On Oct. 20, the last full-sized Kmart in the continental United States closed its doors. The Bridgehampton, New York, store’s closure brought an end to an iconic chapter in American retail.
Kmarts across the country had once been the go-to store for consumers’ everyday needs. But over the years Kmart was unable to compete with Walmart, Target, Amazon, and other major retailers. Only one smaller location remains in Miami, along with a few stores in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, according to USA Today.
The Bridgehampton Kmart, about 95 miles east of Manhattan, opened in 1999. Kmart itself had been a major force in American retail for decades, with its roots going back to the late 19th century when founder Sebastian Spering Kresge opened a five-and-dime store in Detroit. By 1962, the company had rebranded as Kmart and became known for its famous 15-minute-long “blue light specials,” where flashing lights and public announcements alerted customers to limited-time discounts. This beloved promotion was launched in 1965 but discontinued in 1991.
The company also suffered several corporate missteps and ill-fated acquisitions, such as the purchases of Sports Authority, OfficeMax, and Borders in the 1990s. All of these brands eventually went out of business. Kmart went on to file for bankruptcy in 2002. At the time, it was the largest U.S. retailer bankruptcy. An $11 billion merger with Sears in 2005 seemed promising, but turned out to be a financial disaster for both brands, CNN reports. When the two retailers merged, Kmart had about 1,400 stores and Sears had nearly 900 full-line U.S. stores. By 2018, the company filed for bankruptcy, after which there remained just 231 Sears and 191 Kmart stores.
“It’s sad,” shopper Deborah Arnone told CNN. “It’s the end of an era. We shopped here for Christmas every year. It was a mainstay out here.”
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