Iconic Retail Chain Closing Its Last Full-Size Store In The United States

The last full-size Kmart store in the United States, located in Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York, is set to close its doors on October 20 , marking the end of an era for the once-dominant discount department store chain. This leaves only one reduced-size Kmart outlet in Miami, which operates more like a convenience store.

Kmart, known for its wide range of products at affordable prices, was a leading retail chain in the 1990s with around 2,500 stores across the United States . However, the chain began to struggle due to competition from companies such as Walmart and Target, and its slow adoption of e-commerce.

The company filed for bankruptcy for the first time in 2002, and despite an $11-billion deal that merged its debt with Sears, both companies filed for bankruptcy in 2018, leading to the closure of dozens of their stores.

Despite its struggles in the U.S., Kmart still operates several stores in the U.S. Virgin Islands , Guam, and hundreds of outlets in Australia, according to RetailWire .