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Health & Fitness

LLLeindecker & Associates ~ Kmart Closing, and Mathewson's Department Store

LLLeindecker & Associates ~ Kmart Closing

Reminds me of Mathewson's Department Store

Mathewson's Department Store, located here in downtown Banning was an institution in it's own right, Bud Mathewson was well known, and well liked throughout our community.  His store was closed back in 2011, and Mr Mathewson passed away in May of 2011.  When I think of Mathewson's Department Store my thoughts go to our country's initial department stores, and that brings me to Kmart.  Kmart was the product of SS Kresge and Jupiter Stores.  Kresge Corp, changed the store name to Kmart in 1977.  Kmart sold remaining Kresge stores in the U.S. to McCorry.  There is a question that is sometimes asked as to whether Sears owned Kmart, or Kmart owned Sears ~ answer ~ Kmart in 2005 purchased Sears.

Kmart was the anchor store on Highland Springs, before ~ The Marketplace, Walmart, Kohl's.  Kmart came into our area over twenty year ago.  The building was new, crisp and fresh.  Kmart was selling discounted brand named items, lower priced items.  Remember the:  "blue light specials", "attention Kmart shoppers" wonderful cliches, wonderful slogans.  What a deal, what concepts, but Kmart had problems and it was not just the competition, or the economy here in the Pass.  The dynamics, demographics locally did change, however Kmart itself could not find its identity. 

Kmart's corporate had legal issues.  Kmart could not find their image, their identity, they kept trying to identify themselves to the consumer.  They had deviations within their name:  Big Kmart, Kmart Super Center, KDollar, K-Cafe, K-Wash, K-Mart Express, all this within a corporation causes your image to get lost.  So I also believe this in part contributed to their identity, their inconsistency.   The buildings in which they are located are older, and like Mathewson's Department Store are not part of today's times.  So that is where I found a flickering of similarity, and a bit of sadness to the closing of SS Kresge's Kmart.

A store closes, progress endures, and we always go forward ~ laura.


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