Bluff leaders relieved local Kmart not on latest closure list

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The blue light special will shine in Poplar Bluff a little longer.

The local Kmart store, one of more than 1,800 locations around the United States, was spared the ax when the troubled retail giant announced Tuesday that 326 stores nationwide would close.

Questions to the local store manager were referred to the corporate office and employees also declined to comment.

When the list of stores to be closed was released, six Missouri stores were on it but all were in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas.

Some business leaders and consumers in and around Poplar Bluff experienced some anxious worried moments as they awaited official word on the closings.

Ed Dust, executive vice-president of the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce, expressed relief that the local store was not among those to be closed.

"That's great news," Dust said.

"Especially for anybody that employs that many people."

Dust added he was especially glad to see the retail giant stay because of its contributions to the local area.

"They have always been a good corporate citizen," Dust said.

Poplar Bluff city manager Tom Lawson also expressed relief that the store would remain open.

City faced revenue loss

Lawson said he didn't have exact dollar figures on how much Kmart kicks into the city's coffers every year, but said it was in the thousands. High enough, he said, that the city would most certainly suffer for losing the tax revenue generated from the store.

"It's several thousand per year, and yes it would be a loss to us," Lawson said.

With several market analysts expressing doubt about Kmart's long-term prospects, Lawson said he would continue to feel concerned about the store.

"We're happy about the store staying open, but we've been anticipating that it may happen," Lawson said. "We're glad for them and we're glad for the city."

City business leaders weren't the only ones expressing relief; customers shopping at the store Tuesday afternoon echoed those sentiments.

Bill Hewlett, of Poplar Bluff, said he was glad to hear that the store would remain open.

"I think they offer quite a bit of bargains," Hewlett said Tuesday afternoon at Kmart.

Hewlett said he liked the easy access of Kmart and believed the store served customers like him well.

Carl Smith, of Poplar Bluff, also said he wanted to store to remain open.

"You can get in and out most times and they have what a person needs," Smith said.

While many Poplar Bluff citizens are glad the store will remain open for the time being, as Kmart tries to lift itself out of bankruptcy, many still believe the store could close if the companyís finances fail to improve over the next few months or years.