Kmart Forever: March 2022

March 30, 2022

Kmart #7374 - West Chester, PA

KMART #7374

Opened: 1979

Closed: 2019

Address: 985 Paoli Pike

Exterior: Grandway

Interior (at time of closure): "Orange"

Photographed: December 2021

Grand Union opened its West Chester Grandway in October 1968. It closed in 1979, and was quickly converted to a Kmart, opening on November 15, 1979. Kmart was expanded in mid-1995, and was given the "orange" remodel in the mid-2000s, adding an internet cafe, rearranging departments, and installing new departmental signage. Ultimately, it was announced for closure in August 2019, closing on December 8, 2019, as not only the last Kmart in Chester County, but the last in the entire Greater Philadelphia region.

Hello! Welcome to- oh, wait, this one's closed too?

Stock photo featuring Kmart #7374 pre-remodel

For some pre-closure interior and exterior photos, I recommend checking out these photos on Flickr and Google Maps.

I also found this 360º panoramic view of the inside, courtesy of Loopnet. It can be accessed here.

March 16, 2022

Sears #1853 - Wilmington, DE

SEARS #1853

Opened: 1992

Closed: 2020

Address: 4737 Concord Pike

Photographed: December 2021

Sears #1853 opened on September 22, 1992. This is one of the few cases of a Sears relocation. The store was originally located at 4601 N. Market St. The land housing the replacement Sears was originally an Almart, which was constructed in 1965, before closing and becoming a Jefferson Ward in 1984. It was later converted to a Bradlees, which was later demolished for Sears. After the closure of Sears' Dover store in August 2018, this became the chain's last Delawarean store, although it sadly closed in April 2020.

Mall entrance, photo by Mike Kalasnik on Flickr

There are tons of great interior-and exterior photos of this store pre-closure over on Flickr, which I encourage you to check out here.

March 09, 2022

My "local" Kmart is closing

Kmart #3438 in Avenel, NJ is closing in May.

Sears #1864 - Cockeysville, MD

SEARS #1864

Opened: 1981

Closed: 2017

Address: 126 Shawan Rd

Photographed: December 2021

Sears' Hunt Valley store, the lone remnant of the former Hunt Valley Mall, opened on September 17, 1981 with the mall. In 2000, after suffering competition from other malls nearby, the Hunt Valley Mall admitted defeat and was, except for the anchors, demolished. In 2003, a new outdoor shopping mall, the Hunt Valley Towne Center, was built, adding on to the Sears and former Macy's buildings. Sears Holdings announced the Cockeysville store's closure on June 22, 2017, and it closed in September. On October 21, 2018, HomeGoods opened a new store in about half of the bottom level of the former Sears, and was followed in March 2019 by a Michaels store, right next door. In December 2020, Ashley Furniture opened a HomeStore in a large part of the second level of the former Sears. In February 2021, it was announced that a fourth and final replacement store, OneLife Fitness, would be built off the remaining space in the upper floor.