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After Saturday, there will be only 3 Kmart stores left in the U.S.

Remember Kmart? It’s slowly fading away like Blockbuster and Sears before it

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE After Saturday, there will be only 3 Kmart stores left in the U.S.
A weathered Kmart sign.

A weathered Kmart sign is displayed above the store in Avenel, N.J., on Monday, April 4, 2022. When the store closes its doors on April 16, it will leave only three remaining U.S. locations for the former retail powerhouse.

Seth Wenig, Associated Press

The number of Kmart stores in the United States will drop to just three this week, The Associated Press reports.

How many Kmart stores are there?

A Kmart store in Avenel, New Jersey, is set to close on April 16, which will bring the total amount of Kmart stores in the U.S. to only three, per the AP.

  • There used to be well over 2,000 Kmart stores across the country.
Ffurniture and fixtures are on still on sale at the Kmart.

While many shelves are empty, furniture and fixtures are on still on sale at the Kmart in Avenel, N.J., on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Associated Press

People shop the half-empty shelves of the Kmart.

People shop the half-empty shelves of the Kmart in Avenel, N.J., on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Associated Press

Why did Kmart stores close?

Kmarts have closed amid the rise of Walmart, Target and Amazon, which have taken over the retail department store space, according to The Associated Press.

  • “You’re always thinking about it because stores are closing all over, but it’s still sad,” said cashier Michelle Yavorsky, who said she has worked at Kmart for more than 2.5 years. “I’ll miss the place. A lot of people shopped here.”

Kmart also failed to determine a target market, according to Fortune.

  • The retail chain often focused on discounts, but failing “to appeal to a specific demographic hurt the business,” Fortune reported.
  • “Kmart wanted to appeal to everyone, but instead it became bland and lacked an image.”

What’s next for Kmart?

Interestingly, the store chain is still surviving in Australia, per The Daily Mail.