Kmart

Kmart is an American discount retailer introduced in 1962 as an expanded discount property to S.S. Kresge's department and discount stores. The chain merged with Sears in 2004 to form Sears Holdings, which would later be reorganized into TransformCo after their second bankruptcy in 2018.

1960s-1990s
The S.S. Kresge company opened the first Kmart-named store on March 1, 1962, in Garden City, Michigan, just four months before the first Walmart opened.

In 1980, Vice Chairman Bernard M. Fauber was elected as the Chairman and as the CEO of Kmart. In 1981, the 2,000th Kmart store opened. By the end of 1981, there were 2,055 Kmart stores across the United States and Canada. In 1990, in an effort to update its image, Kmart introduced a new logo. It dropped the old-style italic "K" with a turquoise "mart" in favor of a red block letter K with the word "mart" written in script and contained inside the "K". Kmart then began remodeling stores shortly thereafter. Most notably, stores built throughout the 1960s through early 1980s had an arch attached to the existing facade, while some were expanded, receiving an entirely new exterior in the 1990s.

In 1991, the company revised its name slightly to Kmart Corporation.

The first Super Kmart Center (Super Kmart) on July 25, 1991 in Medina, Ohio, featuring a full-service grocery and general merchandise.

In 1992, Kmart entered the Eastern European market with the purchase of 13 state-owned department stores in the former Czechoslovakia. These stores were sold off to Tesco in 1996.

The company also began to offer exclusive merchandise by Martha Stewart, Kathy Ireland, Jaclyn Smith, Lauren Hutton, and Thalía. Other recognizable brands included exclusively licensed merchandising of products relating to Sesame Street and Disney.

Kmart's profitability and sales peaked in 1992, and have since declined due to competition with Walmart, Target, and internet shopping. In 1994, Kmart announced they would close 110 stores. Many more would close the following year.

In September 1995, Kmart sold its money-losing in-store auto repair centers to Penske Corporation for $112 million to operate them as Penske Auto Centers. Penske later closed the auto repair centers in 2002 as a result of a payment dispute with Kmart.

Big Kmart opened in Chicago, Illinois, on April 23, 1997. The format focuses on home fashions, children's apparel, and consumables (The Pantry). Most Kmart stores were remodeled to this format during the late 1990s and the early 2000s regardless of the size of the store.

In July 1999, Kmart hired SuperValu and Fleming to distribute $3.9 billion worth of food and other related products to all Kmart stores.

2000-2009: First Bankruptcy and merger with Sears
In July 2000, Kmart closed 72 underperforming stores due to poor sales, while opening 20 new Big Kmart stores, converting 12 regular Kmart stores into Super Kmart Center stores, and opening 5 new Super Kmart Center stores. and the company announced a planned major restructuring, in which Kmart would invest in new customer check-out and new inventory management technology and other related systems as well.

In 2001, Kmart opened several new Kmart Super Center stores as part of Kmart's plan to expand their Kmart Super Center store portfolio, along with Kmart trying to make groceries available at stores as well. However, due to Kmart filing for bankruptcy in January 2002, Kmart was unable to open any more new Kmart Super Center stores, and any of the Kmart Super Center stores that were under construction during Kmart's 2002 bankruptcy were halted, no matter how close the stores were to completion.

On January 22, 2002, Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under the leadership of its then-chairman Charles Conaway and president Mark Schwartz. Conaway, who successfully expanded CVS Corporation, accepted an offer to take the helm at Kmart along with a loan of $5 million (equivalent to $7.11 million in 2020). In a scandal similar to that involving Enron, 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 on 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.

After dismissing Conaway and Schwartz, Kmart closed more than 300 stores in the U.S., including all the Kmart stores in Alaska, and laid off around 34,000 workers as part of the restructuring process. Kmart introduced five prototype stores with a new logo, layout, and lime green and gray color scheme, one in White Lake, Michigan, and four in central Illinois: (Peoria, 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 several of its locations throughout the United States in 2006.

On January 13, 2003, Kmart closed 326 stores due to a lack of profitability and poor sales.

On May 6, 2003, Kmart emerged from bankruptcy protection as a subsidiary of the new Kmart Holding Corporation.

On November 17, 2004, Kmart's management announced its intention to purchase Sears for $11 billion. As part of the merger, the Kmart Holding Corporation (the company that owns Kmart) would be transferred to the new Sears Holdings Corporation and Sears would be purchased by the new 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 the same K with the chain's name in lowercase letters below it. Kmart's headquarters were relocated to Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and in 2012 the sprawling headquarters complex in Troy, Michigan, was acquired by the Forbes Company, which owns the nearby upscale mall, Somerset Collection.

Kmart started remodeling stores to the "Orange" prototype in 2005. 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. Some auto centers left vacant by Penske after Kmart filed for bankruptcy had been converted to Sears Auto Centers.

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.

2010-present: Continued decline and new management under TransformCo
On December 27, 2011, after a disastrous holiday sales season, Sears Holdings announced that 100 to 120 of Sears and Kmart stores would close.

In 2014, news reports indicated that Kmart was liquidating dozens of stores across the United States. Kmart's parent company, Sears Holdings Corporation, underwent financial distress throughout the year, sparking an unspecified number of closings of Sears and Kmart locations amid vendors' and lenders' concerns about its liquidity. Along with store closings, measures included the spinning off its Lands' End division, selling most of its stake in Sears Canada, issuing debt and taking on loans that cumulatively put it on track to raise $1.445 billion in cash in 2014.

In April 2016, Kmart announced that it was liquidating 68 stores. The chain announced in September 2016 that 64 more stores in 28 states would close by mid-December 2016. In December 2016, at least 25 Kmart locations were targeted for closure in early 2017.

In January 2017, Kmart announced that 78 more stores would close, including the first Kmart location in Garden City, Michigan. In May 2017, Kmart announced the upcoming closure of 18 more stores. In early June 2017, Kmart announced that an additional 49 stores across the U.S. were to be shuttered by September 2017. In early July 2017, Kmart had announced that 35 more stores would close by early October 2017. In late August 2017, Kmart announced another 28 store closures, including the last Rhode Island location, in Cranston. On October 11, 2017, with no closing sale held, the Kmart store in Santa Rosa, California, was apparently burnt down by wildfires in the Bay Area, adding to the list of closed stores. On October 17, 2017, Kmart announced the liquidation of an unspecified number of locations by late November. On November 3, 2017, it was announced that a further 45 Kmarts (along with 18 Sears stores) were to close, effective by January 2018, including Kmart's last store in Alabama, in Albertville.

Kmart and Sears did not run any television advertisements during the 2017 holiday season to focus on digital marketing and after evaluating the effectiveness of its various marketing efforts. On January 4, 2018, after yet another disappointing holiday sales season, Kmart announced the liquidation of 64 more stores in the spring of 2018. This includes Kmart's only remaining Super Kmart location in Warren, Ohio, officially discontinuing the Super Kmart format.

On March 15, 2018, Sears Holdings announced that a small profit was made in the fourth quarter of 2017. However, investors are claiming that it is due to tax refunds and that sales are still falling for both Kmart and Sears. On April 12, 2018, Sears announced plans to close and auction 16 of its Sears stores, and close several more Kmart locations, but did not specify how many. In early May, Sears announced the liquidation of several more Kmarts, including the last Kmart in Vermont, in Bennington.

On May 21, 2018, Sears Holdings announced yet another round of liquidation sales in forty Sears and Kmart stores across 24 states. On May 31, Sears Holdings announced the liquidation of an additional 16 Kmart stores and 48 Sears stores, including the last Kmart in Hawaii, in Lihue.

On June 28, 2018, Sears Holdings disclosed 10 of the stores being evaluated and announced they would close by September 2018. Liquidation sales began on the same day. On July 13, 2018, news came through from multiple sources that even more Kmart stores have been set to liquidate across the nation. On August 23, 2018, it was announced that 13 more stores would close by November.

On October 15, 2018, Sears Holdings filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced that it would close 142 stores, including 63 Kmart stores, which included the last Kmart in Arkansas, in Russellville, the last two Kmarts in Georgia, in Covington and Peachtree City, and the last two Kmarts in Kansas, in Kansas City and Salina. Sears Holdings' bankruptcy also marked Kmart's second bankruptcy in 16 years. On November 8, 2018, Sears Holdings announced it would close an additional 40 stores, including 11 Kmart stores. On November 23, 2018, Sears Holdings released a list of 505 stores, including 239 Kmart stores, for sale in the bankruptcy process while all others were holding liquidation sales. On December 28, 2018, Sears Holdings announced it would close 80 additional stores, including 37 Kmart stores, which includes the only remaining Kmart in Missouri, in Crystal City, the only remaining Kmart in South Dakota, in Rapid City, the only remaining Kmart in Nebraska, in Alliance, the only remaining Kmart in Louisiana, in Metairie, and the only remaining Kmart in Mississippi, in Gulfport.

On January 15, 2019, when it had appeared that Kmart's parent, Sears Holdings, was preparing to file for Chapter 7 liquidation, the bankruptcy court judge ordered the company to return to the negotiating table and work out a new deal with Eddie Lampert to prevent the liquidation from occurring. A new deal was struck at the last minute that would keep up to 400 Sears and Kmart stores operating. On January 19, 2019, Sears Holdings officially announced that they had won the auction, and that some of the then existing stores were to remain open.

On January 24, 2019, a group of unsecured creditors, which included Simon Property Group, filed a motion with the bankruptcy court to overturn the deal Sears Holdings had recently made with Lampert claiming that Lampert had been "engaged in serial asset stripping" of the company at the expense of suppliers and landlords. The creditors had requested that the bankruptcy court rule to have the company be liquidated instead of being reorganized so that the creditors would be able to recover more money that was still owed to them. On January 28, the federal government-operated Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation announced that they were not in favor of Sears Holding's current agreement with Lampert since that agreement would create a $1.7 billion funding gap in the employee pension fund, requiring American tax-payers to cover the shortfall. In papers filed on February 1 with the bankruptcy court, ESL "outlined plans to close three Kmart stores per month in 2019" if the court decides to accept ESL's purchase bid.

In February 2019, it was announced that a U.S. bankruptcy judge approved the sale of the most lucrative part of Sears Holdings to Edward Lampert, allowing the surviving part of the company that operates both Sears and Kmart to remain in business at the expense of suppliers, landlords, employees, pensioners, the U.S. government, and other creditors.

The sale of 202 Kmart stores to Transform Holdco was finalized in February 2019, with the remaining Kmart locations liquidated to partially pay off Sears Holdings creditors.

In May 2019, it was revealed that Kmart would close its store in Walla Walla, Washington in July, making it the first post-bankruptcy closure for the brand since being bought by ESL. On August 6, 2019, TransformCo announced plans to close five additional stores by October 2019. At the time of the announcement, TransformCo also added that it "cannot rule out additional store closures in the near term." Between August 5 and 23, 2019, it was later announced that four more Kmarts would close.

On August 29, 2019, the massive closure of 77 Kmart stores was announced, with the stores being closed by December 15, 2019. This includes the last Kmart in Connecticut, in Watertown; the last two Kmarts in Idaho, in Lewiston and Twin Falls; the last four Kmarts in Indiana, in Elwood, Kokomo, Richmond, and Valparaiso; the last two Kmarts in Kentucky, in Erlanger and Somerset; the last two Kmarts in Maine, in Auburn and Augusta; the last Kmart in Oklahoma, in Clinton; the last three Kmarts in South Carolina, in Greenville, Lexington, and West Columbia; the last Kmart in Tennessee, in Lebanon; the last Kmart in Utah, in St. George; and the last two Kmarts in Virginia, in Chesapeake and Tabb. This was the first mass-closing post-bankruptcy for the brand since being bought by ESL. According to the announcement, there would be 115 locations remaining by December 2019. The company was expected to close more than 100 stores by January 2020.

In November 2019, Kmart announced the closing of 45 stores in February 2020, which included the last Kmart in Wyoming in Jackson; the last Kmart in Wisconsin in Kenosha; the last three Kmarts in Ohio in North Canton, Tallmadge and Marietta; the last Kmart in West Virginia in Charleston; the last Kmart in Delaware in Rehoboth Beach; the last Kmart in Oregon in The Dalles, the last two Kmarts in Iowa in Algona and Charles City; and the last Kmart in Arizona in Lake Havasu City.

On February 6, 2020, Kmart announced it will close 15 more stores, including the Manhattan store on 34th Street in Penn Station, the last Kmart in Illinois, in Des Plaines (even though it had been remodelled in 2016), the last two Kmarts in North Carolina, in Kill Devil Hills and Raleigh, the last Kmart in Texas, in McAllen, the last Kmart in Colorado, in Loveland, the last Kmart in Nevada, in Las Vegas, the last two Kmarts in New Mexico, in Farmington and Hobbs, and the last Kmart in Washington, in Burlington. Kmart will close an additional store, the last in Minnesota, in Minneapolis, on June 30, 2020, due to the city buying the property, leaving only 43 Kmarts in 11 states (California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania), Guam, Puerto Rico and United States Virgin islands, and none in the other 39 states, leaving vast stretches of the United States, and even most of the largest metropolitan areas in each of the 11 states that still had Kmart stores, without a Kmart.