Special Report: The slow death of Super Kmart Centers & the rise of Eddie Lampert

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

One of my most popular posts on this site was from back in July 2009. It was a spotlight on Georgia's last Super Kmart Center and the subsequent removal of the "Super" part of the store. Fast forward to March 2011 and we are getting closer to talking about the Nations last Super Kmart Center. Super Kmart Centers are becoming an increasingly dying breed and it's unclear how many Super Kmart Centers are now left in the US. Kmart has removed the Super Kmart Center part of their website and thus the store locator for Super Kmart Centers. As of last count, there were just over 30 left but now that number is less because of the recent de-supering of several locations. And by de-supering, I mean the increasingly frequent practice of Kmart completely removing the grocery sections and changing them to Big Kmart's, which are no longer open 24 hours as the Super Kmart Centers were. This was the fate of the Rome, GA location I visited and reported on. Locations that aren't worth changing to Big Kmarts are closed all together, which happened quite a bit in the earlier 2000's during Kmart's bankruptcy stage.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

You can pretty much put the final nail in the coffin of Super Kmart Centers. It's an unfortunate but true fact as the number of Super Kmart Centers dwindle down closer to zero with the closure or de-supering of most locations. Sears Holdings has all but given up on the concept, realizing that it's too little, too late now to try to expand it further to compete with Walmart Supercenters.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

I am for one disappointed that they didn't try to maintain and expand the concept in the late 90s/early 00s, before Walmart got a stronger hold than it already had on the grocery market. Instead, during their bankruptcy of 2002, they closed several of the Super Kmart Center locations. Then in 2003 when Eddie Lampert started his rein of the company, you could all but forget any hope of progress for Super Kmart Centers.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

Ever since Lampert has taken control of Kmart and then subsequently Sears any chances of progress for the company has died before it even started. Lampert runs the company to get profits for his hedge fund, instead of worrying about increasing sales or making improvements to the stores. Most people can tell this from the 90s and even 80s time warp they get when stepping into most Kmart stores. A lot of us love the nostalgic feeling we get when going into Kmart's but no matter how much we love it, it's bad for business.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

Sears Holdings idea of progress is their never ending testing of different concepts, only for them to be abandoned or die a slow death. I recently did an article on mygofer, one of Sears Holdings most recent concepts that they have been focusing on. To give you a short summary, I'm not that impressed.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

I hate to be critical about Kmart and Sears Holdings so much lately, but there really isn't much they've done recently to be positive or happy about. Here's hoping that Sears Holdings can do something to make Kmart a tour de force in the retail world again. Until then Kmart's outlook is looking as bleak as these pictures.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

Special thanks to Kate Bingaman-Burt of Obsessiveconsumption.com. She captured these awesome photos after her local Super Kmart Center went out of business. She wrote an interesting article about that location to go with these photos, it can be read on Core77.com. These photos are sole property of Kate Bingaman-Burt.

© Kate Bingaham-Burt

Special Report: Mygofer or Mygoof, a concept worth the effort?

By now you've probably heard of mygofer, one of Sears Holdings many concepts and tests. If you haven't, it's in short, a bit of a hybrid type shopping experience. You can order groceries, health & beauty, and general merchandise items online and have them delivered to you or pick them up at select Kmart locations. All you have to do is go to the website, select your Kmart store, pick out the items you want, then go to the store to pick them up. There's also a mobile app that you can order items from in lieu of using the website.

         (Image courtesy of newmarketbuilders.com)

It's a good concept, but I'm afraid the execution is once again flawed. For example, when you're shopping for groceries on mygofer.com, you're limited to picking out whatever that Kmart store you select carries. Unfortunately, most Kmart's have a small selection of groceries. Upon browsing my local Kmart on mygofer.com, you can buy a gallon of milk yet you can't buy a carton of orange juice. Browsing further in the category of frozen foods, all it brings up is a half gallon bottle of prune juice, which is not even a frozen food item. You can see where I'm going here, there's a very limited selection of grocery items that you can order online and get in store.

There's many other catagories that you can chose from to order on the site and pick up in store (electronics, household items, etc.), but that's really no different from ordering on Wal-Mart's website and selecting their site-to-store pickup. The food and grocery catagroies are displayed prominently on mygofer's website and seem to be the main draw of the service, yet it's the part most lacking. I will go a step further and say that if you're close to an actual mygofer store (of which there is only one in existance) or a Kmart Supercenter (not many left in existance) you can chose from a better selection of grocery items. Honestly, what's the point of heavily promoting the service, if only a few places in the US can take full advantage of it?

Another point to make is the website itself is not especially quick or even easy to use. It makes a decent alternative to Wal-Mart site-to-store pick up service. If that's Sears Holdings goal, then why not just integrate the 'order online, pick up in store' service into Kmart.com and Sears.com. Instead of having a whole separate website to shop from. Yes, I understand that Wal-Mart's service won't let you pick up your items within a couple hours of ordering them, like mygofer can. That's definitely a positive, but it's only beneficial in certain situations.

Now let's look at the actual mygofer store locations, which at last check, there was only one. Joliet, IL is the original full fledged mygofer location, born from a converted Kmart building. It's basically a small showroom, with computers to order items, and a drive thru to pick them up. The majority of the building is warehouse space for all the items they sell. The city of Joliet has a webpage all about this location, including several pictures. To me, the actual mygofer store locations are a more innovative and intriguing concept than the mygofer at Kmart pickup service.

So what do you think, is mygofer a concept Sears Holdings should keep testing or do you think it's yet another failure by them?

Kmart World is back for 2011!

 

That's right, we're back! The World of Kmart, now known simply as Kmart World is back from hiatus. We have revamped the site and are ready to post new updates for 2011! Be sure to bookmark the site, share it with others, follow us, like us on Facebook, send us suggestions, and whatever else you can do to get involved with Kmart World.

We are in desperate need for contributors around the country for our store Spotlight features. If you'd like your local Kmart featured on the site, please send us photos and some information about it to the email address here. We will give you full credit for your contribution in the post.

Thank you for sticking with us, we hope you are looking forward to an exciting year in the world of Kmart!

Kmart Photo Challenge Winner!

World of Kmart wishes everyone a Happy New Year! The new year will bring new and exciting things to the World of Kmart site! The first is the winner of the Kmart Photo Challenge that was announced last month.

And the winner is the user who submitted this entry-

"This Big Kmart store in Hendersonville, TN has some interesting features that are shown in the pictures. The first, of the road sign, shows the newest Kmart logo - pretty rare for your typical Big Kmart in the South. However, as you can see in the background, the main exterior storefront signage is still the standard Big Kmart design of the 1990s. The second photo shows a relatively unique Big Kmart Garden Shop patio exterior. Since these pictures were taken in December, there was nothing growing and the external doors to the Garden Shop were locked, though one could go in through the store to see some bicycles blocking the Garden Shop exit and the usual array of hoses, garden tools, and stacks of bottled water somewhat haphazardly strewn about.

The interior picture of the center aisle of the store is shot from the rear toward the front, and you can see the "Thank you for shopping Big Kmart" signage that is found in most stores. The American flag seems to be a new and nice touch, though. You can see the old-style large circular air vents, even! The store is organized such that the soft lines (clothing, shoes, and infants) and cashiers are on the right side upon entry, and everything else is on the left side. There were a lot of carts intruding upon the entry lobby space, and the atmosphere, well, it was fantastic for a Kmart fan but still cannot really compare to a Target or Wal-Mart. This store is fairly large and well organized, and there were plenty of salespeople and cashiers to help in the week before Christmas. In fact, there were more cashiers than shoppers checking out - plus, the cash registers were numbered 4-7. I believe they removed #1-3 to make room for seasonal merchandise,
 recognizing that four cash registers were plenty to handle the amount of business a Kmart does - but I wonder how Black Friday went with only 4 registers and the Customer Service desk? (Note: for comparison, the nearby Wal-Mart has 20 + 8 self checkout lanes; whereas other Middle Tennessee area Kmarts generally have 7 checkout lanes, even if only a couple are open at most times.)

Ok, before we get too far into details, let's wrap up with the history and competition trivia. The 89,000 square foot Kmart opened in 1976 (any surprise from the standard 70's Kmart exterior facade so prevalent in the South?) alongside some grocery stores, but by 1991 the grocery stores were all closed, and by 1997 Eckerds left, leaving Kmart as the sole large/chain anchor. Today, some competitors to Kmart fill up the other major spots in the shopping center - Big Lots and Dollar General. In 1989, a Wal-Mart opened down the road, but luckily this Kmart survived... until 2005, when it relocated away from Main Street and opened as a 205,000 sq foot Supercenter. Somehow, this Kmart remains open as of Christmas 2009 though. The average household income within a 5-mile radius is almost $75,000 - not sure if this helps or hurts Kmart's business. The City of Hendersonville seemed to have wanted to "revitalize" this corner of the city center and make a new hip-urban lifestyle center, but from our visit, an aging shopping center still stands.

Overall, the interior of this Big Kmart is pretty standard and well-decorated and nicely stocked for a Kmart, but with some twists on the exterior signage. I'm surprised it remains open with a Wal-Mart Supercenter so close, but hopefully there is enough population to support both stores. All in all, a pretty nice, but aging, store."

Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to the winner! Your Kmart gift card will be on its way soon!

Special Report: Shop Your Way Rewards

K'Ching Round 2?

Back in July, I wrote about a new program Kmart was testing in select markets called Kmart Smart Rewards. The program including using a card to get discounts and rewards when you shopped at Kmart stores. A few weeks ago it was rolled out nationally under the name Shop Your Way Rewards. It still has the same benefits as before, including the K'Ching surprises at Kmart, 1% back in rewards, & no receipt returns, but now its available for the Sears Holdings family of stores and websites. The card can now be used at not just Kmart stores but also at Sears stores, Lands End at Sears, Craftsman.com, Kmart.com, Sears.com, and Mygofer.com.

When I wrote about the original Kmart Smart Rewards program I said it can help build loyalty and return trips to Kmart. I again echo that sentiment, now that this program has gone national. I believe it can be a slight edge for them against Wal-Mart and Target. Most stores these days have some type of loyalty card program, because it works. Everywhere from Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, CVS, Kroger, to PetSmart have a loyalty card program. Wal-Mart and Target are in the minority now as stores without it.

I signed up for the original Kmart Smart Rewards Program as it was available in my area and they automatically sent me a new Shop Your Way Rewards card when it was launched to replace the KSR program. I get frequent emails for special deals with my card at Kmart and Sears. So far from first hand experience, I think it will be a successful endeavor for Sears Holdings.

What do you think? Is this program a good idea or is it another one of Sears Holdings failed attempts to spur business?

Spotlight: Big Kmart - Buford, GA

Big Kmart 1605 Buford Hwy in Buford, GA.

(Note: This store is also featured in a post here about its closing in April 2012.)

Recently I visited the Kmart in Buford, GA, which is only a few miles away from the Mall of Georgia (largest mall in Georgia).

This store used to have a K Cafe. The area is now more selling space for the baby/infant section. One odd thing they did at this store was they removed some of the registers and made it into more selling space. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of either. This is one of the Kmarts that has a Large Appliance section in it. (picture below)

Overall not too much exciting or unique about this store.

Sorry for the lack of updates to the blog in the last couple months, things have been very busy for me. I have several updates lined up, so keep checking back!

Special Report: Sears Grand, Viable Concept Gone To Waste?

(Editors Note: Kmart World toured the Las Vegas Sears Grand in 2016, click here to check it out.)

Sears Grand is one of countless concepts rolled out by Sears Holdings, but one that had great potential. Back in 2003 the first Sears Grand store opened in West Jordan, Utah, followed by 4 other locations, including one in Las Vegas, NV. The Review Journal has an article about Sears Grand and the Las Vegas location. In the article Sears Vice President, speaking of the Sears Grand concept said "This offers us an off-mall growth opportunity." A few years later that opportunity turned out to be Kmart and the Sears Grand concept was all but abandoned.

(Image courtesy of Searsmedia.com) Unknown Location

(Image courtesy of Unknown) West Jordan, Utah

So here we are in 2009, Sears and Kmart are both struggling and still trying new concepts (mygofer anyone?) to little success. What if Sears would have went with Sears Grand and rolled it out nationwide? Would things be different for Sears Holdings today?

(Image courtesy of Searsmedia.com) Las Vegas, NV

One thing to remember is that the Sears Grand concept was developed and opened just before the Sears-Kmart merger. Sears Grand was the brain child of the then CEO of Sears. Once Kmart purchased Sears and Eddie Lampert began his rein of the companies, all previous concepts and ideas pretty much died in their current form. What Lampert did was a cheap remodel of some Kmart locations into Sears Essentials, Lampert later dumped the Essentials and renamed them all Sears Grand. Unfortunately those Sears Grands were just Kmart's with an expanded assortment of Sears items in a cheaply remodeled store.

(Image courtesy of AP) West Jordan, Utah

The thing is the original Sears Grands were pretty much a hybrid of a Sears and Kmart store. They weren't a Kmart with a few Sears items thrown in though. They were a from-the-ground-up new store. Below you will find the Sears Grand Fact Sheet, that will give you an idea of what to expect at one of the few original locations.

Overview:
Sears Grand is a one-stop home and family solution center that delivers a mix of quality products such as Sears' proprietary and national brands that no other store provides. Everything busy people need to maintain their homes and keep their family on-the-go can conveniently be found here, under one roof.

Sears Grand is a one-level store that carries everything from milk to refrigerators, bathing suits to sun block and car seats to baby food. Sears Grand offers the best of what Sears is known for – appliances, lawn and garden supplies, electronics, tools, automotive products and services, sporting goods, apparel and hardware – with an innovative mix of convenience-inspired items - health and beauty products, greeting cards, dry grocery, pet food and magazines.

Brands/Products/Services:
Sears Grand offers a mix of quality brands that no other retailer offers, such as Kenmore, Craftsman, Lands’ End, Die Hard, as well as Nike, CoverGirl, GE, Levis, Sony, Carters, Huggies, Apostrophe, KitchenAid and more.

Sears Grand’s unique product and service offerings enable multi-tasking families to efficiently manage their busy lives and households. Sears Grand product categories include: apparel, appliances, lawn and garden, plant nursery (in some stores), sporting goods, toys, baby care, cleaning supplies, mattresses, home/seasonal décor, pantry items, pet food, cards and party supplies, books, magazines and electronics (TVs, CDs, DVDs, games).

Shoppers also will find an array of convenient services at Sears Grand including: an auto center, custom paint mixing, window blind cutting and key cutting.

Shopping Experience:
The Sears Grand concept was created based on what customers want and need. The one-level store is brightly lit with wide, uncluttered aisles and easy checkout lanes at the exit. A racetrack format combined with colorful, bilingual signage make it easy for customers to navigate the 165,000 to 210,000 sq. foot stores easily. Additionally, price verifiers throughout the store enable customers to easily identify the price on any product or call for assistance if needed.

To make the shopping experience even more convenient and fun, Sears Grand features shopping carts that have a kid-friendly racecar theme and are equipped with cup holders for mom and dad. The stores also feature convenient services and a café where busy families can grab a bite to eat. 

(Image courtesy of Salt Lake Tribune) West Jordan, Utah

Special thanks to Erica n Juan on Flickr for the three photos below. This is the Sears Grand in Austin, TX.





So there you have it- Sears Grand, a viable concept gone to waste?

What do you think, did Eddie Lampert make a mistake by not continuing the expansion of Sears Grand, or was it just another disposable concept?

Spotlight: Jacksonville, FL Kmarts

(Neptune Beach, FL)

Well its been a few weeks since the last update, sorry for the delay.
Jacksonville, FL is home to several Kmart locations, and today we are going to look at a couple of them.

First is located on the outskirts of Jacksonville in Neptune Beach, FL. This location was remodeled and expanded in the very early 2000's. Before that it was a very small and outdated store, complete with wood trim inside. Today, it looks like most regular Kmart inside, with nothing really special about it. It does not have a K Cafe or any restaurant inside. The side of the store has the former Auto Center bays, which are sometimes used for special sales and storage. Pictures were taken in September of 2007, location is still open today.



In the picture above you can see on the right where the store was expanded (the lighter colored roof part). [Image courtesy of Bing Maps]


Second location is on Beach Blvd. in the middle of Jacksonville, FL. This location I have visited since being a small child and can remember the old pre-1990 logo on the building and road sign. This Big Kmart lives up to its name, as its a very big store. It still has a K-Cafe in it, which was formerly a Little Caesars. At one time this location had a Kmart foods attached to the left of the store. It was then a craft store for many years and is currently vacant, Kmart occasionally uses the space for special sales. I'd like to know approximately what year this store was built, if anyone has an idea please post a comment. Unfortunately the pictures I took of this store are on my desktop computer which is currently broken.

On the far left is up until the first white line in the roof is where the Kmart foods was located and is currently vacant. The rest of it is Kmart, but as you can see it's a very large store. [Image courtesy of Bing Maps]


The last location was in Jacksonville Beach, FL. It closed in the mid-2000's to make way for a Home Depot. This was a nicer looking and well kept store inside. It also had a K-Cafe. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it before it closed or any history of the store.

[Image courtesy of Bing Maps]


That concludes today update. The next one will be very soon, not 2-3 weeks, I promise!

Case Study: Recent Kmart Headlines

Here are some of Kmart's most recent headlines, each with commentary by me.

Kmart helps unemployed Michigan residents

HOFFMAN ESTATES , Ill. (Jul. 20) Kmart has launched the Kmart Smart Assist Saving Card to help unemployed Michigan residents. Eligible customers can use the card to receive at least 20% off more than 1,200 regularly priced high-quality private label grocery and drug store staples for up to six months. Here are some of Kmart's most recent headlines, each with some commentary by me.

Verifiably unemployed Michigan residents who register at www.kmart.com will receive a nontransferable Kmart Smart Assist Savings Card valid for up to six months depending on the date of issue. Any Kmart customer who can present valid Michigan state-issued identification and a state-issued unemployment benefits enrollment confirmation is eligible to enroll in the Kmart Smart Assist Savings Card program.

"Unemployment is severely impacting our Michigan communities, so we knew we had to step up to the plate and do what we could to help Kmart customers continue to provide their families with the staples they need, even on a tight budget," explained Curt Avallone, VP, CMO food, consumables and Drug Store for Kmart. “In these challenging economic times, people are looking for the most value for their money, and we hope the Kmart Smart Assist Savings Card will enable cardholders to keep good quality food on the table and maintain clean, healthy homes while they get back on their feet.”

Commentary-

This is a great idea for Kmart to get positive publicity and help out the community. One good thing too is that Michigan is one of the few states that has several Kmart Super Centers. So that way the residents with these cards can get a better selection of food. I would like to see this program expanded to more states though.

Kmart opens first Sears-branded store-in-a-store

Birmingham , Ala. (Jul. 21) Sears Holdings has opened its first Sears-branded major appliance shop inside a Kmart store, according to This Week In Consumer Electronics.

The store-within-a-store opened earlier July at a Kmart in Birmingham, Ala.

The appliance store will carry Sears branding, including the chain's "Blue Appliance Crew" marketing collateral, and the main sign atop the Kmart will be amended to read “Kmart Sears Appliances.”

Sears is planning to roll out the store-in-a-store concept to additional Kmart locations in the near future, a spokesman for Sears Holdings said. The effort is seen as a way to boost major appliance sales and market share by leveraging Kmart's real estate. Unlike Sears stores, which are largely located in shopping malls, Kmart stores tend to be situated in strip malls, which many shoppers prefer for their easier access.

Commentary-

Even if it is a small one, this is another new test concept by Sears Holdings. Having a Sears appliance section isn't anything new, as they have been adding them to Kmarts for the past few years. What's different about this store is they are using more Sears branding to interest people. You could call it another step in 'de-kmarting' Kmart or 'Searsidizing' Kmart.

Kmart brings back Bluelight Specials just in time for school

HOFFMAN ESTATES , Ill. (Jul. 23) Kmart's "Mr. Bluelight," the company's renowned bargain hunter, is helping customers stay back-to-school-cool without breaking the bank, with the return of its exciting Bluelight Specials.

"We brought back Bluelight Specials last weekend and based on the overwhelming response and customer feedback, we're introducing even more, new specials this Sat., July 25," said Mark Snyder, chief marketing officer, Kmart. "It's a priority at Kmart to continue to give its customers the opportunity to take advantage of our combination of quality, price and value on the summer's hottest items and even plan for back-to-school."

Kmart's Bluelight Specials are taking over everything from patio furniture to schools supplies, with savings up to 75%.

For more information on the Bluelight special event, customers can follow Kmart on Twitter and Facebook.

Commentary-

The Bluelight is back....again? Just like back in 2001, Kmart is taking another stab at bringing back the Bluelight Special. Hopefully this time around they will put more effort into it. It can be a viable marketing tool for them, if the execution is right. We'll see what happens, but it's hard to have confidence in Sears Holdings Chairman Eddie Lampert.

All articles are courtesy of retailingtoday.com

Spotlight: Sears - Marietta, GA

As you could probably tell from the picture above, this isn't your average Sears store. But rather a Kmart turned Sears. I went to this former Big Kmart in January 2008 on my way to the Kmart Super Center I posted about recently. I read an article online a few days before my trip stating this store had just been converted. The article stated that this was another of Sears Holdings experiments. They liquidated and closed the Kmart and started work on transforming it into a (unique) Sears store. Here's the narrative of my visit-

Upon my arrival I could see that they didn't spend much money on changing the exterior of the store, just some paint and signage changes.

One addition to the exterior though, was a Pharmacy pick up window. The Pharmacy was one of the elements they kept from Kmart, more on that below.
They kept the Kmart Garden Center. On my trip there was nothing in it, most likely because it was the middle of winter when I visited.
Updated shopping center sign with the Sears name.
After surveying the exterior I entered the store for the interior evaluation. First off, I want to apologize for not having any pictures of the interior. The store was very open and filled with employees, so I didn't feel comfortable at the time to snap any pictures.

Let me just say I've never seen a Kmart or Sears store with so many shopping carts. They had rows and rows of carts inside and outside the store. They were all new Sears branded black carts.

Walking in the store first thing I notice is the Kmart-style low ceilings and rows of fluorescent lights. But that's where any interior resemblance to Kmart ends. The store looked as it had been gutted to the bare walls and remade. Everything was new- fixtures, registers, floor, etc. The store had Internet kiosks all over for looking up and ordering Sears products. The checkouts were centralized at the front of the store. As stated above the store was very open and airy feeling even with the low ceilings. It was mostly because the aisles were low and the store had a large, open 'race track' around it.

This store was more of a concept Sears, than a traditional mall Sears store. It had several holdover departments from Kmart blended with traditional Sears departments. Here's what they had- Greeting cards, small foods section (mostly gourmet foods), large health and beauty department, full service Pharmacy, large indoor garden center, sporting goods & exercise equipment, small toys department, baby department (complete with baby food, diapers, wipes, etc), section of large appliances, domestics/home goods, electronics they had DVD's, but no CD's), large hardware section, small jewelry department, shoes, and of course clothes. One feature of this store is a large Lands End clothing section, which is the largest in any Sears store.

The sad thing was that the store was extremely dead, the associates outnumbered the customers 3 to 1. Overall I liked the look and concept of the store. It just seemed a bit too small to have a full selection of Sears, yet didn't have enough right items to make it Kmart.

As always post your comments on what you think.

Special Report: Christmas in July? At Kmart & Sears it is...

By now you may have heard that Kmart & Sears is celebrating Christmas in July online and in select Sears stores.

Upon hearing this, I decided to check out Kmart & Sears Christmas websites. The result was ..well.. disappointment. It seems as if they just threw up a few Christmas items and made a fancy Flash page to advertise it. Tom Barlow of BloggingStocks summed it up well, "The campaign shows little thought or investment beyond a landing page and a few links to existing catalog items. Dare I suggest that this is typical Kmart, unimaginative and short-sighted? I haven't even bought my Halloween costume and Thanksgiving turkey yet. Are they giving up on those holidays?" and goes on to say "Will Kmart even be around in January to accept returns? With promotions like this, I have to wonder." The last comment was a bit harsh, but I have to agree with the rest.

There really wasn't much excitement in what they put up on the sites and the prices weren't very special either. Although as of this writing they did start a buy more, save more special. The whole thing just seems to be a little too gimmicky for me.

One has to wonder if this is a desperate attempt by Sears Holdings Chairman Eddie Lampert to stir up interest in Kmart & Sears. Although I believe it has created a bit of publicity for them, most of it hasn't been very good. Time just posted an article online titled "Kmart's Christmas in July: Inspiration or Desperation?" MSN ran two article about their Christmas promotion in the past week. Neither had much positive to say though. You can read the articles here and here.

You be the judge, check out Kmart and Sears Christmas sites (which are essentially the same) and comment on what you think. Also, if anyone has been to one of the select Sears stores that have a Christmas shop, please post on your experience.

Spotlight: Super Kmart Center - Rome, GA

In January of 2008 I visited the last remaining Kmart Super Center in Georgia.

Here's the narrative of my visit-
Upon arriving I was impressed with the very well kept up exterior of the store. At the end of the parking lot was a Kmart Express gas station, complete with a small convenience store. I found it funny, there was a small shopping center building in the parking lot with a still open Little Caesar's Pizza.

After entering the store (through the food side entrance), I observed it was fairly busy, quite a bit more so than a typical Big Kmart store. Though it was still a fraction of the business a Walmart Super Center would have. The store inside was very well kept up and fairly well stocked for a Kmart. The signage in the store looked fairly nice too.

Across from the checkouts at the front of the store was customer service, next to customer service there was a ICEE/Soda fountain bar, (with cups purchasable at the register), a Olan Mills portrait studio, a impressively large Floral department, and a large game room (complete with ancient games.) The store had 16 registers, but oddly they were dismantling the first 4 registers, I guess they were getting rid of them.

I walked through the regular part of the store first. They had a large section of Craftsman tools in the hardware department. Electronics was on the far right side of the store and probably the most disappointing department, it didn't have a very decent selection and was the most dated looking department in the store. Surprisingly this store didn't have any of their DVD's locked up, as most Kmart's now do. There was a typical Layaway department in the back of the store. Also along the back wall was the large Appliances department.

After touring the GM side, I grabbed a shopping cart (some carts were blue and some were grey) and headed to the Grocery side. I started at the back of the store where they had the Produce department, Dairy/Frozen Foods and the Meat/Seafood departments. I could tell they used to have a fresh seafood section but they took the sign down and was now using the area for more packaged meats. They still had frozen seafood though. The Produce department was nice, neat, and well kept.

The side wall had the Deli/Bakery and in the front corner the Deli Cafe restaurant. The bakery was excellent and had tons of goodies. They also had a Krispy Kreme case with individual donuts for 50 cents and a Vortman cookie case where you could pick 10 cookies for $1.00. The bakery was definitely better than Walmarts. Next was the deli which was attached to the Deli Cafe. The deli was large with meat, cheeses, specialty dishes, a hot bar with fried chicken, and lots of hot side dishes. You could get the hot food from the deli, or get a deli sub made, buy it in the deli, and eat it at the Cafe. The Cafe had its own large menu with snacks like popcorn and nachos, menu items like chicken sandwiches, a good sized breakfast menu, and a drink bar with sodas and coffee. It had a huge seating area. After I picked out my groceries, I got some food at the Cafe and sat down there to eat.

After finishing at the Cafe, I headed to the checkouts. Unfortunately it was like most Kmart's and had only two registers open with long lines. The store had no self-checkouts, which I don't think any Kmart's have. I headed out to my car and got gas at the Kmart Express gas station. Upon leaving I noticed on the side of the store the empty auto center with 5 or 6 garage bays.

I took as many pics as I could of the store. Outside shots were hard because of the sunshine blocking my shots.

It was my first visit to a Kmart Super Center and I was pleased with the selection and look of the store. Overall I was impressed with this Kmart.













Fast forward to July 2009 and this Kmart Super Center has been.. well de-Super Centered. It no longer has a grocery section and is not open 24 hours anymore.

According to the Rome Newswire in an article dated April 8, 2009-

'The Rome Super Kmart Store will be laying off 80 employees and closing the grocery section within 60 days, but the store manager says the business will remain open.
“No, the store is not planning to close,” said Mike Barger, Rome’s store manager. He deferred other questions to the company’s public relations department.
Kim Freely, a public relations official, confirmed the layout Wednesday afternoon, saying “we are eliminating the grocery side of the store.”
The move will change the local Kmart from a Super Kmart to a Big K. Freely said the business currently employees about 180 people, meaning about 100 will remain following the planned change.'
In this follow up article dated June 1, 2009, the new signs go up-

'The old signs are coming down and new ones going up at the Super Kmart on Hicks Drive that will soon be fully transitioned to a Big K.
As first reported by RomeNewswire in early April, the store is closing it’s grocery side and becoming a Big K. Kim Freely, a public relations officials with the chain, said the move will results in about 80 people losing their jobs. The stored employed about 180 before the change began.
Workers from Coosa Valley Signs and Rayburn Electric were working in the heat Monday morning to pull down and swap out the signs in the Kmart parking lot.'
So there you go folks, the last Kmart Super Center in Georgia is now gone, at least as a Super Center. This isn't the first Kmart Super Center in the past year to stay open but get rid of the grocery section. There have been several around the US that have quietly phased out the grocery section and become Big Kmarts. According to the Kmart Super Center website, there are only 38 Kmart Super Centers left in 13 states, with over half of them in only 3 states.
I have not been to the Rome, GA store yet to check out the change but if I do, pictures will be posted here.

So what do you think, are the remaining Kmart Super Centers days numbered? Or are they just trimming the "fat" to focus on a few profitable ones?