Kmart Down To Three Stores In The U.S.
When was the last time you set foot inside a Kmart store? I was in one about five years ago while my family and I were visiting Puerto Rico. We needed more sunscreen. That Kmart in Mayaguez, like so many others, is now permanently closed. In fact, there’s only one left on the island and not many more on the U.S. mainland. There are none in the Carolinas.
According to USA Today, the Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey closes for good on Saturday, April 16th. That will leave only three fully functioning Kmart stores in the continental United States. Those are in Westwood, New Jersey; Bridgehampton, New York; and Miami, Florida.
The first Kmart opened in 1962, but the company was actually founded in the late-1890s by Sebastian Spering Kresge as the SS Krege Company. At one time, the discount retailer had 2,323 locations and featured products endorsed by Martha Stewart and Jaclyn Smith. In more recent years, other companies, such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon, proved to be too much competition for the home of the Blue Light Special.
When I walked into that Kmart in Puerto Rico, the first thing I noticed was the smell. I don’t know exactly what it was, but all Kmart stores had it, and it took me right back to my childhood. Woolworth stores had it, too. Nostalgia is a power thing. It makes me want to visit one of those three remaining Kmart stores before they’re gone.
Kmarts in the U.S. used to number well over 2,000. Later this week, there will only be three remaining. https://t.co/OSHpxxmkRP
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 11, 2022
