Best I can recall, they didn't hit Rochester, NY until 1975 or 76. While they had opened up stores in all sorts of smaller towns across the state years earlier.

Rochester at the time was a fairly prosperous metro area. Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, and GM, among others employed thousands and paid well (no matter what color the collar).

My best guess is that there was too much competition here. When they DID finally arrive it was after some regional low-to-mid-range dept stores failed. My suburb got its Kmart right about the time Grants City went under.