Kmart closes New Jersey store: how a huge chain of 2000 stores was left with 3 outlets

Familiar sights and sounds: worn and faded tiles on the floor, beige color schemes for baby clothes, refrigerators and pretty much everything in between. There is even a note “Attention, Kmart buyers”. But she reminds people to take precautions against COVID-19, and does not report a sudden sale of women's underwear, as in the good old days, reports Fox 35.

At Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey, many of the shelves are empty. Bargain hunters have chosen them as the store prepares to close its doors for good on April 16th. Once it closes, Kmart's US presence, once well over 2000, will drop to three. According to multiple reports, the retail world is now dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon.

The death of a middle-class store in a suburb 24 km south of New York is the story of the death of a small discount department store. “Shops are closing everywhere, but it's still sad,” cashier Michelle Jaworski admitted. The woman has been working in a store in Avenel for two and a half years. “I will miss this place. Many people shopped here.”

Rise and success

During its heyday, Kmart sold product lines endorsed by celebrities Martha Stewart and Jacqueline Smith. She sponsored NASCAR racing and has been featured in films such as Rain Man and Beetlejuice. Its name has been featured in songs by artists from Eminem to the Beastie Boys.

The chain cemented its place in American culture with its brand name, a flashing blue balloon attached to a pole to lure shoppers to an ongoing sale. Part of its success was due to the introduction of programs that allowed customers to take goods in installments.

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For a while, Kmart had a little bit of everything: you could buy your kids school supplies, set up your car, and grab a bite to eat without leaving the premises.

“Kmart was part of America,” said Michael Lisicki, a Baltimore-based writer who has written several books on US retail history. Everyone went to Kmart, whether they liked it or not. Everything was there. And toys, and sporting goods, and sweets, and stationery. It was something for everyone. You could spend several hours here.

Decline and bankruptcy

The fall of Kmart was slow but steady. It was brought about by years of declining sales, changing shopping habits, and the looming shadow of Walmart, which coincidentally began life a few months after Kmart was founded in 1962. In an attempt to compete with Walmart's low prices and Target's fancier offerings, Kmart filed for Chapter 2002 bankruptcy protection in early 11 and became the largest retailer in the US to take the step and announce it would close more than 250 stores. Across the country, some former Kmart stores remain empty, while others have been replaced by large department stores, fitness centers, convenience stores and even churches. One former location in Colorado Springs is now a popular movie theater.

Kmart employees in Avenel learned last month that the store would close. Unlike 20 years ago, when news of Kmart's impending closure across the country sparked a storm of support from loyal shoppers, the Avenel store's closure was met with mostly resignation. “I've lived my whole life in this area, but it's just another store closing,” said Jim Chabert, a resident of nearby Iselin, whose brother worked in the Kmart shoe department for many years. "It's just another sign that people are shopping online instead of going to retail stores."

Kmarts continue to operate in Westwood, New Jersey; Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York, and Miami.