Muncie's last Kmart to close in early December

The closing of the East McGalliard Road Kmart, which will be final in December, was confirmed by Kmart's corporate owner, Sears Holdings, on Tuesday.

But the end — more than a decade after the city's southside Kmart closed in 2003 — has been a possibility for years. Sears Holdings has struggled nationally in a changing retail climate that favors either huge retailers like Walmart, which has two Muncie stores, or specialty stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, which will open its first Muncie location, not far from Kmart on McGalliard Road, on Oct. 3.

Kmart has closed stores in waves in recent years and on Tuesday, news accounts indicated several Kmarts around the country were closing, including the last remaining Kmart in Fort Wayne. Forbes reported a few days ago that Sears Holdings had lost $975 million in the first six months of 2014.

Employees at the Muncie Kmart were somber on Tuesday and referred The Star Press to the company's corporate PR office.