Kmart is a brand and retailing division of Sears Holdings Corporation. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) was founded in 2005 by the purchase of Sears, Roebuck and Company of Hoffman Estates, Illinois by Kmart of Troy, Michigan. ...

History

Sebastian S. Kresge founded the S.S. Kresge Corporation, the predecessor of Kmart, in 1899 in Detroit, Michigan. Kresge's first retail establishment, a five-and-ten-cent store, resembled those operated by Frank Woolworth. The store grew into a chain known as S. S. Kresge. By 1912, the chain operated 85 stores. 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. ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... City motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) City nicknames: The Motor City and Motown Location in the state of Michigan Founded July 24, 1701 County Wayne County Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 370. ... Five and dime was a common nickname in the United States for five-and-ten-cent stores (also called 5 and 10s), popular in the early to mid-20th century. ... Frank Winfield Woolworth (April 13, 1852-April 8, 1919) was an American merchant. ... Chain stores are a range of retail outlets which share a brand and central management, usually with standardised business methods and practices. ... 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...

By the 1920s, Kresge operated larger stores that offered a wider variety of merchandise and prices—precursors of the modern discount store. The first Kmart department store opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. A total of 18 Kmart stores opened that year. Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ... A department store organizes its goods by departments, such as womens clothes, home furnishings, electronics, and the like. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Garden City is a city located in Wayne County, Michigan. ...

Kmart became known for its "blue light specials": at surprise moments, a store worker would light up a mobile police light and offer a discount in a part 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, Kmart Corporation sold its remaining Kresge stores. Historically, the term business referred to activities or interests. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

By the late 1980s, many of Kmart's stores were badly outdated and in decaying condition, so in 1990, in an effort to change their image, Kmart introduced a new logo (dropping the old-style italic "K" with a turquiose "mart", created in the early 1970s), and gave many stores a very badly needed renovation. However, most stores were not remodeled until the mid-1990s, some of which are not completely renovated today. This then-new logo was replaced in 2005 with the current logo. Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Exterior of a typical "BIG K" Kmart store

In the 1990s, Kmart made a number of missteps. Unlike competitor Wal-Mart, 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. It attempted to compete with Wal-Mart on price, at the same time trying to move upscale with lines offered by Martha Stewart, Kathy Ireland, and Jaclyn Smith. Other recognizable brands included Sesame Street and Disney. Download high resolution version (885x594, 92 KB)Description: Photograph of a Kmart store exterior Source: Photograph taken by Jerome C. Skeene on 10 April 2004. ... Download high resolution version (885x594, 92 KB)Description: Photograph of a Kmart store exterior Source: Photograph taken by Jerome C. Skeene on 10 April 2004. ... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials; transformation of these material into intermediate and finished products; and distribution of these finished products to customers. ... This article is about brands in marketing. ... Martha Stewart Martha Stewart (born August 3, 1941) is a popular American television and magazine personality known for her cooking, gardening, etiquette, and arts and crafts projects, and as a general lifestyle guide and homemaker. ... Kathy Ireland (b. ... Jaclyn Smith (born October 26, 1947) is an American television actress. ... From A Celebration of Me, Grover, showing much of the main cast of Sesame Street. ... Disney - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

In 2001, in a move to re-introduce the recognizable and historic "blue light special" image, which had 80% familiarity to Americans, Kmart introduced the ill-fated "Blue Light Always" marketing campaign. This campaign attempted to compete directly with Wal-Mart on low prices; the campaign's failure partially lead to Kmart's bankruptcy filing. 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 then brought back the "blue light special", which involved the manager announcing a promotion in-store every hour, on the hour—said special lasting for 25 minutes. When the announcement of the special took place over the public address system, music would fill the store and all employees would stop their current actions, clap twice and pump their fists in the air, shouting "Blue Light, Blue Light!". This scheme aimed to generate more interest in Kmart from shoppers and the media, but failed because stores did not follow the procedure. No records exist of anyone actually shouting "Blue Light, Blue Light!" It has since ended the "blue light special" again. 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The stock scandals involving Martha Stewart (from 2001) severely hurt the corporation's image. In addition, Kmart attempted to compete against Wal-Mart on price (for example, with deep discounts and round the clock opening), which failed because Wal-Mart contrived to meet and beat Kmart's price cuts. Martha Stewart Martha Stewart (born August 3, 1941) is a popular American television and magazine personality known for her cooking, gardening, etiquette, and arts and crafts projects, and as a general lifestyle guide and homemaker. ...

On January 22, 2002, Kmart filed for bankruptcy protection. It shut down more than 300 stores in the United States of America and laid off around 34,000 workers as part of a badly-needed restructuring. On May 6, 2003, Kmart officially emerged from bankruptcy protection as Kmart Holding Corporation and on June 10, 2003 it began trading on the NASDAQ National Market (as "KMRT"). Kmart introduced a new prototype store with a new logo, layout and color scheme (lime green and gray) in 2002 in White Lake, Michigan. The new layout has wider aisles, better selection and better lighting. However, Kmart could not afford a full-scale rollout. January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bankruptcy - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... Kmart Holding Corporation was created when Kmart Corporation emerged from bankruptcy protection in May 2003. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... NASDAQ, originally an acronym for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, is a stock exchange run by the National Association of Securities Dealers. ... Prototypes or prototypical instances combine the most representative attributes of a category. ... Green is a color seen commonly in nature. ... The word gray is also spelled grey: see Grey for topics with this spelling. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... White Lake Township is a township located in Oakland County, Michigan. ...

Once a major presence in Canada, Kmart stores there were either closed or sold to Zellers in the late 1990s. Like Target stores, Kmart-branded stores in Australia belong to Coles Myer; Coles Myer also holds the rights to the Kmart brand in New Zealand. Canada is a sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. ... Zellers Inc. ... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is the second most successful discount retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart. ... Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. ... Coles Myer Ltd. ... This article is about brands in marketing. ... New Zealand is an independent sovereign state in the south-western Pacific Ocean. ...

Merger

See merger section in Sears Holdings Corporation Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) was founded in 2005 by the purchase of Sears, Roebuck and Company of Hoffman Estates, Illinois by Kmart of Troy, Michigan. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) was founded in 2005 by the purchase of Sears, Roebuck and Company of Hoffman Estates, Illinois by Kmart of Troy, Michigan. ...

List of CEOs

• Sebastian S. Kresge
• Harry Cunningham
• Bernard Fauber
• Joseph Antonini
• Floyd Hall
• Charles Conaway
• James Adamson
• Julian Day
• Aylwin B. Lewis, President of Sears Holdings and CEO of Kmart and Sears Retail

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. ... James C. Adamson (Born March 3, 1946; Retired colonel of the U.S. Army) is a former NASA Astronaut. ... The Julian day or Julian day number (JDN) is the number of days that have elapsed since 12 noon Greenwich Mean Time (UT or TT) on Monday, January 1, 4713 BC (in the proleptic Julian calendar; or November 24, 4714 BC in the proleptic Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• Kmart's consumer website (http://www.kmartcorp.com/corp/)
• Column on Kmart's demise (http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/23/news_pf/Columns/_Rain_Man__character_.shtml)
• FBI investigates Kmart (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1992267.stm)