RIPON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Kmart, in Ripon, will close by mid-December, the company announced in a statement to FOX 11 on Saturday.
“After careful review, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart store in Ripon, Wisconsin. A liquidation sale is expected to begin in mid-September and the store is planned to close by mid-December. We encourage customers to continue shopping on Kmart.com for all their product needs.”
For Sandra Schmitz, she’s losing her neighborhood store.
“About ten years, something like that.”
Schmitz tells FOX 11 the Kmart closing doesn’t come as a surprise but is still disappointed by the news.
“Oh yeah, because it’s so handy. It gets kind of crazy with people coming in and out but it’s not like Walmart.”
Now the city is left to look for a replacement.
“I think the best idea for the city would be to start looking for somebody to go into that building immediately before they’re out and closed,” said John Splitt.
He is an alderman for the city and tells FOX 11 the time to look for replacements is now.
Splitt adds he is optimistic about finding possible replacements for the Kmart space.
“You know I was born and grew up in Ripon and I think it’s a great small town and it’s a good place to live so I would be hopeful that people would look at Ripon from that perspective.”
Until then, people like Schmitz may have to start looking for another place to shop.
“Well, I hear remarks all the time that they’re sad, you know… it’s more time to go somewhere else.”
The Kmart in Ripon is one of many closures across the state and country.
The company announced last week that the Kmart in Waupaca would close on or around November 17th.
It was also announced on Tuesday that the last remaining Kmart in Upper Michigan will also close by the end of the year.
Liquidation sales are expected to begin this month at the Kmart in Menominee, Michigan.
This leaves no open Kmart stores in the area of northeast Wisconsin.
