Kmart Lancaster, SC 1992-2012
Kmart in Lancaster, SC opened in late 1992, side by side with Winn Dixie. It started off its life as a regular Kmart with a Little Caesars Pizza. No Super Center expansion was ever put into play here. In 2000, it got a "Big K" remodel, consisting of adding a food section, as well as removing "older" sections and making way for newer items. Many sections got moved around during this time, such as Men's clothing and Jewelry. Lancaster got hit hard in 2003, where the Springs Plant, which once made sheets and pillows, etc... moved operations to South America. The town suffered and it hasnt been the same since. Its 30 minutes from Charlotte, and a 20 minute drive to the nearest highway, I-77. Mainly, the people who shop in Lancaster are the people who live here, and the tiny communities around it. This store survived the mass closings of the early 2000's, and then once again survived closings in 2010 and 2011. Rumors flew in the fall of 2012, when a store employee said the store would close its doors. The rumors were true, and the store began liquidating in October of 2012. The stores last day of operation was Dec 16th 2012. The plaza is now vacant except for the Arbys, which does good business and is newly remodeled. Below, you will see photos of this once great store. I had the opportunity to shop here many times in the past 3 years, and with sadness I had the opportunity to go into the store on December 19th 2012 one last time. I hope you enjoy these photos and I know I enjoyed this Kmart store. Please read the captions for more of this story.
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Photos of the store pre liquidation:
Photos taken on November 4th 2012:
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Infants/Children's
Sporting Goods
What was automotive & hardware
Toys
Toys on the left
Garden Shop
Purses & Accessories
Little Caesars
Front End
Footwear
I hate seeing this
Infants/Childrens on the left
Footwear
Furniture on the right
Below are photos from November 29th 2012:
Little Caesars
Children's/Infants would of been on the left
Hardware/Automotive
Toys
Garden Shop
Purses/Accessories
Below are photos from December 19th 2012:
Kids/Children's Clothing
Shoes/Footwear/Sleepwear/Undergarments
Womens & Juniors Apparel
Shoes/Footwear/Sleepwear/Undergarments
Jewelry/Accessories and looking towards home furnishings
Pantry area
Back wall was Toys & Seasonal
Pantry
They removed the Big K the day after it closed. They dont fool around.
The photos below represent items found on the floor!
Now we get to the good stuff. I obtained the original blueprints to the store! These show the store layout, square footage, placements for carts and baskets and much more. How many can say they have these to ANY Kmart store?!?!?
Original blueprint from 1992!!
Big K 2000 remodel
Big K restrooms sign
I forget exactly when Kmart started using these signs. I feel like it was early to mid 00's.
I had the chance to take the "Thank you for shopping at" letters down. I was in the store 3 weeks prior to it closing, and asked if they still had the Little Caesars sign. They didn't, but I asked if I could buy anything else. He noted I could buy the letters but I couldn't have the "Big K" sign due to it being trademarked. Sure enough, when I came back, it was already off the wall. I got all but 2 letters down without breaking them. The letters are a hard Styrofoam, not wood or plastic. They are held up with double stick tape. Little did I know, buying these letters would be my "in" to getting some amazing stuff!
More interior photos below:
Greeting Cards to the right, home decor to the left
Women's Fashions (There would of been a checkout where I was standing)
Women's fashions in the forefront. Kids/Infants along the wall. (There would of been a checkout where I was standing)
Letters are removed now
Little Caesars. Original to the store.
Layaway
Olan Mills (not original)
Fitting Rooms
Electronics Dept
Pantry
That's me!
Down goes the sign!
Great story and super haul! Am hoping the same thing does not happen to my local Kmart. Even with the outdated store design, dismal interiors and messy product arrangement, I still like shopping at Kmart. If management would let me loose in my local store, I could have it whipped back into shape within a month, at minimal cost.
ReplyDeleteI wish the entire chain would get their act together, as I believe Kmart has a place in today's retail world. If only they could find it...
Really do enjoy your blog. Thanks!
Great article, it seems like Kmart/Sears has been quietly closing stores throughout the year. Around this time last year the company had a large list of stores to close and that a few more not on the list would close. A Sears in one of the most successful malls in the Houston area was sold off and is currently having a store closing sale. Nordstrom is going to replace the Sears.
ReplyDeleteSears sold stores to malls in a bunch of states, so that the malls can then lease them to other stores. Kmart is not renewing the lease on stores, so they arent "closing" them per say. I believe the mass closings of 2010 and 2011 were stores that were under performing and didnt have much to do with the lease. Now, they are closing stores that are worth money but arent doing well and have a lease thats expired. Most of these stores are going to be turned into something else. Asheville will be a Whole Foods. This store will probably be nothing sadly.
ReplyDeleteOne of the nicest Kmarts I've seen to bad they could'nt make a go of it.
ReplyDeleteTry and cover the Mauldin KMart it still looks a little outdated
ReplyDelete"Would've"
ReplyDeleteNice butt...
ReplyDelete