By Kevin Williams
As Sears and Kmart are in their death spiral, another round of closings has been announced, these are slated for March. Man, this list really hits home...just because so many of these stores are in small towns where their closing will rip at the retail fabric and landscape. I've been to a LOT of these stores in my travels, especially the Kmarts. Often I'd run in just to buy a notebook or a pen or maybe a snack. Kmarts were beacons of comfort that made an unfamiliar place seem more familiar. Once these stores close, they are gone. They aren't coming back.
Kmart in Kenosha, Wisconsin...somehow this one keeps missing the chopping block.
I remember driving in rural eastern New York state one dark night and I wasn't even sure where I was (this was pre-GPS days) and then I saw it: a bright sign of a Kmart on the edge of Queensbury, NY. By Kmart standards, it was a gorgeous store....a Super Kmart, with a glass atrium and airy aisles. When I saw it I just remember feeling "whew, I'm out of the long dark drive, now I've arrived somewhere." SIGH, now that Kmart in Queensbury will turn into a super-size U-Haul rental and retail store. At least that one is being repurposed. Nothing more sad than an empty, unused Kmart.
The Kmart on the list below in Peru, Indiana. I've been to that one, stopped there to buy some socks once after giving a talk in Kokomo. I just recognize so many towns on the list as places I've been and even stopped at those Kmarts and Sears.
It's just sad, it'd be less sad, in some way, if they'd just put the store out of it's long misery.
KMART
Arizona
Tucson: 7055 East Broadway
California
Apple Valley: 20777 Bear Valley Road
Auburn: 2505 Bell Road
Burbank: 1000 San Fernando Road
Santa Maria: 2875 Santa Maria Way
Stockton: 2180 E Mariposa Road
Connecticut
Vernon: 295 Hartford Turnpike
Florida
Ellenton: 6126 Hwy 301
Fort Walton Beach: 200 Irwin NE
Indiana
Peru: 11 Sherwood Square
Louisiana
Metairie: 2940 Veterans Blvd.
Maryland
Baltimore: 8980 Waltham Woods Road
Minnesota
Rochester: 201 Ninth St. SE
Missouri
Crystal City: 155 Twin City Mall
Mississippi
Gulfport: 12057 Highway 49 Delmar Plaza
North Carolina
Asheville: 980 Brevard Road
Morehead City: 4841 Arendell St
Morganton: 110 112 Bost Road
North Dakota
Grand Forks: 1900 S Washington St.
Nebraska
Alliance: 1515 W 3rd St.
New Jersey
Toms River: 213 Highway 37 E
New Mexico
Roswell: 1705 S Main St 308 Dix Avenue
New York
Greenwich: 1251 State Rte 29 Ste 1O Greenwich Plaza
Horseheads: 1020 Center Street Grand Central Plaza
Queensbury: 308 Dix Avenue
Wellsville: 121 Bolivar Road
Ohio
Cleveland: 7701 Broadview Road 620 Plaza Dr 400 N East Circle Blvd.
Fostoria: 620 Plaza Drive
Oregon
Corvallis: 400 N East Circle Blvd.
Pennsylvania
Erie: 2873 W 26Th St.
Pittsburgh: 996 West View Park Drive
South Carolina
Sumter: 1143 Broad St.
South Dakota
Rapid City: 1111 E North St.
Tennessee
Kingsport: 1805 E Stone Drive
Sevierville: 217 Forks Of River Pkwy
Washington
Spokane: 4110 E Sprague Ave.
Wisconsin
Oconomowoc: 1450 Summit Ave.
Sears
Colorado
Colorado Springs: 2050 Southgate Road*
Colorado Springs: 1650 Briargate Blvd.*
Pueblo: 3201 Dillon Drive*
Florida
Daytona Beach: 1700 W Intl Speedway Blvd.
Port Charlotte: 1441 Tamiami Trl*
Port Richey: 409 U.S. Highway 19 N Ste 101*
Tallahassee: 1500 Apalachee Pkwy.*
Tampa: 347 Westshore Plz*
Georgia
Gainesville: 150 Pearl Nix Pkwy*
Iowa
Sioux City: 4480 Sergeant Road*
Illinois
Cherry Valley: 7200 Harrison Ave.*
Fairview Heights: 235 Saint Clair Sq.*
Kansas
Wichita: 7700 E Kellogg Drive
Louisiana
Metairie: 4400 Veterans Mem Blvd.
Maryland
Salisbury: 2306 N Salisbury Blvd.*
Michigan
Muskegon: 5500 Harvey St.*
Novi: 27600 Novi Road
Minnesota
Bloomington: 2000 N E Court
North Carolina
Durham: 1620 Guess Road*
Durham: The Streets Of Southpoint*
Nebraska
Lincoln: 6400 O St.*
Omaha: 424 Dodge St.*
Nevada
Las Vegas: 3450 S Maryland Pkwy*
New York
Rochester: 10 Miracle Mile Drive
Ohio
Columbus: 5053 Tuttle Crossing Blvd.
Columbus: 1400 Polaris Pkwy*
Springfield: 1475 Upper Valley Pike*
Oregon
Medford: 501 Medford Ctr*
Pennsylvania
Altoona: 5580 Goods Lane Ste 1005*
Greensburg: 5256 Route 30*
Lancaster: 200 Park City Ctr*
Tennessee
Goodlettsville: 1000 Rivergate Pkwy
Jackson: 2021 N Highland Ave.
Texas
Abilene: 4310 Buffalo Gap Road*
Amarillo: 7701 1-40 W Ste 400*
Killeen: 2100 S W S Young Drive*
Plano: 851 N Central Expwy*
Port Arthur: 3100 Highway 365
Richardson: 201 S Plano Road*
Waco: 6001 W Waco Drive*
Virginia
Charlottesville: 1531 Rio Road E*
Washington
Kennewick: 1321 N Columbia Center Blvd Suite 455*
Wisconsin
Appleton: 4301 W Wisconsin Ave.
Mary
I agree with your feelings about the Sears and Kmart closings. When I was young, my parents would shop at the Kmart a lot on College Ave. in Appleton, Wi. My Aunt worked there as a sales lady, so it was always fun to see her there. Then we would venture sometimes to the deli, and my dad would buy us all a submarine sandwich or a pudding cup, while my mom would finish up with the shopping. Man, those were the BEST subs ever! Subway doesn't even compare to how good they tasted. Very sad to say that place closed in the '90's along with Prange Way (another retail store). It's lot still sits empty, with grass shooting up among the cracks. Prange Way turned into a car lot. Sigh. At least I have those wonderful memories.
Kevin
Ahhh, thanks for sharing that, Mary...you paint a picture of an idyllic era that is gone and won't be coming back.....and I didn't know that Kmart ever had a deli that sold subs....sounds amazing, the way you describe them!