Bensalem K Mart is out of business

By Alex Lloyd Gross

The K Mart in Bensalem is closed.  The last day of the liquidation was May 14, 2017,   The store, was picked dry, a mere shadow of what is was just one year ago.  This store closing came as a shock to  most people, as the store was generally busy. It was well stocked and just less than 10 years ago, the store underwent a million dollar upgrade.

As  news of the store closing spread through he month of April, People made their way to the store to see if they could get bargains. They were there but few and far between.  As is par for the course, with a liquidation sale,  Another K Mart will (for example) sell a toaster oven for $18.99 on sale. The liquidator is selling the same one for $27.00 , which is 10 percent off the MSRP.  They are counting on people getting psychologically stimulated to buy,  with  huge signs depicting a sale  hung all around the store.

Some of the bargains  at that time were clothes. The store is run by the liquidator who retains the right to sell any merchandise they can, which is why even though the store was closing, they were still getting deliveries..  They were coming from stores that closed and the merchandise did not sell. It’s best to get it in the store when the prices are high, to make the money back. This also explains why there was merchandise for sale that clearly was not  stuff sold by the store originally.

K Mart and Sears joined forces and now have taken to closing multiple stores, in the hopes of being solvent. Buyers have shifted away from big box retailers and towards online.  Case in point, when you want something, you want it now. Driving to a store to find out they do not sell it or are out of stock is an inconvenience. You can sit home and buy in your underwear and never spend the money for gas.  If the place you are shopping is out of stock,  it cost you nothing except a few extra seconds to find it.

There are strong rumors that a supermarket will take over the vacant space. As a side note,that particular shopping center went thro0ugh some turmoil  within the last few years, as the Old Country Buffett and Save A Lot stores closed and went out of business.