[Stardust]

The Kmart stores in Winchester and Hazard and a Sears hard-lines store in Middlesboro are among those that will be closed, according to a list released Thursday by the struggling Sears Holdings Co., which controls the two retail chains. The announcement includes 79 of the planned 100 to 120 stores that will be shuttered on the heels of a disappointing holiday season.The list, which is not yet complete, identifies 38 Kmart and 41 Sears stores. Besides the Winchester store, Kmart operates Central Kentucky stores on Nicholasville Road in Lexington and in Georgetown, Versailles and Frankfort. Sears has a store Fayette Mall in Lexington.

Those stores were not on Thursday's list of closings.Ronnie Carter, a Middlesboro city council member, said that he was surprised because the Sears store there appeared successful."I just bought a set of tires out there," he said.He said that the Bell County town is gaining a Cracker Barrel and Little Caesars Pizza, but is losing a steakhouse and Captain D's seafood restaurant while other chain restaurants look at Middlesboro for possible locations.He estimated that the Sears in Middlesboro employed 20 to 25 people.Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner said that the city would market the Kmart space to other retailers, but that in the interim he thought other retailers would pick up the customers affected by the store's closing.

"We have worked extremely hard in Winchester and Clark County in the retail/commercial area, and will continue to do so," Burtner said. "We absolutely regret the loss of jobs."Employees at the three affected Kentucky stores declined to speak with a reporter, saying that they had been told not to talk to the media by the stores' parent company.The store closings are part of a new strategy that the company announced Tuesday of redirecting resources to profitable stores and away from under-performing stores."While our past practice has been to keep marginally performing stores open while we worked to improve their performance, we no longer believe that to be the appropriate action in this environment," the company said in a statement.

Retail analysts say the company, which has suffered more than four years of sales declines, might be headed to bankruptcy unless it takes drastic action to upgrade its stores and revamp its merchandise.The company did not specify how many employees would be affected but said that a typical store that is being closed employs 40 to 80 people.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/12/29/20097...rylink=cpy

[Old School]

Paintsville survived the first round for both Sears and Kmart. Hopefully we'll survive round two.

[WideRight05]

^ Good luck. Hopefully things will get better and that won't happen in paintsville. Was a sad article to read the other day.

[geauxtigers75]

Hazard has probably lost 1000+ jobs since 2000. This doesn't help anything.

[J.W.]

the kmart here in hazard hasn't really wanted to hired anyone really for a long time now, sears hasn't let them... but good riddance, didn't get much service anyway

[Bob Seger]

Paintsville survived the first round for both Sears and Kmart. Hopefully we'll survive round two.

I cant imagine KMart having stores that underperform more than what the ones in Paintsville and Pikeville do. I cant for the life of me figure out how they manage to just pay the monthly electric bill.


The Sears store in Paintsville will probably continue on as usual as it is not a company owned store, but rather a franchised store that is independently owned and operated.


The big news would be for the Lowes store in Paintsville to close, as there are rumors to that actually happening. Lowes is closing a bunch of their stores nationaly as well. Ironicly it would however be a boon to the Sears store if it were to happen, as it would send a lot of business that Lowes currently has in that direction, with it's Craftsman and Kenmore lines being the major draw. It would also be a huge shot in the arm to FS VanHoose lumber company. Personally I think it would be great for the local economy for the likes of Lowes and WalMart to both leave the Paintsville area, but alas i doubt that will be the case with WalMart.

[Old School]

I cant imagine KMart having stores that underperform more than what the ones in Paintsville and Pikeville do. I cant for the life of me figure out how they manage to just pay the monthly electric bill.


The Sears store in Paintsville will probably continue on as usual as it is not a company owned store, but rather a franchised store that is independently owned and operated.


The big news would be for the Lowes store in Paintsville to close, as there are rumors to that actually happening. Lowes is closing a bunch of their stores nationaly as well. Ironicly it would however be a boon to the Sears store if it were to happen, as it would send a lot of business that Lowes currently has in that direction, with it's Craftsman and Kenmore lines being the major draw. It would also be a huge shot in the arm to FS VanHoose lumber company. Personally I think it would be great for the local economy for the likes of Lowes and WalMart to both leave the Paintsville area, but alas i doubt that will be the case with WalMart.

I had not heard the rumor about Lowes closing, like you said both FS and Sears would benefit greatly.

[Panther Thunder]

I cant imagine KMart having stores that underperform more than what the ones in Paintsville and Pikeville do. I cant for the life of me figure out how they manage to just pay the monthly electric bill.


The Sears store in Paintsville will probably continue on as usual as it is not a company owned store, but rather a franchised store that is independently owned and operated.


The big news would be for the Lowes store in Paintsville to close, as there are rumors to that actually happening. Lowes is closing a bunch of their stores nationaly as well. Ironicly it would however be a boon to the Sears store if it were to happen, as it would send a lot of business that Lowes currently has in that direction, with it's Craftsman and Kenmore lines being the major draw. It would also be a huge shot in the arm to FS VanHoose lumber company. Personally I think it would be great for the local economy for the likes of Lowes and WalMart to both leave the Paintsville area, but alas i doubt that will be the case with WalMart.

The fact that the K-Mart in Pikeville is still open is nothing short of a miracle.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Corbin also made it threw the first round of closings.
Kmart has been in Corbin for a very long time, id say 20 years or longer, and they havent mentioned closing it yet.
The Sears in Corbin is kind of a satelite branch and they say it wont close, it only sales a few certain items.

[Bob Seger]

Corbin also made it threw the first round of closings.
Kmart has been in Corbin for a very long time, id say 20 years or longer, and they havent mentioned closing it yet.
The Sears in Corbin is kind of a satelite branch and they say it wont close, it only sales a few certain items.

That sounds like the one in Paintsville. They are not owned by Sears, but rather by an individual who simply buy the products from Sears and resales them. Of course Sears supports any warranty on their products and promotions they may advertise in these franchised stores.

[Bob Seger]

The fact that the K-Mart in Pikeville is still open is nothing short of a miracle.

I do business with both. As bad as what you think the Pikeville store may be, the sad truth is that Paintsville is probably worse, (just as bad, best case scenerio).

[Bob Seger]

I had not heard the rumor about Lowes closing, like you said both FS and Sears would benefit greatly.

They survived last years cut, but rumors are starting to reimerge that they may not survive the next.


I think you were involved in a discussion on here a couple of months ago, with some suggesting how great the economy was in this area lead by the supposed reemergence of King Coal?? You, like myself, took the counter point of view. If you are not involved in this stuff each and every day,(just trying to survive), you can easily be swayed into belieiving the lies of the current liberal administration spread by the equally liberal news media about the uptopia they suggest. In reality, it just plain does not exist and is quite the opposite.

[TheRealVille]

I cant imagine KMart having stores that underperform more than what the ones in Paintsville and Pikeville do. I cant for the life of me figure out how they manage to just pay the monthly electric bill.


The Sears store in Paintsville will probably continue on as usual as it is not a company owned store, but rather a franchised store that is independently owned and operated.


The big news would be for the Lowes store in Paintsville to close, as there are rumors to that actually happening. Lowes is closing a bunch of their stores nationaly as well. Ironicly it would however be a boon to the Sears store if it were to happen, as it would send a lot of business that Lowes currently has in that direction, with it's Craftsman and Kenmore lines being the major draw. It would also be a huge shot in the arm to FS VanHoose lumber company. Personally I think it would be great for the local economy for the likes of Lowes and WalMart to both leave the Paintsville area, but alas i doubt that will be the case with WalMart.

I am surprised the Paintsville Sears store didn't get the axe though. I buy there, simply because I like the Craftsman brand, but I have to wonder how many customers the manager there has lost for Sears. I have complained to Sears a couple of times for way she treats customers. I would bet that I'm not the only person that has complained to Sears about her.

[Bob Seger]

I am surprised the Paintsville Sears store didn't get the axe though. I buy there, simply because I like the Craftsman brand, but I have to wonder how many customers the manager there has lost for Sears. I have complained to Sears a couple of times for way she treats customers. I would bet that I'm not the only person that has complained to Sears about her.

The Paintsville Sears store is not owned by Sears. The manager you speak of is more than likely the owner. It is a franchised store. I shop there like you, primarily for the Craftsman line of tools. The lady you speak of is not a bad person. She is a little "dry" personality wise , but she has always tried to help me with anything I've ever asked. She may not be the best individual to be in the "sales" business, but she has always been accommodating upon request. Sears may be interested in how their franchised store treat their customers, but ultimately there is probably not a lot they can do about it.


Actually it was Kmart that acquired Sears rather than the other way around. I find it hard to phathom that a company that comes out of bankruptcy (or is at near bankruptcy) is able to acquire assests as vast as Sears. It's just been a few short years ago, that Sears & Roebuck was the largest retailer in the world.

[Ballers]

Not a shocker.
K-Mart's prices are out the roof on everything.
You can go almost anywhere and buy an xbox360 game 10 dollars cheaper..
I just don't get it..
Also - I know a lot of people that don't go to K-Mart.. They are the little sister of big brother Wal-Mart.

[LWC]

K-Mart is SOOO expensive. However, with that said, the K-Mart in Russell Springs does VERY well. I don't get it. Columbia (at most 20 minute drive) just opened a Wall-Mart SuperCenter. I worry a little that SuperCenters are popping up everywhere while Sears, KMart, and some Lowes are closing everywhere.

I read a Yahoo! story a couple of years ago that told that the CFO of WalMart came right out and said that it was going for the throat of these stores like KMart, etc... because they wanted to drive out competition so they could raise prices. I have never heard a CEO/CFO publicly say something like that, but this one did.

Obviously that bothers me a little bit but at the same time, we are in a tough economy. While I would like to spend $50-$70 more to buy the same things at KMart to keep prices eventually lower (doesn't make sense to say it, but it made sense in my head), it is simply ignorant economics for someone in my tax-bracket/basement.

[Bob Seger]

K-Mart is SOOO expensive. However, with that said, the K-Mart in Russell Springs does VERY well. I don't get it. Columbia (at most 20 minute drive) just opened a Wall-Mart SuperCenter. I worry a little that SuperCenters are popping up everywhere while Sears, KMart, and some Lowes are closing everywhere.

I read a Yahoo! story a couple of years ago that told that the CFO of WalMart came right out and said that it was going for the throat of these stores like KMart, etc... because they wanted to drive out competition so they could raise prices. I have never heard a CEO/CFO publicly say something like that, but this one did.

Obviously that bothers me a little bit but at the same time, we are in a tough economy. While I would like to spend $50-$70 more to buy the same things at KMart to keep prices eventually lower (doesn't make sense to say it, but it made sense in my head), it is simply ignorant economics for someone in my tax-bracket/basement.

I dont know that WalMart will emphasize SuperCenters for right now. What you will see is a smaller concept of the SuperCenter which WalMart calls Neighborhood Markets. Dollar General has been the one store that has successfully attacked and taken market share away from WalMart. The more rural the store, the more successful the Dollar General store has been. The new Neighborhood Market concept is a scaled down version of the SuperCenter that will carry a reduced number of items that will go directly back at the Dollar General stores. I think WalMart expantion will be with this type of store in the smaller rural markets where the DG's are thriving. KMart on the other hand just simply does not have the financial resources to use the same pricing tactics as WalMart to run someone else out of business. Trust me when the KMart (or whatever the competitor it may be) is gone you will then see current KMart pricing in WalMart stores. WalMarts are only cheap where they have to be.


While it may be a surprise that a CEO, CFO or whomever it may be of WalMart may come out publicly with a statement like you read, it has always been in reality the true directiveness of WalMart to use whatever preditory means it takes to eliminate competition, and then to raise prices once that objective has been completed. WalMart in reality is the true Evil Giant of this country.

[LWC]

^I agree that it is the reality, I was commenting that it wowed me that it was stated for the record!

I was commenting on what I had personally seen from Wal-Mart. Columbia, Stanford, etc... have all been given a SuperCenter in the last 5-6 years.

I am happy that they are discussing putting a WalMart Neighborhood Market in Rockcastle County. Currently, the biggest retail store Rock has is a Rite-Aid. I wish I could say that I was joking.

The Dollar General they put in Brodhead is doing extremely well. Russell County has 3 Dollar Generals and all of them are constantly busy. They are opening a Dollar General Market, which is a store that is bigger than the current Dollar General and also has more grocery selection. It might just put a nasty hurting on the KMart if it is very big at all.

[Bob Seger]

^I agree that it is the reality, I was commenting that it wowed me that it was stated for the record!

I was commenting on what I had personally seen from Wal-Mart. Columbia, Stanford, etc... have all been given a SuperCenter in the last 5-6 years.

I am happy that they are discussing putting a WalMart Neighborhood Market in Rockcastle County. Currently, the biggest retail store Rock has is a Rite-Aid. I wish I could say that I was joking.

The Dollar General they put in Brodhead is doing extremely well. Russell County has 3 Dollar Generals and all of them are constantly busy. They are opening a Dollar General Market, which is a store that is bigger than the current Dollar General and also has more grocery selection. It might just put a nasty hurting on the KMart if it is very big at all.

Yes , you are correct that DG does have a General Market concept, but they have not been expanding those at a rapid rate. They do not have the Warehouse capacity to carry perishable items and the distribution capabilities as WalMart. They have to rely on other independent grocery warehouse suppliers to supply those stores. WalMart does not, as they have their own distribution facilities and their own direct buyers. Most DG's are always busy, but like I said the most successful ones are located in the more rural of areas. The down side to the local economy is that DG has just about finished off what damage the WalMart D1 and SuperCenter stores have done to the rural Mom and Pop stores. It's been more like the final nails to the coffin.

[LWC]

^Oh yeah, a Wal-Mart complete monopoly is likely in order, it would take something crazy for WalMart to not continue to grow.

[Bob Seger]

^Oh yeah, a Wal-Mart complete monopoly is likely in order, it would take something crazy for WalMart to not continue to grow.

Actually tough economic times like we are going through right now plays directly into WalMarts hands. They have the financial resources to wait it out to put the final blow into those independents that are waiting for an economic upturn to revitalize themselves. Sadly for many, it has not come quickly enough. They just were not able to wait it out. WalMart is just like a giant shark that goes into a feeding frenzy at the first smell of blood from a distressed competitor.

[LWC]

^Yet we will all continue to shop there.

It is kind of like walking into a severe hail storm because it is the only way to get home. You have to cross into it, but you don't really want to because in the end, it will hurt.

[Bob Seger]

^Yet we will all continue to shop there.

It is kind of like walking into a severe hail storm because it is the only way to get home. You have to cross into it, but you don't really want to because in the end, it will hurt.

And all the while we just keep strenghening the economy of China. Other than food items, go through the store and see how many items you can find that has "Made In USA" stamped on them. Good Luck on that!! This goes way to the opposite of Sam Walton's "Buy American" proganda that he advocated before he passed on. The American people as a whole, have to be some of the dumbest and most ignorant people on this earth. We are so concerned with anything short termed we fail to see the big picture of anything.

[NEWARKCATHOLICFAN]

Here in Central, Ohio we are losing a KMART store on Hamilton road.
Poor sales
Horible ran down area that is only gettong worse
Along with KMART does little to compete with other stores in the area.Walmart puts them to shame. This might not be liked but it is true pricing has a lot to do with this.

[LWC]

And all the while we just keep strenghening the economy of China. Other than food items, go through the store and see how many items you can find that has "Made In USA" stamped on them. Good Luck on that!! This goes way to the opposite of Sam Walton's "Buy American" proganda that he advocated before he passed on. The American people as a whole, have to be some of the dumbest and most ignorant people on this earth. We are so concerned with anything short termed we fail to see the big picture of anything.

Sadly, China can make it much cheaper, ship it over here and it be sold much cheaper. It is a sad truth.

I bet that if a pair of pants were made exclusively here and the same pair were made in China, it would be significantly cheaper to buy the Chinese product.

Do I like it? No, but it is the sad truth. American businesses would love for someone to make a point to only "Buy American" , because they make the money off of it, but their prices will be higher than that Chinese product. You can go ahead and buy that car or jeans or whatever at a much higher price from people that complain when they make $15 per hour plus benefits, while the Vietnamese/Chinese/Japanese/Mexican/etc... person makes nickles and dimes and is content with it.

Sadly, I do not blame businesses for moving overseas. If they can make the money and not deal with unions and workers wanting 10x what the overseas worker wants, why not?

With all of that said, if a product is the same price or relatively the same price, and I had the conscious choice to buy the USA product, I would. I would love for people not to lose their jobs because a factory owner can move his company to Mexico, still live in America and enjoy the beauty of being a US citizen, while making 5-6 times MORE money!

I remember being told once while I was young to never complain about what you get paid at your job, because there is always someone willing to do it for less. That is what is killing the US economy. We complain because we want $20 per hour as opposed to $15, while someone in China is willing to work for $1 an hour! Obviously, the businesses will leave. Kill the free trade agreement and things might change, but still.

I am a proud American but that doesn't mean I have to pay significantly more for something that is made in the US. It means I have the freedom to choose to be economically smart about it. I honestly would not care if China/Mexico/Japan/etc... was the richest country and we were number two, as long as we left each other alone.

I complain often about the greedy business owner always wanting more and charging more and paying less. However, the American worker, overall, is the same way. A buddy of mine made $26 per hour at a job he had. He got great hours and had a job that he loved. He was debating with the company because he wanted free dental insurance as well. Keep in mind that he makes $52,080 per year. My dental insurance costs me about $30 per month or $360 per year. He QUIT because they would give it to him but somebody 1 position above him got it. He was going to start work at the other factory about 30 minutes away that had the same position that he worked. Before he started working they moved away. Now I think he has been unemployed for about 2 years. Where would he be today if he would have said, I make $52,080 per year, why can't I be content with my wonderful salary and pay 1/3 of what I make per WEEK for dental insurance for A YEAR. (Good dental BTW). Stuff like that saddens me. I hope he finds work, this ordeal has obviously taught him humility.

Should we lay down for whatever the boss wants to pay, no! However, workers have to understand that the EMPLOYER writes the checks, not the EMPLOYEE!

[RunItUpTheGut]

Florida hit hardest by Sears store closings

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) -- Florida will be hit the hardest by the closing of Sears and Kmart stores, losing 11, according to a preliminary list of 79 planned closures released Thursday.

Ohio, Michigan and Georgia are not far behind with six store closures planned in their states. Tennessee, North Carolina and Minnesota are set to lose four stores each.

A spokeswoman for Sears Holding Corp. said each store employs between 40 and 80 people.

None of the closures announced so far are in Sears' home state of Illinois.

The 125-year-old retailer said on Tuesday it would close up to 120 stores to raise cash.

The projected closings represent only about 3 percent of Sears Holdings' U.S. stores. Sears and Kmart merged in 2005. The company now has about 3,560 stores in the U.S. That's up from 3,500 immediately after the merger.

Here is the list of closures announced so far http://www.searsmedia.com/tools/122711_close.pdf :

— Alabama (3): Sears in Mobile; Kmart in Auburn and Gadsden.

— California (3): Sears in El Monte and San Diego (2).

— Colorado (3): Sears in Longmont; Kmart in Broomfield and Glenwood Springs.

— Florida (11): Sears in Crystal River, Deland, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, West Palm Beach; Kmart in Callaway, Fernandina Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Orange City, Pompano Beach and St. Augustine.

— Georgia (6): Sears in Macon; Kmart in Atlanta, Buford, Columbus, Douglasville and Jonesboro.

— Idaho (1): Sears in Lewiston.

— Indiana (3): Sears in Anderson; Kmart in Indianapolis and St. John.

— Iowa (2): Kmart in Cedar Rapids and Davenport.

— Kansas (1): Sears in Lawrence.

— Kentucky (3): Sears in Middleboro; Kmart in Hazard and Winchester.

— Maryland (1): Sears in Ellicott City.

— Michigan (6): Sears in Adrian, Brighton, Chesterfield Township, Harper Woods, Monroe and Washington Township.

— Minnesota (4): Kmart in Duluth, New Hope, White Bear Lake and Willmar.

— Mississippi (3): Sears in Columbus, Jackson and McComb.

— Missouri (2): Sears in Lee's Summit and St. Louis.

— New Hampshire (2): Sears in Keene and Nashua.

— North Carolina (4): Sears in High Point, Morehead City, Rocky Mount and Statesville.

— Ohio (6): Kmart in Chagrin Falls, Columbus, Medina, Springfield and Toledo (2).

— Oregon (1): Sears in Roseburg.

— Pennsylvania (2): Sears in Pottstown and Upper Darby.

— South Carolina (1): Sears in Sumter.

— Tennessee (4): Sears in Antioch, Cleveland, Oak Ridge; Kmart in Hendersonville.

— Virginia (3): Sears in Norfolk; Kmart in Midlothian and Richmond.

— Washington (2): Sears in Walla Walla; Kmart in Lacey.

— Wisconsin (2): Sears in West Baraboo; Kmart in Rice Lake.

[vundy33]

Meh...not a big deal to me. I stopped shopping at K-Mart when I found out they weren't open 24-7, lol. And I don't think I've ever been in Sears...

Does Sears have anything good? They carry TV's, don't they? I want to buy my mom a Blu-Ray player so I can take my PS3 back to the barracks with me and setup the Blu-Ray so she can watch Netflix. Wonder if they have those, and at good prices?

[TheRealVille]

Meh...not a big deal to me. I stopped shopping at K-Mart when I found out they weren't open 24-7, lol. And I don't think I've ever been in Sears...

Does Sears have anything good? They carry TV's, don't they? I want to buy my mom a Blu-Ray player so I can take my PS3 back to the barracks with me and setup the Blu-Ray so she can watch Netflix. Wonder if they have those, and at good prices?

I like the Craftsman line of products. Tools, weed eaters, compressors, and such. Yes, some Sears stores carry Blu-Ray players. I've saw them in the one that is in the Fayette Mall.

[TheRealVille]

I dont know that WalMart will emphasize SuperCenters for right now. What you will see is a smaller concept of the SuperCenter which WalMart calls Neighborhood Markets. Dollar General has been the one store that has successfully attacked and taken market share away from WalMart. The more rural the store, the more successful the Dollar General store has been. The new Neighborhood Market concept is a scaled down version of the SuperCenter that will carry a reduced number of items that will go directly back at the Dollar General stores. I think WalMart expantion will be with this type of store in the smaller rural markets where the DG's are thriving. KMart on the other hand just simply does not have the financial resources to use the same pricing tactics as WalMart to run someone else out of business. Trust me when the KMart (or whatever the competitor it may be) is gone you will then see current KMart pricing in WalMart stores. WalMarts are only cheap where they have to be.


While it may be a surprise that a CEO, CFO or whomever it may be of WalMart may come out publicly with a statement like you read, it has always been in reality the true directiveness of WalMart to use whatever preditory means it takes to eliminate competition, and then to raise prices once that objective has been completed. WalMart in reality is the true Evil Giant of this country.

On a side note, Magoffin County has 4 Dollar Stores. Two Dollar General and two Family Dollar. I would think that the Louisa WalMart is one of those that you are talking about. It says supercenter, but it is very small.

[Bob Seger]

On a side note, Magoffin County has 4 Dollar Stores. Two Dollar General and two Family Dollar. I would think that the Louisa WalMart is one of those that you are talking about. It says supercenter, but it is very small.

Yeah you're right, they do. However Family Dollar is nowhere even in the same ballpark as having the market presence as Dollar General. In it's perspective category, Family Dollar vs. Dollar General is the equivalent to KMart vs. WalMart. There is that much difference between the two chains.


Concerning the Louisa SuperCenter, yes you are right, it is considerabley smaller than the other local WalMart SuperCenters, but it is still classified as a SuperCenter. The new Neighborhood Markets are even smaller than the Louisa SuperCenter.


I dont know what the square footage is of the Louisa store is I guessing somwhere in the 100-120,000 square foot range, but the typical SuperCenter is about 175,000 square feet, while the Neighborhood Market runs about 40,000 square feet. Also I want to note that WalMart is even now experimenting with an even smaller WalMart Express store which has only 15,000 square feet of selling space.