Blue Light Out — Lamenting The Loss Of Kmart

VERNON, CT — The need for a couple of items on Friday led one shopper to KMart, where he found both things at bargain prices but was also slapped in the face by the stark reality that it was the end of a retail era.

The KMart liquidaton sale was supposed to be in a couple of weeks, but, this week, shoppers were out in full force just north and east of Hartford at the doomed Vernon store seeking bargains.

About 100 cars were in the parking lot at 295 Hartford Turnpike KMart at about 10 a.m. Friday with a "Store Closing" sign next to the BigK marquee serving as a backdrop. Inside were more signs proclaiming "Everything Must Go" and "Nothing Held Back" while promoting savings of between 10 and 40 percent. That was for the mainstream items — holiday items were 70 percent off.

KMart's parent company, Sears Holdings, announced a week ago that the Vernon KMart will be closing in the spring. In that announcement was a proclamation that the closing sale would begin in about two weeks.

That turned out to be about two days.

Yes, the two items were there — a straight-bladed snow shovel marked $9.99 that sold for $7.99 and a pair of hiking boots retailing for $29.99 that sold for $20.99. That was the good part. Then, the red-ink stamp by the check-out clerk that said "all sales final," set in like a teacher correcting a exam and the reality that KMart would be gone by the spring — or as soon as the stuff was cleared out of the store — was right there.

Regardless of what Rain Man said, KMart didn't really suck and the internet Keyboard Kowboys who say so are just talking out of their receipts. It was a go-to store if one needed to pick up somethuing quickly and quickly often translated to cheaply as well. KMart was the blue light special. KMart was the bargain big box American retailer.

Most recently, it was Vernon. In the 1980s, it was the Milford store. Before that, it was Norwalk. Vernon town officials on Thursday lamented that the local location could not survive the latest round of closures. It seemed to do so over and over amid Sears Holdings' financial woes. The demise of the Vernon store leaves one KMart standing in the state — in Watertown at 595 Straits Turnpike.

Adding to the wake-like atmosphere is a spot in the same Vernon plaza once occupied by a Sears Hardware store, a quick stop for inexpensive extension cords, Craftsman tools, or even a snowblower. No additional Sears stores have been targeted for closure in the state. The Milford, Waterford and Meriden stores will soon be closing and after February 2019, the only Sears stores left in Connecticut will be in Danbury and Manchester, according to the company.

Yes, Manchester is close to Vernon, but it really didn't help soothe the feeling of emptiness. KMart will be joining the likes of Ames, Bradlees and (for those who grew up near New York City) E.J. Korvette in the boneyard of past retail icons.

In justifying the move, the parent company said, "As part of Sears Holdings' processes to accelerate its strategic transformation and facilitate its financial restructuring, on Dec. 27, 2018, the company informed associates at 80 stores that we will be closing these Sears and KMart stores in late March 2019." That was accompanied by the full list of stores designated for closure, which can be seen with a click here.

Ironically, a sign promoting jobs at the Vernon KMart still hung next to another sign promoting the going out of business sale. Bags featured the saying, "KMart ... Life is Ridiculously Awesome" on them.

Reality can often include such a twist and, in the case of KMart, it was ridiculously sad.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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