Former Kmart shoppers are saddened that the retail giant has only three stores left

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The rise of digital retailers like Amazon has killed hundreds of retailers across the country, from mom-and-pop stores to big-box retail giants. Among the latter, some brands have seen more steep declines than Kmart. Founded by SS Kresge in 1899, the store revolutionized the way customers shop, becoming one of the most popular stores in the United States throughout the 1990s. Yesterday, though, a New Jersey site announced its closure — a move that will leave only three stores remaining. And folks who grew up in a time when Kmarts were everywhere… well, they’re not okay.

The decline began in the 1990s, as Walmart began to rise and Kmart began developing a reputation for stores that were sloppy and low-quality products. They tried to rebrand and diversify, but in the end they were not fully on their feet, with most of the sites closed by 2018.

You can see a good breakdown of Kmart’s regression below via Bright Sun Films.

Among the moves that broke Kmart was the merger with Sears in 2004. Once the largest (Sears) and second largest (Kmart) retailer in the United States, the pair were now dragging each other on. By late 2010, there weren’t many Sears stores left, and these days, both are holding company-owned, having traded multiple times since 2018.

The path looks familiar to people of a certain age. Notable retailers like Radio Shack, Circuit City, Office Max (formerly a Kmart property), and Blockbuster Video have done the same in recent years. Even Family Video, which outlived Blockbuster by years with a clever business model that reduced store costs, not only closed its stores, but also recently shut down its website. At least there is one Blockbuster left!

You can see some of our favorite responses below.

He’s never seen anything like it

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first words

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Kind of like Blockbuster

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At least we found the real root cause

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for the last time

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