About Kmart
Kmart is one of America's most iconic discount retail chains, founded in 1962 as a spin-off of the S.S. Kresge Company and operating as a major competitor to Walmart and Target through the 1980s and 1990s. The "Blue Light Special"—a rotating in-store clearance announcement—became a cultural touchstone of American retail. Kmart's parent company Sears Holdings filed for bankruptcy in 2018, and the chain has been dramatically reduced from thousands of locations to a handful of remaining stores.
A significantly diminished version of Kmart continues to operate online through Sears Holdings' restructured entity, offering general merchandise including apparel, home goods, tools, and electronics. The physical store footprint has shrunk to a very small number of locations, predominantly in rural markets and US territories.
For shoppers who remember Kmart's heyday or live near one of the surviving locations, the ShopYourWay rewards program provides points on purchases. However, the dramatically reduced inventory and store count means Walmart, Target, and Amazon have captured virtually all of the market Kmart once served, often at competitive or better pricing.
Quick Savings Tips
- Physical Kmart locations are extremely limited—check store locator before making a trip
- ShopYourWay rewards points accumulate toward future discounts on Kmart and Sears purchases
- Clearance section online features genuine deep discounts on remaining inventory
- Walmart and Target offer comparable general merchandise at competitive pricing nationwide
- Amazon often matches or beats Kmart's promotional pricing with faster, more reliable delivery