More Kmart stores closing

[SP Cook]

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. 

   

[GCrites]

Internet shopping has arisen during an age of people buying a lot less stuff in general.

[inkyatari]

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.
   

Heh.  Reminds me of Tuscan Whole Milk on Amazon

[bing101]

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.

[Avalanchez71]

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. 

[sparker]

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. 

[kkt]

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.

[I-39]

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.

[GCrites]

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.

[briantroutman]

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.

[sparker]

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.

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.

[thenetwork]

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.

[Max Rockatansky]

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. 

[SP Cook]

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.

[LM117]

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.

Now, that's just depressing as fuck.

[kkt]

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.

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.

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.

[sparker]

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.

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.

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!

[kkt]

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.

[sparker]

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!

[Scott5114]

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.

[sparker]

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!

[jeffandnicole]

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.

[Max Rockatansky]

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.

[LM117]

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.

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.

[DaBigE]

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.