Attention Raleigh shoppers: The area’s last Kmart store is closing
Raleigh’s last Kmart store is closing.
The entrance to the Big K on Six Forks Road in North Raleigh is marked by tall yellow banners announcing the impending closure, while shelves inside — some completely bare — have posted signs noting discounts for various items. Pantry items are currently 15% off, while Christmas items are 30% to 60% off and clothing is 40% off.
Bill Hoffman, an assistant manager at the Six Forks Road Kmart, told The News & Observer on Monday that the store is scheduled to close in mid-February, but it depends on how quickly the inventory is liquidated.
The store, which opened in 1988, announced its closing in a Dec. 14 Facebook post.
Hoffman has been with the Kmart Corporation for 42 years (with about 12 years at the Six Forks store). Though he had already planned to retire early in 2020, the closure of the store is difficult.
“This was a great company to work for,” Hoffman said. “I hate to see it go.”
Full-time employees will get some severance, Hoffman said, but unfortunately there are no other nearby Kmart stores to offer them employment.
Hoffman described the Six Forks Road Kmart as “always busy,” which is perhaps why that store has hung on so long amid a rash of Kmart closings in recent years.
“We had a good core group of customers here,” Hoffman said. “They really love us.”
Sears Holding, Kmart’s parent company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2018 and has been closing Sears and Kmart stores across the country. The Kmart on Western Boulevard in Raleigh closed at the end of 2018, as did the Sears store at Crabtree Valley Mall. A Kmart on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh closed in 2014.
When the Six Forks Road Kmart closes, the last remaining Kmart store in North Carolina will be in Kill Devil Hills.
Janet Wingate of Raleigh was shopping in the Six Forks Road Kmart store Monday afternoon. She has been a regular customer at the store for 30 years, since she and her husband moved to Raleigh, and she said she is sad to see the store go.
“I hate it,” Wingate said of the closing. “There are other places to go, but this was very convenient. And it seemed sudden. It’s always busy, so I’m surprised they’re doing that. I guess it’s a corporate thing.”
Kmart is closing, but still hiring
Hoffman said that the store, though closing, is actually hiring right now. It is in need of temporary workers to put out stock, run cash registers and help break down and clear out counters and fixtures.
“Everything has to be clear to the walls,” Hoffman said.
Those interested in temporary employment should inquire at the store, at 8701 Six Forks Road.
Hoffman said changes in inventory discounts will take place each Thursday until the store closes.
The regular store hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays. The store will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 4:53 PM.
