Guam Donki now open

[storewanderer]

The new Donki in Guam has opened. It looks fantastic.

US Grocery is being supplied by UNFI-Seattle.

https://www.villageofdonki.com/

I expect this to be the end for the Guam Kmart. This is also quite a loss for C&S as they supply that Kmart with most of its food and drug. Target needs to go ahead and take that over.

[ClownLoach]

The new Donki in Guam has opened. It looks fantastic.

US Grocery is being supplied by UNFI-Seattle.

https://www.villageofdonki.com/

I expect this to be the end for the Guam Kmart. This is also quite a loss for C&S as they supply that Kmart with most of its food and drug. Target needs to go ahead and take that over.

Isn't this from the same holding company that owns Tokyo Central, Marukai, Don Quijote (which is where the Donki abbreviation comes from), and... Gelsons? If so they don't need Target, who has enough problems and doesn't need another distraction.

[storewanderer]

Yes, same group.

I expect someone else will get the Kmart location and Target seems like a logical choice. Wal Mart is probably a better fit but they must not know how to handle Guam logistics. Also I think the building would need to be demolished for them, but Target has demonstrated an ability to renovate Kmart buildings. Guam already has Macys, Home Depot, Ross...

[ClownLoach]

Yes, same group.

I expect someone else will get the Kmart location and Target seems like a logical choice. Wal Mart is probably a better fit but they must not know how to handle Guam logistics. Also I think the building would need to be demolished for them, but Target has demonstrated an ability to renovate Kmart buildings. Guam already has Macys, Home Depot, Ross...

Target already struggles with consistently stocking their Hawaiian stores. I don't think they need another distraction further away. Their "built for Target" locations have multi level massive back rooms (at least on Oahu) because of their inability to replenish the stores in a timely manner. I am not sure how things are going with the locations they've taken over like the department stores in malls there that lack such facilities (aside from Ala Moana which also has massive logistics space). I only saw one Home Depot last time I visited Hawaii and they had what amounted to a distribution center lot type logistics with containers on chassis everywhere and the store had its own tractor to move them to and from the dock doors. They were sitting on like 30 containers that were likely awaiting unload or pickup, not necessarily seasonal storage as there were traditional Mobile Mini type bins on the ground by the garden center.

[storewanderer]

Yes, same group.

I expect someone else will get the Kmart location and Target seems like a logical choice. Wal Mart is probably a better fit but they must not know how to handle Guam logistics. Also I think the building would need to be demolished for them, but Target has demonstrated an ability to renovate Kmart buildings. Guam already has Macys, Home Depot, Ross...

Target already struggles with consistently stocking their Hawaiian stores. I don't think they need another distraction further away. Their "built for Target" locations have multi level massive back rooms (at least on Oahu) because of their inability to replenish the stores in a timely manner. I am not sure how things are going with the locations they've taken over like the department stores in malls there that lack such facilities (aside from Ala Moana which also has massive logistics space). I only saw one Home Depot last time I visited Hawaii and they had what amounted to a distribution center lot type logistics with containers on chassis everywhere and the store had its own tractor to move them to and from the dock doors. They were sitting on like 30 containers that were likely awaiting unload or pickup, not necessarily seasonal storage as there were traditional Mobile Mini type bins on the ground by the garden center.

I have no idea how Kmart keeps Guam stocked. It seems like it has a mixture of whatever weird/little merchandise Sears/Kmart still self distributes, a ton of C&S product, and a ton of product both food and non food from local vendors. But I have to figure if Kmart has been able to stock Guam for the past 30 years, Target and Wal Mart both with far stronger logistics programs should be able to figure it out too.

I think most stores in Guam have abnormally large backrooms due to the size of deliveries and timing between deliveries.

Also I was looking and in addition to this new Donki thing there is also a small SM group department store in the mall in Guam and a separate pet store that also appears to be run by them. SM runs large malls in the Philippines and handles all merchandise categories. So I wonder if that operator would also be interested in adding a larger facility in Guam. Guam may be more logically served by non-US retailers anyway for a variety of logistics reasons. But my understanding of why some of these stores like Kmart or Macys in Guam are so popular with tourists there is because they sell US items.

[HCal]

I can't imagine either Target or Walmart going into Guam. I would say Wesfarmers is the best candidate. They could continue to use the brand name and they are also geographically closer.

But this is all speculation. Most likely, if and when Transformco decides to pull the plug, it will sit vacant for a while.

[storewanderer]

I can't imagine either Target or Walmart going into Guam. I would say Wesfarmers is the best candidate. They could continue to use the brand name and they are also geographically closer.

But this is all speculation. Most likely, if and when Transformco decides to pull the plug, it will sit vacant for a while.

Guam still uses the US banking system (money, POS, card processing, etc.) and product labeling so I don't see Wesfarmers being a good fit and am not sure a one off store would make sense for them. I also question if their format/product mix would even fit in Guam.

The Guam Kmart has been the highest volume Kmart for quite some time under Sears, but back when there were more Super Kmarts left, some of those were still higher volume than the Guam Store. Back before Sears I'm not sure that Guam Kmart was even in the top 25 stores in the chain volume wise... but as they kept bleeding volume/closing stores Guam still performed well and eventually became the best.

This Donki thing- that company has run in Hawaii for a long time, so this expansion made good sense for them.