K-Mart

[MikeRa]

That Kmart truck even still has the old "S.S. Kresge" price tag that was used at Kresge's, Kmart and Jupiter stores.

[Mobil]

Originally posted by dmx10101
WARNING: EXTREMELY LONG POST!! lol :roll:

Well I am back from my road trip, it was about 120 miles round trip to go the Super K and Sears stores and was well worth it. I took several pics of both stores (see below) and have some good summaries of them.

First off I head to the recently converted Big Kmart to a Sears store in Marietta, GA. This store was odd because it wasn't a Sears Grand store but it still had items not normally sold at Sears. Anyways to I pull in and can obviously tell that this was a Kmart because it still retained the Kmart building style. It had a outside Pharmacy pickup window and a Garden Center like Kmart would have. So I walk in and immediately recognize the Kmart style low ceilings and florescent rows of lights..But most everything else had been remodeled and changed. About a 1/4 of the store was the Lands End shop. They had a surprisingly small regular clothing section too. This store had alot of departments that Kmart had- They had a greeting card dept, a small gourmet only food section, full service Pharmacy, large health and beauty section, make up section, large garden center, sporting goods dept, small toys dept, baby dept complete with baby food and baby wipes, domestics/ home goods dept, electronics dept (no music cds though and all of the DVDs were in locked cases), of course a large hardware dept., shoes dept, exercise dept, section of appliances, I don't recall seeing a jewelry dept..if there was it was small. They had internet kiosks all over the store. No food section, no household products section (toilet paper, paper towels). That's all of the sections I can remember. No cafe or restaurant. There were centralized checkouts by the entrance/exit, regular kmart style shopping carts. The store looked nice and you could tell they put some money into it and didn't just slap a Sears name on a Kmart store, but there were still elements that made you feel like you were at a kmart, which I liked. It definetly didn't feel like a mall Sears. I didn't get any interior pics because the store is very open with wide aisles and there were associates everywhere, the store was also completely dead with maybe a dozen people in it.

Next I was off to the last remaining Super Kmart Center in Georgia, located in Rome, GA. Upon arriving I was impressed with the very well kept up exterior of the store. At the end of the parking lot was the Kmart Express gas station, complete with a small convienance store. I found it funny that in a small shopping center building in the parking lot there was a Little Caesar's pizza place. There store was fairly busy, alot more so than a regular Kmart, but a fraction of the business a Super Walmart would have. Anyways into the store I went, into the food entrance side. The store inside was very well kept up too and well stocked also. The signage in the store looked nice and updated too. At the front of the store, across from the checkouts was customer service, next to customer service there was a ICEE/Soda fountain bar, (with cups purchasable at the register), a Olan Mills portrait studio, a impressively big Floral dept., and a fairly large Game Room. The store had 16 registers, but oddly they were dismantling the first 4 registers, I guess they were getting rid of them. I walked through the regular part of the store first. They had a large section of Craftsman tools in the hardware dept. Layaway was in the back of the store. Electronics was on the far right side of the store and probably the most disappointing department to me because it didn't have that great of a selection and was the most dated looking dept. in the store. Surprisingly this store didn't have any of the DVD's locked up. The last dept. on the back wall before you get to the food section was a good size Appliance department with refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, etc. including Kennmore of course. Then I grabbed a shopping cart (which btw some were blue and some were grey with the previously used Kmart logo on them) and headed to the part that made it a Super Kmart- the food section. I started at the back of the store where they had the produce dept, dairy/frozen foods and the meat/seafood dept. I could tell they used to have a fresh seafood section but they took the sign down and was now using the area for more packaged meat. They still had frozen seafood though. The produce dept. was nice and neat, well kept. The side wall had the deli/bakery and in the front corner the deli cafe restaurant. The bakery was excellent and had tons of goodies, they also had a Krispy Kreme case with individual donuts for 50 cents, a Vortman cookie case where you could pick 10 cookies for $1.00. The bakery put Wal-Marts to shame with selection. Next was the deli which was attached to the cafe. The deli was large with meat, cheeses, specialty dishes- cole slaw, etc., a hot bar with fried chicken, and lots of hot side dishes. You could get the hot food from the deli, or get a deli sub made and buy it and eat it at the cafe. And then the cafe had its own large menu with snacks like popcorn and nachos, menu items like chicken sandwiches, and a good sized breakfast menu and a drink bar with sodas and coffee. It had a huge seating area. After I picked out my groceries then I got some food at the cafe and sat and ate it there. After finishing at the cafe I headed to the checkouts. unfortunately it was like most Kmarts and only had two registers open with long lines..at a Supercenter!! and no self checkouts. So I checked out and then went in the arcade which was full of old games and played Area 51. I then headed out to my car, and went and got gas at the Kmart Express gas station. Upon leaving I noticed on the side of the store the empty Auto center..it was big, it had like 5 or 6 garage bays.
I took as many pics as I could of the store. Outside shots were hard because of the sunshine blocking my shots. I got some interiors pics, they're not the best, but I was trying to take the pics quick and not be obvious, as to not draw attention. Overall I was impressed with this Kmart, it was my first visit to a Super K and I was pleased with the look of the store, and the selection. If I had one closer to me I'd never step foot into a Wal-Mart again. I don't really know why the concept hasn't been that successful, I guess its just hard to lure people away from Wal-Mart no matter what. Enjoy the pics below.

This store reminds me of Pathmark. How many square feet is it? When did it open?

[dmx10101]

Originally posted by Mobil

Originally posted by dmx10101
WARNING: EXTREMELY LONG POST!! lol :roll:

Well I am back from my road trip, it was about 120 miles round trip to go the Super K and Sears stores and was well worth it. I took several pics of both stores (see below) and have some good summaries of them.

First off I head to the recently converted Big Kmart to a Sears store in Marietta, GA. This store was odd because it wasn't a Sears Grand store but it still had items not normally sold at Sears. Anyways to I pull in and can obviously tell that this was a Kmart because it still retained the Kmart building style. It had a outside Pharmacy pickup window and a Garden Center like Kmart would have. So I walk in and immediately recognize the Kmart style low ceilings and florescent rows of lights..But most everything else had been remodeled and changed. About a 1/4 of the store was the Lands End shop. They had a surprisingly small regular clothing section too. This store had alot of departments that Kmart had- They had a greeting card dept, a small gourmet only food section, full service Pharmacy, large health and beauty section, make up section, large garden center, sporting goods dept, small toys dept, baby dept complete with baby food and baby wipes, domestics/ home goods dept, electronics dept (no music cds though and all of the DVDs were in locked cases), of course a large hardware dept., shoes dept, exercise dept, section of appliances, I don't recall seeing a jewelry dept..if there was it was small. They had internet kiosks all over the store. No food section, no household products section (toilet paper, paper towels). That's all of the sections I can remember. No cafe or restaurant. There were centralized checkouts by the entrance/exit, regular kmart style shopping carts. The store looked nice and you could tell they put some money into it and didn't just slap a Sears name on a Kmart store, but there were still elements that made you feel like you were at a kmart, which I liked. It definetly didn't feel like a mall Sears. I didn't get any interior pics because the store is very open with wide aisles and there were associates everywhere, the store was also completely dead with maybe a dozen people in it.

Next I was off to the last remaining Super Kmart Center in Georgia, located in Rome, GA. Upon arriving I was impressed with the very well kept up exterior of the store. At the end of the parking lot was the Kmart Express gas station, complete with a small convienance store. I found it funny that in a small shopping center building in the parking lot there was a Little Caesar's pizza place. There store was fairly busy, alot more so than a regular Kmart, but a fraction of the business a Super Walmart would have. Anyways into the store I went, into the food entrance side. The store inside was very well kept up too and well stocked also. The signage in the store looked nice and updated too. At the front of the store, across from the checkouts was customer service, next to customer service there was a ICEE/Soda fountain bar, (with cups purchasable at the register), a Olan Mills portrait studio, a impressively big Floral dept., and a fairly large Game Room. The store had 16 registers, but oddly they were dismantling the first 4 registers, I guess they were getting rid of them. I walked through the regular part of the store first. They had a large section of Craftsman tools in the hardware dept. Layaway was in the back of the store. Electronics was on the far right side of the store and probably the most disappointing department to me because it didn't have that great of a selection and was the most dated looking dept. in the store. Surprisingly this store didn't have any of the DVD's locked up. The last dept. on the back wall before you get to the food section was a good size Appliance department with refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, etc. including Kennmore of course. Then I grabbed a shopping cart (which btw some were blue and some were grey with the previously used Kmart logo on them) and headed to the part that made it a Super Kmart- the food section. I started at the back of the store where they had the produce dept, dairy/frozen foods and the meat/seafood dept. I could tell they used to have a fresh seafood section but they took the sign down and was now using the area for more packaged meat. They still had frozen seafood though. The produce dept. was nice and neat, well kept. The side wall had the deli/bakery and in the front corner the deli cafe restaurant. The bakery was excellent and had tons of goodies, they also had a Krispy Kreme case with individual donuts for 50 cents, a Vortman cookie case where you could pick 10 cookies for $1.00. The bakery put Wal-Marts to shame with selection. Next was the deli which was attached to the cafe. The deli was large with meat, cheeses, specialty dishes- cole slaw, etc., a hot bar with fried chicken, and lots of hot side dishes. You could get the hot food from the deli, or get a deli sub made and buy it and eat it at the cafe. And then the cafe had its own large menu with snacks like popcorn and nachos, menu items like chicken sandwiches, and a good sized breakfast menu and a drink bar with sodas and coffee. It had a huge seating area. After I picked out my groceries then I got some food at the cafe and sat and ate it there. After finishing at the cafe I headed to the checkouts. unfortunately it was like most Kmarts and only had two registers open with long lines..at a Supercenter!! and no self checkouts. So I checked out and then went in the arcade which was full of old games and played Area 51. I then headed out to my car, and went and got gas at the Kmart Express gas station. Upon leaving I noticed on the side of the store the empty Auto center..it was big, it had like 5 or 6 garage bays.
I took as many pics as I could of the store. Outside shots were hard because of the sunshine blocking my shots. I got some interiors pics, they're not the best, but I was trying to take the pics quick and not be obvious, as to not draw attention. Overall I was impressed with this Kmart, it was my first visit to a Super K and I was pleased with the look of the store, and the selection. If I had one closer to me I'd never step foot into a Wal-Mart again. I don't really know why the concept hasn't been that successful, I guess its just hard to lure people away from Wal-Mart no matter what. Enjoy the pics below.

This store reminds me of Pathmark. How many square feet is it? When did it open?

I'm not too sure of the history of it, I found out it from the article about it here- http://georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html . The article is from 2006 and I went there at the beginning of this year. I'm thinking about going back there again soon, and maybe get some new pics of it.

[videogamer75]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
Big Kmart; Holyoke, Mass.

It's down the street from the Holyoke Mall in a dilapidated plaza. Not sure what it was originally, but it doesn't look like it was always a Kmart. Notice the identical entrances which have subdivided for (a very old) CVS/pharmacy and a currently vacant store. Like the plaza, store's kind of a dump too...

Just thought I'd point this out: That Kmart is a former Grant City, and that vacant store with the black-and-red stripe on it was an Advance Auto Parts.

[store215]

Here's the front page of an ad for a Kmart Supercenter

[NJxxJon]

Originally posted by MBZ321
Here's the front page of an ad for a Kmart Supercenter

I dont understand the whole lets-lure-you-in-with 2 coupons thing and them now.

[momof3]

I went to Kmart last night to do some Christmas shopping and also to look for a few other items,
I really do like KMart, always have and was devastated when the Southington CT store closed.  I have to say the store was busy and the employees were very helpful when I had a question as to the location of an item.  
I had a very good experience at Kmart.  I do shop at Walmart and Target too, but favor Kmart becasue it is an old school type store.
BTW One employee told me they did great on Friday which i hope is true becasue i would truely hate to see the demise of Kmart.

[AmesNewington]

Originally posted by momof3
I went to Kmart last night to do some Christmas shopping and also to look for a few other items,
I really do like KMart, always have and was devastated when the Southington CT store closed.  I have to say the store was busy and the employees were very helpful when I had a question as to the location of an item.  
I had a very good experience at Kmart.  I do shop at Walmart and Target too, but favor Kmart becasue it is an old school type store.
BTW One employee told me they did great on Friday which i hope is true becasue i would truely hate to see the demise of Kmart.

I guess I think the same as you do! Am I correct in thinking you went to the Cromwell store? I went there a year ago once and I immediately felt like I was in Ames. My mom always sees items she wants on sale in the flyer. She wants to go there before Christmas and so do I, but Cromwell is far and I don't take highways. It's a shame, because I'd love to get there.

[momof3]

It is the Cromwell Kmart.  You don't have to take the highway really, you could go down by Home Depot (Deming Rd) to the end, take a right and follow it straight and it ends up on the side of KMart.   They do have nice Christmas stuff and the prices on other things aren't bad, its really not too far, and yes it does feel like an Ames kind of retro.

[AmesNewington]

How long did it take you to get there from Deming Road?

[momof3]

15 minutes tops i would say.

[Mobil]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
A former Kmart in East Haven, CT on Frontage Road right off I-95. It must've been a 1980's-era store given its look. It was used as a National Wholesale Liquidators in its latest years and now it's... well... liquidated.

Funny thing is they moved this junk store to Bridgeport which is sadly the dump-on capitol of Connecticut (just edging East Haven I suppose).

I visited this dump last March when they were still open and they had Caldor and Bradlees carts all over the place. I had no idea it closed up... good riddance... this plaza is really a hole.

(from page 56)
This I think is the 1975-1980 style. The Kmart near me with this design opened in 1977.

PACE became Sam's Club in 1993, but not this one I guess. Builders Square was sold to Hechinger in 1997. Hechinger/HQ/Builders Square closed in 1999.

[beachgal26]

A very short note to say that I really miss K-Mart in our area for their selection and mainly for the idea of having a choice!  I've always liked K-Mart and am sorry to see them phased out.

:no:

[TRJ22487]

I'm sad to see K-Mart phasing out too. The one in my town (Keene, NH) went out literally as soon as they hired me in 2005, so I never even worked there, but I was going to be garden cashier. Zayre88 has a good picture of the Keene store in the late 90's before they switched it to Big-K around 1998
I always loved "Service is needed in layaway!"
As soon as I'd hear the *DING*
I would loudly say it in the same voice, whether I was with a friend or not haha
I still tell people I used to do that.

Looking back at the photos I have such nostalgic memories of K-Mart's that were closed in the early 90's, built in the 60's/70's. I believe I am recalling the Manchester one that used to be the the Toys R Us plaza, the roof felt soooo low the way I remember it. I remember buying my original Nintendo at a very old and dusty feeling Kmart from the 70's era.  Are there any K-Marts still out there unremodled from the pre-Big days?? Or better yet with the 1990 logo? Last time I went to Claremont, NH the store still had the 90's logo but didn't get the Big-K makeover, but that was about 3 years ago since I've seen it. I always loved the entrance at that Kmart, the old school mats with the arrows on them

[Ameskid]

"Shoppers, we'd like to invite you back to our infants department, we got a new line of furniture, ranging from infants' cribs all the way up to toddler bibs."  They've been playing this in my Kmart since May!

And yes, my store still does the "Service is needed in ______" intercom call.

[TRJ22487]

Originally posted by Ameskid

And yes, my store still does the "Service is needed in ______" intercom call.

Is it a recording or an actual voice?? I always thought it was a recording and every Kmart had the same voiceover guy (his voice at mine was awesome, it sounded like he was faking the deepness in his tone or something)

We lost our Kmart (Keene NH) in 2005 when it became Sears Essentials. The store was always bare, and they finally changed to just a normal Sears

[videogamer75]

Originally posted by d_fife
here is the 80,640 square foot kmart in fort payne alabama that opened in 1980

from http://index.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/ProfileSE.aspx?LID=14676001&linkcode=1070&sourcecode=1lww2t006a00001

That looks like a former Wal-Mart...compare it to this picture I found on Labelscar.com:

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Originally posted by videogamer75

Originally posted by d_fife
here is the 80,640 square foot kmart in fort payne alabama that opened in 1980

from http://index.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/ProfileSE.aspx?LID=14676001&linkcode=1070&sourcecode=1lww2t006a00001

That looks like a former Wal-Mart...compare it to this picture I found on Labelscar.com:

That Wal-Mart is a former Woolco/Copps in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

[videogamer75]

^Yep, it is. It's not everyday you see a Wal-Mart in a mall, but I think that one moved to a Supercenter.

[Ameskid]

Originally posted by TRJ22487

Originally posted by Ameskid

And yes, my store still does the "Service is needed in ______" intercom call.

Is it a recording or an actual voice?? I always thought it was a recording and every Kmart had the same voiceover guy (his voice at mine was awesome, it sounded like he was faking the deepness in his tone or something)

We lost our Kmart (Keene NH) in 2005 when it became Sears Essentials. The store was always bare, and they finally changed to just a normal Sears

I think we have the recording.  What you said makes me think that it was actually a text-to-speech computer program that did it.  It's very unlikely that one guy did all the recordings for all the stores.

[KmartDanny09]

Originally posted by Ameskid

Originally posted by TRJ22487

Originally posted by Ameskid

And yes, my store still does the "Service is needed in ______" intercom call.

Is it a recording or an actual voice?? I always thought it was a recording and every Kmart had the same voiceover guy (his voice at mine was awesome, it sounded like he was faking the deepness in his tone or something)

We lost our Kmart (Keene NH) in 2005 when it became Sears Essentials. The store was always bare, and they finally changed to just a normal Sears

I think we have the recording.  What you said makes me think that it was actually a text-to-speech computer program that did it.  It's very unlikely that one guy did all the recordings for all the stores.

Does your store use the red boxes that say 'Service' on them? If so, I beleive that is a computer generated voice. In my store, a woman's voice is used for calls to the Toy Department, Razor Aisle, Electronics and jewelry while a man's voice is used for calls to fitting rooms , layaway, and sporting goods.  Usually "Customer assistance to layaway"....

[Parrot32X]

Here's the pic for the Sevierville, TN Kmart. This Kmart never moved since their opening in the 1970s, and they used to have an automotive center. However, they shut down the auto center around 2002. This store was also one of those few that had the old logo on the front up until 2000, then changed to the orange color scheme like many er of their stores.

[wwefan101]

kmart in my town after a  minor remodle i think it looks  nice http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/websterma101/stores/?action=view¤t=kmart111.jpg" target="_blank">http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/websterma101/stores/kmart111.jpg" border="0" alt="kmart">

[wwefan101]

http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/websterma101/stores/?action=view¤t=newcheckoutkmart.jpg" target="_blank">http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/websterma101/stores/newcheckoutkmart.jpg" border="0" alt="kmart new chekc outs"> ther new check outs

[EddieJ1984]

Here is the Kmart a few blocks from me in Northeast Philadelphia


And heres a link to a panorama shot of the kmart, parkin lot, and stuff from the bus stop on the roosevelt boulavard (Warning, the pic is pretty big)
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5503/prkmart800zo5.jpg

[videogamer75]

Originally posted by EddieJ1984
Here is the Kmart a few blocks from me in Northeast Philadelphia


And heres a link to a panorama shot of the kmart, parkin lot, and stuff from the bus stop on the roosevelt boulavard (Warning, the pic is pretty big)
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5503/prkmart800zo5.jpg

I think I been to this Kmart before. I know I went to one in South Philly.

[EddieJ1984]

Well, its a few blocks down from cottman avenue (princeton ave) on the roosevelt boulavard

[MikeRa]

Originally posted by EddieJ1984
Here is the Kmart a few blocks from me in Northeast Philadelphia


And heres a link to a panorama shot of the kmart, parkin lot, and stuff from the bus stop on the roosevelt boulavard (Warning, the pic is pretty big)
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5503/prkmart800zo5.jpg

This K Mart was built on the site of the old Boulevard Pools.

[Mobil]

I was at a boating shop recently and found a Kmart propane torch with a sticker dated 1962.

[videogamer75]

That's when Kmart was founded! What a rare find!