2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
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kr.abs.swy
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by kr.abs.swy »

I understand that conceptually this store doesn't make sense. However, Hamilton sits in the middle of the Bitterroot Valley, which has something like 40,000 people. For the majority of those people, it makes more sense to drive to Hamilton than Missoula. And the Bitterroot Valley is gorgeous. There are a lot of expensive homes in that area.

That Kmart has NO direct competition -- no Walmart, no Target, nothing like a Bi-Mart, no Costco (the closest are about an hour to the north in Missoula). Hamilton fought off a Walmart Supercenter back in 2008. Properly stocked and properly merchandised, that store should be a cash cow -- it would potentially pick up business from as far south as Salmon, Idaho. There are few Kmarts that operated with so little competition in such a lucrative (albeit small-ish) community.

Walmart or Target should be doing everything they can to get this location. It would be really small for a Walmart, but it would be a hugely productive store. However, it could also end up going to one of the farm and ranch chains. No way it stays vacant.



storewanderer wrote: January 10th, 2022, 10:46 pm
Super S wrote: January 10th, 2022, 10:00 pm
SamSpade wrote: January 10th, 2022, 7:11 pm Report: Hamilton, MT KMart to close in early March
https://www.kpax.com/news/ravalli-count ... arly-march
Gotta wonder if any other chain will take that location over, or if it's going to sit empty. Time will tell.
No idea why this store was kept open this long. Pharmacy closed a number of years ago. Old logo, never got a Big Kmart remodel. It does look like a newer store to maybe it was one of the last built with the old logo or something. It was managed by a long term store manager who was bounced around among various MT locations over the years.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by Super S »

kr.abs.swy wrote: January 11th, 2022, 9:21 am I understand that conceptually this store doesn't make sense. However, Hamilton sits in the middle of the Bitterroot Valley, which has something like 40,000 people. For the majority of those people, it makes more sense to drive to Hamilton than Missoula. And the Bitterroot Valley is gorgeous. There are a lot of expensive homes in that area.

That Kmart has NO direct competition -- no Walmart, no Target, nothing like a Bi-Mart, no Costco (the closest are about an hour to the north in Missoula). Hamilton fought off a Walmart Supercenter back in 2008. Properly stocked and properly merchandised, that store should be a cash cow -- it would potentially pick up business from as far south as Salmon, Idaho. There are few Kmarts that operated with so little competition in such a lucrative (albeit small-ish) community.

Walmart or Target should be doing everything they can to get this location. It would be really small for a Walmart, but it would be a hugely productive store. However, it could also end up going to one of the farm and ranch chains. No way it stays vacant.
Would they support a retailer that was fought off years ago? Maybe the attitude will be different with Kmart leaving. Or this could be one of those areas that will do whatever it takes to fight off Walmart but will welcome Target with open arms...Target is a similar store but the way they merchandise things doesn't seem like a good fit with small towns. However, they are opening a store in a former Kmart in Jackson, WY and seems to be more adaptable than in the past.

Bi-Mart did briefly operate a store in Havre, Montana but it didn't do well. I think Hamilton would be a better fit for their format, but Bi-Mart is barely in Idaho at this point.

The Kmart must have done somewhat well over the years to be among the last ones still open.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by kr.abs.swy »

Super S -- I'm not an expert in zoning rules in Hamilton, but I assume that if Walmart was willing to operate in the existing building, they would be grandfathered in as an existing use. I would think that there is a huge difference in perception between opening a 200,000 square foot supercenter and opening in an otherwise vacant existing building. That Kmart is relatively recent vintage (probably late 80s, but that's just a guess) and probably isn't in as bad of shape as other Kmarts.

In my community, Walmart would never get a full supercenter approved, so they just gave in and opened a Neighborhood Market on a street where it was a 100% conforming use with no material variances needed, so there wasn't a whole lot the community could do.
Super S wrote: January 11th, 2022, 10:19 am
kr.abs.swy wrote: January 11th, 2022, 9:21 am I understand that conceptually this store doesn't make sense. However, Hamilton sits in the middle of the Bitterroot Valley, which has something like 40,000 people. For the majority of those people, it makes more sense to drive to Hamilton than Missoula. And the Bitterroot Valley is gorgeous. There are a lot of expensive homes in that area.

That Kmart has NO direct competition -- no Walmart, no Target, nothing like a Bi-Mart, no Costco (the closest are about an hour to the north in Missoula). Hamilton fought off a Walmart Supercenter back in 2008. Properly stocked and properly merchandised, that store should be a cash cow -- it would potentially pick up business from as far south as Salmon, Idaho. There are few Kmarts that operated with so little competition in such a lucrative (albeit small-ish) community.

Walmart or Target should be doing everything they can to get this location. It would be really small for a Walmart, but it would be a hugely productive store. However, it could also end up going to one of the farm and ranch chains. No way it stays vacant.
Would they support a retailer that was fought off years ago? Maybe the attitude will be different with Kmart leaving. Or this could be one of those areas that will do whatever it takes to fight off Walmart but will welcome Target with open arms...Target is a similar store but the way they merchandise things doesn't seem like a good fit with small towns. However, they are opening a store in a former Kmart in Jackson, WY and seems to be more adaptable than in the past.

Bi-Mart did briefly operate a store in Havre, Montana but it didn't do well. I think Hamilton would be a better fit for their format, but Bi-Mart is barely in Idaho at this point.

The Kmart must have done somewhat well over the years to be among the last ones still open.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by norcalriteaidclerk »

Under a paywall,but we can now add Key West to the K-mart boneyard:the last Blue Lights will go out on March 13.

I really have to wonder how much longer California's 5 remaining corporate(not dealer franchised)Sears locations have left.
Last edited by norcalriteaidclerk on February 8th, 2022, 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

norcalriteaidclerk wrote: January 11th, 2022, 4:48 pm Under a paywall,but we can now add Key West to the K-mart boneyard:the last Blue Lights will go out on March 13.

I really have to wonder how much longer California's 4 remaining corporate(not dealer franchised)Sears locations have left.
Key West I would expect to almost certainly go to Target... heavy tourist area.

Heavy tourism is also why Target took the Jackson Store. Yellowstone tourists, ski people, etc. will flock to a place like Target.

Doubt Hamilton, MT goes to Target. Completely wrong store for that area and the tourism it attracts (hunters and hikers).
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by mjhale »

kr.abs.swy wrote: January 11th, 2022, 12:44 pm Super S -- I'm not an expert in zoning rules in Hamilton, but I assume that if Walmart was willing to operate in the existing building, they would be grandfathered in as an existing use. I would think that there is a huge difference in perception between opening a 200,000 square foot supercenter and opening in an otherwise vacant existing building. That Kmart is relatively recent vintage (probably late 80s, but that's just a guess) and probably isn't in as bad of shape as other Kmarts.
Walmart did something along these lines in Rutland, VT. Kmart moved from a strip mall location in Rutland out to a much larger space in the mall near town (Diamond Run Mall). As I understand it, when Walmart wanted to move into town the choice was open in the old Kmart space or no store at all. Walmart opened in the old Kmart space. I'd say the store is maybe 70-80,000 square feet. Not a supercenter due to a preexisting grocery in the same center. Walmart has been there for quite a while. The few times I've been in the store on trips up that way it has been packed. I now see that the Diamond Run Mall site is up for redevelopment. I'd be curious if Walmart is a part of that as the news articles note that it will be a mixed use center with "anchor" spaces.

As for the size of the store Walmart has three supercenters near me that are far below average size. One is a former Home Depot Expo Design Center that is 75,000 square feet. Another is a former Builders Square at just over 100,000 sq feet. The last is on the first floor of a multi-story retail complex and around 90,000 square feet. Walmart has managed to make these three stores quite nice with almost normal grocery selections. They did shrink other departments to squeeze in the grocery department. But with no service deli or bakery that saves space too. I think this shows that if Walmart has a desire to work within the constraints they are given they can run these as pretty normal stores.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by BatteryMill »

Apparently I have heard that the Key West Kmart will close on January 16th, sooner than expected.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by submariner »

I updated the list to show the announced closings in Key West and Hamilton, and add Miami on the list which was left out earlier.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by ClownLoach »

submariner wrote: January 12th, 2022, 4:42 pm I updated the list to show the announced closings in Key West and Hamilton, and add Miami on the list which was left out earlier.
Could you please update Honolulu as well? The store is long gone as discussed earlier. They only have a tiny inline mattress and appliance store.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

submariner wrote: January 12th, 2022, 4:42 pm I updated the list to show the announced closings in Key West and Hamilton, and add Miami on the list which was left out earlier.
Miami is slightly confusing as they were doing fixture sales back in December, but it seems there is no directly advertised store closure taking place. Also it is my understanding if you order something from Kmart.com that is fulfilled by Kmart it is being fulfilled by that store.

At this point best outcome is someone gets VI/Guam and maybe that 1 PR Store and keeps the Kmart name going. Doubt there would be any growth. Those few stores getting to continue long term would be a funny technicality. They've basically survived the past almost 2 years with no coherent merchandising plan and missing any sort of legitimate category management outside of the C&S categories.
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