Friday, March 15, 2019

Farewell Tribute to Kmart #7677

After dealing with the loss of what was my local Kmart in Olean, I now go through a process of de-ja-vu all over again for Wellsville. Once Olean closed, this former top 50 most profitable store became my go to Kmart. It was perhaps a little more enjoyable for me personally as the trips over here would usually also involve getting a bite to eat at the Little Caesars cafe. I knew chances were that the store could have the dreaded closure announcement at any point, but I held high hopes for two reasons:

1. This store was one of the 50 most profitable Kmart stores
2. This store was the only discount retailer in town- unless you count dollar stores.

  • Walmart tried opening a location in this community for at least 10 years, but ultimately pulled out due to local protest. Most objections were out of fear it would hurt Kmart. Yeah, its a little ironic that Kmart closed anyways. 





1/11/19:


















This quad already saw one liquidation, now it sees another.












1/28/19:




Most Little Caesars would close at a liquidating Kmart once the supplies to make stuff ran out. This location had to have gotten new supplies because it remained open for a month after store closing announcement.








More shelving fixtures were sold at this location then any other liquidation sale I've been too.
2/4/19:














2/9/19:

























2/21/19:
























2/28/19:






















3/14/19: (The Final Visit)
























I honestly figured this particular location would survive, at least until the day when the entire company went belly up. But I was wrong and I'm not to happy about it. This store will be missed not only by myself, but I'm sure the Wellsville community will also miss it. I can only hope that this space will get repurposed quickly. My best guess is that either Walmart comes in and gets the Wellsville store they wanted or the building is subdivided with Big Lots taking some of the space.

6 comments:

  1. It's sad to see this one go, for a lot of reasons... it being a Top 50 store, the community having no other discount store, and of course it being your last local Kmart. That said, I'm glad you were able to document it in order to get a proper goodbye. Here's to hoping a new store (or stores) will take over soon...

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    1. I'm glad I was able to cover it too as it faded away. I will miss this location probably more then Olean.

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  2. I hope more than anything at this point for Wellsville is that Little Caesars come back but I doubt it since Wellsville is such a small town. Subway which it what would come as Walmart's food option is everywhere and will be the second Subway in town. Since it was the only Little Casears in town, they problely did better than if Subway were to come into Walmart if Walmart would come in town. Also, according to the Wellsville Daily, the Kmart building was own and still is own by the Riverwalk Property Management Company which is the shopping center's owner. So Walmart didn't buy the building then. I'm surprised they didn't close Sidney before Wellsville mainly cause Sidney is a Sertigate store.

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    1. I'm aware that this location was leased, so Walmart couldn't of bought the building. They could of bought the lease from Kmart, but I honestly suspect Kmart just choose this as a location to shut down. I figure the building won't sit empty long as the property owners would want it replaced.

      I doubt LC will come back to Wellsville at this point, unless the community pushes it come back.

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  3. Sydney is similarly the only thing in town. What's unique about that one is that store moved from one building to a newer one at some point and the old one remains vacant. That tells me it's not likely anyone else is going to come in and want the K-mart location when no one's taken over the former one.

    Right now that's about the second closest one to me, at least as a crow flies. If there's a store in Elmira or Horseheads yet that might be the same distance miles-wise.

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    Replies
    1. Wellsville here too actually was a relocation store just like Sidney. Both actually relocated right around the same time as Wellsville was store #7677 while Sidney is #7676. The original Kmart in Wellsville is currently Tractor Supply and Auto Zone.

      Sidney is an odd situation, but honestly I think that because of its proximity to Oneonta, chains and businesses overlook the town. (Likely why the orginial Sidney location is still vacant.) And with the current building being Seritage owned, having rent paid by someone is better than no one.

      There was a store in Horseheads, but that one closed right around the same time that this one in Wellsville did. There is now only 5 Kmart stores in upstate NY:

      Bath
      Buffalo
      Lakewood (Jamestown)
      Mattydale (Syracuse)
      Sidney

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