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

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

Post by bayford »

storewanderer wrote: January 5th, 2022, 11:23 pm Take a look on Google Maps of the Jersey City, NJ Sears.

The inside of the store if you focus on the flooring and the fixtures doesn't look too bad. But in recent photos if you start to look at the ceiling you start to notice some things. Missing tiles, stained tiles, tarps, all over the place. In some cases surrounding lights that are actually appear to be turned on...
You weren't kidding. Yikes.
https://goo.gl/maps/pPVM2kqZDyq1PBam6
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by Alpha8472 »

I remember visiting a local Kmart back around 2011 and the air conditioning system was broken. It was very difficult to breathe in the store as the heat inside was sweltering. I thought I was going to pass out after only a few minutes. I don't know how the employees could stand an entire 8 hours under those conditions. The store later closed about a year layer. Someone needs to complain about these dangerous conditions.

The stains on the ceiling look like water damage. Someone could get electrocuted.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: January 8th, 2022, 1:57 pm I remember visiting a local Kmart back around 2011 and the air conditioning system was broken. It was very difficult to breathe in the store as the heat inside was sweltering. I thought I was going to pass out after only a few minutes. I don't know how the employees could stand an entire 8 hours under those conditions. The store later closed about a year layer. Someone needs to complain about these dangerous conditions.

The stains on the ceiling look like water damage. Someone could get electrocuted.
Yes, I have seen this with CVS (former Longs Stores) as well where there is no heat and/or no air conditioning. CVS even brought in big giant fans.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by bryceleinan »

My nephew works in St Croix right now, and he said that Kmart is pretty much where he does all his grocery and regular shopping... there isn't much else on the island where he can go. I imagine that these stores will be the last ones go to, and not sure how a replacement would get coordinated since there isn't anything else.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

bryceleinan wrote: January 9th, 2022, 8:05 pm My nephew works in St Croix right now, and he said that Kmart is pretty much where he does all his grocery and regular shopping... there isn't much else on the island where he can go. I imagine that these stores will be the last ones go to, and not sure how a replacement would get coordinated since there isn't anything else.
Looks like there are two full size Kmarts in St. Croix? Also I see a third location that appears to be an appliances store, branded as Kmart.

These stores look like a disaster, and in poor condition with many missing ceiling tiles. I see what looks like a checkstand in one where the top/counter space of the checkstand appears to be covered with linoleum. Guessing the surface wore so bad this was their quick fix.

I am sure Target will take a hard pass at these stores. Maybe they can get Wal Mart to take one of them over but something tells me these stores may not be lucrative enough for even that.

Well, there is one chain who you could say may have a similar geographic strategy. This used to be a publicly traded company but it is owned by a Canadian group now.
https://www.costuless.com/store-locator
They too used to have stores in the mainland, the final one in Sonora, CA closed a couple years ago. They also had a store in Davis and a store in San Jose in the mid-late 90's. I think the HQ for the publicly traded Cost U Less was in CA.
Actually think this ownership group, The NorthWest Companies, may be a good final home for the last of Kmart- those USVI Stores, the one PR Store, and Guam. I had been really wondering what may happen to those stores, and wasn't coming up with many options. The Kmarts are basically already getting most of their products from C&S and other odd means and the only items that appear to still be sourced from Sears are clothing items. It looks like this NorthWest Companies has a softlines program in Canada already and I think softlines, you could easily sell the same softlines in these islands, as you sell in Canada (unlike food with the different labeling requirements).
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by SamSpade »

Report: Hamilton, MT KMart to close in early March
https://www.kpax.com/news/ravalli-count ... arly-march
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: January 9th, 2022, 11:07 pm They too used to have stores in the mainland, the final one in Sonora, CA closed a couple years ago. They also had a store in Davis and a store in San Jose in the mid-late 90's. I think the HQ for the publicly traded Cost U Less was in CA.
Actually think this ownership group, The NorthWest Companies, may be a good final home for the last of Kmart- those USVI Stores, the one PR Store, and Guam. I had been really wondering what may happen to those stores, and wasn't coming up with many options. The Kmarts are basically already getting most of their products from C&S and other odd means and the only items that appear to still be sourced from Sears are clothing items. It looks like this NorthWest Companies has a softlines program in Canada already and I think softlines, you could easily sell the same softlines in these islands, as you sell in Canada (unlike food with the different labeling requirements).
The North West Company actually evolved out of a fur trading business dating back to the late 18th century, when Canada was a British colony.

Amazing that they had stores in CA. I'm guessing Fleming and C&S supplied Cost U Less in CA?

That last Kmart in Puerto Rico is in San Juan, across the street from a Sears. This is a two-story Kmart. Plenty of competition nearby, so I expect this one to close this year. If the North West Company buys Kmart, they should just rebrand those remaining 4 stores on VI and Guam as Cost U Less. That would put Kmart out for good.
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
No surprise this one is gone. The nearest major retail hub is Missoula, an hour up the road. I bet the next closure will be in NJ or FL, or that one in the Hamptons.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by Super S »

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.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: January 10th, 2022, 9:40 pm
The North West Company actually evolved out of a fur trading business dating back to the late 18th century, when Canada was a British colony.

Amazing that they had stores in CA. I'm guessing Fleming and C&S supplied Cost U Less in CA?

That last Kmart in Puerto Rico is in San Juan, across the street from a Sears. This is a two-story Kmart. Plenty of competition nearby, so I expect this one to close this year. If the North West Company buys Kmart, they should just rebrand those remaining 4 stores on VI and Guam as Cost U Less. That would put Kmart out for good.
I was in the Sonora Cost U Less at least 3 times over the years, the first time being in the early 00's. The store was using Unified at that time for a limited number of items. It was using Supervalu for that same limited number of items when it finally closed (I was there about nine months before it closed). Very very little private label grocery was coming from the wholesalers. They had various Kirkland products.

I would propose for North West Company to buy Kmart and retain the brand and format on those stores- Guam, VI, and maybe the PR one.

Cost-U-Less is a quasi/mini Costco type of store. Basically half of it is food and half of it is general merchandise. Most items are sold in large quantities. They have meat, roasted chicken, and limited bakery. I have not seen anything quite like it but I think there are some similar chains in Alaska. It is an entirely different format than Kmart.
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Re: 2022: 11 Kmart, 29 Sears stores remain...

Post by storewanderer »

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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