Kmart in Craig to close in mid-December
November 30, 2016
Kmart is set to close in mid-December. The parking lot is filled with vehicles of holiday shoppers taking advantage of closing sales.
Craig — Kmart in Craig will close in late December impacting about 30 employees.
It is not known what's next for the property that is leased by Sears Holdings, the company that owns Kmart.
All store items are discounted, with some prices slashed up to 70 percent off.
"We made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart store at 1198 W. Victory in Craig. The store will close to the public in mid-December," said Director of Corporate Communications at Sears Holdings Howard Riefs. "Until then, the store will remain open for customers."
Sears Holdings announced in early September the closure of 60 stores system-wide including the Kmart in Craig, said store manager David Ross in an interview in September.
"We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores as previously announced," Riefs said.
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The closure will impact about 30 employees, said Ross.
"Most of the associates are part time/hourly. Those associates that are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Sears or Kmart stores," Riefs said.
The store began its liquidation sale on Sept. 22.
"We often hear from our members who are disappointed when we close a store, but our Shop Your Way membership platform, websites and mobile apps allow us to maintain these valued relationships long after a store closes its doors," Riefs said.
The store is leased by Sears Holdings from GFI-Craig II Investments LP, a company out of Bountiful, Utah, according to the Moffat County Assessors property database.
At time of press, no one was available from GFI to comment on what is planned next for the property.
City of Craig Finance Director and interim City Manager Bruce Nelson said that the impact of the closure to city sales tax revenue will depend on where Kmart customers choose to shop — local or out-of-town.
"It's a tough one to call, but we don't like to lose businesses," Nelson said.
Contact Sasha Nelson at 970-875-1794 or snelson@CraigDailyPress.com or follow her on Twitter @CDP_Education.
