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Kmart (often spelled as "K-Mart") is a chain of department stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The chain merged with Sears in 2005, creating the Sears Holdings Corporation. Kmart also exists in Australia and New Zealand (see Kmart Australia), although it now shares no current relation with the American stores except in name after US equity in the Australian business was purchased in the late 1970s. It is the third biggest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and Target. Kmart store at Kurralta Park in Adelaides western suburbs. ... Major Leagues redirects here. ... NBA redirects here. ... Kenyon Lee Martin (born December 30, 1977 in Saginaw, Michigan), is an American professional basketball player. ... Kevin Martin may refer to one of several people: Kevin Martin (basketball), NBA shooting guard Kevin Martin (curling), Canadian curler Kevin Martin (FCC), U.S. politician and FCC commissioner Kevin L. Martin, African-American political commentator Kevin Martin (U.S. musician), singer of the Seattle-based band Candlebox Kevin Martin... NFL redirects here. ... Kelvin Brian Martin (born May 14, 1965 in San Diego, California) is a former professional American football player in the NFL who was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft. ... Image File history File links Acap. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A subsidiary, in business, is an entity that is controlled by another entity. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Detroit redirects here. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hoffman Estates is a village located primarily in Cook County and a small section in Kane County, Illinois. ... Drawing of a self-service store. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... The United States Virgin Islands is a group of islands in the Caribbean that is a dependency of the United States. ... Sears, Roebuck and Company is an American mid-range chain of international department stores, founded by Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck in the late 19th century. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger. ... Kmart store at Kurralta Park in Adelaides western suburbs. ... A discount store is a retail store offering a wide range of products, many branded, at discounted prices. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... This article is about the United States retail company. ...

Former Kmart headquarters in Troy, Michigan.

Sebastian S. Kresge, who had previously founded the S. S. Kresge dime store chain, opened the first Kmart store in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan^[1] 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, opened in that same decade. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 526 pixelsFull resolution (864 × 568 pixel, file size: 53 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) kyle lang I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 526 pixelsFull resolution (864 × 568 pixel, file size: 53 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) kyle lang I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Sebastian Spering Kresge (July 31, 1867 – October 18, 1966), American merchant and philanthropist, was the founder of the S.S. Kresge Company, now known as Kmart Corporation. ... Garden City is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ...

Kmart's world headquarters was located in Troy, Michigan in a sprawling complex which, since Kmart's relocation to Illinois, has been slated for demolition [1]. Troy is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

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. The phrase "attention Kmart shoppers" also entered into the American pop psyche.

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. J.G. McCrorys or McCrory Stores was a chain of five and dime stores in the United States based in York, Pennsylvania. ...

Changes for Kmart

The original Kmart logo that was used from 1962 to 1990. It is still used at many Kmart locations. An updated version of the Kmart logo with the word "mart" done in italics is currently in use 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 into other companies it had acquired or created, such as The Sports Authority, Builders Square, and Waldenbooks. Image File history File links Kmart_logo_old. ... Image File history File links Kmart_logo_old. ... The Sports Authority is the Americas largest sporting goods full line sporting goods retailer. ... Builders Square was founded as a big-box home improvement retailer headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. ... Waldenbooks, operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc. ...

In 1990, in an effort to change their image, Kmart introduced a new logo (dropping the old-style italic "K" with a turquoise "mart", created 1962), and renovated many stores. However, most stores were not re-modeled 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 tried to reinvent itself by using the short lived Today's Kmart name. Turquoise is a mid-value color blend of blue and green. ...

The company also began to offer exclusive merchandise by Martha Stewart, Kathy Ireland, and Jaclyn Smith. Other recognizable brands included Sesame Street and Disney. Rosie O'Donnell and Penny Marshall were among the company's most-recognized spokespersons. Martha Stewart (born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. ... // Kathy Ireland, named “best friend to working mothers” by the Associated Press and London Times began her career as a supermodel before undergoing a “metamorphosis to Super Mogul” as stated by Readers Digest. ... Jaclyn Smith (born October 26, 1947) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Disney redirects here. ... Rosie ODonnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress. ... Penny Marshall at the 1988 Emmy Awards Penny Marshall (born October 15, 1942) is an American actress, producer and director. ...

Super Kmart and Big Kmart

The Kmart logo that was used from 1990 to 2004. It is still used on signs, older buildings, etc.

Kmart opened its first 147,000-square-foot (13,700 m²) Super Kmart^[2] in 1991 in Medina, Ohio. The second Super Kmart opened in Montrose, Ohio, which is now closed. Kmart also opened the first Big Kmart in Chicago, Illinois, on April 23, 1997. Some Kmart stores were converted to the Super Kmart concept, but most were converted to the Big Kmart concept, possibly because it showed an indifference to Wal-Mart's Supercenter concept. Medina is a city in Medina County, Ohio, United States. ... Montrose is the name given by Northeast Ohioans to an area of restaurants, stores, and businesses located along a stretch of Route 18 near Interstate 77, passing through Copley, Fairlawn and Bath. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

The Big Kmart logo was used on many of the stores from 1997 to 2004.

Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...

Blue Light Special and 1994 Closures

The original Blue Light Special had disappeared in 1991, due to changing consumer habits and misuse by individual stores (according to the company's official explanation). The company later brought back the Blue Light Special in the early-2000s, but within a few weeks, the program was scrapped.

In 1994, Kmart closed 110 stores. Unlike its competitors Wal-Mart and Target, it failed to invest in computer technology to manage its supply chain. Furthermore, Kmart maintained a high dividend, 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 image. A supply chain, logistics network, or supply network is a coordinated system of organizations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service in physical or virtual manner from supplier to customer. ... It has been suggested that ex-dividend date be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ...

Martha Stewart scandal and 9/11 impact

In 2001, the stock scandal involving Martha Stewart tarnished the corporation's image. In addition, Kmart attempted to compete against Wal-Mart on price by introducing the "Blue Light Always" campaign, which revamped the original blue light concept for lower prices in general. In August 2001, Target sued Kmart for false advertising; Target claimed that its "Dare to Compare" campaign routinely misstated both Kmart's and Target's prices.

Two days after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Kmart stopped all sales of guns and ammunition, citing their concern for the safety of their customers. Numerous Kmart stores have since returned to selling shotguns and other hunting related firearms and ammunition. The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ...

Bankruptcy

Kmart's lime green prototype logo. This logo was only used at five prototype Kmart locations. Notice how an arrow or chevron 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 bankruptcy protection, led into the bankruptcy by its then chairman Chuck Conaway and president Mark Schwartz. Conaway, who 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. Similar to the Enron scandal, Conaway and Schwartz were accused of misleading shareholders and other company officials of the company's financial crisis, while they were allegedly 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. Image File history File links Lime_Kmart_chevron_proto. ... Image File history File links Lime_Kmart_chevron_proto. ... An arrow is a graphical symbol like →, ←, 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. ... A chevron (also spelled cheveron, especially in older documents) is a V-shaped pattern. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code governs the process of reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... CVS/pharmacy is a pharmacy and convenience store chain in the United States. ... Enron Creditors Recovery Corporation (formerly Enron Corporation) (former NYSE ticker symbol: ENE) was an American energy company based in Houston, Texas. ...

While in bankruptcy, Edward Lampert bought K-mart 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 as "KMRT." Lampert took control of the company and began to run it for profit instead of sales. Edward S. Eddie Lampert (born July 27, 1962; [2]) is an American investor, financier and businessman. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NASDAQ in Times Square, New York City. ...

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 the company. Kmart introduced five prototype stores with a new logo, layout and color scheme (lime green and gray) with one in White Lake Township, Michigan, a quasi-rural community near Detroit, Michigan, and four locations in central Illinois (one each in Peoria, Pekin, Morton, and Washington). The new layout was touted as having wider aisles, improved selection and lighting as well as the city or town's name under the newly created 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. Restructuring is the corporate management term for the act of partially dismantling or otherwise reorganizing a company for the purpose of making it more efficient and therefore more profitable. ... For other uses, see Prototype (disambiguation). ... The color lime is a color that is a combination 75% yellow and 25% green, so named because it is the color of the citrus fruit called limes. ... Gray (Gy) is the derived SI unit for absorbed dose, specific energy and kerma (kinetic energy in matter). ... White Lake Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Detroit redirects here. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... : See how it plays in Peoria United States Illinois Peoria 46. ... Pekin is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois. ... Morton is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, USA, known for its pumpkins and annual Pumpkin Festival and Ackerman Farms. ... Washington is a city located in Tazewell County, Illinois. ...

Merger with Sears, Roebuck and Company

Main article: Sears Holdings Corporation

On November 17, 2004, Kmart announced its intention to purchase Sears, Roebuck and Company. 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. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sears, Roebuck and Company is an American mid-range chain of international department stores, founded by Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck in the late 19th century. ...

Store concepts

Current

The exterior of a typical Big Kmart discount store in Ontario, Oregon.

• Kmart is a chain of discount department stores that are usually free-standing or located in strip malls. They carry electronics, music, movies, bedding, hardware, sporting goods, clothing, toys, jewelry, office supplies, health and beauty products, home décor, and a limited selection of food items. Many stores also have a garden center, a pharmacy, and usually have a K-Cafe or Little Caesars Pizza Station. Kmart stores range from 80,000 to 110,000 square feet (7,400 to 10,200 m²). Many of these stores were converted into Super Kmart, and most of them were converted into Big Kmart. An urban multilevel variant of a Kmart store is located in Middle Village, Queens, New York.
• Big Kmart is a chain of discount department stores that carry everything a regular Kmart carries, but with an emphasis on home décor, children's clothing, and more food items. Big Kmart stores range from 84,000 to 120,000 square feet (7,800 to 11,100 m²). Big Kmart stores also feature a garden center, a pharmacy, and usually have a K-Cafe or Little Caesars Pizza Station. Since the merger with Sears, many stores have been converted back to regular Kmarts.
• Super Kmart is a chain of hypermarkets that carry everything a regular Kmart carries, but has a full grocery section with meat and poultry, baked goods, delicatessen, frozen foods, dairy products, garden produce and fresh seafood. Super Kmart stores range from 140,000 to 190,000 square feet (13,000 to 17,700 m²). These stores are also known as Super Kmart Center. Super Kmart stores also feature a garden center, a video rental store, a branch from a local bank, a pharmacy, and usually have a K-Cafe or Little Caesars Pizza Station. Several also include Kmart Express gas stations. Fewer than 60 Super Kmarts are still open, with most having been closed during the two rounds of closures during 2002 and 2003. ^[3] Some of the surviving Super Kmarts were those in regions without a strong Wal-Mart presence, including Ohio and Michigan. A typical Super Kmart sells around 30 million dollars of merchandise during one fiscal year.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Downtown Ontario. ... A discount store is a retail store offering a wide range of products, many branded, at discounted prices. ... Example of a small strip mall. A strip mall (also called a plaza) is a shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. ... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Bedding refers to the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for warmth. ... For other uses, see Hardware (disambiguation). ... Sports equipment includes any object used for sport or exercise. ... A baby wearing many items of winter clothing: headband, cap, fur-lined coat, shawl and sweater. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... Office supplies is the generic term that refers to all supplies regularly used in offices by businesses and other organizations, from private citizens to governments, who works with the collection, refinement, and output of information (colloquially referred to as paper work). The term includes small, expendable, daily use items such... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ... For other uses, see Pharmacy (disambiguation). ... Little Caesars is a fast-food restaurant, owned by Detroit-based Ilitch Holdings, Inc. ... Middle Village is a neighborhood in western central Queens (in New York City), bounded to the north by Eliot Avenue, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by Cooper Avenue, and to the west by Lutheran Cemetery. ... Queens is geographically the largest of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States, and the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. It is coterminous with Queens County in the State of New York and is located on western Long Island. ... A discount store is a retail store offering a wide range of products, many branded, at discounted prices. ... Interior decoration or décor is the art of decorating a room so that it is attractive, easy to use, and functions well with the existing architecture. ... A baby wearing many items of winter clothing: headband, cap, fur-lined coat, shawl and sweater. ... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ... For the Australasian department store chain, see Kmart Australia. ... Sears Holdings Corporation NASDAQ: SHLD is the third largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart and The Home Depot. ... Packaged food aisles of Fred Meyer in Portland, Oregon In commerce, a hypermarket or multi-department store is a superstore which combines a supermarket and a department store. ... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ... For other uses, see Meat (disambiguation). ... Ducks amongst other poultry The Poultry-dealer, after Cesare Vecellio Poultry is the category of domesticated birds kept for meat, eggs, and feathers. ... Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Baking Baking is the technique of cooking food in an oven by dry heat applied evenly throughout the oven. ... This article is about food stores. ... Frozen food is food preserved under the process of freezing. ... A dairy farm near Oxford, New York in the United States. ... Produce on display at La Boqueria market in Barcelona, Spain. ... Spaghetti with seafood (Spaghetti allo scoglio). ... For the Australasian department store chain, see Kmart Australia. ... Little Caesars is a fast-food restaurant, owned by Detroit-based Ilitch Holdings, Inc. ...

Former

The exterior of a typical Super Kmart hypermarket. While the concept was introduced in 1991, it was very similar to Kmart Foods.

• Kmart Foods was a grocery store chain founded in 1962. Most Kmart Foods were together with Kmart stores. The chain was discontinued in the 1970s, but re-introduced in 1991 with Kmart's launch of their Super Kmart concept.
• Builders Square was a big box home improvement chain of stores. It was sold to Hechinger in 1997, who closed all the Builders Square stores in 1999.
• Borders Books is a chain of book stores acquired by Kmart in 1992. In 1994, Borders merged with the Kmart chain Waldenbooks to form Borders-Walden Group and was sold off in 1995.
• OfficeMax is a chain selling office supplies and office furniture which was acquired in 1991, and sold off in 1995.
• Office Square was a chain selling office supplies and office furniture which was a spin-off of Builders Square. In 1991, OfficeMax was acquired by Kmart and Office Square was merged into OfficeMax stores.
• Waldenbooks is a chain of mall book stores which was acquired in 1984. In 1994, Kmart chain Borders merged with Waldenbooks to form Borders-Walden Group, and was sold off in 1995.
• PACE Membership Warehouse was Kmart's wholesale club brand, until the chain was purchased by Wal-Mart. In 1993, Wal-Mart converted most of the stores into their Sam's Club brand, and sold others to chains such as Bradlees.
• PayLess Drugs was a chain of drug stores acquired by Kmart until it was sold to TCH Corporation in 1994. The resulting entity, Thrifty PayLess was acquired by Rite Aid in 1996, which converted all of the PayLess and Thrifty stores into Rite Aid stores in 1999. The PayLess division also owned Bi-Mart.
• Gov-Mart/Baza'r was a department store/grocery store combo with gas stations started in Seattle by Joe Diamond in the 1950s as a membership store for government employees (Gov-Mart). The membership requirement was dropped in 1964 and new owners moved the company headquarters to Portland Oregon. The chain was broken up in 1973 with the Seattle market stores changing to Pay Less (except Tacoma) while the Portland market stores were sold to Fred Meyer a few years later (including Tacoma store). Baza'r Foods remained until the late 1970s with grocery stores connected to Kmarts as well as PayLess stores while it expanded into the California market as well.
• The Sports Authority is a chain of sporting goods stores which was acquired in 1990, and sold off in 1995.
• American Fare was a chain of hypermarkets that first opened in January 1989. American Fare was a joint venture between Kmart (which owned 51 percent), and Birmingham, Alabama-based Bruno's Supermarkets. The first store, near Atlanta, Georgia, was 244,000 square feet (larger than most Wal-Mart Supercenters by more than 55,000 square ft). American Fare’s 244,000 square feet (22,700 m²) of retail space included 74,550 square feet (6,926 m²) of groceries, 104,000 square feet (9,700 m²) of general merchandise, and 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²) of clothing (including apparel, footwear, and accessories). A “mall-like” area in the front of the store housed a music and video store, a food court, bank, hair salon, pharmacy and a card store. Charlotte, North Carolina was home to the second American Fare, which opened in late 1989 with only 160,000 square feet (15,000 m²) of retail space. A third and final store opened in Jackson, Mississippi. In June 1992, Bruno's Supermarkets announced that its partnership with the Kmart Corporation was being terminated, and that Kmart would absorb ownership of the three stores. However, the stores were closed in the mid-1990s. The American Fare brand is currently used on some of Kmart's store brand consumable products.

Image File history File links Super_Kmart. ... Image File history File links Super_Kmart. ... Packaged food aisles of Fred Meyer in Portland, Oregon In commerce, a hypermarket or multi-department store is a superstore which combines a supermarket and a department store. ... Packaged food aisles in a Fred Meyer store in Portland, Oregon A supermarket is a departmentalized self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise. ... Builders Square was founded as a big-box home improvement retailer headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the television series. ... Hechinger, mistakenly called Hechingers by many customers, was a chain of home improvement retail stores headquartered in Landover, Maryland outside Washington, D.C. John Hechinger, Sr. ... Borders Group (NYSE: BGP) is an international bookseller based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... Waldenbooks, operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc. ... OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX), is an office supplies retailer founded in 1988 and headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. ... Waldenbooks, operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Sams Club is a membership-only warehouse club owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Thrifty PayLess Holdings was a pharmacy holding company that owned the Thrifty Drugs and PayLess Drug Store chains in the western United States. ... A typical Rite Aid pharmacy. ... Bi-Mart is a employee-owned chain of retailers located almost exclusively in Oregon and Washington. ... The Sports Authority is the Americas largest sporting goods full line sporting goods retailer. ... Sports equipment includes any object used for sport or exercise. ... Packaged food aisles of Fred Meyer in Portland, Oregon In commerce, a hypermarket or multi-department store is a superstore which combines a supermarket and a department store. ... Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: , Country State Counties Jefferson, Shelby Incorporated December 19, 1871 Government  - Type Mayor - Council  - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (Current) Larry Langford (Mayor-Elect) Area  - City 151. ... Brunos Supermarkets is an American chain of grocery stores, founded in Birmingham, Alabama. ... Atlanta redirects here. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Supermarket produce section A supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol, medicine, clothes, and other household products that are consumed regularly. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A baby wearing many items of winter clothing: headband, cap, fur-lined coat, shawl and sweater. ... Girls wearing formal attire for dancing, an example of one of the many modern forms of clothing. ... High-heeled shoe Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet. ... Fashion accessories and theur jewelry counterpart referred to as costume jewelry are items that used as fashions complementary. ... Charlotte redirects here. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about Jackson, the city and related subjects within the city. ... Brunos Supermarkets is an American chain of grocery stores, founded in Birmingham, Alabama. ...

Mascot and Spokesperson

This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007) Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

In May 2007, Sears Holdings Corporation and Kmart named a new mascot and spokesperson for Kmart named Mr. Bluelight. Named after Kmart's well-known "Blue Light Specials," Mr. Bluelight is a talking cartoonish version of a blue light bulb. Named after Kmart's well-known "Blue Light Specials," He also gives customers ideas to help them with their shopping, and making the most out of their Kmart experience. To date 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). Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... May 2007 is the fifth month of that year. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger. ... A television advertisement is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organisation that conveys a message. ...

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. Kmart logo, claiming fair use, please update File links The following pages link to this file: Sears Holdings Corporation ... Kmart logo, claiming fair use, please update File links The following pages link to this file: Sears Holdings Corporation ... Zellers Inc. ... Hudsons Bay Company (HBC; Compagnie de la Baie dHudson in French) is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. ...

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. Kmart store at Kurralta Park in Adelaides western suburbs. ... Coles Myer Limited is an Australian public company which operates a number of retail chains. ... Wesfarmers (ASX: WES) is one of Australia’s largest public companies, with its headquarters in Perth, Western Australia. ... For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ...

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. Statistical regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked red):  Northern Europe  Western Europe  Eastern Europe  Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current borders: Russia (dark orange), other countries formerly part of the USSR... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... , Nickname: Beauty on the Danube, City of peace Country  Slovakia Region Districts 5  - Bratislava I  - Bratislava II  - Bratislava III  - Bratislava IV  - Bratislava V Rivers Elevation 134 m (440 ft) Coordinates , Highest point Devínska Kobyla  - elevation 514 m (1,686 ft) Lowest point Danube River  - elevation 126 m (413 ft... , For other uses, see Tesco (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ...

BlueLight Internet Service

In 1999 Kmart began offering a dial-up internet service called Bluelight which eventually spun off into its own 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 owns the NetZero and Juno bought the Bluelight service after Kmart filed for bankruptcy. In 2006, Bluelight dropped the banners. The service now cost $8.95 a month and has around 165,000 subscribers. NetZero is an Internet Service Provider based in Woodland Hills, California. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

List of CEOs

• S. S. Kresge, Founder
• Aylwin Lewis, President of Sears Holdings Corporation
• James Adamson
• Joseph Antonini
• Charles Conaway
• Harry Cunningham
• Julian Day
• Bernard Fauber
• Floyd Hall

Sebastian Spering Kresge (July 31, 1867 – October 18, 1966), American merchant and philanthropist, was the founder of the The S.S. Kresge Company, now known as Kmart Corporation. ... Aylwin B. Lewis is an American businessman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Sears Holdings Corporation was born 28 May, 1954. ... Harry Cunningham (born 1907 in Pennsylvania — died 1992) was an American businessman and retailer who founded Kmart in 1962, previously known as S. S. Kresge. ... Floyd Hall was the Chief Executive Officer of K-Mart from June 1995–2001. ...

See also

• Kmart Australia, operated by Wesfarmers
• Sears Holdings Corporation

Kmart store at Kurralta Park in Adelaides western suburbs. ... Wesfarmers (ASX: WES) is one of Australia’s largest public companies, with its headquarters in Perth, Western Australia. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger. ...

References

• Original CNN Coverage

External links

• Kmart Official Website (Online Store)
• Kmart Official Website (Corporate)
• Column on Kmart's demise
• FBI investigates Kmart (BBC)