Farewell to Kmart: Last Large U.S. Store Closing

Photo byTim MossholderonUnsplash

During it’s hay day K-Mart was the 15th largest company in the world. This according to Retail Wire. In the early 1990s, the company operated 2,300 stores, employing over 350,000 people. Remember the iconic "blue light special"? The company in its growth phase bought retailers Payless Drugs, Sports Authority, Walden Books, and Border Books.

In the late '90s, rivals Walmart and Target began to take market share from Kmart. As Kmart fell on hard times it started selling off the retail assets it had previously acquired. In 1995, the company closed 200 stores. By 2002, Kmart filed for bankruptcy. In an effort to save the company, Kmart merged with Sears in 2005. However, it turned out Sears had problems of its own, and filed for bankruptcy in 2018.

Now the final chapters of the Kmart story are playing out. The last large format Kmart will be closing its doors later this month. That store in Bridgehampton NY will permanently close on October 20th.

What was once a major player on the American retail landscape, Kmart as we knew it will be no more!

What do you think?

Did you shop in Kmart back in the day?

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