Shopping down memory lane: Gone but not forgotten department stores in Knoxville

Knoxville has had several beloved department stores throughout the years. Browse down memory lane with these long-gone stores.

The first Rich's Department Store in Knoxville was a merger with the S.H. George and Sons at the corner of Gay and Walnut in 1954. Knoxville became the first city outside of Georgia to get a Rich’s. A new and expanded store opened Aug. 29, 1955, at 600 Henley St. The store became a Miller’s in the 1960s, Hess’s in the late 1980s, and has been the UT Conference Center since 1992.

Kmart opened at 7428 Kingston Pike in August 1968, making it the third Kmart store in the Knoxville area. It opened before the nearby West Town Mall. Kmart had a pharmacy, lawn and garden center, sporting goods, toys, clothing, stereos and TVs. No Kmart stores remain, and the Kingston Pike store closed in January 2008. It's now the Knoxville Wholesale Furniture Clearance Center.

West Town Mall opened in August 1972 with several large department stores that are no longer there. The original anchors were Proffitt’s, Miller’s, Sears and JCPenney. Proffitt’s became Belk in 2006. Miller’s became Hess’s before closing, and Dillard’s occupies that anchor spot. Sears closed in 2019 and became Dick’s House of Sport. JCPenney is the only original anchor remaining but relocated when the mall was renovated from 1993 to 1995. Parisian also opened in 1994 as a new anchor, but it's now a Belk Men's store.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Remember these now-closed department stores from Knoxville's past