K-Mart

[bubcolbert1952]

Gosh things aren't looking good for Exton. The same week, Acme and JCPenney both announced they would be closing their Exton stores (along with a second Acme in West Chester), and now Kmart makes this announcement. And realistically why would the Sears stay open any longer than the Kmart? Maybe the Sears will hold on longer though (as long as the company stays around) because there already was a Sears Hardware in Exton that closed around the same time Sears opened in the mall. I get the feeling the Giant in Lionville, which shares a zip code with Exton, will close soon after Acme. This Giant is very small and hasn't aged well at all. There might be hope though for Giant moving to the empty Genuardi's across the street which is empty. And I could see Best Buy opening a store on the current Giant site to replace their Downingtown store, which isn't that old but is suffering due to an HHGregg store being across the street that opened several years after the Best Buy.

Giant also had plans to build a store at the other end of Downingtown in a very rural area, but seems to have scrapped those plans when the Croppers Shur-Fine supermarket nearby (which was rumored to be closing but not due to Giant) stayed open after it was bought by a different Shur-Fine franchisee called Stauffers, which I guess had the money to breathe new life into the store unlike the Croppers organization. But most likely if Best Buy moves, Giant will open at the Best Buy site in Downingtown (which originally was a second Croppers Shur-Fine store that was destroyed by the Wegmans across the street).

Also, I should mention that the Kmart/Penske auto center in Exton closed years ago (probably over a decade ago in fact) and is still empty, but I guess a new tenant for that space unrelated to Kmart would have to be very small and would have to share the parking lot with Kmart, which despite its poor performance and Walmart across the street seems to always be crowded. I guess it helps that the Walmart and Sam's Club nearby are completely hidden from major roads, but are tucked behind a shopping center with a lot of upscale small stores. The TJ Maxx in Exton which closed a number of years ago (in the Acme plaza) is also still empty.

Acme does have a second store in the Exton zip code area that will stay open due to its location isolated from all competition. Officially the store is in Eagle though, not Exton. And it helps that the Super Fresh in nearby Chester Springs closed a few years back. The Super Fresh quickly became a Redner's which probably hurt Acme a lot at first, but that could have changed after Supervalu (which supplies Redner's with a lot of the same generic products sold at Acme when Supervalu owned them) sold off Acme and all the other former Albertsons divisions.

[katnapped]

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2014/01/23/kmart-will-close-two-philadelphia-stores.html

Makes that official, I guess...

[MikeRa]

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2014/01/23/kmart-will-close-two-philadelphia-stores.html

Makes that official, I guess...

This Kmart lasted longer than Gimbels, Stern's and Clover did in the space.

[d_fife]

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2014/01/23/kmart-will-close-two-philadelphia-stores.html

Makes that official, I guess...

This Kmart lasted longer than Gimbels, Stern's and Clover did in the space.

why is the downtown one closing?
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/business/Kmart-Closing-2-Philly-Stores-289-Workers-Affected-241701441.html

[d_fife]

Kmart is closing stores in Ypsilanti Township and Fair Oaks Mall in Columbus too. why is KMART HYPER of closing stores?

[MikeRa]

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2014/01/23/kmart-will-close-two-philadelphia-stores.html

Makes that official, I guess...

This Kmart lasted longer than Gimbels, Stern's and Clover did in the space.

why is the downtown one closing?
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/business/Kmart-Closing-2-Philly-Stores-289-Workers-Affected-241701441.html

I think the main reason is the owner of The Gallery wants to put an upscale retailer in the Gimbels/stern's/Clover/Kmart space

[store215]

I think the main reason is the owner of The Gallery wants to put an upscale retailer in the Gimbels/stern's/Clover/Kmart space

I think the real reason is, they need to reconfigure the entire mall space, which was designed horribly to begin with. I have heard some rumors that Burlington Coat Factory may be asked to leave as well. I really can't see them making The Gallery upscale..it just isn't that kind of area for it (If it was, upscale chains should have been jumping at the Strawbridge's space which has been sitting empty since 2006).
Hopefully we'll see someone like Target in the new plans for the center...there really is not a legit. discount store in the general area unless you count Family Dollar.

[d_fife]

why did they kick Kmart out?

[bubcolbert1952]

I hope Giant and Wegmans will each have a few stores in Philadelphia County someday. Both are all over the suburbs, but I guess finding the combination of available land and a population who will buy from the stores instead of steal from the stores must be hard. The abandoned Acme plant (which has been empty for 13+ years and still has the 50's Acme Markets script signage) in West Philly ought to be demolished for either a Wegmans or Giant, perhaps a Super Giant like the one in Willow Grove. While this plant appears to be in a bad area, it sits right on the edge of the Main Line and is near a very successful Wine & Spirits Superstore in Bala Cynwyd. Due to the lack of Wegmans anywhere on or near the Main Line, despite the fact that Main Line folks would love Wegmans, that chain ought to open on this site. There also are no Wegmans anywhere in or near Delaware County PA, but many locals would love to have one nearby.

I get the feeling Giant might eventually buy the ShopRite next to the Lowe's down the street from this site, but only if Wegmans opens. It's doubtful ShopRite can compete effectively with Wegmans so close by, but Giant on the other hand would very likely be able to steal customers from Wegmans, especially if Giant were to add a gas station to this store, as all their new stores have. Unfortunately zoning in many places seems to make it impossible for Giant to have convenience stores at their gas stations in many locations though, but they do have a few of them.

Also, I'll eat my hat if the closing Kmart in Southwest Philly (the closing of which was announced a week or two before the Gallery and Orthodox Kmart closings were announced the same day) doesn't become a Lowe's eventually. This site should be perfect for Lowe's because it sits halfway in between the Lowe's in West Philly (next to the ShopRite which I can see becoming Giant) and the slightly older Lowe's in South Philly. Also, Home Depot has two stores in South Philly which are unusually close together, but Lowe's would be smart to surround HD on three sides with stores that are more effectively spread out.

[MikeRa]

I hope Giant and Wegmans will each have a few stores in Philadelphia County someday. Both are all over the suburbs, but I guess finding the combination of available land and a population who will buy from the stores instead of steal from the stores must be hard. The abandoned Acme plant (which has been empty for 13+ years and still has the 50's Acme Markets script signage) in West Philly ought to be demolished for either a Wegmans or Giant, perhaps a Super Giant like the one in Willow Grove. While this plant appears to be in a bad area, it sits right on the edge of the Main Line and is near a very successful Wine & Spirits Superstore in Bala Cynwyd. Due to the lack of Wegmans anywhere on or near the Main Line, despite the fact that Main Line folks would love Wegmans, that chain ought to open on this site. There also are no Wegmans anywhere in or near Delaware County PA, but many locals would love to have one nearby.

I get the feeling Giant might eventually buy the ShopRite next to the Lowe's down the street from this site, but only if Wegmans opens. It's doubtful ShopRite can compete effectively with Wegmans so close by, but Giant on the other hand would very likely be able to steal customers from Wegmans, especially if Giant were to add a gas station to this store, as all their new stores have. Unfortunately zoning in many places seems to make it impossible for Giant to have convenience stores at their gas stations in many locations though, but they do have a few of them.

Also, I'll eat my hat if the closing Kmart in Southwest Philly (the closing of which was announced a week or two before the Gallery and Orthodox Kmart closings were announced the same day) doesn't become a Lowe's eventually. This site should be perfect for Lowe's because it sits halfway in between the Lowe's in West Philly (next to the ShopRite which I can see becoming Giant) and the slightly older Lowe's in South Philly. Also, Home Depot has two stores in South Philly which are unusually close together, but Lowe's would be smart to surround HD on three sides with stores that are more effectively spread out.

The ShopRite of Island Avenue and 52nd Street are owned by Brown’s Super Stores, Inc., who also owns the ShopRite on 24th Street & Oregon Avenue, Cheltenham, to name a few.

GIANT already has a store in Philadelphia, on Grant Avenue, at the site of the old bakery complex for Penn Fruit Company.

[d_fife]

Kmarts in Wise, Alexandria and Norwalk OH are closing too. Whats going on?

[katnapped]

Lease expires...store gets closed.

[d_fife]

Lease expires...store gets closed.

will that happen to all stores when a lease expires, what of renew it?

[buzz86us]

I am surprised the kmart in Fremont Ohio is still around when i was over there the parking lots were always sparse

[d_fife]

I am surprised the kmart in Fremont Ohio is still around when i was over there the parking lots were always sparse

noooooooo

maybe sparse compared to Walmart.

[nysw3636]

Add Latham, NY and Clifton Park, NY to the list of closings...

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3309011.shtml

[d_fife]

your kidding? their presence in the Capitol region is SHRINKING

[d_fife]

one in Greenville OHIO IS CLOSING TOO

if a store doesnt list layaway on the website whats that mean?

[Pikapower]

if a store doesn't list layaway on the website whats that mean?

It means that the store doesn't offer it! (go figure!)

[d_fife]

Thse 2 too http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/Mayor-Area-Kmart-to-close-243495761.html

[d_fife]

closing Oak Harbor store http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/243372181.html

[zonemad96]

kmart sign for the former Delco Plaza Mall in York PA
May 1993 photos from the John Lewis collection.

[katnapped]

will that happen to all stores when a lease expires, what of renew it?

Really not seeing any store leases being renewed.  If anything this seems like a methodical winding down of brick and mortar operations.

[katnapped]

kmart sign for the former Delco Plaza Mall in York PA

Opened in a former Grant City around 1976 and closed in 2003.  Building was falling apart (roof especially) so no surprise that it was dumped (and eventually demolished along with the rest of the shopping center).

[d_fife]

will that happen to all stores when a lease expires, what of renew it?

Really not seeing any store leases being renewed.  If anything this seems like a methodical winding down of brick and mortar operations.

I know one store that opened in March of 1979 and ITS NOT CLOSING AT ALL.

2 leases got renewed last year.

the one in Rotterdam Schenectady got renewed last year.

hmmmmm

[bubcolbert1952]

kmart sign for the former Delco Plaza Mall in York PA

Opened in a former Grant City around 1976 and closed in 2003.  Building was falling apart (roof especially) so no surprise that it was dumped (and eventually demolished along with the rest of the shopping center).

If I'm not mistaken, the Hills there indeed did become an Ames, but that of course closed less than a year before the Kmart. Also, the Pathmark closed way back in 1997 (which also happened to be the year a Pathmark from the 70's in Cherry Hill, NJ closed) and I don't know if it became anything else before the center was demolished. Ironically the Pathmark in Cherry Hill that closed in 1997 was across from a 50's Food Fair/Pantry Pride store that later was a Genuardi's, but now is in the process of becoming a Whole Foods, even though a much more modern 60's/70's Pantry Pride (which opened with that name and not the Food Fair name) at the other end of Cherry Hill became a Pathmark long ago and just closed in the past year. Normally the original Food Fair in Cherry Hill would have been way too small for a Genuardi's, but a good size for a Pathmark, and the later Pantry Pride/Pathmark would have been the perfect size for a Genuardi's. But the Genuardi's used several other former stores' spaces on both sides of the former Food Fair, and helped revive an otherwise dead shopping center.

I was wondering... did this Kmart ever get sign/logo updates between 1993 and 2003? It seemed like every pre-1990 Kmart that stayed open past 2000 got the Big Kmart signage sometime in the late 90's, and it would make sense that this one did considering the Hills became Ames in 1998. But considering the Ames logo from the 70's (or 60's?) was used until the very end of the chain, and Delco Plaza was struggling as of at least 1997 when Pathmark closed, it would make sense Kmart neglected this store in every way until the end.

I do know for a fact that the current Big Lots in York was one of the very last Zayre stores to open (around 1986) but closed in 1989 never to be an Ames. It would seem the Zayre site was much more desirable than the Hills site, but I guess not to Ames. The Zayre became an early Big Lots store, opening around 1989. And the Wine & Spirits in the Zayre center was originally at Delco Plaza but moved away when Pathmark closed. I think there also was a post office at Delco Plaza but I have no idea if it was replaced by another one anywhere.

And Grant City had a second store in York, far east in a rural area (but very close to a busy shopping area of York). Not surprisingly it appears to have never become Kmart afterwards, but it just may have been a Kmart or another store that closed no later than 1990. For a very long time, this building has been the offices of some kind of trucking company, but still looks just like a Grant City from the 70's.

[BillyGr]

I know one store that opened in March of 1979 and ITS NOT CLOSING AT ALL.
2 leases got renewed last year.
the one in Rotterdam Schenectady got renewed last year.
hmmmmm

Hmmm is right - that is interesting that the one in Rotterdam Square got renewed recently - of course that is a somewhat newer store overall and also that Sears is another anchor in that mall (being the two are now co-owned).

I also found that the East Greenbush store building was apparently sold in 2007 to East Greenbush LLC, so likely if that one is now leased it may not be up for renewal at this point.

I wonder if they are actually looking at locations to keep based on surroundings?  While the recently closed Colonie store and the now closing Clifton Park and Latham stores are relatively close to other shopping (Walmart and Target particularly), Rotterdam Mall is kind of separated from the other Rotterdam/Schenectady shopping areas as is the East Greenbush Kmart store (on 9&20, while Walmart and Target are out on Rt 4 - not hard to get to if you know the roads, but harder for, say, public transit - I believe you cna still get a bus directly from Albany downtown to Kmart if you wished to). 
The other store still in the nearby area is Greenwich, which is at least 10-15 miles from the Greater Saratoga area and as far as I know there are no other discount stores in the town.

Hmmm.

[d_fife]

what do you think is going on?

and does a Walmart opening near a Kmart mean the Kmarrt WILL CLOSE?

[d_fife]

this in Colorado springs is closing http://gazette.com/kmart-store-closing-at-palmer-park-and-powers-boulevards-in-colorado-springs/article/1514058

[bubcolbert1952]

what do you think is going on?

and does a Walmart opening near a Kmart mean the Kmarrt WILL CLOSE?

No way, even though one would think so. The Kmart in Norfolk VA did close sometime in the past year or two, but coexisted with a Walmart next door for over 15 years (after which the already 20+ year old Kmart got a major remodel). Also, Walmart and Kmart have stores very close together not one but two different places in Lancaster PA, but one of those two Walmart stores is a non-Supercenter and unable to be expanded (and due to a Giant supermarket in the same shopping center, might not be allowed to add groceries), and the other Walmart, which has been a Supercenter all its life since it opened in 1998, has very poor visibility compared to a nearby Kmart which once was a Grant City store.