The Super Kmart in Thornton is eliminating its grocery section and downsizing to become a Big Kmart in response to the downturn in the economy.
The Thornton store, at 1400 E. 104th Ave., is one of four stores across the country going from Super to Big, spokeswoman Kim Freely said. Kmart is owned by Sears Holding Co.
“It made sense in this economy and in this competitive retail environment to refocus on financial performance,” Freely said. “We want to provide the stores with the greatest opportunity to succeed.”
The Thornton store had already cut its hours from 24 hours a day to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The grocery section will be removed by Nov. 16.
The other three Super K locations being downsized are in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Retail expert Britt Beemer said he was surprised that Kmart had not pulled back sooner.
“The Super K concept was a great one if it had been executed on a broader scale,” he said.
But because grocery is such a low- margin category, the company should have tried to reach critical mass and advertise it, said Beemer, a retail analyst and marketing specialist in Charleston, S.C. But since the Super K’s were not concentrated, that was difficult to do, he said.
“That has always been the problem with Kmart,” he said. “They did the Super K concept but did it haphazardly and put some here and there and never filled in any of the markets.”
Other retailers that have tried two concepts without fully pushing either or both have also faced trouble. Toys ‘R’ Us did so with the Babies ‘R’ Us concept, Beemer said, and failed.
Kmart has nearly 50 Super K stores and more than 1,300 Kmart and Big Kmart stores nationwide.
“We open and close stores all the time,” Freely said. “We are always evaluating the retail environment.”
Elizabeth Aguilera: 303-954-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com
