Kmart is closing its last full-size store location in the United States, leaving only one small Kmart store in the United States. The iconic department store chain’s last full-size location is currently expected to close in October.
On Sunday, a Kmart employee confirmed to WJAR that the Kmart location in Bridgehampton, New York, would be permanently closing on October 20, 2024. Kimco Realty Corp, the real estate investment trust that owns the shopping center that hosts the Bridgehampton location, also confirmed to Newsday that the store would be closing in October. Newsday noted that the Bridgehampton location has been open for 25 years.
With the closing of the last full-size Kmart in Bridgehampton, New York, the Kmart store at Kendale Lakes Plaza in Miami, Florida will be the only remaining Kmart location in the continental United States. WJAR reported that Kmart will also still have multiple locations remaining in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
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The Miami Herald reported that the Kmart location in Miami was previously reduced to a small section of the original department store that initially functioned as the store’s garden department. The outlet noted that the majority of the Miami Kmart’s original store is currently leased to At Home.
According to Fox Business, the iconic department store chain had nearly 2,300 locations in the early 1990s; however, Kmart filed for bankruptcy in 2002 prior to merging with Sears. The New York Post reported that Eddie Lampert, a billionaire hedge fund manager, purchased Kmart’s debt and helped lead the company through the merging process with Sears.
The New York Post noted that while Lampert was able to navigate the merger between Sears and Kmart, the company, which became known as Sears Holdings, suffered from outdated department store facilities, poor customer service, and a limited inventory. As a result, Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018.
