The once popular phrase “Attention Kmart shoppers” is about to become even more abstract to younger Tampa Bay generations, as the area’s last Kmart store is set to close early next year.
A representative with the company confirmed to Creative Loafing that the store located at 4501 66th St N in St. Petersburg will shutter forever on January 12. Employees were notified of the closure on Oct. 17.
“After careful review, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart store in St. Petersburg, Florida,” said the store’s parent company, Transformco, in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times. “The liquidation sale began last month and the store is planned to close by early January.”
The St. Pete store first opened in 1970.
In October of last year, it was announced that both Sears and Kmart stores, which are both owned by Transformco, would begin closing hundreds of stores in an effort to "return the company to profitability and preserve as many jobs as possible in the communities we serve,” said the company in a statement.
Then last August it was announced that more stores would close by the end of 2019, leaving roughly 380 remaining stores nationwide, including the St. Pete location.
After this holiday season, Florida will have just 9 remaining Kmarts, with the closest store to Tampa Bay located in Bradenton.
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