I worked at K-mart from 1990 to 1991 as a college freshman and my biggest take away from that experience was meeting a co-worker who would become my life-long best friend. K-mart was still at the top of their game during this period and wouldn't be surpassed in sales by Walmart until 1992. As of today July 19, 2022 there are 3 K-marts left in the U.S.: Westwood, NJ, Bridgehampton, NY, and Miami, FL. Other You Tubers have posted recent video tours of these remaining locations and they are all limping along with an ever-diminishing inventory. I can't see these last 3 stores staying open beyond 2022. Great job Andrew documenting the end of this retail giant.
That’s awesome that you got to work there! One of my friends worked as a cashier there in 1995. She also met a friend there. My mother would take me & my brother there all the time in the 80s. We loved that store. It was always quiet & had a neighborly feel. I remember they had these dumb diagonal parking lanes though, & I actually got into a car collision backing out of one of them when I was 16. The police wouldn’t come because Kmart was considered private property. They had an auto store there too that I would use. That store closed in 1999.
As you know, Eddie never updated or modernized the stores to compete with Walmart & Target who have remodeled their stores several times over the last 20 years. Some stores look old and run downed including ceiling leaks. Eddie did not care as he was only interested in the real estate
To date 9 total Kmarts remain (excluding the Australian division that was once owned by them) though 3 are in the USA, in Florida New York and New Jersey the rest are in the USA territories of the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Kmart is also sentimental to me. I didn't go there much, but in 2018, the Kmart near me (in Hershey) was closing. That's when I looked up what was happening with them and saw some abandoned locations. It also got me into dead malls. I didn't have internet in 2019, and still didn't have my license. But in 2020 I got both, my license and internet again. And the closest Kmart was closing down that July. I went to go film, and that was the beginning of my channel. Though I waited until next year to actually start my channel because I wanted to have a few different episodes ready by then. Loved the documentary. And thank you, Kmart. Not just for providing goods at discount prices, but for helping bringing people with niche interests together. It's just sad that it will be a thing of the past soon. RIP Kmart 1962-202X
Kmart in Hamilton on Whitehorse ave was a part of my childhood and adulthood,of my adulthood.The memories will live on through videos such as this and others .❤️
Back in the day, I used to work for Kmart. I worked for Kmart from 1985 until 1996. I, worked at Kmart located at 50 N.Groesbeck Hwy and Cass in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. It was on Sunday, May 8th.,1996 when Kmart Closed Permanently at 1:30pm. The, Kmart that I worked at is now a Planet Fitness Gym, Subway Submarine Sandwich Shop 🥪 😋. And, a Dollar Tree 🌳 Store,in the old Kmart Building. The, same businesses are still in the same old Kmart Building until this very day.
That’s awesome you got to work there! My friend worked there as a cashier in 1995. It closed in 1999. My mother would take me there in the 1980s. I loved that store.
I go back a "few" years before you!!!! I remember when my Kmart opened in 1962!!!! I was 6 years old! Many, many memories of Christmas shopping. Also, this Kmart had a separate grocery store on one end. I would look at toys, models, electronics, and other cool kid stuff while she bought groceries. I worked as a stock clerk at this Kmart my first year out of high school. When I moved away to attend college there was a Kmart there that was set up just like my Kmart. I would actually shop there just to remind me of home!!! My Kmart closed in the early 2000's. At one time the old Kmart building housed a "bouncy ball" type playground for kids. I remember taking my young "grandchildren". I would wander around while they played and in my mind tried to reconstruct the layout of the old store. Of course the building had been totally gutted and replaced with the indoor playground equipment. The building has since been demolished and the property is occupied by a Home Depot. The "Blue light" special will live with me forever!!! Thanks Kmart for the memories.
The crazzy thing is when kmart going to close you know it a year ahead of time the just quite sending mer to it. When this store was set to close it aleady hafe emepy 2021 was the set up and then kmart final pulled the plug
I was born in the 70’s and grew up an 80s kid.I remember when Kmarts were everywhere and was on the top of the retail chain.I’ve always loved Kmart especially before the Eddie Lampert era
I remember a lot of this Kmart music.I always thought the Garden City Michigan store would have been at least the last in the state of Michigan since it was the first Kmart ever.I enjoyed this and thanks for sharing your Kmart experiences and history.Well put together Andrew 👍
Great work on the doc! With stores like Kmart and Sears closing permanently, we're losing another place that connects us to a different time. Its sad to see places like that disappearing. But I guess that's just how things go.
They closed thier 5 & 10 store in 1987 customers service went down hill nobody on the sale's floor they have at front check outs Than giving a customers a hand I worked at3149 Kmart from 1986 to 1991 in 1991no Christmas remember pay or time and a half on Sundays and Easter was closed no holiday pay In 1991 I worked on first Thanksgiving regular hours should been Sunday hours they didn't advertise they opened on Thanksgiving They wasn't been busy that day in 1989 they started remodeled my store hired non Union workers they made mistakes in broomall pa they spent 5 million dollars on that store Around 1995 stopped remodeled stores 45 percent completed they went after Walmart second time by opened up 20 super Kmart same time they got rid the pension plan kept 401k My store opened up in 1974 to 2003 than home Depot took over 5 million down the drain I hate to see Kmart go it was built to be a Kmart to save money afterwards the remodel they cut loss prevention went from 4 foot shelves to 8 foot shelves You can't see the sale's floor any more
Eddie took the money and ran his mistake is tried put Kmart and Sears back from Canada I had a feeling won't work out I was right their employees got worst end of the bargain they lost their pension plans they're worked hard for it they got nothing in return Kmart and Sears USA they turned the pension plans over ing direct now these corporate company is now off the stock market They went from dow Jones to nasq now a private company the judge gave Eddie chance to foul up the company
Dude I loved how you mixed it up with that retro Kmart track to that futuristic song with the meijer that makes your heart strings get tugged thank you for that.
Like you know we are truly living far in the future when that song hits because a retail giant deemed too big to fail a company people were willing to risk millions on operating daily did just that failed…..it just brings you to 2022.
Maybe Kmart can remain in some way a charitable organization just to see their name continue I’m sure there are some willing to give money for that cause won’t bring profit but a great thing for them to do at this point.
Kmart Elkton MD was my childhood store. We went there for everything. We did have a Jamesway for a while but Kmart was king until Walmart came along in the 90s. That was a big deal. Now Walmart is too junky for me. They’ve gotten to big. Kmart was just the right size in my opinion. It will be interesting to see in my next 40 years if retail gets smaller and leaner. I find myself preferring stores like Aldi, Big Lots and Dollar General. Easier to shop at. In my 30s in Dover DE I still went to Kmart for easier parking and quick shopping trips. However I recall thinking it was dumpy and more expensive. I’d get depressed but still went because it was convenient compared to dealing with Walmart. I only use Walmart pickup now. My favorite memories of Kmart are from the 80s. Before a remodel our Elkton store had a actual restaurant/cafeteria. Another store about 15 miles away had a separate restaurant next to but connected to the store. You could get actual food not just microwaved crap and pizza. I’m talking turkey a dinner. I recall the food being ok. As a child I remember the electronic section being a few aisles and one locked case. I’d make a v-line for this area each time. I really wanted a duck shaped telephone. I even remember my parents buying a commodore computer and Atari cartridges at Christmas. While we never used it, I remember going to the automotive section buying oil filters and eventually Penske brand products with my dad. Went through a door and it had a garage for car maintenance. My dad did his own and by the time i started driving it closed. I did go to Walmart for oil changes when they started doing car maintenance. Not anymore more though had problems with WM. My friend still loves WM automotive. He takes my car on occasion did get tires mounted cheap but bought tires off Amazon. In the 90s I remember Big Kmart getting a food section and couldn’t believe it. Even went to a SuperK and it was like a Super WM. Sadly nothing Kmart did saved it from going under. To this day I can remember the sound of the NCR register printing receipts a unique sound. Our Elkton Kmart is Ollie’s and Dover is Big Lots and Burlington. Not sure of Elkton but the Dover store is only partially recognizable outside given the unique exterior facade. Inside it’s all gone. Including the huge space ship air vents we all had at Kmart. So big they looked wrong and scary. Being in a quiet store when the AC kicked on was a experience. Sonic boom. I miss Kmart. I miss the choices and experiences we use to have. Bradlees, Ames, Calder, Clover, Jamesway. Zayers, Sears or even early Walmarts before they went from basic stores to mega centers that eventually closed and left towns decimated.
It was all internal, the employees brought down this chain. I've been questioned by a Kmart cashier clerk why I was shopping there, where do I work at? yada yada yada
I found the most comfortable pair of work shoes at Kmart felt like slipper made out of air, this was close to the closing of the store should of bought more pairs
Hopefully soon! I’m On break right now is trying to make it a stage where I can recoup from, but due to recent events I might be coming back sooner than I expected for needed reasons
Said reasons I publicly will not be disclosing for privacy sake, but due to unforeseen circumstances recently, I will probably return into RU-vid 2 weeks sooner that I expected
