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

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

At this rate, I am not so sure this will be the final holiday season for Sears or Kmart. That has been such a long running prediction at this point I hesitate to make it anymore. When they shut down their merchandising and private label operations back in 2020 that was basically the end of the stores even being a shadow of what they previously were.

Yet we are here at the end of 2022 and these zombie stores with very strange items, lots of empty shelf space, no marketing, are still open... The stores are basically running in the same form this year as they were last year. It is unclear why they are still open or what they are doing. They have actually added US Polo Association merchandise in clothing this year which was not there last year (and is too expensive compared to what other stores sell it for), not sure why they did that.

The recent move in Miami to downsize the Kmart and lease part of it to "At Home" is supposedly due to a lease stipulation that Kmart must remain in operation there for the term of the lease (but evidently not that Kmart must occupy the whole building).

The thing that appears to be the biggest event this year is that the appliance business seems to be getting wound down. There isn't much Kenmore left, they closed many Hometown Stores that were Corporate Hometown Stores (taken over from dealers who walked from the stores) and clearly are taking apart the appliance business. The Home Services business remains and I think that is a profitable segment somehow.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by Super S »

storewanderer wrote: November 26th, 2022, 1:07 am At this rate, I am not so sure this will be the final holiday season for Sears or Kmart. That has been such a long running prediction at this point I hesitate to make it anymore. When they shut down their merchandising and private label operations back in 2020 that was basically the end of the stores even being a shadow of what they previously were.

Yet we are here at the end of 2022 and these zombie stores with very strange items, lots of empty shelf space, no marketing, are still open... The stores are basically running in the same form this year as they were last year. It is unclear why they are still open or what they are doing. They have actually added US Polo Association merchandise in clothing this year which was not there last year (and is too expensive compared to what other stores sell it for), not sure why they did that.

The recent move in Miami to downsize the Kmart and lease part of it to "At Home" is supposedly due to a lease stipulation that Kmart must remain in operation there for the term of the lease (but evidently not that Kmart must occupy the whole building).

The thing that appears to be the biggest event this year is that the appliance business seems to be getting wound down. There isn't much Kenmore left, they closed many Hometown Stores that were Corporate Hometown Stores (taken over from dealers who walked from the stores) and clearly are taking apart the appliance business. The Home Services business remains and I think that is a profitable segment somehow.
Sears seems to be winding down departments one by one. It has been like this for years. Stores like Southcenter have whittled away so much of what Sears once carried that entire floors are now being blocked off. I have to wonder if the day is coming soon where Southcenter becomes a one-story store and blocks off the upstairs entrances.

To most of America, Sears and Kmart are stores that died long ago, and nobody is going to go out of their way to shop there. A few locals will still buy things there, but people other than locals aren't going to even think about them for the stuff they were once known for: tools, appliances, lawn mowers, electronics, auto care, etc. People passing through an area will sometimes see a Sears or Kmart still open and stop in out of curiosity, and come away thinking that these stores are not even trying any more.

It is long past time to pull the plug. At least other failing retailers give an impression that they actually want to stay in business.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by Romr123 »

yeah, it almost seems a bit necrophiliac to stop by an open Sears/KMart.

The Sears at The Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens is still open--mystified as the rest of the mall is high-end (Macys/Nordstrom/Saks/Bloomingdales). The mall developer is The Forbes Company, which is a high-end developer through and through (their flagship and hometown mall is Somerset Collection in Detroit). We've got family to visit in WPB this Christmas, may try and stop by and, be a late baby-boom necrophiliac.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

Romr123 wrote: November 26th, 2022, 7:02 am yeah, it almost seems a bit necrophiliac to stop by an open Sears/KMart.

The Sears at The Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens is still open--mystified as the rest of the mall is high-end (Macys/Nordstrom/Saks/Bloomingdales). The mall developer is The Forbes Company, which is a high-end developer through and through (their flagship and hometown mall is Somerset Collection in Detroit). We've got family to visit in WPB this Christmas, may try and stop by and, be a late baby-boom necrophiliac.
Maybe that Sears has merchandise. The Puerto Rico Sears is suspiciously well stocked, even has high end cosmetics counters Clinique etc.

I've heard the Guam Kmart is starting to suffer quite a bit from lack of product though, and a lot of comments about what they are selling being mostly directly imported to the store from Asia in generic packaging, not the US brands that they had sold historically. That store would really be better served by either Target or Wal Mart. Not sure if Target could support such a store though with its logistics processes, would need some serious adjustments. Wal Mart is probably a better fit.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by norcalriteaidclerk »

https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=bWFyaWEu ... cmFrLmNvbQ

https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=bWFyaWEu ... cmFrLmNvbQ

Not yet picked up by news reports,but according to the official job links that clearly mention liquidation it appears that we could soon stick a fork into the Sears in Frederick, Maryland(don't know whether it's closer to Balto or DC).That is on top of the Sears hometown bankruptcy reported in a new separate thread



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

Post by BillyGr »

norcalriteaidclerk wrote: December 12th, 2022, 11:35 pm https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=bWFyaWEu ... cmFrLmNvbQ

https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=bWFyaWEu ... cmFrLmNvbQ

Not yet picked up by news reports,but according to the official job links that clearly mention liquidation it appears that we could soon stick a fork into the Sears in Frederick, Maryland(don't know whether it's closer to Balto or DC).That is on top of the Sears hometown bankruptcy reported in a new separate thread



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Frederick is a bit more west in the state but has quite direct straight routes to both Baltimore and DC. Baltimore is more due east, DC more southeast, but it is pretty close to the same distance to both.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by Retailuser »

submariner wrote: December 31st, 2021, 3:37 pm Based on data available as of 31 December, 2021 (Updated 27 October 2022), here's where we stand:

Kmart - 9 total: 3 stores in the 50 States, 1 in Guam, 1 in Puerto Rico, and 4 in the USVI.
• Miami, FL
Key West, FL (CLOSED 6 March)
Hamilton, MT (CLOSED 6 March)
Avenel, NJ (CLOSED 16 April)
• Westwood, NJ
• Bridgehampton, NY
• Tamuning, GU
Hato Rey, PR (CLOSING ANNOUNCED)
• Frederiksted, VI
• St. Croix, VI
• St. Thomas (Tutu Park Mall), VI
• St. Thomas (Lockhart Gardens), VI

Sears - 20 total: 19 in the 50 states (14 full-line, 2 Home & Life, 3 Appliance & Mattress), and 1 full-line store in Puerto Rico remain.
Anchorage, AK (Sears Home & Life) (CLOSED)
Burbank, CA (CLOSING ANNOUNCED)
• Concord, CA
• Stockton, CA
• Whittier, CA
Fort Collins, CO (Sears Appliance & Mattress)
Fort Lauderdale, FL (CLOSED 21 January)
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Honolulu, HI (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (CLOSED)
Overland Park, KS (Sears Home & Life)
Lafayette, LA (Sears Home & Life)
• Frederick, MD
• Braintree, MA
• Jersey City, NJ
Newburgh, NY (CLOSED)
• Greensboro, NC
Camp Hill, PA (Sears Appliance & Mattress)
Willow Grove, PA (CLOSED 6 March)
• El Paso, TX
Pharr, TX (Sears Appliance & Mattress)
• Tukwila, WA
Union Gap, WA (CLOSED)
• Hato Rey, PR

Footnotes:
  • 21 January: Our first official casualty as Fort Lauderdale's Sears store closes unexpectedly.
  • 6 March: Two Kmart and one Sears store close, with Key West closing a week ahead of schedule.
  • 9 March: Announcement of the Kmart in Avenel, NJ closing, effective 17 April.
  • 30 August: Three Sears store closings announced.
  • 14 October: Four Sears closures, plus one announced.
  • 27 October: The last Kmart in Puerto Rico announced to close at the end of October.
Can we get a cleaned up version of this as this is looking messy these days?
Thanks.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by norcalriteaidclerk »

Retailuser wrote:
submariner wrote: December 31st, 2021, 3:37 pm Based on data available as of 31 December, 2021 (Updated 27 October 2022), here's where we stand:

Kmart - 9 total: 3 stores in the 50 States, 1 in Guam, 1 in Puerto Rico, and 4 in the USVI.
• Miami, FL
Key West, FL (CLOSED 6 March)
Hamilton, MT (CLOSED 6 March)
Avenel, NJ (CLOSED 16 April)
• Westwood, NJ
• Bridgehampton, NY
• Tamuning, GU
Hato Rey, PR (CLOSING ANNOUNCED)
• Frederiksted, VI
• St. Croix, VI
• St. Thomas (Tutu Park Mall), VI
• St. Thomas (Lockhart Gardens), VI

Sears - 20 total: 19 in the 50 states (14 full-line, 2 Home & Life, 3 Appliance & Mattress), and 1 full-line store in Puerto Rico remain.
Anchorage, AK (Sears Home & Life) (CLOSED)
Burbank, CA (CLOSING ANNOUNCED)
• Concord, CA
• Stockton, CA
• Whittier, CA
Fort Collins, CO (Sears Appliance & Mattress)
Fort Lauderdale, FL (CLOSED 21 January)
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Honolulu, HI (Sears Appliance & Mattress) (CLOSED)
Overland Park, KS (Sears Home & Life)
Lafayette, LA (Sears Home & Life)
• Frederick, MD
• Braintree, MA
• Jersey City, NJ
Newburgh, NY (CLOSED)
• Greensboro, NC
Camp Hill, PA (Sears Appliance & Mattress)
Willow Grove, PA (CLOSED 6 March)
• El Paso, TX
Pharr, TX (Sears Appliance & Mattress)
• Tukwila, WA
Union Gap, WA (CLOSED)
• Hato Rey, PR

Footnotes:
  • 21 January: Our first official casualty as Fort Lauderdale's Sears store closes unexpectedly.
  • 6 March: Two Kmart and one Sears store close, with Key West closing a week ahead of schedule.
  • 9 March: Announcement of the Kmart in Avenel, NJ closing, effective 17 April.
  • 30 August: Three Sears store closings announced.
  • 14 October: Four Sears closures, plus one announced.
  • 27 October: The last Kmart in Puerto Rico announced to close at the end of October.
Can we get a cleaned up version of this as this is looking messy these days?
Thanks.
We'll most certainly see a new 2023 thread a couple weeks from now.

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

Post by storewanderer »

Today was reportedly the last day for Burbank and Union Gap.

So it looks like it is safe to say Kmart will see 2023.
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Re: 2022: 10 Kmart, 23 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

Also hearing some Dealer Stores are doing liquidation sales starting immediately, and some Dealer Stores had someone from Sears show up and just take all of the inventory away over the past couple of days...

Also the Sears Hometown website has been entirely killed... they have also deleted all of the Dealer Stores from Sears Store Locator. Funny how fast they did this, given over the past few years closed Kmarts had been appearing on the locator for years after closing.

I'm also not sure what happened to Monark, their website has been turned off... a couple months ago the CA/NV Monark operation was taken over by Ferguson. But there were still a couple of Monark units under Sears in FL/AZ as I recall...

Maybe the end is really near........ I am going to go out on a limb and predict the following:
1. Kmart will stay open longer than Sears even if it is just the soon to be mini Kmart in Miami (there only due to a lease requirement) and the Island Kmarts and the stores are basically just C&S supplied independent grocery store type of operations
2. Sears will close entirely in 2023 as we are witnessing the end of taking apart the Sears appliance sales business
3. Sears Home Services/A&E Repair will be sold to some other party shortly
4. What will happen to the Kenmore brand? It is irrelevant at this point but could Amazon or someone try to revive it?
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