Anyway, we were intrigued by this photo:
Yup. That's right. A Kmart and Target in the same shopping center. Maybe not so unusual for 2 to be in the same block. But next to each other? And without the Kmart shutting down??
Wow. so it is true! You can see below, a Kmart store (with fewer cars parked) is on the left, and a Target store (with more cars parked) is on the top right.
Not sure why the Kmart survived (still open as of Dec 2009) when strategy seemed to be close stores whenever competition moves in. However, it does look to be remodeled on the exterior, so perhaps that should teach management a lesson - remodeling is crucial for business! And, it seems a nice, remodeled Kmart CAN compete with a Target. Anyone know of any other places where a Kmart and a Walmart/Target are in the same plaza? If so, leave a comment and maybe we'll dedicate a post to you & your store! For example, there's one at 2150 S Douglas Hwy, Gillette, WY 82716 where the Big Kmart shares a parking lot with the Wal-Mart Supercenter. (What?? How is the Kmart still alive? What is the target shopping audience?)
(Photo from Holcombe of Hidalgo on Flickr, thanks!)
1445 South Power Roa Mesa, AZ 85206
Edit: By compete, we mean still exist. As in still in business post-bankruptcy (2002) and post-Sears merger (2005), since which over 1/3 of Kmart stores (only 1,300 stores remain in 2009 from over 2,114 pre-bankrupcty in 2002... but locations started closing in the late 1990's). To our (limited) knowledge, there have been no new Kmart store openings in the US since then. The only expansion could be a handful of new Sears Grand stores.
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Just because they're in the same shopping center, doesn't mean they're doing well or competing well. I live in that area, and the K-Mart seems to always have less people in it. Also the customers in the Target appear to be more.. um.. put together. Not really sure why that is. But as far as shopping environments go, Target wins.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I don't know how K-Mart has stayed in business even this long. I don't have anything against them, and it would be difficult for thousands of employees nationwide if they went under for good, must be very tenacious.
ReplyDeleteMy question is what makes KMart and Sears think they can be successful? Since when does 2 losers equal a winner?
ReplyDeleteTarget next to Kmart, GO Kmart! If I lived in that city I would so rather shop at the big red K than at TGT's.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing place because I can get almost everything there, it's the best way to buying home things, food and also clothe and shoes, that's a complete market.
ReplyDeleteIs this a newer store? The last Kmart I know of opening was a Super Kmart Opened in 2002, this was a store closed in 2003. The Kmart this blog is about looks too new to be from 2002. All the Kmarts I know of now are so old they make the 20 year old Super Kmarts look like state of the art stores.
ReplyDeleteThe last full-line Kmart to open was in Somers Point, NJ. Not a Super Kmart. There was a mini-store that opened in Puerto Rico, known as Kmart Express in 2011. In 2018, a Kmart opened in the basement of the Brooklyn, NY Sears store.
DeleteSadly, this location closed in 2016.
ReplyDelete