Thread regarding Sears layoffs

Riteaid makes sense, as it is 300 feet from Kmart in Marshall. Not sure how that pharmacy even lasted that long with Riteaid 100 yards away. Well, everything lasts, until it doesn't.

So, I just called the pharmacy and they replied that the pharmacy is closing end of October, but they are not yet sure which local pharmacy the scripts are going to be transferred to. My guess is Rite Aid, because it's right next door.

@2aye+1cZLJbYp " Or maybe they were told to deny it for now until the signs go up." Exactly. That's literally the definition of "whistling dixie", which @1hxs+1cZLJbYp was probably referring to. Whistling dixie means denying reality.

LMAO, so on Sep. 24, they list store closing jobs for this location, and 2 Days later, on Sept. 26, they list a Full-Time "office lead" job, for a store that is in liquidation. This company is literally like a chicken whose head has been cut off. The right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing. They (laughably) still have a Full-Time pharmacy job listed, although that was an old listing from Sep. 5:

https://jobs.sears.com/en-US/search?facetcompany=kmart&facetcitystate=marshall,mi

Maybe this associate hasn’t been told yet, or is misinformed? Or maybe they were told to deny it for now until the signs go up. Who knows anymore with the way this s*** show is run.

I guess anything is possible, but usually pharmacy closes first.

Perhaps the pharmacy is closing later than the rest of the store? State law may require that.

Oddly, when I called Marshall pharmacy, the guy denied they are closing. So they are in strong "whistling dixie" (AKA denial) mode now, LOL. 😆😄😅

No problem. I did just about everything at Kmart from cashier to key carrier to HR before our store closed. Eddie really screwed over a lot of very loyal employees who worked really hard with the limited resources we were given. If I could go back in time I never would have given 12 years of my life for a company that is essentially dead at this point. All those shifts working open to close really didn’t amount to anything. I want to see this whole thing go up in metaphorical flames. Honestly, I’m not bitter, just needed to vent for a second. 🙂

@1krk+1cZLJbYp Thank you for that concise explanation, I appreciate it. I Learned something new. Oddly, those Full-Time jobs are still listed for Marshall, though I'm sure they'll be taken down very soon. Interesting you mentioned pharmacists, as there are only 2 pharmacies now left in the continental U.S.. And I don't think either Grass Valley, nor Bronx Kmarts will be around long, so we might soon have no Kmart pharmacies left in the U.S. (of course the Guam and USVI ones will still be around awhile, I would imagine).

Job announcements are uploaded by local HR and/or management basked on current needs. The store knows better then anyone what positions it needs to fill. That being said, corporate determines what TYPE of jobs are available by store (full time/part time mix). For example, when corporate eliminates a full time position (front end lead, jewelry lead, etc) the store can no longer hire for that job. Positions that the store is authorized to hire (cashier, stockers, pharmacist, etc) are all available to announce based on local needs.

@1mto+1cZLJbYp I get your point, but I thought "those people at the store" are not the ones who put these job listings up. I thought they were put up by corporate. Or am I wrong about this?

And to add to my previous post, when my store closed we had absolutely no hint or clue that it was “our turn” we literally found out when the district manager was waiting outside the front door the morning we were announced, for the key carrier to open the building. He walked in the store, went straight for the office called the opening crew to the back and told us it was over. Our HR had posted job openings for all sorts of positions the week prior. The little people in the store know absolutely nothing until they are told the morning of.

@slf+1cZLJbYp My point was, that those people doing the hiring at the store have no clue that a store is closing. That is why you see job postings right up to the closing announcement. Again, it’s business as usual, until it isn’t.

This is silly. Just close the rest already. What are they waiting for?

Why would they also not close Hamilton MT, and Grass Valley CA? Those are also randomly located in small towns in the middle of nowhere. While they're at it, might as well bang out Bridgehampton too, as it's sitting out there 100 miles east of NYC. Time to start cleaning this map up. And, no, these are not confirmed. I'm just making suggestions for his next closing round. Might as well bop out the FL stores too, and just focus on NY, USVI, and Guam going forward.

@ake+1cZLJbYp Why wouldn't they try to fill them? Because there is considerable Expense in hiring and training employees, Paying their medical benefits, etc., especially for Full-Time supervisory or pharmacy positions. If I Knew I was closing a store eventually, I'd try to run it as bare bones as possible and not invest in new workers that I will be laying off soon anyway. And don't forget, the company has to Pay these people's Unemployment after the store closes. I believe whenever an employee is laid off, the company gets Charged a portion of the Unemployment that person receives (this might vary from state to state though, I am not sure). I Know in NJ, PA, and AK, the employees have UI deducted from their Pay-Checks, but I think those are the only 3 states where employees Fund their own Unemployment, AFAIK. https://www.epi.org/blog/are-employee-contributions-essential-to-unemployment-insurance/

In all the other 47 states, (I think), the employer has to Pay for Unemployment. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

It means the low level employees in the store have no idea from day to day or month to month what the next move will be. Why wouldn’t they try to fill needed positions, it’s always Business as usual, until it isn’t.

I saw your job list below, thanks. Why would they have even bothered listing Full-Time jobs, like supervisor, etc., when Ed Knew fully well that he was going to close this store? That means those job listings are just a ruse, right?

And this is also removes another pharmacy, leaving us with only 2 stateside US pharmacies in Kmart (not including the territories).

Oddly, there are still some Full-Time jobs listed for Marshall, including Full-Time pharmacy, which further goes to prove that job listings (except closing job listings that OP listed) mean nothing:

https://jobs.sears.com/en-US/search?keywords=&location=Marshall,MI,USA&placeid=ChIJiRnsfpfiF4gRWVafnS5LSUc&facetcitystate=marshall,mi

Also the last Kmart in the chain's home state, and the last full-size store of either brand in the entire Midwest.