BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY (LOOTPRESS) – The last full-size Kmart store in the continental United States is set to close on October 20, marking a significant milestone in the decline of the once-iconic retail chain.
According to a report by Newsday, the closure of the Bridgehampton, New York location will leave just one smaller Kmart store remaining in the U.S., located in Miami, Florida.
At its peak in the early 1990s, Kmart operated around 2,300 stores across the country. The Bridgehampton store, which has served the community for 25 years, is now preparing to shut its doors for good. Kimco Realty Corp., the company that owns the shopping center where the store is located, confirmed the closure.
Kmart, now owned by Transformco, also has three stores in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but its presence on the mainland has dwindled drastically. The Miami location, situated at Kendale Lakes Plaza, has been reduced in size, with most of its original space now occupied by home goods retailer At Home. The remaining Kmart operates in what used to be its garden department, and the store has a long-term lease, according to Kimco Realty.
The first Kmart opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan, but the company has faced financial struggles for years. After filing for bankruptcy in 2002 and later merging with Sears, Kmart filed for bankruptcy again in 2018. The closure of the Bridgehampton store is another chapter in the chain’s long decline, as it once dominated the American retail landscape.
Kmart’s legacy, however, continues with the Miami store and a few remaining locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
