Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by babs »

Alpha8472 wrote: November 11th, 2019, 1:55 am The Kmart had very little food the last time I checked. The refrigerators were filled with bottled water. They apparently do not sell milk or orange juice anymore. The store has practically given up restocking new merchandise.

Target could open a successful new store selling very little food, but 90,000 feet is apparently too small for Target these days.

I predict that a dollar store or Marshalls will open up here.
Nearly all the Targets opening these days are under 90,000 sq ft. They are only opening 1-2 standard sized stores these days. The rest are the mini Targets.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by SamSpade »

storewanderer wrote: November 12th, 2019, 10:37 pm Target's format is not geared toward small towns. Limited hardlines, no garden center, overly trendy clothing where basic clothing is more in demand, combined with Target's marketing approach are all not really a great fit with small towns. This is why Target struggles even in medium sized markets that skew lower middle class.

Target makes a lot of money selling "trendy" items, seasonal decor items, etc. These items simply do not sell well in small towns.
Apparently the items you just cited aren't selling as well at many "brick and mortar" stores in smaller communities either, otherwise Shopko Hometown would have survived its Chapter 11 bankruptcy somehow...

Thanks for the story with video of that Hamilton store. Can't imagine what terrible condition it must be inside if it didn't even receive the "Big" KMart renovation.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by Super S »

SamSpade wrote: November 13th, 2019, 9:38 am
Thanks for the story with video of that Hamilton store. Can't imagine what terrible condition it must be inside if it didn't even receive the "Big" KMart renovation.
There are videos of the inside on Youtube. Based on those, the store doesn't look terrible as far as upkeep (it has newer red walls), but I would bet that the store is suffering from stocking issues now like the rest of the chain. However, it appears to also be a smaller store so might look more well stocked because there isn't as much to fill.

That store looks relatively new (for Kmart) and if I had to guess was a mid to late 1980s build, probably one of the last to open with the old logo. In addition to the outside appearance, one clue are the air vents inside which are square and recessed into the ceiling, however the store still used the older style strip lights that were not recessed.

I drove by the Hamilton store about 20 years ago and wanted to stop in but did not have time. It struck me as different than most back then, more so now.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by HAMMER77777 »

storewanderer wrote: November 12th, 2019, 10:37 pm
jamcool wrote: November 12th, 2019, 10:14 pm I don’t know why Target couldn’t do a small town format store, especially because they already have the smaller City Targets in downtown areas
Target's format is not geared toward small towns. Limited hardlines, no garden center, overly trendy clothing where basic clothing is more in demand, combined with Target's marketing approach are all not really a great fit with small towns. This is why Target struggles even in medium sized markets that skew lower middle class.

Target makes a lot of money selling "trendy" items, seasonal decor items, etc. These items simply do not sell well in small towns.

Target is looking for easy money in more densely populated areas and customers who will buy high mark up disposable goods and come back often for those items. In small towns, there is a lot less interest in that sort of product.

Kmart maintained a fairly good hardlines assortment over the years (for the past 5 years it has been inferior to Wal Mart, but still ahead of Target). It probably helped some of these rural stores hang on a little longer.

I do not think a chain with less than 50 stores scattered around the mainland US (and another dozen stores off on remote islands) has any chance of making it. Far flung stores like Hamilton, MT- how do you supply that? Burlington, WA is also not on any closure list (I understand Kmart owns this building) and it is a very sad low volume place and has been for some time. What amazes me is it has gotten this far. How many more closure rounds will there be before they finally let this go? It can't be too many now.
Well I'm in ND, and Target does quite well in our small state, as well in SD. Target has cheap clothes just like WM, and they sell hardlines too. What were you referring to, about hardlines, and also, I'm curious as to why you think they won't do well in small towns? Again, I see them doing quite well in ND, a quintessential small state.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by HAMMER77777 »

I made a list of the remaining Kmarts, not closed or closing, if anyone is interested. I posted this on a few other websites as well.

Alabama
X
Alaska
X
Arizona
X
Arkansas
X
California
1. Big Bear Lake
2. Costa Mesa
3. Freedom
4. Grass Valley
5. Long Beach
6. Mckinleyville
7. Ramona
8. REDWOOD CITY
9. South Lake Taco
10. Temple City

Colorado
1. Loveland

Connecticut
X
Delaware
X

Florida
1. Key Largo
2. Key West
3. Marathon
4. Miami

Georgia
X
Hawaii
X
Idaho
X
Illinois
1. Des Plains
Indiana
X
Iowa
X
Kansas
X
Kentucky
X
Louisiana
X
Maine
X
Maryland
1. EDGEWATER
2. Silver Spring

Massachusetts
1. Holyoke
2. Hyannis

Michigan
1. Marshall

Minnesota
1. Minneapolis

Mississippi
X
Missouri
X
Montana
1. Hamilton

Nebraska
X
Nevada
1. Vegas

New Hampshire
1. West Lebanon

New Jersey
1. Avenel
2. Belleville
3. Kearny
4. West Long Branch
5. WESTWOOD

New Mexico
1. Farmington
2. Hobbs

New York
1. Bridgehampton
2. Bronx
3. Bronx
4. NY
5. NY
6. White Plains

North Carolina
1. Kill Devil Hills
2. Raleigh

North Dakota
1. Minot

Ohio
X
Oklahoma
X
Oregon
X

Pennsylvania

1. Columbia
2. Kingston
3. Walnutport
4. Willow Street
5. Wind Gap

Rhode Island
X
South Carolina
X
South Dakota
X
Tennessee
X
Texas
1. Mcallen
Utah
X
Vermont
X
Virginia
X
Washington
1. Burlington

West Virginia
X
Wisconsin
X

Wyoming
X

Territories:
Guam
1. Tamuning, GU
Puerto Rico
1. Bayamon
2. Caguas
3. Guaynabo
4. Hato Rey
5. Mayaguez
6. Ponce
7. Rio Piedra


USVI
1. St. Croix
2. St. Croix
3. St. Thomas
4. St. Thomas

---Statistics: Kmart absent in 31 states. 10 states, CO, IL, MI, MN, MT, NH, ND, NV, TX, WA, have only 1 each. So does Guam. 9 states have more than 1 left.
48 Kmarts in US States total. Puerto Rico has 7, USVI has 4, Guam has 1, so 12 total stores outside of the US. 60 total Kmarts left as of now that are not closed or closing.
States with more than 3 Kmarts:
CA: 10
FL: 4
NJ: 5
NY: 6
PA: 5
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by storewanderer »

HAMMER77777 wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:46 pm
Well I'm in ND, and Target does quite well in our small state, as well in SD. Target has cheap clothes just like WM, and they sell hardlines too. What were you referring to, about hardlines, and also, I'm curious as to why you think they won't do well in small towns? Again, I see them doing quite well in ND, a quintessential small state.
Target's hardlines is almost a complete joke. They have almost nothing as far as hardware, automotive, or garden goes. One could argue there are other stores that sell those items in the given markets, though, so it would just be redundant.

The ship has already sailed for Target in small towns for the most part. There may be some isolated locations where they are successful in little small towns of under 20,000 people but I can't think of any.

Then you get to medium sized markets. Generally when I notice in those types of places is Target and Wal Mart will be placed near each other and Wal Mart is easily doing 5+ times the business of the Target (including in California) and has a significantly higher employee count. You can also argue a good chunk of that additional business at Wal Mart is on grocery but I am not so sure. Down in Atwater, CA there is a Super Target and a Wal Mart Supercenter placed next to each other and the traffic difference is as I describe.

Yet if you go to, say, any Sacramento or bay area town, the Target Stores seem just as busy as any Wal Mart.

Target's success is in large metro areas. Their store is more geared toward that type of customer who lives in an apartment and doesn't have much of a house or yard or automobiles to maintain beyond simple tasks like hanging a picture on the wall. To a lesser extent I also think they cater very successfully to young families who have a good bit of disposable income and like to replace things often.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by Bagels »

storewanderer wrote: November 17th, 2019, 6:47 pmTarget's hardlines is almost a complete joke. They have almost nothing as far as hardware, automotive, or garden goes. One could argue there are other stores that sell those items in the given markets, though, so it would just be redundant.

The ship has already sailed for Target in small towns for the most part. There may be some isolated locations where they are successful in little small towns of under 20,000 people but I can't think of any.

Then you get to medium sized markets. Generally when I notice in those types of places is Target and Wal Mart will be placed near each other and Wal Mart is easily doing 5+ times the business of the Target (including in California) and has a significantly higher employee count. You can also argue a good chunk of that additional business at Wal Mart is on grocery but I am not so sure. Down in Atwater, CA there is a Super Target and a Wal Mart Supercenter placed next to each other and the traffic difference is as I describe.

Yet if you go to, say, any Sacramento or bay area town, the Target Stores seem just as busy as any Wal Mart.

Target's success is in large metro areas. Their store is more geared toward that type of customer who lives in an apartment and doesn't have much of a house or yard or automobiles to maintain beyond simple tasks like hanging a picture on the wall. To a lesser extent I also think they cater very successfully to young families who have a good bit of disposable income and like to replace things often.
K-Mart, Target and Meijer walked away from (most) paint, hardware, automotive and garden goods in the early 2000s (although Meijer maintains a significantly larger garden selection). The problem is likely that people either want the cheapest, and go to Walmart, or they want selection, and go to Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc.

Target's basically reinvented itself as a department store, selling trendy clothing and home goods at low prices, with a modest selection of groceries; they're no longer chasing Walmart on price. Unsurprisingly, Target's strongest markets are more affluent whereas Walmart serves the opposite. I'm still amazed that in Orange County, Target continues to open small format stores in spite of the fact that there's seemingly more Targets than Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons...
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by rwsandiego »

storewanderer wrote: November 17th, 2019, 6:47 pm...Target's success is in large metro areas...
I would guess that is true, although I have not studied their financials.
storewanderer wrote: November 17th, 2019, 6:47 pm...Their store is more geared toward that type of customer who lives in an apartment and doesn't have much of a house or yard or automobiles to maintain beyond simple tasks like hanging a picture on the wall...
I disagree. Target has decided to de-emphasize the categories in which they can't compete with Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, et al. Their customers shop at Home Depot, Lowes, and Mendards for home improvement and garden. They might check out Walmart, but probably don't. Their customers will buy some grocery items when they shop at Target, but probably buy groceries at a supermarket and not at Walmart. Walmart, on the other hand, caters to customers who don't want to spend a lot of money. Thus, they sell everything.

Walmart is a lot like KMart and Sears about 40 years ago. If they are not careful, they will experience a similar fate.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

HAMMER77777 wrote: November 14th, 2019, 10:50 pm I made a list of the remaining Kmarts, not closed or closing, if anyone is interested. I posted this on a few other websites as well.

Alabama
X
Alaska
X
Arizona
X
Arkansas
X
California
1. Big Bear Lake
2. Costa Mesa
3. Freedom
4. Grass Valley
5. Long Beach
6. Mckinleyville
7. Ramona
8. REDWOOD CITY
9. South Lake Taco
10. Temple City

Colorado
1. Loveland

Connecticut
X
Delaware
X

Florida
1. Key Largo
2. Key West
3. Marathon
4. Miami

Georgia
X
Hawaii
X
Idaho
X
Illinois
1. Des Plains
Indiana
X
Iowa
X
Kansas
X
Kentucky
X
Louisiana
X
Maine
X
Maryland
1. EDGEWATER
2. Silver Spring

Massachusetts
1. Holyoke
2. Hyannis

Michigan
1. Marshall

Minnesota
1. Minneapolis

Mississippi
X
Missouri
X
Montana
1. Hamilton

Nebraska
X
Nevada
1. Vegas

New Hampshire
1. West Lebanon

New Jersey
1. Avenel
2. Belleville
3. Kearny
4. West Long Branch
5. WESTWOOD

New Mexico
1. Farmington
2. Hobbs

New York
1. Bridgehampton
2. Bronx
3. Bronx
4. NY
5. NY
6. White Plains

North Carolina
1. Kill Devil Hills
2. Raleigh

North Dakota
1. Minot

Ohio
X
Oklahoma
X
Oregon
X

Pennsylvania

1. Columbia
2. Kingston
3. Walnutport
4. Willow Street
5. Wind Gap

Rhode Island
X
South Carolina
X
South Dakota
X
Tennessee
X
Texas
1. Mcallen
Utah
X
Vermont
X
Virginia
X
Washington
1. Burlington

West Virginia
X
Wisconsin
X

Wyoming
X

Territories:
Guam
1. Tamuning, GU
Puerto Rico
1. Bayamon
2. Caguas
3. Guaynabo
4. Hato Rey
5. Mayaguez
6. Ponce
7. Rio Piedra


USVI
1. St. Croix
2. St. Croix
3. St. Thomas
4. St. Thomas

---Statistics: Kmart absent in 31 states. 10 states, CO, IL, MI, MN, MT, NH, ND, NV, TX, WA, have only 1 each. So does Guam. 9 states have more than 1 left.
48 Kmarts in US States total. Puerto Rico has 7, USVI has 4, Guam has 1, so 12 total stores outside of the US. 60 total Kmarts left as of now that are not closed or closing.
States with more than 3 Kmarts:
CA: 10
FL: 4
NJ: 5
NY: 6
PA: 5
New Mexico has 2 million people with two Kmarts, yet Texas has 13 times that population, and only one Kmart.
With that in mind, I think it's time to shut down Sears/Kmart after Christmas.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: November 17th, 2019, 8:48 pm

New Mexico has 2 million people with two Kmarts, yet Texas has 13 times that population, and only one Kmart.
With that in mind, I think it's time to shut down Sears/Kmart after Christmas.
One thing is Texas was a state that Kmart largely exited in the first bankruptcy for some reason. The only locations they kept were fringe type locations. They got entirely out of Houston, Dallas, etc.
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