MASON CITY – The Mason City KMart is now closed, marking the end of over 40 years of retail shopping. The store opened in June of 1972.
The store held a liquidation sale starting on February 9 until the doors closed for good this week.
“It’s a sad day, really, one Mason City man said. “Pretty much indicative of how this town is going, crumbling at our feet. There won’t be much left pretty soon, the way it’s being run.”
The store in Mason City had about 49 employees. Those associates that were eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Sears or Kmart stores. Most of the associates were part time/hourly.
The KMart closure is just one in a rash of store closures all over Mason City and more are expected to follow. Many say the Sears department store on the south side is on its last legs, and others point to the JC Penny store in Southbridge Mall that seems to carry less and less items for sale every week. The mall itself is full of stores and restaurants that have closed in recent years, with the latest announcement that Cookies, Etc. will soon close.
Surrounding the mall, other storefronts are totally bare, with many having signs in the front window that say “for lease” or “for sale.” Some businesses have fled for the west side of town. Others storefronts, like the former OP restaurant, are barren, broken, and in disrepair.
Another former KMart shopper said “I remember going there when I was a kid. They had a nice cafe, you could smell the burgers all over the store. I will miss the memories.”
The rumor around town is that Hy-Vee has purchased the former KMart property and is looking to relocate its current west side store and build a gas station at the location. So far, KMart executives have not confirmed this despite a number of attempts at contacting them for a definitive answer.
[poll random]
Walmart had cheaper goods. The middle class is gone. We have those that shop high dollar and those that shop Walmart. Most of the middle is gone.
It’s the country you wanted and voted for. The politicians told you things you wanted to hear like being tough on drugs and in the backroom were helping companies move to China and you ate it up like McDonald’s baby poop food.
I can remember when Kmart opened. I was pretty young at the time, but it was amazing to me. Since then they added on and moved things around and yet, in the end, the amazing was all played out.
Sometimes I think our society has too many choices, but I’d hate to give up any of the choices I have.
Good luck to all of the employees. I hope they, too, have choices.
There you have it folks. Another one down and more failures coming. Who will be next? Penny’s or Sears? I am betting on Sears because when we drove by there this weekend there were only a handful of cars in the parking lot. Of course Penny’s could go when the Mall does which will probably be pretty soon. I think the establishment wants the mall to go under so they can take it over and have their downtown civic center there.