K-Mart

[d_fife]

Originally posted by Jag67
That 1976 K-Mart doesnt look much different. Id love to see what the inside looked like in 1976.

This is the oldest K-Mart in our area, Its on Walden Ave. and was built around 1975 or 76. You cant see it in the pic, but the labelscar of the 70's K-Mart logo is clearly visible behind the new one, which means this store wasnt renovated until recently. EVERY time we pass by the parking lot theres between 10-20 cars in the parking lot, some times less. I'm not exaggerating!! Look at the pic!! I was last in the store in July of 2003 and it was VERY small.

newslibrary says this:

.  The Buffalo News - September 25, 1991

KMART SETS REOPENING AT UPGRADED WALDEN STORE  
  Kmart Corp. is planning a grand reopening celebration on Oct. 10 for its store at 2055 Walden Ave.The event will mark the end of extensive renovations at the 100,000-square-foot outlet. The stationery, toys, electronics and appliance departments have been expanded and a deli-style restaurant has been added, said A. Keim, Kmart's district...

Purchase Complete Article, of 53 words

Now also, look at the comparison between the two pictures I have of Saugus: they remodeled a lot of stores that way. The store still stayed 84,180 square feet, and the sign comparison.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by MBZ321
Found this on the web...Kmart pic from the 60's (notice the K logo on her shirt)

Where did you get that pic?

[Zayre88]

Here's the former Kmart in Nashua NH, now Sears Essentials.  The logo is very small and behind the three !

[Zayre88]

The former Kmart in Manchester NH.  The storefront was changed but the Kmart style is still seen on the rest of the building.

[Zayre88]

The former Kmart in Haverhill MA.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by Zayre88
The former Kmart in Haverhill MA.

Good job Zayre88, keep up the good work.

I have been in the Kmart haverhill, back when it was open. I went by the Kmart in HAverhill 2 weeks ago and it had the label scar, it was rainy. I went to the kmart in 1998 and it had the old logo of Kmart and again in late 2000 and it was big K then. IT must have turned into Big K with manchester and portsmouth. The store was 64,239 square feet and opened 1976, but the plaza was built in 1966. IT closed in 2003.

About Kmart in Nashua, I went in it a bunch of times. it was built in early 1989 and looks different than most Kmarts! I went in it when it was named sears Essentials, they changed the isles, and had sears appliances and closed the KCAFE and the parking lot was not very full (I was there at 5 pm that day)

I saw a Burlington Coat factory in Johnston RI last week and the Burlington Coat Factory was where Kmart was. Like manchester, it changed the front and kept the Kmart style. The johnston one did not lease all the Kmart, as there was still a little space left and that space was brown instead of the remodeled Grey. THE KMART IN JOHNSTON LOOKED LIKE THE ONES IN PITTSFIELD, SWANSEA, DArtmouth, FITCHBURG Mass, HOOKSETT NH. and SALEM NH LOOKED LIKE THOSE ONES!

Kmart I guess had 2,400 stores and will be at a little over 1,000 in 2007. They closed 110 stores in early 1995, 72 in september 1995, 15 in MAy 1996, individual stores in 1995-1997 because of like lease stuff and poor sales, 72 in 2000, 4 in 2001, 283 in 2002, 316 in 2003, about 20 closed due to lease stuff, sold to kohl;s, 3 supercenters closed around memphis from 2002-2005, 18 sold to hOme Depot in 2004, 400 turned to SEars 2005-2007. They have closed half the Supercenters.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by Zayre88
The former Kmart in Haverhill MA.

Has Kmart EVER left the logo on a store that they closed:question:

[df559]

I haven't ever seen Kmart leave a sign on a vacant building. When they closed down the 60's locations in my town back in the early 90's, they even painted over the labelscars!

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
this kmart was in HAdley mass in the hampshire mall. it opened in 1978 and was expanded from 66,000 to 91,000 square feet in 1994.

the store was demolished and rebuilt into a 126,000 square foot Target that opened in October 2003.

the indoor entrence of the kmart in hadley mass

[d_fife]

THis Kmart is in Garden City Mi. The first Kmart was in GArden City Mi and it opened in 1962.

[storehistoryguy]

Do you have a pic of the K Mart in Willow Grove Pa.?

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
RHODE ISLAND Also got hit really hard with Kmart closings!

the one in Coventry (said to be 52,571 square feet and in the Coventry Plaza on tiogue road near a wal-mart that opeend a year before, THEY WERE GOING TO RELOCATE THE STORE!!!!!!!!) closed in 1996 (The same time skowhegan closed), the one in Middletown (Said to be 56,350 square feet, opened 74 or 76 and closed when North Conway NH did, I HAVE A PICTURE OF THIS STORE AND WILL POST IT LATER) closed in 2000, the one in Johnston (said to be 84,000 square feet, and just before the closing announcement they were going to add 18,000 square fet, I HAVE NO PICTURE OF THIS STORE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE IN HOOKSETT NH, and I SAW ITS REMAINS LAST WEEK AND IT IS NOW BURLINGTON COAT) closed in 2002, the ones in Warwick (said to be 119,035 square feet and opened 1993, an older 84,180 square foot store relocated to this Kmart spot) and Lincoln (said to be 108,553 square fet and opened 92) closed 2003.

The only Kmart left is in Cranston: here is Cranston's history of Kmart, Kmart opened on Elmwood ave in 1982 as a 65,000 or 75,000 square foot store and relocated in late 2001 on GArfield AVe as a 105,000 square foot store.





The picture shown here is the only one left in Rhode ISland: Cranston (On garland ave)

THis is the original Kmart in Cranston on Elmwood ave, before it moved to GArfield ave. IT opened in 1982 and became Bob's discount and is now National Wholesale Liquidators.

[storehistoryguy]

Abandon.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
Abandon.

where is this one, I have seen a picture of it before somewhere. and I believe I do not have a picture of the Kmart in WIllow grove pa.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
Abandon.

where is this one, I have seen a picture of it before somewhere.

I found it here.> http://www.grantcounty.org/business/buildings/kmart.html

[storehistoryguy]

Heres a nice picture! :yup:

[d_fife]

This Kmart is in Greenwich NY. I went in it last year and it was very small. IT was probably the same size as North Conway and Skowhegan maine, 40,000 square feet.
IT probably opened in 77, 78 or 79. The town was small too.

[storehistoryguy]

Here are some old K Mart checkouts.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
Here are some old K Mart checkouts.

those checks were actually repainted.

In the old Checkouts, where the white it is: IT WAS BLACK, meaning the rectangle going up in the cash registers in unremodedeld stores was black and had hte number in white.


HEre is a picture of the Kmart in Rochester HIlls MI. IT is 114,000 square feet.

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by d_fife
HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE WATERVILLE STORE:

A closer picture

[Zayre88]

The now demolished Kmart in Gilford NH

[Zayre88]

Here's a typical Kmart store.  I'm almost sure that the one in Scarborough ME had that style.  I do remember it featured a Little Caesars.

[tokensafari]

This Kmart is located on Rt. 60 in Huntington. It has surprisingly lasted through-out the years, and was really big during the early to mid 90's. This one perticular location has a "KMart Cafe" and not a little Caesars

[Jag67]

newslibrary says this:

.  The Buffalo News - September 25, 1991

KMART SETS REOPENING AT UPGRADED WALDEN STORE  
  Kmart Corp. is planning a grand reopening celebration on Oct. 10 for its store at 2055 Walden Ave.The event will mark the end of extensive renovations at the 100,000-square-foot outlet. The stationery, toys, electronics and appliance departments have been expanded and a deli-style restaurant has been added, said A. Keim, Kmart's district...

Purchase Complete Article, of 53 words

Now also, look at the comparison between the two pictures I have of Saugus: they remodeled a lot of stores that way. The store still stayed 84,180 square feet, and the sign comparison.

aha!! So thats when it was remodeled!!! It still feels like an old store inside though and they havent done a very good job at cleaning up the labelscar!!

[Jag67]

Anybody Know when the Buffalo area stores opened??

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by d_fife
RHODE ISLAND Also got hit really hard with Kmart closings!

the one in Coventry (said to be 52,571 square feet and in the Coventry Plaza on tiogue road near a wal-mart that opeend a year before, THEY WERE GOING TO RELOCATE THE STORE!!!!!!!!) closed in 1996 (The same time skowhegan closed), the one in Middletown (Said to be 56,350 square feet, opened 74 or 76 and closed when North Conway NH did, I HAVE A PICTURE OF THIS STORE AND WILL POST IT LATER) closed in 2000, the one in Johnston (said to be 84,000 square feet, and just before the closing announcement they were going to add 18,000 square fet, I HAVE NO PICTURE OF THIS STORE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE IN HOOKSETT NH, and I SAW ITS REMAINS LAST WEEK AND IT IS NOW BURLINGTON COAT) closed in 2002, the ones in Warwick (said to be 119,035 square feet and opened 1993, an older 84,180 square foot store relocated to this Kmart spot) and Lincoln (said to be 108,553 square fet and opened 92) closed 2003.

The only Kmart left is in Cranston: here is Cranston's history of Kmart, Kmart opened on Elmwood ave in 1982 as a 65,000 or 75,000 square foot store and relocated in late 2001 on GArfield AVe as a 105,000 square foot store.





The picture shown here is the only one left in Rhode ISland: Cranston (On garland ave)

THis is the original Kmart in Cranston on Elmwood ave, before it moved to GArfield ave. IT opened in 1982 and is now Bob's discount

Today I saw the vacant Kmart in Coventry. IT was really old looking. It was blue and brick brown, and around the lettering was squiggly white rectangluar square, and the labelscar of the old school Kmart lettering clearly showed. The store looked like it was WT Grant, and it was 100 yards from wal-mart and was said to have closed in 1996. Today I also went to the one Cranston (THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN RI) and it was busy and modernized. I Saw the old Cranston location and it is now National Wholesale liquidators I saw the one in WArwick vacant and the lettering was taken off, but the labelscar shows and in the plaza's sign, you can see the Big Kmart on the sign inside out backwards. I saw the original location in WArwick (Across the street) and the facade was being renovated and it looked like it was built in 72 or something like that. THEY WERE GOING TO ORIGINALLY MOVE THE ONE IN CRANSTON, but that never happened.

Yesterday I went to the one in WEst LEbanon NH and I saw that the sides were repainted brown (before I saw it yesterday, the sides were the remodeled grey).

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
Kmart history in MAssachusetts: Fitchburg (Opened 71, 100,800 square feet, renovated 1991), Brockton (Opened 1973, on Main st, apparently renovated as the side is grey instead of brown, probably same size as Hyannis), Hyannis (opened MArch 1973, 90,000 square feet, apparently renovated, has the REd K with the mart in it logo and the sign has that logo), Milford (Opened 1974, 100,678 square feet, apparently renovated as the side of the building is purple instead of brown and has the labelscar of the REd K with the mart in it logo), Billerica (opened August 1975, 84,180 square feet, apparently just renovated, in Billerica Mall), SAugus (Opened MARch 1976, 84,180 square feet, WAS JUST RENOVATED and NOT EXPANDEd, I HAVE AN ONLINE PICTURE OF BOTH THE OLD KMART LOOK AND NEW KMART LOOK THAT I WILL POST SOON), NEwburyport (Opened August 1976, probably in the 50,000s of thousands of square feet, the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), Acton (Opened 1976, said to be 60,000 square feet, the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), FAll RIver (Opened OCtober 1976, said to be 108,000 square feet, the floors were marble still,I it is in the HArbor MAll and the mall opened 1971), Great Barrington (Opened 1976, 52,486 square feet, APPARENTLY the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), Holyoke (Opened 1977, does not look like most kmarts and plaza opened 1977) FAirhaven (Opened 1977, probably 91,653 square feet, apparently renovated at one point or even expanded some, the store looks that way), PAlmer (Opened MArch 1979, HAVE A URL PICTURE OF IT, VERY SMALL AND PROBABLY in the 50,000s square feet, APPARENTLY the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000), Somerville (opened OCtober 1980, said to be 95,000 square feet, in ASsembly square mall, When I first saw it in like 1992 I saw that the store had the Red K with the mart in it and it  must have been remodeled, I went in it in 2002) Webster (Opened 1980, added 35,000 square feet in 1992, store is not too big still), SPringfield (opened 1981, 88,425 square feet, Plaza opened 1959, the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), SOuth ATtleboro (OPENED 1992, 114,000 square feet), Braintree (116,000 square feet, Opened November 1996), Brighton (OPened November 1999, onec CAldor, 85,000 square feet.

Closed: Woburn (opened 78, Now LEchmere then, AJ Wright, that became sports authority, and TJmaxxn more) Swansea (Opened 1971, looks like hooksett, then STuart's and now Building 19), WEymouth (Opened 76, became Stuart's then Buildiing 19 in harborlight mall that is now Lowe's), CLinton (Became Shaw's, 53,000 square feet), NAtick (late 1970s, closed early 1980s it says on Framingham retail website, now Burlington Coat) and Chelsea (opened 1979, became STuart's) closed in like the early-mid 1980s.

SEekonk (Opened 1973, Rt. 44, like in the 60,000s or 70,000s of thousands of square feet, West Springfield (84,180 square feet and opened 76 or 81, I saw it vacant 2 years ago and it looked unchanged with the brown front instead of the remodeled grey and the slope unchaged and the label scar of the old School Kmart logo and it looked the one in MAnchester NH), Springfield (Boston Rd, opened 1978, now Furniture store) closed in FEburary 1995. Apparently one in DArtmouth MAss closed in 1993. ROckland MAss closed in April 1995 and opened 1977 and was old looking. Pittsfield Mass closed in August 1997 due to poor sales and it opened in August 1971 (And the buildign looked like Hooksett nh and is now a vacant Pep Boy's, HOme goods, TJ Maxx and Petco and the building below the logo area is grey instead of brown, maybe the stores remodeld it)

In 2002 DAnvers Mass (IT looked like East greenbush picture, it opened 1974, was 82,500 square feet, I went in it in February 1997 and the inside was white instead of brown, it had the old school kmart logo still, its now a relocated market basket), HAdley (Opened 1978, in HAmpshire Mall, 91,572 square feet, added 25,000 square feet in 1994, now a larger Target), North Adams (Opened 1981, and demolished and rebuilt in 1994 into a 95,000 square foot store and it was 40,000 square feet larger), and Salem (Opened November 1999, replaced caldor, was 97,000 square feet, now Target).

In 2003 Boston South BAy CEnter (opened 1993, was 128,000 square feet and the largest one in MAss and I was the only white in the store, its now Target), Plymouth MAss (Opened feb 1996, had the trinagle front but with the Red K logo with the mart in it, 118,242 square feet), WEstfield (Opened 1980, 68,000 square feet, apparently the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, now Big Lots), Haverhill (Opened OCtober 1976, 64,239 square feet, plaza built in 1966, the store was silver grey, APPARENTLY the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, still vacant), Raynham (Opened 1975, 84,278 square feet, renovated and maybe even remodeled in 1993)

In 2005 TEWksbury will become Sears and the store is 125,000 square feet and OPened September 1992.

RElocations: Chelmsford MAss (apparently opened 1976, in EAstgate plaza that opened 1961, WAs a WT GRant, and it is now a relocated MArket Basket) relocated in 1992 to the Kmart in TEwksbury. North Attleboro (like 50,000 square feet) relocated to South ATtleboro in 1992 and is now Shaw's.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE ONE IN FALL RIVER

This is a picture of the Kmart in SOmerville in the ASsembly Square Mall. YOu could tell it was remodeled. I first saw this kmart in 1991 or 1992 and then it had the Red K with the mart in it. This store was always 95,000 square feet (based on a 1980 dated article in the Boston globe and a net article called Big Box retail: nothing) I went in this store 3 years ago and it was big.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB
I've been to the Waterbury,CT Kmart recently and the Little Ceasers is GONE!!!!:o:hurt::(:no:

replaced by clothes:barf::boring:

The Willow Grove Pa. one got rid of Little Ceaser's in 1995. That place was great. They even delivered! :yup: They needed the space for clothes. At the Warminster Pa. K Mart, they closed the Little Caeser's for clothes and opened a K Mart Cafe in a different spot.

[store215]

I came across an old Kmart circular from June 1983 this weekend while looking through old newspapers my grandfather piled up (as well as in-newspaper ads for Clover, Jefferson Ward, John Wannamaker, and Strawbridge and Clothier, and old Acme, Clemens, and Pathmark ads but I didn't take those) :bouncing: I'll try and scan parts of it if anyonw wants me to.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by MBZ321
I came across an old Kmart circular from June 1983 this weekend while looking through old newspapers my grandfather piled up (as well as in-newspaper ads for Clover, Jefferson Ward, John Wannamaker, and Strawbridge and Clothier, and old Acme, Clemens, and Pathmark ads but I didn't take those) :bouncing: I'll try and scan parts of it if anyonw wants me to.

cool i cant wait to see