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

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

Post by Super S »

storewanderer wrote: August 7th, 2019, 10:19 pm I see that Sears in the ghost mall in Aberdeen, WA keeps holding on...

This is a pretty significant round of closures for a chain with less than 400 stores. There have been some other "quiet" closures the past four or five months as well so I wonder what this actually brings store count to. Sears count appears to be approaching 150. Tough to see how it makes any sense to keep the full line Sears format going long term...

Kmart store count probably will still be closer to 200. Still don't think that is enough stores to keep going long term.

Sears, according to articles I have read about that mall, owns their building in Aberdeen. This may be a factor in why it is still open.
cjd wrote: August 8th, 2019, 2:20 pm At this point it seems they're just riding out the leases. If you figure when all the Sears and Kmarts around here closed or are closing, it comes up to 20 or 25 years from their opening.

They aren't going to renew any leases. They're just trying to squeeze the most profits out of them as they can, until they have to close.

I see them maybe making another 5 to 10 years max as a chain and even that seems quite doubtful.

The logistics of operating just a few or even one store in a state just doesn't make sense.
Some of the locations in WA/OR such as Aberdeen do not make sense as far as logistics. Others, such as stores in Lacey, The Dalles, and Southcenter, make a little more sense as they are close to major freeways.

However, if Sears is not operating their own truck fleet, and relying on outside companies for deliveries, this is going to work against them, especially with distribution centers disappearing, not to mention many gaps where states do not have a Kmart and/or Sears left. Yet there is still that location in Guam, as well as Puerto Rico...
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by Super S »

96 more closures:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/here- ... 2019-11-07

A couple thoughts....
Kmart in The Dalles, Oregon: The last Kmart in Oregon, a 1990s build. The Dalles currently does not have a Walmart and this location could look attractive to them.

Sears in Lacey, WA: a 1960s build store that was once part of the enclosed South Sound Center. The space between this store and the current Kohl's was demolished to make way for a Target store years ago. Sears has made some small updates to this store including new light fixtures several years back.

Jackson, WY: The last Kmart in Wyoming. I haven't visited this area in over 20 years, but remember this Kmart being fairly busy at that time and I think this was a 1990s build also.

I am a little surprised that Southcenter did not make the list.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by Alpha8472 »

The Kmart closest to me is closing in Concord, California. I am shocked. This is by far the nicest and most well kept Kmart in the entire region. I have witnessed the closures of the rundown Kmarts in this area. I had thought that this Kmart was so successful that there would be no way that it would close. There is no competition at all in the city. There is no Walmart or Kmart in Concord. The closest Target or Walmart is miles away by at least 25-30 minutes. If traffic is bad it could be 45 minutes via a mountainous winding road.

This area is extremely hostile to Walmart. A Walmart will never be allowed to open in this area. There would be protests and opposition by politicians. A Target on the other hand might be approved. However, this area is so remote. There are no freeways nearby. This Target location would probably be a lower volume location since it is far from a freeway.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by jamcool »

With the closing of the Prescott store, there will only be one full-line Sears in AZ, in Tucson. And there are no more K Marts here.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by jamcool »

I noticed in the Sears website a logo next to the “sears” type-it looks like a green flame. They bring out a new trademark the same time they are shutting down stores?
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by reymann »

sears at manchester center in fresno is closing and will leave the mall without an anchor tenant. the sears at the sequoia mall in visalia is closing as is the sears in santa maria at the town center mall which is slip sliding. the kmart in atascardeo is closing and would have been good for walmart but, walmart is not opening any new brick and mortar stores right now. i think the remaining 182 stores will disappear after christmas.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by cjd »

jamcool wrote: November 8th, 2019, 11:25 am I noticed in the Sears website a logo next to the “sears” type-it looks like a green flame. They bring out a new trademark the same time they are shutting down stores?
It actually came out back in May, but isn't always shown with the sears logo.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by cjd »

Alpha8472 wrote: November 8th, 2019, 12:48 am The Kmart closest to me is closing in Concord, California. I am shocked. This is by far the nicest and most well kept Kmart in the entire region. I have witnessed the closures of the rundown Kmarts in this area. I had thought that this Kmart was so successful that there would be no way that it would close. There is no competition at all in the city. There is no Walmart or Kmart in Concord. The closest Target or Walmart is miles away by at least 25-30 minutes. If traffic is bad it could be 45 minutes via a mountainous winding road.

This area is extremely hostile to Walmart. A Walmart will never be allowed to open in this area. There would be protests and opposition by politicians. A Target on the other hand might be approved. However, this area is so remote. There are no freeways nearby. This Target location would probably be a lower volume location since it is far from a freeway.
I'm not shocked by any Sears or Kmart closing anymore. It really seems to me that their M.O. is to close stores as the leases are up. They aren't renewing any regardless if it's a newer store or the only store in town, they don't care.

That's probably why we're seeing so many 1990s built stores close, since they are at 20-25 years old now. And some of the older 70s stores may be at the end of 40 or 45 year leases.

I too expect the rest of the Kmart stores to close after Christmas and probably Sears won't be far behind.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by klkla »

At this point Sears/KMart resembles a wounded animal. They just need to kill it and put it out of it's misery.
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Re: Sears Fears: The Final Days of Sears & Kmart, 2019

Post by cjd »

klkla wrote: November 8th, 2019, 6:52 pm At this point Sears/KMart resembles a wounded animal. They just need to kill it and put it out of it's misery.
Just gotta milk out as much money for as long as possible in the process. :roll:
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