The last Kmart in California, located in Grass Valley, closed its doors for good on Sunday. “I’m sad. I’ve been shopping here for 26 years,” said shopper Margaret Jacob.She said she was not shopping for anything specific but rather just stopped by on the last day to say goodbye.Banners and posters — stating messages like “Everything must go” and “90 percent off” — everywhere made it clear that the store would be closing. Teresa Dubrul was teary-eyed as she left the store.”I’m 58 years old, and this is the place where we always went,” Dubrul said.It is the only store like it Grass Valley residents say they can go to without leaving the city.”If you have to get anything else, you have to go to Marysville, Yuba City or Auburn and Roseville down the hill,” Maria Purvis said.Kmart was once a fixture in the U.S., with stores all over California. However, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2002. Now, a search on Google Maps shows location after location has permanently closed. While many shelves in the Grass Valley Kmart were empty and inventory was extremely limited, Dubrul did find a few things to grab on her shopping trip. She picked out some clothes for her granddaughter, along with a store souvenir.”I guess they were selling their hole puncher,” Dubrul said while laughing. “So, I’m like, ‘OK, memories. Gotta get it.'”The store was scheduled to close at 5 p.m., but it kept its doors open a little later as customers continued to trickle in for one last shopping trip.The Kmart will be replaced with a Target, according to Mesa Management, which runs the McKnight Crossing Shopping Center where the store was located.Renovations are expected to take about 12 to 18 months and cost between $9 to $15 million.
The last Kmart in California, located in Grass Valley, closed its doors for good on Sunday.
“I’m sad. I’ve been shopping here for 26 years,” said shopper Margaret Jacob.
She said she was not shopping for anything specific but rather just stopped by on the last day to say goodbye.
Banners and posters — stating messages like “Everything must go” and “90 percent off” — everywhere made it clear that the store would be closing.
Teresa Dubrul was teary-eyed as she left the store.
“I’m 58 years old, and this is the place where we always went,” Dubrul said.
It is the only store like it Grass Valley residents say they can go to without leaving the city.
“If you have to get anything else, you have to go to Marysville, Yuba City or Auburn and Roseville down the hill,” Maria Purvis said.
Kmart was once a fixture in the U.S., with stores all over California. However, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2002. Now, a search on Google Maps shows location after location has permanently closed.
While many shelves in the Grass Valley Kmart were empty and inventory was extremely limited, Dubrul did find a few things to grab on her shopping trip. She picked out some clothes for her granddaughter, along with a store souvenir.
“I guess they were selling their hole puncher,” Dubrul said while laughing. “So, I’m like, ‘OK, memories. Gotta get it.'”
The store was scheduled to close at 5 p.m., but it kept its doors open a little later as customers continued to trickle in for one last shopping trip.
The Kmart will be replaced with a Target, according to Mesa Management, which runs the McKnight Crossing Shopping Center where the store was located.
Renovations are expected to take about 12 to 18 months and cost between $9 to $15 million.