I was in there a couple of months ago and was surprised to find the place packed with shoppers, because of a going out of business sale. I hadn't heard anything about that store closing.

It withstood the flurry of reorganizations, corporate restructurings, the recession and the bankruptcy event in 2002.

Given its location, the Broadway K-Mart fought and competed very well with Target and Wal-Mart as their closest competitive locations were several miles away. The Kroger relocation, gave Target access to a Broadway address taking over that space in 2009.

Sad to see a trusted old friend go down for the count, but it is a different time in the retail world.

They closed because the call center business next door wanted to expand. Kmart was leasing the space and I guess the call center had a better offer.

Personally, whenever I went to that store, the price for items was never marked well. The staff was indifferent to the customers and sometimes rude.

The one in Alcoa is closed as well. It had been there a long time. Kind of sad.

The problem: Eddie Lampert, one of America's most hated CEOs who destroyed a great American brand (actually two of them)...

(link...)

Le Marche du Ka was my favorite boutique. Seriously. Mostly because they got the concept that women's pants should have pockets. I've gotten some seriously stylin' tops over the years as well, though you had to hunt for them.

I think the store on Kingston pike was the first. I remember shopping there in 1974. Pretty sure the broadway site was still a drive-in theater at the time.

And Sears is still a brand, but slowly disappearing. Founded over 100 years ago with great products through the years. Then K-Mart bought them.

Kmart also had good products and selection. Sears and Kmart couldn't figure out how to compete with Walmart.

Kmart has been around for 100 years as well.

Love pockets

Sorry some of you hadn't realized it was closing. I thought of making one of my infamous "Bargain Hunter's Review" posts about it, but didn't get around to it.

I was in the store during the first week of markdowns (maybe three or four weeks back?) and wasn't much impressed. However, I went in three times during the final week they were open. At that point, clothing and most everything else was 75% off and footbear was 80% off. That's how we do Christmas shopping in my household, ha ha--even if it's in August.

(They did have their fall and winter merchandise in. I bought a few pairs of $4 boots for women in the family and some $5 sweaters for both men and women. Ho, ho, ho!)

I always found K-Mart to be way ahead of its time, beating the Walton clan by decades at mastering the concept of the depressing, fluorescent-lit big-box warehouse full of cheaply made junk dumped out of pacific-rim supertankers. I have to admit I find the nostalgia here to be a bit baffling.

I felt really bad that I had failed to tell some of you that the cheaply made junk dumped out of pacific-rim supertankers at K-Mart had gone 80% off, so allow me to share today's bargain: That's General Mills cereals at Kroger for just $1.29 per box (must purchase five "participating items," cereals or other sale items, to receive this price).

Oh, but hold on...your any "$1 off two" coupon brings that price down to 79 cents a box and your any "50 cents off one" coupon, which Kroger will double, brings that price down to 29 cents a box.

Of course, if you're age 50 or older and you buy the cereals today, you'll get another 5% off, which brings your price down to 75 cents or 27 1/2 cents per box.

I checked the expiration dates on the boxes and their stock is mostly good through July 2017, eleven months out.

So you may want to pick up nine to eleven months worth, at least 20 boxes at my house, and save yourselves $40 or $60.

Or you may just conclude Tamara's off her nut, your call.

But I've tried here to make up for my previous oversight ;-)