More Kmart stores closing

[ftballfan]

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)

[Flint1979]

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.

[dvferyance]

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.

[thenetwork]

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

[Takumi]

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.

[inkyatari]

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/

[jp the roadgeek]

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

[thenetwork]

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.

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.

[hbelkins]

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.

[abefroman329]

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. 

[abefroman329]

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.

[abefroman329]

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.

[ftballfan]

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/

[Max Rockatansky]

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.

[Flint1979]

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.

[jwolfer]

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

[US71]

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?

[jwolfer]

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

[LM117]

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.

[Flint1979]

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

[LM117]

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.

[Flint1979]

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.

[cl94]

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".

[JJBers]

Trying to think of what each KMart became in my area.

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.

[roadman65]

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.