Kay Jewelers closes at Fort Henry Mall

KINGSPORT — On Mother's Day, Kay Jewelers closed its location at the Fort Henry Mall. Signs could be seen posted on the storefront Tuesday stating the store's closure. One sign stated the Kingsport location stopped taking repair or service take-ins on April 28 to prepare the store for closing on May 10. "Thank you for allowing Kay Jewelers to be part of your special moments," one posted notice read. "We truly appreciate your loyalty and continued support." The Kay Jewelers website shows store locations at The Mall at Johnson City (2011 N. Roan St., Room F5), The Pinnacle in Bristol (546 Pinnacle Parkway, Suite 673) and Morristown (2550 East Morris Blvd., Space 9A). As a retail jewelry chain, Kay Jewelers had a presence at the Fort Henry Mall for over 20 years. The Kingsport Times News previously reported the opening of the store as April 18, 2003. Ashton Light, the store's assistant manager, said she worked at the Kingsport location for almost three years. "Being a part of so many engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, and all the special memories made in that store with so many people was such an honor to be a part of, and I will truly miss it," she told the Times News. Kay Jewelers is a part of Signet Jewelers company — which also operates Zales, Jared, Banter by Piercing Pagoda, Diamonds Direct, Blue Nile, Peoples Jewellers, H.Samuel and Ernest Jones. Emails and calls to Signet Jeweler representatives at the start of the week were not returned. State of the mall With the exit of Kay Jewelers, that leaves six stores (Belk, Rural King, Music Masters, Spencer's, Dunham's Sports and General Nutrition Center), two restaurants (Charleys Philly Steaks and Italian Village), All Star Nails, Kingsport Public Library and NCG Cinema at the property. That equals 11 total tenants at the mall. Current stores are listed on the Fort Henry Mall website's directory, which can be viewed at https://www.forthenrymall.com/directory. Other store departures from the Fort Henry Mall in the past two years are Cell World, Bath & Body Works, LensCrafters, Auntie Anne's, Claire's, Ruffles in the Mud, rue21, Appalachian Honey Boutique and FYE. LensCrafters moved to the Kingsport Pavilion, while FYE moved to The Mall at Johnson City. National chains like Claire's and rue21 in the Kingsport mall were impacted from previous bankruptcy filings. The Kingsport Public Library celebrated the grand opening of its temporary mall location on June 6, 2025. Rural King opened at the Fort Henry Mall on April 25, 2025. Future plans John Mulherin, vice president of government relations for Hull Property Group, told the Kingsport Economic Development Board Tuesday that the IMAX theater at the Fort Henry Mall is expected to open July 17. Construction for the theater kicked off in August 2025. Following the initial launch of IMAX, Mulherin said NCG Cinema at the mall will be shut down starting Aug. 18 to renovate the existing theater, as well as to upgrade auditorium seating and concessions. Aug. 28 is the anticipated grand re-opening date for NCG Cinema, according to Mulherin. The mall property owners continue to be in conversation about outparcel and other potential developments, Mulherin said at Tuesday's meeting. He said the mall's future configuration includes large format facilities, big box retail and entertainment. Mulherin said he hopes the Kingsport Public Library will consider establishing a branch location at the mall after its recent success at the temporary location.