Kmart

Kmart is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sears Holding Corporation. They have over 1300 stores and over 1000 pharmacies in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

There are over 1300 basic discount stores and 55 Super Centers. There is also a gift registry at Kmart.com.

Sebastian Spering Kresge opened a five and dime in Detroit in 1899. He sold everything in the store for 5 and 10 cents. By 1912 he had grown to 85 stores and had over $10 million in annual sales. Kresge stores were able to hire and keep people employed during the depression and both World Wars.http://www.searsholdings.com/about/kmart/history.htm

The super Centers operate 24 hours a day combining groceries and merchandise in the same store. There are 20 Sears Auto centers operating in Kmart stores.http://www.searsholdings.com/about/kmart/

• Appliances

• Beauty

• Bed and Bath

• Books and Magazines

• Clothing

• Electronics & Office

• Fitness and Sports

• Health and Wellness

• Home Decor

• Home improvement

• Holiday

• Infants and Nursery

• Jewelry and Watches

• Music Movies and Gaming

• Outdoor Living

• Pets

• Pharmacy

• Shoes

• Toys and Games

Unlike other department stores, Kmart has a wider variety of items being sold, more similar to superstores such as Walmart or Target. In addition to clothing for men, women and children, as well as home accessories and furniture, Kmart has a large sporting goods section, electronics department, and a wide variety of toys and games. Some larger, Kmart Super Centers also have food sections for customers to do their grocery shopping.http://www.kmart.com/

The growth of rivals like Target and Walmart has caused sales at Kmart to drop over the past few years. Early in 2010, Kmart was reporting that their loses had been cut down, however their sales were still falling well below expectations.http://www.freep.com/article/20100820/NEWS01/8200377/1322/Kmart-margins-rise-aid-Sears In some areas, store locations have closed due to a rival store moving in nearby and taking away business from Kmart as well. Lower prices at competitors have hurt Kmart the most.