Kmart (sometimes styled as "K-Mart") is a chain of discount department stores in the United States, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" — literally Associated Free State of Puerto Rico), is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, also called Virgin Islands of the United States is a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, and Guam The GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development is a regional organization of four post-Soviet states: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. The chain acquired Sears Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of Department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century. Formerly a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Sears merged with Kmart in early 2005, creating the Sears Holdings Corporation in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation is the ninth largest retailer by annual revenue in the United States, trailing behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Costco, Target, CVS Caremark, Walgreens, Kroger, and Lowe's. It was formed in 2005 by the merger of Sears, Roebuck and Co. of Hoffman Estates, Illinois with Kmart Holdings Corporation of Troy, Michigan. The. Kmart also exists in Australia and New Zealand (see Kmart Australia Kmart Australia is a discount department store chain, that operates in Australia . Wesfarmers (formerly the Coles Group) operates Kmart Australia Ltd under license from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States-based Sears Holdings Corporation (the parent of Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and Company)), although it now has no relation to the American stores except in name, after U.S. equity in the Australian business was purchased in the late 1970s. Kmart is the third largest discount store A discount store is a type of department store, which sell products at prices lower than those asked by department stores and other traditional retail outlets. Most discount department stores offer a wide assortment of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances. Discount stores are not chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores and a chain of membership required warehouse stores. In 2010 it was the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the Forbes Global 2000 for that year. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, and Target Target Corporation, usually known simply as Target, is an American retailing company that was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1902 as the Dayton Dry Goods Company. In 1962, the company opened its first Target store in nearby Roseville. The Target store concept grew and eventually became the largest division of Dayton Hudson Corporation,; all three chains were founded in 1962.

As of January 30, 2010, Kmart operated a total of 1,327 (13 closing by late May) Kmart stores across 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This store count included 1,361 discount stores, averaging 92,000 sq ft The square foot is an imperial unit / U.S. customary unit of area, used mainly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan, Afghanistan and Canada. It is defined as the area of a square with sides of 1 foot (0.333... yards, 12 inches, or 0.3048 metres) in length. For comparison, the average one-family house in the United States in 20 (8,500 m2 The square metre is the SI derived unit of area, with symbol m2 (33A1 in Unicode). It is defined as the area of a square whose sides measure exactly one metre. The square metre is derived from the SI base unit of the metre, which in turn is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in absolute vacuum during a time interval of 1⁄299,792), and 29 Super Centers, averaging 165,000 sq ft (15,300 m2).[1]

Kmart's world headquarters was located in Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,959 at the 2000 census, making it the 12th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the second-largest city in Oakland County after Farmington Hills. Troy has become a business and shopping destination in the Metro Detroit area, with, in a sprawling complex which, since Kmart's relocation to Illinois, has been slated for demolition.[2] However, at this current time, no actual demolition efforts are underway, and the proposed mixed-use complex the Pavilions of Troy, slated for the site has not begun construction due to issues with funding.[3]

Kmart became known for its "Blue Light Specials". They occurred at surprise moments when a store worker would light up a mobile police light and offer a discount in a specific department of the store. At the height of Kmart's popularity, the phrase "attention Kmart shoppers" also entered into the American pop psyche, appearing in films and other media such as Troop Beverly Hills Troop Beverly Hills is a 1989 American comedy film. Produced by Weintraub Entertainment Group and directed by Jeff Kanew, it starred Shelley Long, Craig T. Nelson, Betty Thomas, Mary Gross, Shelley Morrison, a host of young stars including Tori Spelling, Carla Gugino, Jenny Lewis, Emily Schulman, Ami Foster, and Kellie Martin, and numerous, Six Days Seven Nights Six Days Seven Nights is a 1998 romantic comedy film interspersed with elements of an adventure film. The screenplay was written by Alan Miller. The movie, filmed on location in Kauai, is directed by Ivan Reitman. It stars Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacqueline Obradors, and Temuera Morrison. It was released on June 12, 1998, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror fantasy film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros. The plot revolves around a recently deceased young couple who become ghosts haunting their former home, a quaint and quiet house on a hill overlooking the fictional town of Winter River, located in. According to MoviePlacement.com, the K Mart brand was also mentioned in 1980s' films such as Rain Man Rain Man is a 1988 American drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond, a man with autism of whose existence, Ruthless People, and Black Rain, but not in a positive light. A typical 1970s Kmart is seen in the beginning of the 1977 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1977 Gregorian calendar) Robby Benson film, One on One.

Contents

History

This section requires expansion with: more info about the founding of S. S. Kresge Co..
The mid-1900s headquarters of the S.S. Kresge Company, in downtown Detroit Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded on July 24, 1701, by the Frenchman Antoine de la

Sebastian S. Kresge first met Frank Woolworth when working as a travelling salesman and selling to all nineteen of Woolworth's stores at the time.[4] In 1897 Kresge invested in two five and dime stores with his friend John McCrory; by 1907 Kresge had bought out McCrory.

Kresge opened the first Kmart store on March 1, 1962, in Garden City, Michigan[5] and named Kmart after himself; this store is still in operation to this day. A total of eighteen Kmart stores opened that year. Kmart Foods, a now defunct chain of Kmart supermarkets A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments. It is larger in size and has a wider selection than a traditional grocery store and it is smaller than a hypermarket or superstore, opened in that same decade.

During the 1970s, Kmart put a number of competing retailers out of business. In 1977, S. S. Kresge Corporation changed its name to Kmart Corporation. In 1987, the Kmart Corporation sold its remaining Kresge and Jupiter stores in the United States to McCrory Stores, although Canadian Kresge stores continued to operate until 1994.

Changes for Kmart

Logo 1962–1990, also used by Kmart Australia Kmart Australia is a discount department store chain, that operates in Australia . Wesfarmers (formerly the Coles Group) operates Kmart Australia Ltd under license from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States-based Sears Holdings Corporation (the parent of Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and Company) from 1980 to 1991. Still in use in some locations; a version with "mart" in italics is currently used in Australia.

During the 1980s, the company's fortunes began to change; many of Kmart's stores were considered to be outdated and in decaying condition. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the corporate office shifted much of its focus from the Kmart stores to other companies it had acquired or created, such as The Sports Authority, Builders Square Builders Square was founded as a big-box home improvement retailer headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. A subsidiary of Kmart, its format was quite similar to Home Depot, Menards and Lowe's with floor space of about 100,000 square feet, and Waldenbooks.

In 1990, in an effort to change its image, Kmart introduced a new logo (dropping the old-style italic "K" with a turquoise "mart", created 1962), and renovated many stores with the new logo. (This logo forms part of the "Big Kmart" logo pictured below.) However, most stores were not remodeled until the mid-1990s, and some have not been completely renovated to this day. This logo was replaced in 2004 with the current logo. In the early 1990s, Kmart also tried to reinvent itself by using the short-lived Today's Kmart name.

The company also began to offer exclusive merchandise by Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart is an American business magnate, television host, author and magazine publisher. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising. Stewart's syndicated talk show, Martha, is broadcast throughout the world, she, Kathy Ireland, and Jaclyn Smith Jaclyn Ellen Smith is an American actress. She is best known for the role of Kelly Garrett in the television series Charlie's Angels, and was the only original female lead to remain with the series for its complete run (1976–81). She became a well known face on television starring in over thirty made for TV movies and more recently was the. Other recognizable brands included Sesame Street Sesame Street is an American children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. Sesame Street is well known for its Muppets characters created by Jim Henson. It premiered on November 10, 1969, making it one of the longest running children's program on and Disney The Walt Disney Company , also known simply as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world. Founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, the company was reincorporated as Walt Disney Productions in 1929. Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader. Rosie O'Donnell Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family Vacations and Penny Marshall Penny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director were among the company's most recognized spokespersons.

Kmart Super Center

Kmart Super Center (Super Kmart Center, Super Kmart or Super K) opened a 147,000 sq ft (13,700 m2)[6] location in 1991 in Medina, Ohio featuring a full-service grocery store and general merchandise. The second ground-up Kmart Super Center opened in Montrose, Ohio, featuring chain's first full-scale video rental center and a carryout Chinese menu.[7] The location is now closed. Most Kmart Super Centers range in size from 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) to 190,000 sq ft (18,000 m2). Current locations feature in-house bakeries, fresh meats and seafood, and a full delicatessen.[8]

Big Kmart

Big Kmart logo

Big Kmart (Big K) opened in Chicago, Illinois Chicago ( /ʃɨˈkɑːɡoʊ/ or /ʃɨˈkɔːɡoʊ/) is the largest city in both Illinois and the Midwest, and the third most populous city in the United States, with over 2.8 million people living within the city limits. Its metropolitan area, commonly named "Chicagoland", is the 26th most populous in the world, home to an estimated 9.7, on April 23, 1997. The format focuses on home fashions, children's apparel and consumables (Pantry).[8] Most Kmart stores were remodeled to this format during the late 1990s.

Blue Light Special and 1994 closures

Kmart's red classic logo (1990–2004). It is in use at many older locations

The original Blue Light Special disappeared in 1991[9], due to changing consumer habits and misuse by individual stores (according to the company's official explanation). The company brought back the Blue Light Special in 2001, but within a few weeks the program was scrapped.

In September 2009 Blue Light Specials were reinstated on Saturdays, and later on Sundays also.

In 1994, Kmart closed 110 stores. Unlike its competitors Wal-Mart and Target, it had failed to invest in computer technology to manage its supply chain A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer. In sophisticated supply chain. Furthermore, Kmart maintained a high dividend Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members. It is the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business , or it can be paid to the shareholders as a dividend. Many corporations retain a, which reduced the amount of money available for improving its stores. Many business analysts also faulted the corporation for failing to create a coherent brand A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business[page needed]. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan. The word brand began simply as a way to tell one person's cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. A legally protected brand name is called a trademark. The word brand image.

NASCAR Sponsorships

Kmart used to sponsor several NASCAR teams and races, starting back in the 1980s with several drivers. The store also sponsored the Kmart 400 at Michigan and North Carolina Speedway. Most recently the store sponsored Boris Said's #60 No Fear Ford Fusion in 2007. Kmart got its first win as a sponsor with Lake Speed in 1988 at the Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway.

Bankruptcy

Kmart's lime green prototype logo. This logo was only used at five prototype Kmart locations. Notice how an arrow An arrow is a graphical symbol such as → or ←, used to point or indicate direction, being in its simplest form a line segment with a triangle affixed to one end, and in more complex forms a representation of an actual arrow . The direction indicated by an arrow is the one along the length of the line towards the end capped by a triangle or chevron A chevron is a V-shaped pattern. The word is usually used in reference to a kind of fret in architecture, or to a badge or insignia used in military or police uniforms to indicate rank or length of service, or in heraldry and the designs of flags (see flag terminology) is formed within the logo. The name of the city or town is located at the front entrance of the stores underneath or beside this logo.

On January 22, 2002, Kmart filed for Chapter 11 Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most prominently used by corporate entities. In contrast, bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay its creditors. Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against a business or corporate debtor in an effort to recoup a portion of what they are owed or initiate a restructuring. In the majority of cases, however, bankruptcy is initiated by protection under the leadership of its then-chairman Chuck Conaway and president Mark Schwartz. Conaway, who had had success building up the CVS Corporation, had accepted an offer to take the helm at Kmart along with a loan of some $5 million. In a scandal similar to that involving Enron Enron Corporation was an American energy company based in the Enron Complex in Downtown Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy in late 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications and pulp and paper companies, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion in 2000. Fortune, Conaway and Schwartz were accused of misleading shareholders and other company officials about the company's financial crisis while making millions and allegedly spending the company's money on airplanes, houses, boats and other luxuries. At a conference for Kmart employees January 22, Conaway accepted "full blame" for the financial disaster. As Kmart emerged from bankruptcy, Conaway was forced to step down and was asked to pay back all the loans he had taken.

While the company was in bankruptcy, Edward Lampert bought Kmart bonds for his hedge fund, ESL Investments. On May 6, 2003, Kmart officially emerged from bankruptcy protection as the Kmart Holdings Corporation and on June 10, 2003, it began trading on the NASDAQ The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations," but the exchange's official stance is that the acronym is obsolete. It is the largest electronic screen-based equity securities trading market in the as "KMRT". Lampert took control of the company and began to run it for profit instead of sales.

After dismissing Conaway and Schwartz, Kmart closed more than 300 stores in the United States and laid off around 34,000 workers as part of restructuring Restructuring is the corporate management term for the act of reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of a company for the purpose of making it more profitable, or better organized for its present needs. Alternate reasons for restructuring include a change of ownership or ownership structure, demerger, or a response to the company. Kmart introduced five prototype A prototype is an original type, form, or instance of something serving as a typical example, basis, or standard for other things of the same category. The word derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος (prototypos), "original, primitive", from πρῶτος (protos), " stores with a new logo, layout, and lime green and gray Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each-other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in proportions equal to that of the white point. In four-color printing, greys are produced either by color scheme, one in White Lake Township, Michigan, a quasi-rural community near Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded on July 24, 1701, by the Frenchman Antoine de la, and four in central Illinois United States migrant settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s; Illinois achieved statehood in 1818. The future metropolis of Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River, one of the few natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan. Railroads and John Deere's invention of the self-scouring steel plow made central: (Peoria Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city was the fifth-largest in Illinois, with a population of 112,936; by 2007 it was the sixth-largest city and had population of 113,546. The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 372,, Pekin, Morton and Washington). The new layout was touted as having wider aisles and improved selection and lighting, and the city or town's name was featured under the new Kmart logo at the front entrance. However, Kmart could not afford a full-scale rollout. The lime green prototype was abandoned for the new Kmart "orange" concept that rolled out at nine test stores throughout the United States.

Merger with Sears

Main article: Sears Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation is the ninth largest retailer by annual revenue in the United States, trailing behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Costco, Target, CVS Caremark, Walgreens, Kroger, and Lowe's. It was formed in 2005 by the merger of Sears, Roebuck and Co. of Hoffman Estates, Illinois with Kmart Holdings Corporation of Troy, Michigan. The

On November 17, 2004, Kmart announced its intention to purchase Sears, Roebuck and Company Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of Department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century. Formerly a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Sears merged with Kmart in early 2005, creating the Sears Holdings Corporation. As a part of the merger, the Kmart Holdings Corporation would change its name to Sears Holdings Corporation. The new corporation announced that it would continue to operate stores under both the Sears and Kmart brands. Around this time, Kmart changed its logo from a red K with the script "mart" inside to a red block letter K with the chain's name in lowercase letters below it. Most Kmart stores now use this logo on their signage, with some only using the red K and the word "mart" due to space concerns.

Kmart after the Sears Merger

Kmart started remodeling stores to the "Orange" prototype in 2006. The typical white and blue interior of the stores was changed to orange and brown, and shelf heights were lowered to create better sightlines. The remodeled stores contain an appliance department with Kenmore Appliances and most have hardware departments that sell Craftsman tools, which prior to the merger had been exclusive to Sears stores.[10] Some auto centers left vacant by Penske after Kmart filed for bankruptcy have been converted to Sears Auto Centers.[11] 280 stores as of 2009 have been remodeled to this new prototype. For most of these stores, Kmart retired the "Big Kmart" logo and replaced it with the current logo. In some of the larger stores the old logo is still in use.

In July 2009, Sears Holdings opened its first Sears-branded appliance store inside a Kmart.[12] The 4,000 sq ft (370 m2) store-within-a-store opened inside the former garden department of a Birmingham, Alabama Kmart. It is two-thirds the size of the appliance department in most Sears stores, but larger than the 2,500 sq ft (230 m2) appliance department in remodeled Kmart stores.

In October 2009, it was reported that Kmart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia failed to come to a new agreement. This came after Stewart made remarks on CNBC CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBC Universal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers around the world. In 2007, the network was ranked as that her line at Kmart had deteriorated, particularly after the Sears merger.[13]

In November 2009 Kmart reported its first year-over-year sales increase of 0.5% since 2005, and only the second such increase since 2001.[14]

Store concepts

Current store concepts

The exterior of a typical Big Kmart discount store in Ontario, Oregon. The red "K" with script "mart" pictured here was Kmart's logo from 1990 to 2004.

Former store concepts

The exterior of a Super Kmart in Corsicana, Texas. This store is no longer in business

Philanthropic Contributions

Kmart for Kids is the umbrella program for Kmart's philanthropic initiatives. The program helps children across the country live happier, healthier lives through the support of: March of Dimes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and American Diabetes Association.[18]

March of Dimes

Kmart is March of Dimes' number 1 corporate sponsor, raising over $71 million for stronger, healthier babies.[19][20]

On July 29, 2008, Don Germano, SVP/GM of Kmart stores, was elected to a five-year term on the national Board of Trustees of the March of Dimes Foundation.[21]

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Kmart for Kids supports St. Jude through its annual Thanks and Giving campaign: an opportunity for Kmart customers to give thanks for the healthy kids in their life, and give to those who are not. Kmart has been a partner of the campaign since 2006 and has raised more than $8 million for St. Jude to date.[22]

American Diabetes Association

In 2008, Kmart earned the "Outstanding Corporate Citizen" Award for its support of the American Diabetes Association's "Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes" program.[23] The tribute honors Kmart for the most well-developed, proactive program in the areas of charity, community Development, Diversity, philanthropy, and associate development. In 2008 Kmart became a national sponsor of "Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes" and over the past two years, Kmart's customers and associates have raised approximately $1.5 million through its in-store campaigns.[24]

Environmental record

On May 9, 2007, Kmart was penalized $102,422 for violations of federal hazardous waste, clean water, emergency planning and preparation regulations at 17 distribution centers.[25] Kmart corrected the violations by preparing and implementing spill prevention control and countermeasure plans, applying for appropriate storm water permits, complying with hazardous waste generator requirements, and submitting reports to state and local emergency planning and response organizations informing them of the presence of hazardous substances.[26] The Environmental Protection Agency also accused Kmart of not maintaining adequate information and failing to act in accordance with hazardous waste storage and disposal requirements.[27] For instance, the EPA reported having discovered improperly labeled oil storage drums at a location in Falls, Pennsylvania.[27]

Out of concern for the environment, Kmart promoted battery recycling.[28] Kmart even proposed spending about $80 million on full-page newspaper advertisements offering to recycle junk batteries for $2 each.[29]

Mascot and spokesperson

In May 2007, Sears Holdings Corporation and Kmart named a new mascot and spokesperson for Kmart called Mr. Bluelight. Named after Kmart's well-known "Blue Light Specials", Mr. Bluelight is a talking cartoonish blue light bulb who gives customers ideas to help them make the most of their Kmart experience. Mr. Bluelight has appeared in several television commercials. Specials associated with Mr. Bluelight inside Kmart stores are advertised as "Blue Light Finds" (marked-down merchandise) and "Best of Blue" (higher-end products, often brand-name).

Canada, Europe and Australia stores

Kmart Australia logo

Kmart was also once a major presence in Canada. However, as a result of Kmart's ongoing financial difficulties, the Canadian division comprising 112 stores was sold to competitor Zellers of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1998, after which the stores were either closed or converted to the Zellers brand.

Like Target stores, Kmart-branded stores in Australia belonged to Coles Myer before being acquired by Wesfarmers in 2007, which also holds the rights to the Kmart brand in New Zealand.

In 1992, Kmart purchased several communist-era department stores in Eastern Europe, including 13 in the former Czechoslovakia that were bought from the former Czechoslovak government. One of those stores was the old Maj department store on Národní Třída in Prague. Many of these outlets were quite profitable, with the Bratislava location setting a single store sales record for the company. But Kmart's larger troubles in the United States caught up with its European operations later in the decade. In March 1996, The Kmart Corporation announced that it had agreed to sell the six Kmart stores in the Czech Republic and the seven in Slovakia to Tesco P.L.C. of Britain for about $117.5 million, to focus on its core operations in North America.

BlueLight internet service

In 1999 Kmart began offering a dial-up internet service called BlueLight, which was eventually spun off as an independent company. BlueLight was initially free and supported by banner ads. BlueLight dropped the free service in February 2001 and was reacquired by Kmart in July 2001. In 2002 United Online, which also owns NetZero and Juno, bought the BlueLight service after Kmart filed for bankruptcy. In August 2006, Bluelight dropped the banners. As of August 2006, the service costs $14.95 a month and has around 165,000 subscribers.

CEOs

Controversy

Kmart stores have been targeted in an Industrial Workers of the World campaign to get Kmart's parent company, Sears Holdings Corporation, to stop advertising through Havas' MPG.[31]

See also

Detroit portal
Companies portal

References

Notes

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be and removed. (February 2009)
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  2. ^ Tuesday, May 1, 2007 A town square for Troy? Developers unveil ambitious plan for former Kmart hub (Catherine Jun)The Detroit News
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  6. ^ Super K's new phase will be to develop a more complete store with a broader mix
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  12. ^ twice.com (2009-08-03). "Sears Opens First In-Store Majap Shop Inside Kmart". http://www.twice.com/article/326290-Sears_Opens_First_In_Store_Majap_Shop_Inside_Kmart.php?rssid=20321&q=sears. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
  13. ^ NYTimes.com (2009-10-16). "Martha Stewart Fails to Reach New Kmart Deal". http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/business/17martha.html. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
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  30. ^ Profile at forbes.com
  31. ^ MPG Falsely Advertises Workers' Rights, examiner.com, August 11, 2009

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kmart
Sears Holdings Corporation
Current Management: W. Bruce Johnson, interim CEO · Edward Lampert, Chairman (major owner)
Founders: Sebastian S. Kresge · Alvah C. Roebuck · Richard Sears
Retailers: Kmart · Big Kmart · Super Kmart · Lands' End · Sears · Sears Grand · Sears Hardware · Sears Appliance Dealer · Sears Outlet · Sears Parts & Repair · The Great Indoors · Orchard Supply Hardware · Sears Canada · Sears Mexico
Brands: Craftsman · Diehard · Kenmore · Joe Boxer · Martha Stewart Everyday
Annual Revenue: ▲$49.124 billion USD (2006) · Employees: 355,000 (2006) · Stock Symbol: NASDAQ SHLD · Website: searsholdings.com

Categories: Companies established in 1899 | Sears Holdings Corporation | Discount stores of the United States | Companies based in Troy, Michigan | Companies based in Detroit, Michigan | Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy | Companies based in Cook County, Illinois

 

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'Kmart' News
Sears to split space with Forever 21 in Calif. mall - Chicago Breaking Business - Tribune
chicagobreakingbusiness.com
Sears to split space with Forever 21 in Calif. mall - Chicago Breaking Business - Tribune
Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:43:38 GMT+00:00
Chicago Breaking Business - Tribune The agreement follows the unveiling in March of a Sears Web site called SHCRealty.com, a searchable database that lists thousands of Sears and Kmart stores ... Sears Holdings Signs Lease Agreement With Forever 21/XXI Forever at South ... PR Newswire (press release)
Google News Search: kmart,
Wed Jul 28 16:57:58 2010
'Kmart' Images
Kmart 1 60 jpg
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Kmart 1 60 jpg
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Sat Jul 17 08:36:52 2010
'Kmart' Blogs
Kmart Deals Week of 7/18/10
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Kmart Deals Week of 7/18/10

Tara Kuczykowski

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:19:54 GM

Kmart. Deals Week of 7/18/10. by Tara Kuczykowski on July 19, 2010 2 comments. Would you like to have these great bargains delivered right to your inbox? Join over 5000 fellow deal seekers and subscribe to my daily email digest. ...

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Wed Jul 21 10:53:14 2010
'Kmart' Answers
Do you think Kmart and Sears are selling the same quality clothes now?
Q. Since Sears and Kmart are together now do you think they sell the same quality merchandise?
Asked by peanut - Sun Feb 15 18:26:59 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. I shop both and none of mine sell any of the same items at all. I like the quality of both, I spend more at Kmart. For a store that use to be known as cheesy, and they have had years that cheesey items were sold, today I find thier stores sell very high quality clothing. Thier selecton this past Christmas was awesome, so was Sears but they are much more expensive. I like how if your at Kmart online looking for specific products, below they will show what is sold as Sears in addition to the items they sell at Kmart. Im really happy to see both stores still around.
Answered by loves christmas lights - Sun Feb 15 18:46:09 2009

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Sun Jul 25 00:31:25 2010
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