Riverside is losing another Kmart under the latest round of downsizing, the company announced Friday, July 7.

The store at 7200 Arlington Ave., near the intersection of Van Buren Boulevard, will be among eight Sears and 35 Kmart stores that will close by early October, parent company Sears Holdings Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert said in a blog post.

“This is part of a strategy both to address losses from unprofitable stores and to reduce the square footage of other stores because many of them are simply too big for our current needs,” he said.

The company previously shuttered 108 Kmart stores and 42 Sears stores earlier this year. A Kmart at 3001 Iowa Ave. in Riverside closed in March after a liquidation sale.

After the closure, Riverside will have one Kmart, located in the Mission Grove Plaza on Alessandro Boulevard.

Riverside City Councilman Jim Perry, who represents Ward 6 where the Arlington Kmart is located, said he wished the company had given the city advance notice of its plans.

“I think it’s disappointing anytime you lose a business, especially one the size of Kmart,” he said.

But Perry said the location is a visible one and he hopes city officials can be involved with the property owner to determining the site’s future.

At the Kmart on Friday afternoon, longtime shoppers voiced dismay.

“I’m sorry it’s going to be gone,” said William Cardenas, 50, who was buying a fan and pool noodles. “That means we have to go to Walmart.”

Elida Chavira, 37, was loading baby items in her car that she bought for her niece who was born July 4. She has shopped at Kmart since she when she was 8 and 9 and living in San Antonio. She remembers waiting for her new school clothes that her mom put on layaway.

“I think it’s sad,” the Riverside resident said of the coming closure. “It’s a good store. The clothes are way cheaper.”

Susan Scott went to Kmart Friday after she said Walmart was sold out of a large portable swimming pool she wanted for her two kids. She got it for $100, which included a two-year protection plan. The regular price was $229.

Scott said she likes Kmart because it’s clean and convenient and seems to have a large inventory.

“This one doesn’t get a lot of business,” said Scott, who lives in Riverside. “Maybe it’s the location and everybody’s shopping online.”

Scott said she was looking forward to liquidation sales that could start next week.

“I’ve been eyeing the breakfast nook that’s $300,” she said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to get it for a steal.”

Stores affected by the latest closure will start holding sales starting July 13, according to the company.

In the blog post, Lampert said the company has recently introduced smaller-sized stores and expects to continue to do so in the future.

The company also is taking steps to reduce its debt and increase its liquidity through actions such as a recent sale of more than $200 million in real estate holdings.

“While there is still work to do, we are determined to do what is necessary to remain a competitive retailer in a challenging environment,” Lampert said.