K-Mart

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by 76BraldorZayKamesfanBBTB

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
How about this?

AW SWEET!!

NICE!!!!:bigsmile:

They should do that for the out of business K Marts.

[storehistoryguy]

Hey, all of these are great, but I like this sign!!!!!! :insane:

[d_fife]

Originally posted by Zayre88

Originally posted by d_fife
How do you know the square footage of the one in Portsmouth? Thanks for the info

Zayre88 HOW MANY SQUARE FEET IS THE ONE IN AUGUSTA and ROCHESTER?

The one in Bangor does look renovated, BUT the building was metal grey, and on the top it had this rectangle/square and it says BIg Kmart.  I wonder why they closed the one in Scarboro, I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THAT KMART, I HEARD THEY CLOSED IT BECUASE OF THE EMINANT DOMAIN OF A NEW HOSPITAL, and plus the store was not in the best location.

From the Kmart website, i learned that the Auto center was 4,020 sq.-ft and i have a floor plan of the plaza where it?s located but without dimensions.  I used the square that represents the auto-center and estimated.  I don?t know about Augusta and Rochester but Rochester is quite big.  For Scarborough, the location was not the best, they should have built it closer to the Maine Mall area.  Since that closing, there are no Kmart store south of Augusta in Maine!

Where did you get the floor plan of the plaza. what do you mean used the square that represents? I have been to those Kmarts in Rochester NH (I WAS IN THE ONE IN ROCHESTER LAST WEEK), Auburn ME, Augusta Me and BAngor ME.

By the way, 9.5-11 years ago they were going to put a 96,000 square foot Kmart in Littleton NH. They backed out 9.5 yeras ago, perhaps because of the population of the area. Wal-mart built where Kmat was going to build. In 1987 they were talking about putting a 67,000 square foot Kmart in COncord in the Old King's Plaza, Kmart backed out due to wetland issues. Kmart was going to build a big store in JAmaica Plains MA and a supercenter in newington Ct. How come there was no Kmart around New London Ct, or Stamford CT, closer to Worcester MAss. Why did Kmart build some stores bigger than others?

About the last 2 Kmart info I posted, please give your comments.

There is a picture of the Kmart in Gilford.

[Jag67]

There is a picture of the Kmart in Gilford.

That K-Mart opened in 1976.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
Hey, all of these are great, but I like this sign!!!!!! :insane:

I save pictures of Kmart and that one is in WAtertown Connecticut, I Mentioned that one in my long commentry about Kmart.

I save pictures of Kmarts.

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by d_fife

Where did you get the floor plan of the plaza. what do you mean used the square that represents?

Why did Kmart build some stores bigger than others?

About the last 2 Kmart info I posted, please give your comments.  

I got the plan at http://www.whartonrealtygroup.com/properties.asp?place=1&propid=10028  I used the outlined auto center space(yellow dot) that i copied. Then i pasted it all over the store to see what could be the total space of the Kmart.  It's very approximate.  

As for the size, it depends on the population and the market i think.  At Sears Canada, we have three kind of stores: Select, Core and satellite.  The select stores are the large two or three levels urban stores in big malls, Core stores are the most common stores: smaller, 1 or 2 levels and they have specific selection of merchandise.  Satellites are small one-level stores in towns that are located away from big cities.

Kmart probably worked this way too when they built stores.

[Zayre88]

Here's a lonely Ames cart in the Portsmouth NH Kmart store.  Some have Kmart logo stickers but not that one.

Notice the usual Kmart burned neons and the yellowish color they create.  They should use "cool white" neons.

BTW, does the aisles in that picture look clean ??

[storehistoryguy]

Why did K Mart shut down all of there auto centers last year?

[store215]

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
Why did K Mart shut down all of there auto centers last year?

It was actually a few years ago. Penske, the company that operated the centers basicaly got mad that kmart was closing so many stores (during their 1st bankruptcy round)and other issues, so they just pulled out of all of them.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by MBZ321

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
Why did K Mart shut down all of there auto centers last year?

It was actually a few years ago. Penske, the company that operated the centers basicaly got mad that kmart was closing so many stores (during their 1st bankruptcy round)and other issues, so they just pulled out of all of them.

K Mart should have gone out on there own then. Now the garages just sit there boarded up. :(

[d_fife]

This is the Kmart in Hooksett NH. It had a big flood near it last year in April. The store opened 1974 and is 94,500 square feet. I went in the store yesterday and on the back of the store was the Big Kmart logo.

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by d_fife
This is the Kmart in Hooksett NH. It had a big flood near it last year in April. The store opened 1974 and is 94,500 square feet. I went in the store yesterday and on the back of the store was the Big Kmart logo.

Why is that Jeep parked on the sidewalk? :huh: Smart drivin'! :insane:

[d_fife]

This is one of the remaining Kmarts in Connecticut:

in vernon

The Kmarts left in Connecticut are in Torrington (I have no picture of this store, but heard it opened 1980), Watertown (I have a picture of it and will post it soon), Cromwell ( i have a picture of it and will post it soon, said to opened 73), Waterbury (I have a picture of it and will post it soon, said to be 95,784 square feet, opened 73), Vernon (MY PICTURE OF THIS STORE IS in this post, below this message),  and Milford (I have a picture of this store, said to have opened 1980 and 84,210 square feet).

Will become Sears: Putnam (I have no picture of this store online, I VIsited this store and it was big and not very busy, and I photographed this store, it is said to be 101,000 square feet and opened 1995), Southbury (I have a picture of this store, said to be 120,897 square feet and opened 1992)

Sold to HOme Depot Last Year: NEw Milford (Said to opened 1994 and 114,000 square feet)

the ones that closed: ORange (said to be 84,240 square feet) became Builders Squre in 1988, Wethersfield closed 1997, Bristol (I have a picture of this store, was a Caldor and opened 99 and 86,380 square efet) and SOuthington (I have no picture of this store, and I saw it in 1994 and it looked like the ones in Hooksett NH, WAterbury Ct, Cromwell Ct and it had the red K with the mart inside the K, IT was said to have opened 1973 and 95,810 square feet) closed in 2002; WIndsor (Said to be 118,242 square efet and opened 1995), NEw Haven supercenter (I have a picture of this store and I heard it closed mainly to shoplifting and it got good business, said to have been 172,000 square feet and opened october 1995), Wallingford supercenter (IT is now wal-mart and I have no pictures of this one, said to be 175,000 square feet and opened early 1996), Plainville (I have a picture of this store and it is now Dick's, Petsmart and another store, and why did it close?, said to have opened November 1999 and 96,000 square feet), MAnchester (I have a picture of it and will post it soon, said to be 99,670 square feet and opened 71 or 72) and Derby (Said to be 82,000 square feet and opened 1992) closed in 2003.

Relocated ones: putnam relocated from downtown in 1995 and I have a picture of this store and the old location looks like the Kmart in Gilford and I saw this one last year and I saw the labelscar of the old Kmart logo, Windsor relocated in 1995 and the old one became Ocean state job and the Ocean state is said to be 41,000 square feet, the one in East HAven (I HAVE A PICTURE OF THIS STORE AND WILL POST IT, it is said to be 70,130 square feet) relocated in 1995 to NEw haven as a Supercenter, the one in Wallingford (I HAVE A PICTURE OF THE OLD ONE and is said to be 70,000 square feet) relocated down the road as a supercenter

CONNECTICUT GOT HIT REALLY HARD WITH CLOSINGS FOR SOME REASON!!!!!!!!!! A Super Kmart was planned for NEwington CT but the store did not happen!!! this was 10 yeras ago.

[d_fife]

THIS IS THE KMART IN WATERTOWN CONNECTICUT. IT has the old logo. I VISITED THE ONE IN BURLINGTON VERMONT 3 years ago and it had the old logo and it was really old and crummy.

[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)

[d_fife]

Kmarts in NH  (here is what I mean by saying the logo did not change, it always stayed the old school logo)


Remaining Kmarts: Salem (it opened 1972, logo on the store did not change until the BIg K format in 1997, but the inside was white when I first went into it in 1995, the store looks like Hooksett, I HAVE NO ONLINE PICTURE OF THIS ONE); Hooksett (it opened 1974, said to be 94,500 square feet, I first went into it when i was little and I always remember the inside of the store being white instead of the old orange, the logo on the store did not change until the bIg K conversion in 97 and the store had the brown on the building side instead of the new repainted grey front, I posted the picture of this store a few posts above); West Lebanon (opened 1976, currently 106,038 square feet, it was expanded and completly renovted 15 years ago and added 40,000 square feet during this renovation and the logo got changed to the REd K, before the renovation the store looked like Manchester and portsmouth, I have an on line picture of this one); Portsmouth NH (Opened 1978, Zayre88 said its 72,300 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, I have a online picture of this one), Rochester (opened 1979, in Lilac MAll, was probably expanded and renovated years ago, it is big and nice, I have an online picture of this one) and Claremont (Opened early 1990, the store is brown and looks like a cave, I have no online picture of this one)

WIll become Sears: NAshua (Opened early 1989, had the white insides, the old Kmart logo until April 1998 when it was converted into Big K, no online picture of this store), Londonderry (Opened mid 1993, said to be 115,000 square feet, I HAVE NO ONLINE PICTURE OF THIS STORE and the store looks like a cave and has the Kmart logo around the oval) and Keene (Opened 1995, said to be 94,841 square feet)

CLOSED: North Conway (Opened October 1980, 40,318 square feet and in the Mountain VAlley mall, 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, the store was junky and dirty and NEVER MADE IT TO BECOME A BIG K, in 1993 they talked about adding 32,200 square feet, (By expanding it to the back and it would have put the store too close to the road) buthat that never happened) closed in 2000, Gilford (Opened SEptember 1976, 54,000 square feet, have an online picture of the store, IT was a WT GRANT AT ONE TIME, THE STORE WAS HORRIBLY JUNKY, OLD AND DIRTY and 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 IT NEVER MADE IT TO BECOME A BIG K) closed in 2001 due to the lease expiration and poor sales and Manchester  (Opened 1975, across from the MAll of NEw hampshire, said to be 72,180 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, I have a online picture of this one) closed in 2002.

NO Kmarts got relocated. In 1987 was talk about putting a 67,000 square foot Kmart in Concord in the Old King's plaza, but it never happened due to wetland issues, and in 1994-1996 there was talk about putting a 96,000 square foot Kmart in Littleton, but it never happened and Littleton got Wal-mart a couple years after Kmart backed out.

Here is a picture of the Kmart in WEst Lebanon:

[d_fife]

there is a picture of the Kmart in Rochester in this post:

posted on 7/7/2005 at 09:10 PM  

There is a picture of the one in KEene on this post:
posted on 9/5/2005 at 03:09 AM  

There is a picture of the one in Gilford on this post:
posted on 7/7/2005 at 10:03 PM


THis is another picture of the Kmart in Rochester:

[d_fife]

Here is a another pictuer of the one in Rochester

[d_fife]

This is a picture of the Kmart that closed in MAnchester in new hampshire in 2002.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
This is a picture of the Kmart that closed in MAnchester in new hampshire in 2002.

and another picture of the Kmart in MAnchester NH

[d_fife]

this is the Kmart in Portsmouth NH

another picture of the Kmart in portsmouth is in this post:
6/7/2005 at 10:56 PM

[d_fife]

THIS IS ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE KMART IN HOOKSETT!

[d_fife]

HISTORY OF KMARTS IN MAINE AND VERMONT

NO STORES IN VERMONT CLOSED!!!
: Kmart in SOuth Burlington opened in 1975 (IT still has the old Kmart logo and is shabby!!!!!), Kmart in RUtland opened in the mid-late 1970s in the Rutland plaza in a 76,135 square foot store and RELOCATEd in June 1995 to the new DIamond RUn MAll and the old Kmart became Wal-mart; the one in Bennington opened in 1979 and IS VERY MUCH like the one in Portsmouth NH and apparently the store went unchanged until 1998 and I heard it did not become Big K until 2000, IT was apparently changed like the ones in Manchester and Portsmouth NH. I VISITED THE KMART IN BENNINGTON 3 years ago and it was very much like the one in Portsmouth NH


THE ONLY KMARTS IN MAINE LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!: BAngor (Opened march 1972, maybe 90,000 square feet, I vistied the store in 1999), Auburn (Opened 1972, Said to be maybe 105,000 square feet, I visited the store in 1998), Augusta (opened 1974, old, IT appeared to have been just recently redone, I visited it in 2001, something said it is 85,808 square feet, I wonder if it was expanded), WAterville (said to be 99,502 square feet, IT was probably expanded, Said to have opened 1977, I visited the store in 2001), Madawaska (said to be 42,000 square feet, opened 1977, I HAVE NEVER VISITED THE STORE), PResque ISle (said to be 86,479 square feet, opened November 1993 and in the ARoostook CEntre MAll, I HAVE AN ONLINE PICTURE OF THE STORE, I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE STORE)

CLOSED: Scarboro (Opened 1972, said to be 80,000 square feet, closed apparently for eminant Domain ffor the hospital), closed December 1995, Skowhegan (Opened 1979, said to be 40,318 square feet) closed 1996, Falmouth (Opened 1972, 84,000 square feet, now Wal-mart, closed due to lease expiring), closed MArch 1997. THERE IS NO KMART AROUND PORTLAND!!!!!!!

I HAVE NO ONLINE PICUTRES OF THE VERMONT ONES:

THE ONLINE PICTURES FOR AUBURN, BANGOR AND AUGUSTA MAINE ARE IN THIS POST: posted on 7/7/2005 at 09:10 PM

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE WATERVILLE STORE:

[d_fife]

HEre is the Kmart in Skowhegan MAine vacant

There is another picture of the Kmart in showhegan in this post:

[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

[d_fife]

Kmart in FAirhaven mass. IT opened april 1977 and was apparently renovated or expanded some.

[d_fife]

http://www.nationalcommercial.com/properties.php

has pictures of the Kmarts in Acton, Palmer, Holyoke and Fitchburg mass. I do not know how to download them into picts since they are from pdf

I have a picture of the one in here in Fitchburg.

The ones in Milford mass, HYannis mass, Brockton mass, old one in Pittsfield mass (last year I saw what remained of it), look like this!!!!!!!!!!

I saw the one that was in Swansea and it looked like this except it was not repainted grey. (I have a picture of it)

HERE IS WHAT MEAN IF IT WAS NOT RENOVATED, the grey area shown in the fitchburg picture means it was remodeld and an outdated article of the worcester paper said it got renovated in 1991, and if it was not renovated Where they show grey in the Fitchburg picture is Brown. The one in DANVERS LOOKED LIKE FITCHBURG except the grey was brown.

[d_fife]

here is a picture of the one in Great barrington. The building is wooden black. IT is in the Great Barrington plaza, the store opened 1976 and is 52,486 square feet and the store just has the Red K with the mart inside and the plaza's sign says big Kmart.

[d_fife]

this is the one in the Springfield Plaza in Springfield Mass.

 it 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, ),

[d_fife]

this one is in  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), IT CLOSED IN 2003. I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT CLOSEd.

The 2nd wave of closings were the worst, it closed ones that were popular with a lot of people. it seems the 2nd round was more than profitability and sales, it was cost of operating the store, lease issues, distribution issues, competition and maybe shoplifting and a lot of factors. after the 2nd wave, it was hard to find a kmart. They pulled out of Alaska entirley (But their stores were built huge and opened in 1993 and all were converted into Super K in late 2001, maybe because of distrubution issues) and closed 33 texas stores in the 1st wave and 54 in the 2nd, leaving only 20 in small cities and left most of their stores in El PAso, and in the 2nd wave they pulled out of HOuston, DAllas, Fort Worth, Austin, SAn Antanio, Amarrillo, maybe because wal-mart has a huge presecence. They even closed a major one Super CEnter in Detriot that they promised to keep open and opened in 1998 in the 2nd wave and ones in michigan that they remodeled in late 2001 (like UTica and Dearborn and some other city around detriot) and it turned people off, the 2nd wave was the saddest one, as I guess they were spending more than they were making.