. Cleaner, way more items & always stocked. Even the employees &
Management are better. I worked at Wal-Mart when I was 17-18 in the year 2016-17. They have improved in the core aswell. I've heard the stories of management stealing merchandise & treating workers wrong. But I didn't see it, or atleast I wasnt there long enough.


So Target is falling off, I assume because of Amazon & Wal-Mart both tag teaming them. They will have to change up soon in order to keep up.

I can see Wal-Mart being a problem for amazon. Especially since they are making more moves on their online shopping & now free nextday Delivery.


iPhone
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on September 06, 2019, 11:41:18 PM
^^ The Target around here just remodeled and modernized.  Not sure if this is a store-by-store decision or a company-wide decision.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Tonytone on September 06, 2019, 11:43:07 PM
Quote from: Big John on September 06, 2019, 11:41:18 PM
^^ The Target around here just remodeled and modernized.  Not sure if this is a store-by-store decision or a company-wide decision.
The Target near me just started remodeling aswell. So it might be a company wide decision. Hopefully the remodel will bring forth a better future.


iPhone
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on September 06, 2019, 11:47:00 PM
 The Target in my town was remodeled recently as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

http://kentuckyvalleyviews.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-happens-when-everyone-hates-you.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Scott5114 on September 07, 2019, 02:47:44 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

http://kentuckyvalleyviews.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-happens-when-everyone-hates-you.html

In light of El Paso, I have a feeling they'd have lost more business if they hadn't made that decision, because the "scared of people with guns" bloc is bigger than the "has strong feelings about right to carrying guns" bloc.

If some guy was allowed to run around the store with a gun prominently displayed, even if he wasn't doing anything with it, I would still feel as if I were in danger, because what's he planning to do in that store that he needs a gun for, testing the cakes at the bakery to see if they're baked through all the way? And I don't like feeling on-edge like that, so if it kept happening, I'd avoid the situation and thus the store.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: MNHighwayMan on September 07, 2019, 02:49:22 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

Yeah, right. Wal-Mart is far too large for that.

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 07, 2019, 02:47:44 PM
If some guy was allowed to run around the store with a gun prominently displayed, even if he wasn't doing anything with it, I would still feel as if I were in danger, because what's he planning to do in that store that he needs a gun for[...]?

Self-defense is not something you consciously plan for, except by carrying a weapon.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on September 07, 2019, 07:04:44 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 07, 2019, 02:47:44 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

http://kentuckyvalleyviews.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-happens-when-everyone-hates-you.html

In light of El Paso, I have a feeling they'd have lost more business if they hadn't made that decision, because the "scared of people with guns" bloc is bigger than the "has strong feelings about right to carrying guns" bloc.

If some guy was allowed to run around the store with a gun prominently displayed, even if he wasn't doing anything with it, I would still feel as if I were in danger, because what's he planning to do in that store that he needs a gun for, testing the cakes at the bakery to see if they're baked through all the way? And I don't like feeling on-edge like that, so if it kept happening, I'd avoid the situation and thus the store.
I doubt their firearms sales amounted to much.  Their logic is probably that no one bought from them and no one would care since there's plenty of independent gun shops around.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 08, 2019, 09:43:34 AM
I was trying to find the old radio commercials where Sears used to have a service to fix ac and heating.  I believe it was called the Sears Air Fair or Sears Air Fare or Sears Air something.

Google is not much help, but they used to have a good jingle that was "We are the Sears Air (Fare, Fair, whatever) we are always there, yada yada yada.

Also who is the former NBC Tom Brokaw announcer who once was the Sears radio man?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on September 09, 2019, 09:28:01 PM
Sears Heating and Cooling is considered part of their "franchised services" and apparently is unaffected by the bankruptcy proceedings.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 10, 2019, 10:04:42 PM
Craftsmen tools is now sold in Lowes Stores.  I guess that is old news, but have not been to Lowes too much.   The whole front of the Orlando store on Sand Lake is full of tools, cabinets, and other such stuff that Sears has in their hardware departments.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DaBigE on September 10, 2019, 10:41:56 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 10, 2019, 10:04:42 PM
Craftsmen tools is now sold in Lowes Stores.  I guess that is old news, but have not been to Lowes too much.   The whole front of the Orlando store on Sand Lake is full of tools, cabinets, and other such stuff that Sears has in their hardware departments.

I think it might be now easier to say what stores aren't selling Craftsman tools. As a kid, I never thought I'd live to see the day that a store other than Sears sold them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: roadman65 on September 10, 2019, 11:35:11 PM
Do they sell Die Hard batteries outside Sears?
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Big John on September 10, 2019, 11:46:55 PM
^^They are also available on Amazon. https://www.diehard.com/where-to-buy
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on September 11, 2019, 09:32:47 AM
Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on September 11, 2019, 01:31:35 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 11, 2019, 09:32:47 AM
Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.

I don't remember Penney's automotive services, but I do remember Sears. They had a garage on an outparcel at Fayette Mall in Lexington. Sears also owned NTW at one time as well, and road hazard/alignment/rotation warranties from one place could be honored at the other. I bought a set of tires from NTW in Richmond years ago. They were an expensive retailer but I caught a decent sale.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: tchafe1978 on September 11, 2019, 03:21:12 PM
Sears sold off the Craftsman brand to Stanley/Black & Decker in 2017, which is why you now see the brand in other stores. I don't think they honor the lifetime replacement warranty that Craftsman tools used to have either.

https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/05/investing/sears-sells-craftsman-stanley-black-decker/index.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on September 11, 2019, 05:56:16 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 11, 2019, 09:32:47 AM
Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.


Sears got sued in the 1980s, but JCPenney was out of the automotive business by then, having left in 1983 due to the lack of profitability.  Montgomery Ward, on the other hand, kept the automotive business until they went under in 2001.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on September 11, 2019, 10:00:10 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 11, 2019, 01:31:35 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on September 11, 2019, 09:32:47 AM
Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.


I don't remember Penney's automotive services, but I do remember Sears. They had a garage on an outparcel at Fayette Mall in Lexington. Sears also owned NTW at one time as well, and road hazard/alignment/rotation warranties from one place could be honored at the other. I bought a set of tires from NTW in Richmond years ago. They were an expensive retailer but I caught a decent sale.


I walk through what's left of the old JCPenney auto center's waiting room once a week to access the rear entrance of my store at the Dayton Mall. It's finished with horrible '60s seafoam green laminated block. The service area however has been turned into an Avis.

There's video out there of an elderly lady that has gotten something like 16 free batteries installed in her car over the years from the time she got the JCPenney auto center lifetime warranty battery in the old days. The majority of them have been installed by another company as per the agreement described above.


edit: here we go. It was 17 batteries as of 2009:




She's even driven the car around Daytona. To keep a race car from sliding down the banking you have to drive around that track at minimum 90 mph... with those crummy narrow street tires it's probably even higher.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ErmineNotyours on September 11, 2019, 11:59:03 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on September 05, 2019, 10:07:54 PM

Meijer pioneered the supercenter concept long before Walmart did.

I think Walmart copied the concept from another Meijer: Fred Meyer.  A walking tour book of Portland, Oregon mentions the first one-stop-shopping Fred Meyer store outside of Downtown, and how Sam Walton copied the concept. The two men had a gentlemen's agreement not to expand into each other's territory until some time after one or both of them died.  I haven't found much supporting evidence for that except for this (https://www.stumptownblogger.com/2014/12/after-sam-walton-visited-fred-meyer.html).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on September 22, 2019, 02:26:44 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on August 31, 2019, 12:57:47 PM
And we have the next round of closures...Looks like at least Northern Ohio will be Kmart-less in 2020 with Brunswick and Barberton going bye-bye:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/08/31/kmart-sears-store-closings-more-locations-shutter-end-2019/2168435001/

Apparently, once those two Virginia stores close, Kmart will be completely gone from the state.

https://www.pilotonline.com/business/vp-bz-kmart-closing-virginia-20190920-j537ex6qmvc2zibffu7sykheoq-story.html (https://www.pilotonline.com/business/vp-bz-kmart-closing-virginia-20190920-j537ex6qmvc2zibffu7sykheoq-story.html)

However, this stood out to me:

QuoteThe Kotarides development company, which owns the Village Square Shopping Center in Chesapeake as KG1 Military LLC, has no immediate plans for the space.

"After surviving so many rounds of store closings, we assumed that this location would be open forever, so we haven't really thought about any alternative uses,"  said Pete Kotarides in an email reply.

Has he been living under a rock?! All the publicity about Sears circling the drain and he thought it wouldn't ever close? You can't make this shit up. :pan:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: GCrites on September 22, 2019, 09:55:49 PM
In his defense, there were a lot of people who thought Sears and K-Mart would be totally over by the end of 2009. People cry wolf enough and then their credibility suffers. By now I have noticed that Internet Uber Alles and futurist folk fall into this category currently. A lot of people underestimate the ability of publicly-traded entities to hold on to the slightest scraps like a rabid dog while trying to make the most of their hard assets. Meanwhile a .com with little to nothing in the way of hard assets can disappear at the drop of a hat.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on September 23, 2019, 01:34:10 AM
Quote from: DaBigE on September 10, 2019, 10:41:56 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 10, 2019, 10:04:42 PM
Craftsmen tools is now sold in Lowes Stores.  I guess that is old news, but have not been to Lowes too much.   The whole front of the Orlando store on Sand Lake is full of tools, cabinets, and other such stuff that Sears has in their hardware departments.

I think it might be now easier to say what stores aren't selling Craftsman tools. As a kid, I never thought I'd live to see the day that a store other than Sears sold them.

Lowe's got Craftsman tools due to their 2008 acquisition of Orchard Supply Hardware, which had contracted with Sears Roebuck to carry the line of tools (SR apparently got a "piece of the action" in the form of a small percentage -- which they needed).  Orchard ceased operations in 2018, so parent Lowe's simply continued the contract and brought the line into their outlets.  They're good tools, so it was a "win-win" situation (except for Orchard employees; only some were offered positions at nearby Lowe's).

Quote from: roadman65 on September 10, 2019, 11:35:11 PM
Do they sell Die Hard batteries outside Sears?
Quote from: Big John on September 10, 2019, 11:46:55 PM
^^They are also available on Amazon. https://www.diehard.com/where-to-buy

Die Hard batteries are manufactured for Sears (and online sales) by East Penn Electric; most of the other batteries on the market are produced by Johnson Controls.  The QA of East Penn products seems to be considerably better than that of the Johnson products; less failure in the field.  I haven't used any batteries except Die Hards for about 20 years, when I replaced the factory battery in my old Dodge Ram 50 (aka Mitsubishi) truck.  When I bought my Kia new back in 2001, one condition of purchase was that the dealer go out and get a Die Hard and put it in the vehicle.  That was done, and I bought the car (which will be the last of that brand I buy:  three various recalls in the first 6 years plus a slew of other issues [my business partner has a '14 Sportage and has experienced similar problems]).  Now we're an all-Toyota household and happier for it -- with Die Hards in both vehicles! 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on September 23, 2019, 01:52:51 AM
Quote from: sparker on September 23, 2019, 01:34:10 AM
When I bought my Kia new back in 2001, one condition of purchase was that the dealer go out and get a Die Hard and put it in the vehicle.  That was done, and I bought the car (which will be the last of that brand I buy:  three various recalls in the first 6 years plus a slew of other issues [my business partner has a '14 Sportage and has experienced similar problems]).  Now we're an all-Toyota household and happier for it -- with Die Hards in both vehicles!

I think I see a problem. You're worried about something there's no reason to worry about. I have no doubt the dealer is probably charging you a lot more for that battery than you realize.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on September 24, 2019, 07:25:50 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 23, 2019, 01:52:51 AM
Quote from: sparker on September 23, 2019, 01:34:10 AM
When I bought my Kia new back in 2001, one condition of purchase was that the dealer go out and get a Die Hard and put it in the vehicle.  That was done, and I bought the car (which will be the last of that brand I buy:  three various recalls in the first 6 years plus a slew of other issues [my business partner has a '14 Sportage and has experienced similar problems]).  Now we're an all-Toyota household and happier for it -- with Die Hards in both vehicles!

I think I see a problem. You're worried about something there's no reason to worry about. I have no doubt the dealer is probably charging you a lot more for that battery than you realize.

That didn't happen; back in '01 I actually suggested to the dealer that I purchase the Die Hard myself and install it once I got the vehicle home; they actually accommodated me by schlepping down to the Sears in Ontario Mills (about a half-mile from the dealer in Ontario, CA) and purchasing the battery and adding the cost of such to my invoice (they really wanted to make the sale).  And yeah, I might be a bit anal about these batteries -- but I have yet to experience a failure with an East Penn product, where the track record of batteries supplied with new cars has been less favorable.   And when I bought my current Camry from a friend (who if anything is more meticulous than myself!) it was pre-equipped with a Die Hard.   So sorry, folks -- at least to me car batteries aren't a fungible product. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 07, 2019, 04:15:58 PM
Just close them all and be done with it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on October 07, 2019, 09:12:37 PM
 Kmart and Sears are both dead to me I have no use for either store.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Verlanka on October 08, 2019, 05:21:40 AM
Quote from: US71 on October 07, 2019, 04:15:58 PM
Just close them all and be done with it.
Right. :-D
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: renegade on October 08, 2019, 08:38:26 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 07, 2019, 04:15:58 PM
Just close them all and be done with it.
... and throw more people out of work.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on October 08, 2019, 08:54:56 PM
I ended up buying a replacement Kenmore dryer a couple months back from a Sears for $399.99.  They gave me matching rewards points which usually come in $15 weekly intervals.  For what it's worth I've replaced most of my running and hiking clothes while my wife stocked up on Christmas gifts.  I kind of dig the quiet shopping experience, usually we go see a movie right after so it's working out...even though it feels like I'm picking the last good meat off a corpse. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on October 08, 2019, 09:11:40 PM
Quote from: renegade on October 08, 2019, 08:38:26 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 07, 2019, 04:15:58 PM
Just close them all and be done with it.
... and throw more people out of work.

Maybe they should have thought of that before they started killing the company?  :hmmm: :hmmm: :hmmm:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on November 07, 2019, 05:03:15 PM
Yet another announcement of more Sears/Kmart closings (51 and 45 respectively).  The long drawn-out liquidation continues forthwith.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/2019/11/07/kmart-sears-store-closings-96-stores-set-shutter-february-2020/2521653001/

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on November 07, 2019, 05:10:47 PM
Quote from: catch22 on November 07, 2019, 05:03:15 PM
Yet another announcement of more Sears/Kmart closings (51 and 45 respectively).  The long drawn-out liquidation continues forthwith.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/2019/11/07/kmart-sears-store-closings-96-stores-set-shutter-february-2020/2521653001/

I see Greenville, NC's store is finally getting put out of it's misery.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on November 07, 2019, 07:09:02 PM
Quote from: catch22 on November 07, 2019, 05:03:15 PM
Yet another announcement of more Sears/Kmart closings (51 and 45 respectively).  The long drawn-out liquidation continues forthwith.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/2019/11/07/kmart-sears-store-closings-96-stores-set-shutter-february-2020/2521653001/

Of note to me:

Spring Hill Mall is going.  That leaves that mall with a Macy's (former Marshall Field's) and a Kohl's.  Carson's (former Bergner's) went out of business last year, and JCPenney left for Randall Road.

Northwoods Mall, Peoria.  The mall is in good shape, with an entertainment venue and a furniture store taking over the former Carson's/Famous Barr/Macy's.  The Penney's seems to hold its own there, outliving Carson's, Famous Barr/Macy's, Montgomery Ward, and now Sears.

Frandor, Lansing. That's one I thought would be around forever, across from MSU.  I guess, with the university across the street, it won't last long empty.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: vdeane on November 07, 2019, 08:34:01 PM
Looks like Sidney, NY is losing its store.  Now they'll have to drive to Vestal (which also has Target), Oneonta, or Norwich for WalMart.  That store was the only store of that type in the Sidney/Bainbridge/Unadilla area.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on November 07, 2019, 08:37:37 PM
I was in Farmington, NM last week.  Surprised to see a Kmart still open in the wild.  And for the few cars I saw there midday, I'm surprised they are still a step ahead of the Grim Reaper.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SectorZ on November 08, 2019, 10:34:06 AM
NH will be down to each a single Sears and Kmart, and both in (west) Lebanon.

The closest K-Mart to me, in Billerica, looked like it had been dying for 30 years. The mall around it closed 20 years ago. It finally got its execution date this time around.

Also RIP to the Acton MA Kmart, famous for its sign, https://goo.gl/maps/gmAmg96j6bKm6nz78
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on November 08, 2019, 10:41:03 AM
The Waterford Kmart is closing I thought that ugly store would be the very last Kmart to close. Also RIP to Sears in Lansing, with two malls in the Lansing area I thought Sears at least did it right by locating about halfway in between the two malls.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: gonealookin on November 08, 2019, 11:45:29 AM
The Kmart in Bishop CA is on the latest closing list.  As lousy as Kmart may be, that was the only general-merchandise store of that type on US 395 between the Walmarts in Gardnerville NV and Ridgecrest CA, a distance of 290 miles.  I believe the largest remaining stores along that stretch of highway are the Vons supermarkets and the Rite Aids in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes and whatever Ace Hardware-type stores those towns may have.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on November 08, 2019, 12:21:58 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 08, 2019, 10:41:03 AM
The Waterford Kmart is closing I thought that ugly store would be the very last Kmart to close. Also RIP to Sears in Lansing, with two malls in the Lansing area I thought Sears at least did it right by locating about halfway in between the two malls.

The Warren store is closing too (announced earlier) which leaves Marshall as the only Michigan Kmart.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on November 08, 2019, 01:07:42 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 08, 2019, 10:41:03 AM
The Waterford Kmart is closing I thought that ugly store would be the very last Kmart to close. Also RIP to Sears in Lansing, with two malls in the Lansing area I thought Sears at least did it right by locating about halfway in between the two malls.

Sears actually chose the Frandor location before either mall was built (one with Woolco - Meridian Mall, one with Montgomery Ward - Lansing Mall).
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on November 08, 2019, 09:59:46 PM
Quote from: gonealookin on November 08, 2019, 11:45:29 AM
The Kmart in Bishop CA is on the latest closing list.  As lousy as Kmart may be, that was the only general-merchandise store of that type on US 395 between the Walmarts in Gardnerville NV and Ridgecrest CA, a distance of 290 miles.  I believe the largest remaining stores along that stretch of highway are the Vons supermarkets and the Rite Aids in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes and whatever Ace Hardware-type stores those towns may have.

Going on US-6 out of Bishop, you won't hit a Walmart or a Target until you get to Payson, Utah!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: DandyDan on November 09, 2019, 01:40:29 AM
Quote from: catch22 on November 07, 2019, 05:03:15 PM
Yet another announcement of more Sears/Kmart closings (51 and 45 respectively).  The long drawn-out liquidation continues forthwith.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/2019/11/07/kmart-sears-store-closings-96-stores-set-shutter-february-2020/2521653001/
This officially closes all the KMarts in Iowa, as Algona and Charles City had the last two.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 74/171FAN on November 09, 2019, 07:05:14 PM
I drove by the Kmart on the south side of Lebanon (near PA 72) today, and it actually looked somewhat busy.  I was very shocked, but there also is not a Target in the area that I know of, and the Wal-Mart there is on the east side.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: renegade on November 10, 2019, 03:20:10 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 08, 2019, 10:41:03 AM
The Waterford Kmart is closing I thought that ugly store would be the very last Kmart to close. Also RIP to Sears in Lansing, with two malls in the Lansing area I thought Sears at least did it right by locating about halfway in between the two malls.
Why do you care?  You want them all to close anyway!   :hmmm:
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on November 10, 2019, 08:47:05 PM
Quote from: catch22 on November 08, 2019, 12:21:58 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on November 08, 2019, 10:41:03 AM
The Waterford Kmart is closing I thought that ugly store would be the very last Kmart to close. Also RIP to Sears in Lansing, with two malls in the Lansing area I thought Sears at least did it right by locating about halfway in between the two malls.

The Warren store is closing too (announced earlier) which leaves Marshall as the only Michigan Kmart.
Marshall will probably be on the next round of closures.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: stormwatch7721 on November 10, 2019, 10:32:46 PM
The North Canton, OH Kmart is closing.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: PHLBOS on November 11, 2019, 09:19:49 AM
Just saw a closing sign on the one near me at the MacDade Mall in Holmes, PA yesterday.  I don't believe I've been at that one or any K-mart for that matter in over 2 years.

The Clifton Heights K-mart, the second closest to me, is also closing as well.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on November 29, 2019, 09:13:30 AM
Seems to me they are trying to milk a dead cow. Close them all and be done.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheGrassGuy on December 01, 2019, 08:23:20 AM
Wait, I thought Kmart closed long ago
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on December 04, 2019, 10:07:11 AM
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 01, 2019, 08:23:20 AM
Wait, I thought Kmart closed long ago

Circling the drain
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: webny99 on December 04, 2019, 01:59:29 PM
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 01, 2019, 08:23:20 AM
Wait, I thought Kmart closed long ago

It's a nationwide chain, which means it has multiple locations.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on December 04, 2019, 02:03:53 PM
Quote from: webny99 on December 04, 2019, 01:59:29 PM
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 01, 2019, 08:23:20 AM
Wait, I thought Kmart closed long ago

It's a nationwide chain, which means it has multiple locations.

Starting not to feel like a nationwide chain with the number of closures though.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 04, 2019, 06:33:15 PM
When's the next round of closings? Let's finish this beast off. No Sears or Kmart's within 100 miles of me.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SectorZ on December 04, 2019, 08:27:26 PM
Looks like the ones in the latest round of closings just started their clearance liquidations. The one in Billerica, MA just started yesterday.

I have to admit, I've been going to that store since I can remember. It used to be an anchor of a pretty small mall that actually was quite busy into the mid-90's. Now the old entrance to the mall still exists that just brings you into a store that will be gone in a couple of months, with the rest of the mall long since converted into stuff like a Big Lots and a Planet Fitness and a few smaller things. I went in tonight, and realized I will really miss it, despite my wishes that they just rip the band-aid off and be done with shutting down the whole company.

For some history of the location, http://www.labelscar.com/massachusetts/billerica-mall
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on December 24, 2019, 06:38:28 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.
These will be the only stores that make it to the end; stores without a Target or Walmart around but is located in a heavily-trafficed area.

That's why my store, the Vernon, CT, one, lasted until last year.  It was more convenient for people to go there than go near the mall in Manchester where the Walmart is.  And our area didn't get a Walmart until the mid-90s.  Not that you didn't have any options back then: Caldor, Ames, Bradlees and Kmart all existed together for a time.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 25, 2019, 09:04:33 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.

There's a Walmart supercenter right up the road in Kitty Hawk on US-158, along with Harris Teeter, and Home Depot. There's also a Lowe's, Publix, and Food Lion in Kill Devil Hills.

That Kmart won't be around much longer, IMO.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jp the roadgeek on December 25, 2019, 11:26:42 AM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on December 24, 2019, 06:38:28 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.
These will be the only stores that make it to the end; stores without a Target or Walmart around but is located in a heavily-trafficed area.

That's why my store, the Vernon, CT, one, lasted until last year.  It was more convenient for people to go there than go near the mall in Manchester where the Walmart is.  And our area didn't get a Walmart until the mid-90s.  Not that you didn't have any options back then: Caldor, Ames, Bradlees and Kmart all existed together for a time.

That explains  why the one in Watertown, CT lasted so long: there is nothing in that area on CT 63 except a few car dealerships and supermarkets.  The nearest Walmarts are about 8 or 9 miles down CT 63 in Naugatuck or on the other side of Waterbury, while the nearest Target is on Chase Ave in Waterbury.  The Holyoke, MA one remains because it is on US 5 and well away from Holyoke Mall (which has a Target), and the nearest Walmarts are in Chicopee on Memorial Dr, Springfield on Boston Rd, or in Westfield on US 20 (all about 10 miles away). 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: wanderer2575 on December 25, 2019, 11:31:41 AM
Quote from: US71 on November 29, 2019, 09:13:30 AM
Seems to me they are trying to milk a dead cow. Close them all and be done.

It has to be that somehow Eddie Lampert is making money off the assets that are left.  That's all it's about; it's not about actually running a retail business.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 26, 2019, 04:41:23 AM
The last standing Kmart in the state of Michigan is located in Marshall which has no Meijer, Target or Walmart within about 20 minutes or so from there you have to go to Battle Creek to get Meijer, Target or Walmart. I was in this Kmart in the summertime and it seemed to be a pretty clean Kmart compared to the rest of the chain. There were some signs of struggle though such as inventory gaps on the shelves but this Kmart might survive until the end.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 26, 2019, 07:54:46 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 25, 2019, 09:04:33 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.

There's a Walmart supercenter right up the road in Kitty Hawk on US-158, along with Harris Teeter, and Home Depot. There's also a Lowe's, Publix, and Food Lion in Kill Devil Hills.

That Kmart won't be around much longer, IMO.

I don't know if there's much rhyme or reason as to how these stores are being closed.  With that much competition, you would think that Kmart would've been closed a few years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on December 26, 2019, 08:41:10 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 26, 2019, 07:54:46 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 25, 2019, 09:04:33 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.

There's a Walmart supercenter right up the road in Kitty Hawk on US-158, along with Harris Teeter, and Home Depot. There's also a Lowe's, Publix, and Food Lion in Kill Devil Hills.

That Kmart won't be around much longer, IMO.

I don't know if there's much rhyme or reason as to how these stores are being closed.  With that much competition, you would think that Kmart would've been closed a few years ago.

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me, either. The Raleigh store I mentioned was one of their nicer stores, though I've only been in there once in 2008. I've never been to Kill Devil Hills, so I can't speak to that one. Sears also closed about a year ago at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, which is one of the few malls that is still doing damn good business. That was also a head-scratcher.

Meanwhile, Sears remains open at another nearby mall (Triangle Town Center), and that mall has seen better days. It was built in 2002 and intended to be upscale in order to compete with Crabtree, but the Great Recession happened, so it never took off. There was also a huge gang fight that happened in the mall in 2008 that involved 200+ people. That scared away the soccer mom crowd and the mall's reputation took a big hit that it never fully recovered from.

https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3285984/ (https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3285984/)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on December 26, 2019, 12:34:44 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 26, 2019, 07:54:46 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 25, 2019, 09:04:33 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2019, 04:26:12 PM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Having not been to the Outer Banks tourist area in decades, I wonder if there's any other shopping options there, such as Walmart. If not, it's possible that Kmart might survive as long as the chain does. I'm sure there's a need for visitors to buy merchandise that a store like that offers.

There's a Walmart supercenter right up the road in Kitty Hawk on US-158, along with Harris Teeter, and Home Depot. There's also a Lowe's, Publix, and Food Lion in Kill Devil Hills.

That Kmart won't be around much longer, IMO.

I don't know if there's much rhyme or reason as to how these stores are being closed.  With that much competition, you would think that Kmart would've been closed a few years ago.

It's all about the real estate at this point, and little or nothing to do with sales or store profitability.  It appears to me that if the owners see a chance to make a quick buck with a site sale or walk at the end of a lease, they can and will do so without any regard to how that particular store is doing.  It's just a long, drawn-out liquidation.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 26, 2019, 02:49:05 PM
I thought at one point there was a Kmart on 34th Street by Penn Station.

What about the one in Minneapolis that was built in the middle of the street? I think it was Nicolet Street it just ended and picked up on both sides because Kmart was in the way.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on December 26, 2019, 09:20:01 PM
Once we get into the first week or two in January, when the dismal holiday sales reports at Kmart/Sears come out, I am willing to bet another round of closings will be announced.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: 1995hoo on December 26, 2019, 09:29:21 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.

Madison Square Garden is at 34th and 7th on top of Penn Station. There is a K-Mart at 250 West 34th Street, right around the corner. If I have time, I'll take a picture next time I'm around there in the next few weeks.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sbeaver44 on December 26, 2019, 10:00:09 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on December 26, 2019, 09:29:21 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.

Madison Square Garden is at 34th and 7th on top of Penn Station. There is a K-Mart at 250 West 34th Street, right around the corner. If I have time, I'll take a picture next time I'm around there in the next few weeks.
Yes, it is a multi level KMart accessible from both the LIRR terminal and street level.  I have a pair of Sony Headphones I bought there 9 years ago.  If/when this store closes, I'm sure they'll have no trouble filling it.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 11:11:06 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 26, 2019, 02:49:05 PM
I thought at one point there was a Kmart on 34th Street by Penn Station.
Ahh, yes 34th Street. That's what the man said. Of course I did have to take the 42nd Street Shuttle to get there and then jump on a local train along the IRT Broadway-7th Avenue Line (I was so sure it was going to be a 2 or 3 train).

Still didn't find the K-Mart though.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 26, 2019, 11:16:42 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.

I'm surprised that Sears on FL 50 lasted as long as it did, there is a Walmart and Sams Club across the highway.  I bought a stove out of that store years ago when I was living in Spring Hill.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on December 27, 2019, 10:14:14 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 26, 2019, 11:16:42 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.

I'm surprised that Sears on FL 50 lasted as long as it did, there is a Walmart and Sams Club across the highway.  I bought a stove out of that store years ago when I was living in Spring Hill.
And Belk in the same strip mall!
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: In_Correct on December 27, 2019, 02:16:02 PM
Quote from: sbeaver44 on December 26, 2019, 10:00:09 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on December 26, 2019, 09:29:21 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.

Madison Square Garden is at 34th and 7th on top of Penn Station. There is a K-Mart at 250 West 34th Street, right around the corner. If I have time, I’ll take a picture next time I’m around there in the next few weeks.
Yes, it is a multi level KMart accessible from both the LIRR terminal and street level.  I have a pair of Sony Headphones I bought there 9 years ago.  If/when this store closes, I'm sure they'll have no trouble filling it.

I will not be surprised if that multi level K-Mart stays open.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: D-Dey65 on December 27, 2019, 03:02:48 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on December 27, 2019, 10:14:14 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 26, 2019, 11:16:42 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 26, 2019, 02:03:50 PM
The one K-Mart in Pinellas County (wherever it is) is supposed to be closing, along with the Sears along FL 50 in unincorporated Brooksville.

Nobody on Wikipedia has told me whether or not the K-Mart at the Astor Place Subway station is still there. Somebody at the Grand Central Information Kiosk told me there was still a K-Mart on 42nd Street near Madison Square Garden, but I never found it.

I'm surprised that Sears on FL 50 lasted as long as it did, there is a Walmart and Sams Club across the highway.  I bought a stove out of that store years ago when I was living in Spring Hill.
And Belk in the same strip mall!
If it's not the only one left in the Tampa Bay Metro Area, it's certainly one of the few. They get a few customers, but not that many because people haven't been sure how long the store was going to last. When you're buying products that are known to have warranties that could outlast the store's existence, it doesn't provide too much consumer confidence. Also, the Wal-Mart is open 24/7, so that doesn't make things that much better for Sears.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ErmineNotyours on December 27, 2019, 11:12:26 PM
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: sparker on December 28, 2019, 03:45:02 AM
Now that the Die Hard battery and accessory manufacturing operation has been sold off by the Sears/Roebuck holding company, one of the main rationales for keeping K-marts (and Sears retail outlets for that matter) is disappearing -- especially if one will be able to purchase that brand from other vendors.   At a minimum, expect drastic cutbacks in the chain's automotive repair services. 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on December 28, 2019, 10:46:30 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on December 26, 2019, 02:49:05 PM
I thought at one point there was a Kmart on 34th Street by Penn Station.

What about the one in Minneapolis that was built in the middle of the street? I think it was Nicolet Street it just ended and picked up on both sides because Kmart was in the way.
There's two Kmart's in Manhattan.  One is located at the PABT in midtown and the other is located closer to downtown.  Idk where though.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: KEVIN_224 on December 29, 2019, 02:58:05 PM
There is no K-Mart at Port Authority. There IS a Duane Reade there. There's definitely a K-Mart at Penn Station. It has at least three levels.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on December 29, 2019, 04:48:55 PM
Kmart is on 34th between 7th and 8th avenues and then the other one is on Broadway by the astor place subway station.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: In_Correct on December 29, 2019, 06:39:26 PM
Those K-Mart locations will most likely stay open even after all the other ones closed. They even have PathMark in New York City.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: ftballfan on December 31, 2019, 02:22:04 PM
Quote from: In_Correct on December 29, 2019, 06:39:26 PM
Those K-Mart locations will most likely stay open even after all the other ones closed. They even have PathMark in New York City.

And those Kmarts could be sold as a going concern to a competitor
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: crt08 on December 31, 2019, 05:32:40 PM
To me it seems most of them are closing as the lease renewals come due. Our Kmart and Sears were built in the 90s and both closed in the last two years at 25 and 20 years respectively. It wouldn't surprise me to see others stay open for the foreseeable future. It seems the entire idea is to milk out as much money as possible, before the plug finally gets pulled. When that will be, who knows.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on January 03, 2020, 07:58:35 PM
Quote from: In_Correct on December 29, 2019, 06:39:26 PM
Those K-Mart locations will most likely stay open even after all the other ones closed. They even have PathMark in New York City.
That is because the one at Penn is technically the flagship.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: LM117 on February 06, 2020, 07:34:08 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Not for long, apparently. They just announced that the Kill Devil Hills store will close in April.

https://obxtoday.com/top-stories/outer-banks-kmart-store-last-in-north-carolina-will-close-this-spring/ (https://obxtoday.com/top-stories/outer-banks-kmart-store-last-in-north-carolina-will-close-this-spring/)
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on February 06, 2020, 09:41:05 AM
Quote from: LM117 on February 06, 2020, 07:34:08 AM
Quote from: LM117 on December 24, 2019, 03:57:31 PM
Apparently, the only remaining Kmart in the Triangle metro in NC on Six Forks Rd in Raleigh will close in February. That will leave the store in Kill Devil Hills as the only Kmart in NC.

Not for long, apparently. They just announced that the Kill Devil Hills store will close in April.

https://obxtoday.com/top-stories/outer-banks-kmart-store-last-in-north-carolina-will-close-this-spring/ (https://obxtoday.com/top-stories/outer-banks-kmart-store-last-in-north-carolina-will-close-this-spring/)

And as they say in the Garden State, these 3 stores are also gonna get whacked:  the Kmart stores in West Long Branch and the Sears stores in Moorestown and Woodbridge,

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Mr. Matté on February 06, 2020, 02:03:39 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on February 06, 2020, 09:41:05 AM
And as they say in the Garden State, these 3 stores are also gonna get whacked:  the Kmart stores in West Long Branch and the Sears stores in Moorestown and Woodbridge,

The Sears in New Brunswick is also closing so RIP cheap Rutgers students (since their parking lot is right next to Cook Campus)

https://www.nj.com/business/2020/02/sears-will-close-stores-in-livingston-and-new-brunswick.html
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheStranger on February 06, 2020, 02:09:40 PM
Sears in San Bruno at Tanforan Mall (near SFO and I-380) finally closed a few days ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kevinb1994 on February 06, 2020, 04:08:19 PM
I will always recall being unimpressed by the New Brunswick location in particular. It's not far from where I was born over on the other side of the city.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Great Lakes Roads on February 06, 2020, 05:48:08 PM
The Sears at the Tucson Mall will be closing in April 2020. This is also the last Sears in the Tucson area as Kmart closed back in 2018.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on February 06, 2020, 05:53:22 PM
Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on February 06, 2020, 05:48:08 PM
The Sears at the Tucson Mall will be closing in April 2020. This is also the last Sears in the Tucson area as Kmart closed back in 2018.

Springfield, Missouri  (https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Sears-posts-closings-signs-on-the-Battlefield-Mall-store-567625411.html) is closing. Probably one the last stores in Missouri.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Life in Paradise on February 07, 2020, 12:39:18 PM
I think with Sears and Kmart, we are to the point that they should just list the stores that are going to remain open, and if your store is not listed, it's either closed or in the process.  It's hard to believe some people in the business world have thought that these stores will come out of this.  This has been a 40 year process of decay, accelerated in the past 25 years.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Brandon on February 08, 2020, 08:24:08 AM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on February 07, 2020, 12:39:18 PM
I think with Sears and Kmart, we are to the point that they should just list the stores that are going to remain open, and if your store is not listed, it's either closed or in the process.  It's hard to believe some people in the business world have thought that these stores will come out of this.  This has been a 40 year process of decay, accelerated in the past 25 years.

They might have, but for one major thing: Eddie Lampert.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on February 08, 2020, 11:07:42 AM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on February 07, 2020, 12:39:18 PM
I think with Sears and Kmart, we are to the point that they should just list the stores that are going to remain open, and if your store is not listed, it's either closed or in the process.  It's hard to believe some people in the business world have thought that these stores will come out of this.  This has been a 40 year process of decay, accelerated in the past 25 years.
There's only ~70-75 Kmart's left.

There were at least 1000 as late as 2015.  Their store count peaked near 2000 in the early 2000s.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on February 08, 2020, 12:24:39 PM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on February 07, 2020, 12:39:18 PM
I think with Sears and Kmart, we are to the point that they should just list the stores that are going to remain open, and if your store is not listed, it's either closed or in the process.  It's hard to believe some people in the business world have thought that these stores will come out of this.  This has been a 40 year process of decay, accelerated in the past 25 years.

Should never have merge Sears and K-Mart.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on February 08, 2020, 06:56:52 PM
Quote from: US71 on February 08, 2020, 12:24:39 PM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on February 07, 2020, 12:39:18 PM
I think with Sears and Kmart, we are to the point that they should just list the stores that are going to remain open, and if your store is not listed, it's either closed or in the process.  It's hard to believe some people in the business world have thought that these stores will come out of this.  This has been a 40 year process of decay, accelerated in the past 25 years.

Should never have merge Sears and K-Mart.
I think a merger could have worked if they consolidated and streamlined their operations.  I made a post on one of the related threads that there's no systems integration between the divisions, so you can't do things like process returns at either store or order items from each other's store through the registers.

BTW, yes, Kmart's old registers could create online orders.  I liked it better than using the computer.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on February 10, 2020, 07:57:33 PM
Another Sears to add to the list is Livonia, Michigan.

https://www.hometownlife.com/story/money/business/2020/02/10/livonia-sears-closing-only-two-michigan-stores-remain/4712628002/

This will leave just two Sears (Grandville, Westland) and one Kmart (Marshall) in Michigan.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: US71 on February 10, 2020, 08:15:20 PM
Just stick a fork in them.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on February 10, 2020, 08:21:56 PM
Quote from: catch22 on February 10, 2020, 07:57:33 PM
Another Sears to add to the list is Livonia, Michigan.

https://www.hometownlife.com/story/money/business/2020/02/10/livonia-sears-closing-only-two-michigan-stores-remain/4712628002/

This will leave just two Sears (Grandville, Westland) and one Kmart (Marshall) in Michigan.



When I would visit my Aunt and Uncle in Livonia, more often than not we'd always wind up going to the Livonia Mall Sears for one reason or another.  Didnt realize the rest of the mall is long gone.

Meanwhile, I just went by the Kmart in the other Farmington (NM, NOT MI), and that store and parking lot looks as depressing as a scared little kid in a fetal position. Glad to see they are finally putting that store out of its misery.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: catch22 on February 10, 2020, 09:12:07 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on February 10, 2020, 08:21:56 PM
Quote from: catch22 on February 10, 2020, 07:57:33 PM
Another Sears to add to the list is Livonia, Michigan.

https://www.hometownlife.com/story/money/business/2020/02/10/livonia-sears-closing-only-two-michigan-stores-remain/4712628002/

This will leave just two Sears (Grandville, Westland) and one Kmart (Marshall) in Michigan.



When I would visit my Aunt and Uncle in Livonia, more often than not we'd always wind up going to the Livonia Mall Sears for one reason or another.  Didnt realize the rest of the mall is long gone.

Meanwhile, I just went by the Kmart in the other Farmington (NM, NOT MI), and that store and parking lot looks as depressing as a scared little kid in a fetal position. Glad to see they are finally putting that store out of its misery.

A Walmart and Kohl's, along with a few small outlot stores, now occupy the old Livonia Mall space.

I can remember as a kid going to this Sears and my dad having to hunt for a parking spot, sometimes having to wait for someone to leave.  I drove by a few days ago and there were about 20 cars in the lot.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: RobbieL2415 on February 17, 2020, 03:35:10 PM
One of the two flagships in Manhattan is closing, Penn Station.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: D-Dey65 on February 22, 2020, 04:54:07 PM
In the days when Sears in Brooksville was closing (actually there was another Sears which was really in Brooksville, but I'll deal with that on another post), I bought a cheap toy that I donated to the local Toys for Tots, and I found out there was one Sears left in Metro Tampa Bay. It's in Brandon, and I can probably guess where in Brandon it is.

As for KMart I can't find one anywhere in this area, and as I stated in my previous post, never found the one near Penn Station.

Slightly OT, where's that thread on defunct gas stations, and restaurants, and what not? Because I swear I spotted an OTB in Wikimedia Commons that looks like it used to be an old Howard Johnson's.

Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on March 05, 2020, 01:43:19 PM
Kmart in Minneapolis on Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue will close, though the reason for this has been a long-stated goal for the city to buy the property because it cuts off Nicollet. This was the last remaining Kmart in Minnesota.

http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-will-buy-out-kmart-lease-reopen-nicollet/568526262/?fbclid=IwAR3AUtjKji0AS0mq-pxWhDRNd2GncIVb5WtXq0C7pD5hnc5u4Oix5no72aU
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: SP Cook on March 05, 2020, 02:47:16 PM
Just found out my local K-Mart, which has been closed for over a year, will be torn down and replaced by a Kroger Marketplace, and the 30+ year old Kroger next door will become an Ollie's Outlet (seconds and rejects store). 
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on March 05, 2020, 04:16:20 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on March 05, 2020, 02:47:16 PM
Just found out my local K-Mart, which has been closed for over a year, will be torn down and replaced by a Kroger Marketplace, and the 30+ year old Kroger next door will become an Ollie's Outlet (seconds and rejects store).
That's been happening around the Detroit area with Kroger Marketplace. Some of them are remodeled Super Kmart's.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: thenetwork on March 05, 2020, 07:57:07 PM
Just to show you how bass-ackward the "Officials" are at Kmart, heres an article on the Farmington NM store closing (the last in NM).  Signs are up but the Kmart spokesmen still will not confirm nor comment on the closure.

https://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/farmington/2020/03/05/officemax-kmart-stores-close-farmington-new-mexico/4952721002/
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on March 05, 2020, 07:58:59 PM
S.S. Kresge is rolling over in his grave.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: kevinb1994 on March 05, 2020, 08:03:31 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on March 05, 2020, 07:58:59 PM
S.S. Kresge is rolling over in his grave.
He'd go after Fast Eddie in a heartbeat lol
Unfortunately his ship sailed away years ago.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: hbelkins on March 06, 2020, 12:34:17 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on March 05, 2020, 02:47:16 PM
Just found out my local K-Mart, which has been closed for over a year, will be torn down and replaced by a Kroger Marketplace, and the 30+ year old Kroger next door will become an Ollie's Outlet (seconds and rejects store).

I'm a big fan of Ollie's.

In Frankfort, the Kmart was replaced by a Harbor Freight Tools and a Big Lots. I don't know if the building was torn down and a new one built, or if the old one was remodeled.

I'm not a fan of those Kroger Marketplace stores.
Title: Re: More Kmart stores closing
Post by: Flint1979 on March 19, 2020, 08:35:52 AM
With some construction in the Detroit area along I-75 I used Dequindre to get from 8 Mile to 10 Mile passing the Warren Kmart at 10 Mile and Dequindre it wasn't open so it's already been closed. I didn't go past the old Kmart in Waterford which I'm sure is closed now as well. Leaving Marshall officially as the last Kmart in Michigan.

Exit, I drove past the Waterford Kmart the next day and it has also already closed. So we are officially down to one Kmart in Michigan (Marshall) and even with no Walmart, Meijer or Target in the immediate area I can't imagine how much longer that Kmart will last even if it's profitable it's several miles to the next closest location. You have to go to Battle Creek for Walmart, Meijer or Target.