Kmart in Atwater set to close in October, city leaders confirm
Kmart on Bellevue Road in Atwater will close its doors in October, Atwater City Manager Frank Pietro confirmed Monday.
Pietro found out about the store’s closing via email on Friday from Sears Holdings Corp., he said. The last day the Atwater Kmart will operate is Oct. 24.
Kmart is the third big retail name in Atwater to close within the last year.
In June 2014, the AT&T call center in Atwater closed, taking about 400 jobs with it. In February, RadioShack in Atwater closed.
“It’s a sad day when we lose a big box store in the city of Atwater,” Pietro said.
Kmart in Atwater was open before Walmart and Target, he said. It was not immediately clear Monday when Kmart opened in Atwater.
It’s obviously going to be a hit economically and for jobs going to be lost, it will be a double hit.
Atwater Mayor Jim Price
Atwater Mayor Jim Price said the closure of a store the size of Kmart “is the last thing Atwater wants to see.”
“It doesn’t come as a surprise,” Price said. “We’ve heard and seen things where Sears Holdings Corporation has been making indications that they were going to close some stores. We were just hoping it wouldn’t be ours.”
Pietro said Kmart was a big tax generator for the city, and the store’s closing will affect the town’s economy. Pietro was unsure how many people are employed at Kmart.
“It’s obviously going to be a hit economically,” Price added, “and for jobs going to be lost, it will be a double hit.”
Joe Hoffar, the Atwater Chamber of Commerce president, also said he was sorry to see the store close.
“We’re already having a hard time here in this city,” he said. “Now we have a big box store closing ... It’s obviously not a good thing. It’s a shame it’s going to happen to us.”
Kmart will begin its closing sale July 26, Pietro said, and the sale will end Oct. 11.
Kmart employees declined to comment Monday. Kmart officials at the corporate headquarters in Illinois could not immediately be reached for comment.
This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Kmart in Atwater set to close in October, city leaders confirm."