High Ridge Kmart to Close in Mid-June

The High Ridge Kmart, which opened 30 years ago at 4560 Gravois Village Center, is shuttering its doors. 

The store will close in mid-June. It began its liquidation sale last week. Currently, all merchandise is 10- to 30-percent off.

Kmart is subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation. Howard Riefs, a company spokesman for Sears Holdings, said in a statement to Patch:

"As a part of the ordinary course of business we close stores for a variety of reasons. This store is being closed because the lease was not renewed.

The store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model.

These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store, online and in the home." 

Riefs said the store's 59 employees will have an opportunity to apply for positions at other Kmart and Sears stores.

For years Kmart was the only major discount retailer in High Ridge. Last May, a Walmart Supercenter opened in High Ridge Commons at the intersection of Highway 30 and High Ridge Boulevard. The supercenter is just minutes south of Kmart.

Patch asked Riefs if the opening of Walmart was a contributing factor to Kmart's closure. He did not respond.