Kmart Katoomba will permanently close at 5pm on Sunday, November 18 about 10 days before The Coles Group’s long-term lease of the building from Woolworths expires, ending almost 30 years of trading in the town centre.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
Acting Kmart Katoomba store manager Rick Trapani said “I know I speak on behalf of the team when I say that is has been such a pleasure to serve the local community and it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye.
“The loyalty and hard work of our 109 team members is admirable.
“During the closure process, we have supported Katoomba team members with internal training on interviewing and tips on resume writing.”
According to a statement by Kmart, all team members whose roles have been made redundant and are entitled to receive a redundancy package, will receive when the store closes.
“We also know that many locals have made layby purchases with us in the lead up to Christmas and during the mid-year toy catalogue (sale) so after we close we will have a layby collection point at Shop 12 in Katoomba Fair (near the recently closed Franklins supermarket) from November 28 (subject to change) until Christmas Eve.
“We were also really determined to ensure we managed to run the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal in its 25th year supporting the community so we have set it up now, two weeks early, and will move it to the layby collection point so that we can collect donations until Christmas Eve.”
Woolworths will take control of its building containing the former Coles supermarket and soon-to-be closed Kmart store and will begin a major upgrade of the layout and underground car park with a view to reopening in 12 to 18 months as a Woolworths supermarket and a Big W discount department store.
Blue Mountains City Council has approved Woolworths’ development application although the company has lodged an application to modify its plans slightly, including changes to the car park layout without reducing the number of parking spaces.
A Coles Group Property Developments certificate to install new awnings and windows on the northern facade of its recently closed Katoomba Fair building was issued on June 16, 2011.
A Coles spokesperson told the Gazette last week “Coles are currently assessing all tenancy options for the vacant space in its Katoomba Fair site, but at this stage there are no permanent occupants to call out”.
“In relation to any building modifications, we have no plans to complete any works at this stage but we wouldn’t rule this out in the future.”
