Kmart Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Kmart Corporation

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founder	S. S. Kresge
Headquarters	Troy, Michigan, United States (1962–2005) Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States (2005–present)
Owner	ESL Investments
Parent	Sears Holdings (2005–2019) Transform Holdco LLC (2019–present)

Kmart Corporation is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States. The company was incorporated in 1899 as S. S. Kresge Corporation and renamed to Kmart Corporation in 1977.

The company was founded in 1962. It is the third largest discount store in the world, behind Walmart and Target. During the 1970s, Kmart put a number of competing retailers out of business.

In 1981, the 2,000th Kmart store opened. By the end of 1981, there were 2,055 Kmart stores across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. From 1999 to 2000, Kmart opened 20 new Big Kmart stores, converted 12 regular Kmart stores into Super Kmart Center stores, and opened 5 new Super Kmart Center stores. Kmart also converted 150 regular Kmart stores into Big Kmart stores during the first half of 2000.

In July 2000, Kmart closed 72 under performing stores due to poor sales, and again in 2003 - 326 stores were closed due to a lack of profitability and poor sales. In May 2019, it was revealed Kmart will be closing its store in Walla Walla, Washington in July.

In 2000 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.

From 2005 through 2019, Kmart was a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation and is now a subsidiary of Transform Holdco LLC.

Kmart for Kids is a program that 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. Kmart is March of Dimes' number 1 corporate sponsor, having raised $114 million for the charity over more than 30 years.

The company founder S. S. Kresge died in October 1966.

Images for kids

1940s postcard of Kresge store in Springfield, Massachusetts (Store #26)
Kmart's original logo used until 1990. This logo was also used by Kmart Australia from 1969 until 1991. The box where "-mart" was displayed would eventually be phased out during the 1970s.
The Kmart Foods logo used during the 1960s
A Big Kmart store in Willow Street, Pennsylvania (store #3810) as it appears on its last day of operation, April 18, 2021. This was one of the last two Kmart stores in Pennsylvania.
The front of the Super Kmart Center store in Cambridge, Ohio (store #3555), as it appears before it was downsized in 2015 and closed in 2018.
The Super Kmart Center logo that was used primarily in the early 1990s, but was also used for some stores that opened in 2001.
Kmart's lime green logo that was used only at five prototype locations in 2002.
The third Super Kmart Center logo, spelled out as Kmart Supercenter, was only used for printed ads and street signs (2004–2018).
The KDollar logo (November 2004–2012)
The original Kmart store in Garden City, Michigan (store#4000), which closed in 2017 (pictured in 2016). It was demolished in 2020.
A smaller Big Kmart located in Greenwich, New York (store #9274) in 2017, in a former Big N. This store closed in March 2019 along with 79 other Kmart and Sears stores. This location is now a Big Lots.
Kmart store closing sale in Gillette, Wyoming (store #4863) in 2018. This location is now Hobby Lobby, Shoe Dept. Encore and Harbor Freight Tools.
Former Kmart Cafe in the Chesapeake, Virginia Kmart store (store #3471), in a former Robert Hall Village. This store permanently closed on December 15, 2019. It was one of the last two Kmarts in Virginia.
The Kales Building in downtown Detroit as shown in 2007, formerly the S.S. Kresge Co. headquarters from 1914 to 1930.
Big Kmart store in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (store#7746), December 2012. It was later converted into a regular Kmart with the current logo. This store closed in December 2018, along with 141 other Kmart and Sears stores. This location is now a U-Haul.
Big Kmart store in Marshall, Michigan (store#3841) in October 2019, opened in 1990. This store permanently closed on November 21, 2021. It was the last Big Kmart operating and the last Kmart store remaining in the Midwest and its birth state of Michigan.
A Little Caesars in a Kmart in Hollywood, Florida (store #3818) in August 2013. This Little Caesars location closed soon after and the Kmart location closed in February 2020 along with 95 other Kmart and Sears stores.
A Super Kmart Center store in Lorain, Ohio (store #3910) in February 2013. This store closed on September 18, 2016. This location was demolished and is now a Meijer.
A Super Kmart Center store with Super Kmart signage in Southgate, Michigan (store #4995) in July 2014. As indicated on the banner, this store began a liquidation sale one month earlier and closed on October 12, 2014. This location is now a Kroger Marketplace.
A Big Kmart store in Webster, Massachusetts (store #9692) in December 2017, opened in 1980 in a former Grant City. This store was closed in December 2019.
A Kmart Express gas station in Cleveland, Ohio in February 2013. The Super Kmart (store #4966) near it, as well as this Kmart Express, closed in 2014. These locations were demolished and is now a Menards.
Former Kmart Store in Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia (Store #5551) shown in 1994. Canadian Tire now operates in its place.
Kmart in Bratislava, Slovakia, during the early 1990s. This location is now a Tesco.
Super Kmart Center, Cuernavaca, México in 1995. This location is now a Mega Hypermarket Since 1997.

Kmart facts for kids

Images for kids

See also