Kmart, 1600 Charleston Highway: December 2019 17 comments
Well, the story here is the same as for the the Lexington Kmart: It's a Kmart. It's closing.
Unfortunately I didn't have time to go inside, and I was shooting against the sun for the exterior shots, but it looks pretty much as you would expect.
There have been a good number of closures in this general area in the past few years. All of Ryans, Rite Aid, Taco Cid, and Toyota Center come to mind. On the other hand, there is a new plaza around the Walmart at the top of Knox Abbott, so there is some new growth.
(I continue to be confused by the boundries between West Columbia & Cayce. I would have guessed this location to be Cayce, but it seems not.)
(Hat tip to lots of folks)
UPDATE 22 April 2020 -- Commenter Mr. Bill sent in these interiors from the Kmart a while ago, and I managed to misplace them. Here they are now:
17 Responses to 'Kmart, 1600 Charleston Highway: December 2019'
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Del
16 Oct 19 at 11:39 pm
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I am going to miss this store...there were things I needed that Kmart was by best go to for...I hate to see Kmart go but I guess it's no different than some of the folks on here older than I thoat speak of missing different stores of days gone by (as I feel as such about Phar Mor, JB White and Service Merchandise)...
Andrew
17 Oct 19 at 9:11 pm
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Like Ted I have a hard time distinguishing the lines between West Columbia & Cayce...I feel like there are several shopping centers between this Kmart and the Walmart neighborhood market that I feel like aren't what they once were (but a lot of the details predate me)...but I am happy for the way the Walmart neighborhood market overhauled the intersection as needed to happen...
Andrew
20 Oct 19 at 10:28 pm
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I live nearby, I'm in Cayce, but if I cross the street, I'm in West Columbia. Ted I tried to send you some pics of the Kmart, and The Ryan's, don't know if you ever got them.
Mr Bill
22 Apr 20 at 2:59 pm
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D'oh!
Put them where I couldn't possibly lose them of course..
Posted. Thanks!
ted
22 Apr 20 at 9:36 pm
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I am going to miss this ol' store. Back in the 70's it had a small grocery store section and a cafeteria style deli. They had a three bay car service center and they did small repairs on cars when you could work on them without laptops. Their sporting goods department sold bowling balls. My mom purchased one for me in the late 70's. Some dude working in sporting goods had a grip measurement guide and then proceeded to drill the finger holes in an outward angle that made it useless to use. Ah the good old days.....
Douglas Nolan
22 Jan 21 at 4:56 pm
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Is the old Kmart building in Cayce still there? or did they tear it down? Since I don't have a car any more, I don't get around like I used to, and don't know what's still around. Anyone know?
Db
24 Jan 21 at 4:07 pm
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The building is still there and vacant, Db.
Payne
25 Jan 21 at 9:20 pm
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Folks I’ve encountered this article leading me to realize that after a run as a Kmart from its opening on October 27, 1966 until its liquidation in December 2019 (according to a blog of former Kmarts I have recently discovered) that this is about to be home to a Uhaul facility (just like the Dentsville Kmart has)…
Andrew
28 Oct 21 at 9:03 pm
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Andrew
28 Oct 21 at 9:06 pm
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Since I was having issues getting my links from The State to work, I figured I'd share this Coladaily article talking about the plans...
Andrew
1 Nov 21 at 8:12 am
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Yo, Andrew! If you ever come back to this page, thanks for your dedication checking hyperlinks and trying to get one that works! I relate, and also, appreciate, very very much.
I remember all the excitement when that Kmart opened in October 1966. I was 5 years old, and WOW!
Also, no one else mentioned this, even as they mentioned the grocery store, which at the time was a pure amazing draw! So in addition to the trading stamps--soz can't remember whether S&H or Greenbax or some other--you'd get with your groceries, there was also some kinda television promotion called: Let's Go To The Races! Shoppers would get Let's Go To The Races cards, depending how much you spent for the groceries, and then the races would come on over the weekend in the evening sometime, as I recall. Once we won $1, mebbe twice. I think the denominations were $1, $5, $10 and $20? I remember the layout of the cards and I recall there were 4 levels? but there may have been 5? Also for the life of me I can not remember whether it was dogs or horses or if it was a combination. My neurons are leaning dog. Mebbe I can find it on the interwebz :)
Let's Go To The Races!
*I am well aware of the cruelty of racing animals now, and have even titled in AKC canine sports, so spare the horror--though that horror is real--1966 was a different time. As a child, Let's Go To The Races was an exciting promotion. I am, however, glad those sorts of promotions no longer exist and we are getting better at recognising animals are sentient beings with emotions and intelligence, so I am also no friend to the "anti-woke" brigade. To them I say: Grow up, already!
Mollie
9 Nov 24 at 2:43 pm
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I tried to find the 60's version of Let's Go To The Races! ( a la grocery store promotion for the Kmart grocery story ~1966-68)
On youtube, I found this ©1981 rebooted version, that starts with $2 and goes up to $1000! I am totally certain that in the 1967 it started at $1 and ... mebbe it went up to $500, but I don't remember even dreaming of what $100 could buy, so I still think what we got was $20 or $50 as the max win. I was 5-7yo though, so mebbe I forgot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYrRwEGQ6fQThe one in the 1960's did start with the same sterotypical trumpet fanfare, exactly as this one does. We had a B&W tv so idk if the one in the 60's was also in colour or no. Also, I'm not into it enough to watch the whole 30 minute clip. I was mainly trying to find out what the winning denominations were in the 60's, but no luck there. But I reckon this programme is more than reminiscent of the original, once they get past the opening bits.
I also found some chatter in culverts and cul de sacs of forums about it, mostly "kids," who prolly only saw it in the 80's, or never at all, speculating about the provenance, etc. so am no linking to any of that hot mess. Some truthiness found, but truthiness, at best :)
Mollie
9 Nov 24 at 3:30 pm
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@Molly. I remember Let's Go tp the Races being sponsored by Colonial Grocery Stores which later became Gold Star. I remember Gold Star being attached to Kmarts, but never Colonial.
Let's Go to the Races aird late Saturday afternoon. It was not live but filmed (in b/w I believe) with host segments that were taped. I want to say that WNOK 19 (now WLTX) aired it.
Tom
10 Nov 24 at 10:12 am
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I believe the groceries were Big Star not, Gold Star.
ted
16 Nov 24 at 11:10 pm
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@ Ted. You are correct. This past week was crazy for me so I am not surprised I got something mixed up.
Tom
17 Nov 24 at 8:21 am
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I remember the one on Two Notch had a Piggly Wiggly attached, which eventually became a Western Auto. Anybody know if Big Star predated the Pig there?
Mr. Bill
18 Nov 24 at 9:34 pm
This is the Kmart I remember the best since we lived on that side of town back when it was a new store. I remember the Grocery Store side too I think late 60's? I dont remember what year this one opened now since it's been over 50 years, nor do I remember the lumber yard name that sat there before Kmart was built. Walmart killed a lot of stores, but I think poor management and other things killed the company as time went by.