U.S. Auto Care LLC has completed a new lease term agreement with Kmart that will keep seven of the dealership´s Big O Tires Inc. franchise stores attached to Kmart outlets in the greater Detroit area for another five years.
"We hope to be able to continue to capture new customer traffic within our Big O stores as Kmart improves customer traffic in their stores," says U.S. Auto Care President Steve Wilson.
Wilson also has addressed the possible closing of Kmart sites with the mass merchandiser as Kmart prepares to sell 54 of its stores to Sears Roebuck & Co.
The Southfield, Mich.-based Big O franchisee´s shops attached to Kmart locations are former Penske Auto Center facilities. It has an additional five outlets, but they are stand-alone stores.
U.S. Auto Care´s sales for August are up 21.6%, says Wilson.
