This Kmart store opened in 1979 and the store closed September 14, 2014. This Kmart was one of my go-to stores for several years when I lived nearby. This is also the last Kmart on the Westbank of the New Orleans area. At least 4 Kmarts once served the Westbank area. The Tall Timbers Mall (closed in the 1980's, Manhattan Mall (closed 1990's) and Ames at Lapalco (2002) locations along with this one served an area with a population of over 100,000. The two mall Kmarts were former Grant's stores that were purchased by Kmart and converted. Both of the malls were really small with space for a few small stores with the Kmart and Schwegmann's as anchor stores to the malls.
Here are my images from the store closing sale about a month before the store closed for good.
The pictures are all over the place, but enjoy the look through the store.
We start at the middle of the store.
The back aisle of the store near the sporting goods department facing the back corner of the store by the appliances.
This blood pressure monitor has seen better days. It looks like someone may have taken out the internals for another machine.
A few wide views of the electronics department. A couple of the vintage photos remain on the wall including the cassette walkman lady.
The electronics department was small compared to other Kmart stores of this size.
The remains of the Sears appliance department. Or should I say Sear appliance department.
The back corner of the store near the appliance section, this was part of the toy section.
The view of the main back aisle of the store from the appliance corner.
A look down the back wall near the former toy section towards the pharmacy.
The view from the electronics department towards the pharmacy department.
A closeup of the 2 remaining vintage electronics signage.
A view from the back of the store towards a center aisle.
The back corner of the store in the Men's department.
The front of the store interior Big Kmart sign.
Back to the clothing section where the HVAC casts a shadow over the clothing racks.
Shoe department looking towards the front corner of the store.
Looking towards the front of the store near the baby and shoe sections.
More clothing departments facing the registers.
A view from the front of the store to the back in the clothing section.
A view in the front corner of the store facing the rest of the clothing section and registers.
A look down the main front aisle from the clothing department.
A Kmart Cafe, there are not many of these left.
This one had already been packed up and closed. Another one bites the dust.
A view of the front entrance to the store with the Kmart Cafe.
Looking at the Pharmacy, Health and Beauty from the grocery aisles.
The former cleaning product/ grocery aisles facing the Layaway counter.
The grocery refrigerated cases.
A view of the Pharmacy.
Another close-up of the stripped blood pressure machine with the vintage Kmart logo.
From the health aisle at the front of the store looking towards the electronics section.
An now for the exterior of the store.
The Garden Shop was locked up and empty.
A last look at the store.
Thanks for posting the photos. It must be unfortunate to lose a Kmart that you used to shop at regularly. This mansard slice facade Kmart looks a lot like how the Jones Rd. and FM 1960 Kmart in Houston looked before it closed in 1997. That was my local Kmart for many years. The Jones Rd. Kmart didn’t have the orange stripes on the facade, but it did have the regular ~1991 era red logo on it that replaced the vintage logo.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why this Kmart covered up some of the old pictures in the electronics department but left some of the others. I guess they left Sony and RCA up there since those are brands they still sell (in fact, Kmart still sells cassette recorder boomboxes from both brands). The Walkman woman and the kid loading software on a late 1990s computer doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, but I guess Kmart still sells a Sony pocket AM/FM radio that kind of looks like a Walkman and I guess they still sell blank CDs.
I was glad to make it down to the store one more time before it closed. I was able to see the store before it was really picked apart and most of the departments were still together. I think wall space was the reason for the lack of photos in the electronics department. I am really surprised this store closed when there are 3 across the river in Metairie, and this one being the only one left on the Westbank.
DeleteJust wondering... why haven't my last two comments been approved?
ReplyDeleteMy apologies Marc, sometimes I take long breaks from the blog. I prefer to review each comment since my blog gets several hundred spam comments every month. I also enjoy replying to nearly every comment. Thanks for reading my blog Marc.
DeleteGlad I can help!
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