LIHUE — Despite nationwide closures, the Kauai’s Kmart will remain open. “It’s good this is staying open. It has good deals,” said Tasha Werner. The Waimea resident was at Kmart on Thursday picking up several boxes of cereal. “I’d rather
LIHUE — Despite nationwide closures, the Kauai’s Kmart will remain open.
“It’s good this is staying open. It has good deals,” said Tasha Werner.
The Waimea resident was at Kmart on Thursday picking up several boxes of cereal.
“I’d rather come here; it’s not as packed,” Werner said.
Citing significant monetary losses, Sears Holdings Corp., the parent company of Kmart, announced Thursday its intention to close an additional 78 Kmart stores by mid-year, bringing the total of closures to 108. An additional 26 Sears stores will also be shutting their doors, according to a press release.
On Dec. 27, the company announced it was closing 30 Kmart stores and 16 Sears locations by spring of 2017.
While the stores in question generated about $1.2 billion last year, they also incurred a $60 million loss, according to a press release.
This is not the first time the future of the Kauai location was uncertain.
In April, the corporation announced it would be closing 68 stores by the end of the summer. The Kauai location made it through that round of closures as well.
The store is popular for its sales, variety of items, from clothing to sporting goods to groceries, and convenient location at Kukui Grove Center.
Jaelace Oyamot, who lives in Waimea, is happy Kmart will remain open, especially because it’s one of the first stores she hits coming from the Westside.
“It’s the only place on this side of the island to shop,” she said.
Sears Holding Corp. also announced Thursday it was selling its Craftsman tool brand to Stanley Black & Decker Inc.
The corporation hopes that those and other “strategic actions” will increase its financial flexibility and improve long-term performance.
Stanley will pay Sears about $900 million for Craftsman, which includes $525 million when the deal closes this year.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
