September 12, 2016

Spotlight: Kmart / Sears Outlet - Henderson, NV


Store #9819 - 10405 S. Eastern Ave. Henderson, NV 89052
Today we are spotlighting one of the last few Kmart's ever to be built from the ground up. Opening on August 18, 2001 in Henderson, NV at 143,000 square feet this store was formally a Super Kmart Center and is currently now a regular Kmart with a Sears Outlet store inside. This store was opened only about 5 months before the Kmart Corporation filled for bankruptcy and stopped opening new stores altogether, which continues to this day.

Picture of the store when it was still a Super Kmart Center.
In 2010 the Henderson store had its fresh grocery section removed and was officially changed from a Super Kmart to a regular Kmart. The entire right side of the store was completely walled off where the meat, seafood, dairy, deli, and bakery cases and prep/work areas were. It makes you wonder if they left those areas intact and untouched behind the drywall? That side of the store still carries a few dry groceries and dairy items, along with an aisle of beer, liquor, and wine. It does have a larger section of refrigerated cases compared to most regular Kmart's and they are not the cheap, ugly looking ones the majority of Kmart's have. The back half of the former grocery section was turned into a Sears Outlet store within a store.



Overall this store is very nice and well taken care of for a Kmart. For one thing the store is only 15 years old unlike the majority of Kmart locations that are 30-50 years old. This store is also very well maintained, it is clean and merchandised nicely. The interior walls have been repainted in recent years and the clothing department has the newer merchandising fixtures, both things that also help the look of the store.

 


This store does not have a cafe or restaurant as it was removed and walled off when the fresh groceries were taken out 6+ years ago. There is a slot machines gambling area up front, most likely a Nevada exclusive. There is what looks to be a former bank or maybe video rental spot up front, that even has it's own outside entrance door. Next to the customer service desk is the former Olan Mills portrait studio spot. Strangely the pharmacy is located on the back wall of the store, closest to the former fresh grocery area. Most all Kmart's have their pharmacies somewhere along the front wall of the store, so this is a bit unique. Also to note this store never had a auto service center in it.



Unfortunately now for the bad news. This store is now owned by Seritage Growth Properties, which was spun off from Sears Holdings in 2015 by Eddie Lampert to generate more operating money for the company. Basically he took a couple hundred of the best locations of Kmart and Sears stores and sold them off to this newly created company. The leases are now controlled by Seritage, with the majority of the stores having the option to get subleased to other companies. Which in turn means that 50% and up to 100% of the stores square footage can be taken from the Kmart or Sears store and leased to a different store if it generates more money. Meaning the Kmart or Sears store will have to be either downsized in square footage or pushed out of the space completely.

Map shows the space to be leased out to another store.
Sadly as of August 2016, half of this Kmart store is being marketed to other companies to lease out. Which means that this Kmart could get significantly downsized in the near future. The diagram below shows that Kmart would be downsized to just under 65,000 square feet and keep the left entrance of the store, then just under 58,000 square feet is being offered to lease out and would use the right entrance to the store. Sears Outlet would stay and expand to take up 21,000 square feet of space, which would be the entire former fresh grocery area that is currently completely walled off. It would presumably get a new entrance on the outside of the store, which could end up being the small door on the far end of the store that looks to be the former cafe/restaurant entrance. The store will stay in its current form until a company decides to lease the available space.

This diagram shows the space that's being offered to lease out.

That's about all to report on this store, only time will tell what will end up happening to this newer and fairly nice Kmart location. Enjoy the entire gallery of pictures from this store below and be sure to comment on what you think!

The mystery entrance on the far right of the store, my guess is for the former cafe/restaurant.

A least the road sign has the new logo.


It used to say Apparel and 1 HR Photo above the entrance door when it was a Super Kmart.

Taken from Google street-view since I didn't get a shot of this spot when I was there.



It used to say something along the lines of 'groceries' above the entrance back when it was Super Kmart

Entering through the former grocery side.

Lots of checkout registers still.

Looking to where the Super Kmart grocery area used to be.

What's left of this Kmart's grocery section.



Alcohol aisle..it is close to Vegas after all!

Sears Outlet in the back right of the store where the grocery area used to be.

Entrance into the Sears Outlet area, they had their own registers you paid at.

Pharmacy on the back wall of the store..odd.



Back wall of the store looking towards Sears Outlet behind the shelves.









Electronics was downsized and the counter removed. Appliances and mattresses added.

Part of the electronics department now sells mattresses.

Nice fixtures in the men's clothing department and the fitting  rooms.

Looking towards the garden center area.


Inside garden center area, door to go outside was closed off.

Outside garden area is huge but hardly being used.

You could still go outside in the garden area but not much there.


Other store entrance on the general merchandise side.


I'm assuming there used to be some more checkout registers in this spot.

Mannequins in Kmart.

Former bank area

Slot machines area, was possibly part of the former bank area or could have be a video rental.


Former Olan Mills portrait studio spot.

Register area up front.

Customer service desk area along the front wall of the store with a ICEE machine!