Attention Kmart shoppers: The last full-size Kmart in the mainland United States is closing

Chris Isidore, CNN

New York (CNN) — Kmart, erstwhile 1 of America’s starring discount retailers, is closing its past full-size shop successful nan mainland United States.

The store, successful Bridgehampton, New York, connected Long Island, is owed to adjacent October 20, according to an worker who answered nan telephone astatine nan shop Monday greeting who did not want to springiness her name. The head of nan shop was not available, and nan firm proprietor Transformco, nan institution that bought nan remains of Sears and Kmart retired of nan bankruptcy of Sears Holdings successful 2019, did not return an email requesting comment.

The concatenation still has a mini convenience shop type of itself successful Miami, but not nan afloat statement of offerings that Kmart was erstwhile known for. That location does person immoderate larger summons goods, though, specified arsenic appliances. It besides has stores successful Guam and nan US Virgin Islands, wherever it does not look title from much successful large container stores.

Still, nan Long Island shop closing will adjacent 1 much section successful nan disastrous 2005 merger of Sears and Kmart, 1 of galore iconic retailers killed aft purchases by hedge costs and backstage equity firms. The $11 cardinal merger was engineered by hedge money usability Eddie Lampert.

The stores were besides doomed by title pinch much successful large container competitors specified arsenic Walmart and Target, which offered shoppers groceries arsenic good arsenic clothing, family equipment and devices sold astatine Kmart and Sears, on pinch nan maturation of online shopping.

At nan clip of nan 2005 merger Kmart had astir 1,400 stores and Sears astir 900 full-line US stores. Lampert appeared much focused connected trading disconnected existent property nan 2 companies had on pinch different assets specified arsenic nan Craftsman marque of devices antecedently sold only astatine Sears, alternatively than successful investing successful either chain, starring to a bankruptcy filing successful 2018.

When nan retailer emerged from bankruptcy it still had 231 Sears and 191 Kmart stores, but those were besides almost each doomed. Today only a fistful of Sears stores remain.

Kmart started successful nan precocious 19th period erstwhile laminitis Sebastian Spering Kresge opened a five-and-dime shop successful downtown Detroit base his name. The Kmart marque didn’t travel astir until 1962.

The concatenation grew quickly for respective decades, claiming nan discount conception of nan marketplace that large container stores now dominate.

Kmart became known for its 15-minute-long “blue ray specials”: A shop would flash a bluish ray and denote “attention Kmart shoppers” complete nan nationalist reside system, and customers would unreserved to bargain nan discounted goods. The promotions started successful 1965 but were discontinued successful 1991, though Kmart has tried to bring them backmost respective times.