This was the closest Kmart to Houston Texas located in Lufkin Texas. The store closed on March 26, 2017 after 34 years in business.
We start in the early portion of the closing sale, the exterior store closing signs were not up at this point.
The standard interior store closing signs were being put up across the store. I will let most of the photos speak for themselves.
Old school Kmart stickers on the door
The electronics department was already wiped out. Good items had probably been sent back or moved to other stores at this point.
Garden shop still full at this point in the sale.
Fishing reels already almost gone as well.
One of the unique Kmart displays around the store.
The pantry department looked almost normal as much of the store did at this point in the sale.
Sodas were already slim as well.
Christmas still very well stocked in mid January.
Now for more of the electronics and appliance departments.
Almost like a modern Service Merchandise ordering system.
Lots of TV's left.
Random items and mattresses were added to the former electronics department as inventory shrunk.
Can use this, the computer is offline.
Once Kmart and Sears switched over to this card ordering system, they probably did not sell to many cameras. Try before you buy, right?
Layaway closed
The former KCafe which closed many years ago. Most stores don't even bother covering the space up like they did here.
Visit #2 further along in the sale, on a cool rainy day.
Signs, signs, everywhere signs!
Now the store inventory was thinning out and parts of the store were blocked off.
Remember the sporting goods department from the 1st set of photos? Here it is being broken apart and nearly devoid of merchandise.
The back aisles of the store with hardware and automotive was clearing out as well.
This is the once full garden shop.
The electronics department.
Some of the automotive and hardware items were moved to the empty electronics shelves.
Looking from the electronics department to the front of the store.
Lots of items were shipped to the store for the sale, including out of area sports team gear.
The irony of the sign on this rack.
This was the last day of the Pharmacy filling prescriptions.
Here are some images from a couple of months before the store closing sale began.
3rd trip, final 9 days of the sale.
Things look very different as the store clears out.
My favorite department now completely empty.
Not much inventory left besides clothes at this point.
Looking from near the garden shop across the store. As the store empties out it seems smaller.
Kmart employees were in the Easter Spirit despite the closing.
This is it, the final day of the Lufkin Kmart
A huge chunk of the store was barricaded off so access was limited.
Not much left at this point, the store was scheduled to close in less than 5 hours.
A video of the crowds picking up last minute deals.
Employee farewell board.
A final view of the store exit.
Lufkin Kmart was a nice Kmart store that was one of the few surviving Kmart stores near Houston. Kmart closed a massive chunk of stores in Texas in 2017. Only 4 Kmart stores in Brownsville, Laredo, McAllen, and Portland will remain open after early 2018. The closest Kmart store now to Houston is in Lake Charles Louisiana around 2.5 hours away.
Now here is how the store sits as of December 2017. Empty and waiting for the next tenant.
Another one of my videos of the last day at Lufkin Kmart at my rarely used YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/vUX2jOGFekk
