K-Mart

[Caldor1999]

Cool Kmart Add's

[storehistoryguy]

Toy truck with K Mart on it.

[storehistoryguy]

An old K Mart banner.

[storehistoryguy]

A new concept in merchandising backed by thousands of dedicated men and women changed the S.S. Kresge Company from a fledgling newcomer in the variety-store field to a multi-billion-dollar chain of general-merchandise and specialty retail stores.
In 1899, Sebastian Spering Kresge opened his first store in downtown Detroit. By 1912, Kresge had 85 stores with annual sales of more than $10 million. Kresge stores appealed to shoppers with the stores' low prices, open displays and convenient locations.

Inflation in the World War I era forced Kresge to raise prices to 25 cents, and in the mid-'20s, Kresge opened "green-front stores" to sell items at a dollar or less, often next to the red-front dime stores.

Kresge went into the first suburban shopping center-Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri-in 1929. By 1930, variety-store chains had become commonplace because they provided a wide array of goods at low prices. Meanwhile, supermarket chains were introducing the public to self-service shopping.
The Kresge Company launched its newspaper advertising program in the early 1930s. Radio promotions followed 20 years later, and television was added in 1968. Today, print ads still dominate Kmart's advertising program with 72 million circulars weekly inserted in 1,500 newspapers nationwide.

[storehistoryguy]

K Mart of Canada sign.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by storehistoryguy
A new concept in merchandising backed by thousands of dedicated men and women changed the S.S. Kresge Company from a fledgling newcomer in the variety-store field to a multi-billion-dollar chain of general-merchandise and specialty retail stores.
In 1899, Sebastian Spering Kresge opened his first store in downtown Detroit. By 1912, Kresge had 85 stores with annual sales of more than $10 million. Kresge stores appealed to shoppers with the stores' low prices, open displays and convenient locations.

Inflation in the World War I era forced Kresge to raise prices to 25 cents, and in the mid-'20s, Kresge opened "green-front stores" to sell items at a dollar or less, often next to the red-front dime stores.

Kresge went into the first suburban shopping center-Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri-in 1929. By 1930, variety-store chains had become commonplace because they provided a wide array of goods at low prices. Meanwhile, supermarket chains were introducing the public to self-service shopping.
The Kresge Company launched its newspaper advertising program in the early 1930s. Radio promotions followed 20 years later, and television was added in 1968. Today, print ads still dominate Kmart's advertising program with 72 million circulars weekly inserted in 1,500 newspapers nationwide.

This picture is what the K-mart in Albany new york on CEntral ave looks like. I was there 3 days ago and it was medium size.

I went to the one in East Greenbush NY and it was a little smaller. A big lots was next to it.

[Caldor1999]

hears my idea for a new kmart logo teh blue stands for the blue light saveings or what ever they call it it seems like the old logo in a way and i like it

[d_fife]

This is the K-mart in newburyport mass in the port plaza. IT is a small store and opened in 1976. The logo used to have the traditional big K logo and the area around the logo was white and not brown. The logo and the color around the logo were the only real changes. I was there yesterday and first saw it 4 years ago.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by d_fife
This is the K-mart in newburyport mass in the port plaza. IT is a small store and opened in 1976. The logo used to have the traditional big K logo and the area around the logo was white and not brown. The logo and the color around the logo were the only real changes. I was there yesterday and first saw it 4 years ago.

wow thats a nice looking store not to mention the logo :)

[storehistoryguy]

There new logo is to blan. My favorite one is the one from the 70s and 80s.

[store215]

I believe that new logo has only appeared on 9 of the Kmart stores (including the one in Doylestown, PA)

[Caldor1999]

the Kmart in Greenburg former claodr has the new logo

[storehistoryguy]

Originally posted by Caldor1999
the Kmart in Greenburg former claodr has the new logo

claodr? Do yo mean Caldor?

[Caldor1999]

im not taht grat of a speller and i type to fast so sometimes the words can get mixed up

[Zayre88]

A picture of inside Kmart in Waveland Miss. where "Camp Katrina is located"  The parking lot is turned into a camp and the store is a mess.

Elsewhere, an empty Kmart has been turned into a shelter.  Meanwhile, a mobile hospital has been installed in the parking lot of a demolished Kmart in Bay St.Louis about 60 miles east of New Orleans.

[Jag67]

Very Creepy pic, with all the lights off and everything..*shudder* Looks like something you'd see in the Dixie Square Mall

[d_fife]

This is the Kmart in Glenmont NY. I never went to it. A propertiy thing said it is 56,875 square feet.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
Kmart history in MAssachusetts: Fitchburg (Opened 71, 100,800 square feet, renovated 1991), Brockton (Opened 1973, on Main st, apparently renovated as the side is grey instead of brown, probably same size as Hyannis), Hyannis (opened MArch 1973, 90,000 square feet, apparently renovated, has the REd K with the mart in it logo and the sign has that logo), Milford (Opened 1974, 100,678 square feet, apparently renovated as the side of the building is purple instead of brown and has the labelscar of the REd K with the mart in it logo), Billerica (opened August 1975, 84,180 square feet, apparently just renovated, in Billerica Mall), SAugus (Opened MARch 1976, 84,180 square feet, WAS JUST RENOVATED and NOT EXPANDEd, I HAVE AN ONLINE PICTURE OF BOTH THE OLD KMART LOOK AND NEW KMART LOOK THAT I WILL POST SOON), NEwburyport (Opened August 1976, probably in the 50,000s of thousands of square feet, the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), Acton (Opened 1976, said to be 60,000 square feet, the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), FAll RIver (Opened OCtober 1976, said to be 108,000 square feet, the floors were marble still,I it is in the HArbor MAll and the mall opened 1971), Great Barrington (Opened 1976, 52,486 square feet, APPARENTLY the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), Holyoke (Opened 1977, does not look like most kmarts and plaza opened 1977) FAirhaven (Opened 1977, probably 91,653 square feet, apparently renovated at one point or even expanded some, the store looks that way), PAlmer (Opened MArch 1979, HAVE A URL PICTURE OF IT, VERY SMALL AND PROBABLY in the 50,000s square feet, APPARENTLY the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000), Somerville (opened OCtober 1980, said to be 95,000 square feet, in ASsembly square mall, When I first saw it in like 1992 I saw that the store had the Red K with the mart in it and it  must have been remodeled, I went in it in 2002) Webster (Opened 1980, added 35,000 square feet in 1992, store is not too big still), SPringfield (opened 1981, 88,425 square feet, Plaza opened 1959, the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, ), SOuth ATtleboro (OPENED 1992, 114,000 square feet), Braintree (116,000 square feet, Opened November 1996), Brighton (OPened November 1999, onec CAldor, 85,000 square feet.

Closed: Woburn (opened 78, Now LEchmere then, AJ Wright, that became sports authority, and TJmaxxn more) Swansea (Opened 1971, looks like hooksett, then STuart's and now Building 19), WEymouth (Opened 76, became Stuart's then Buildiing 19 in harborlight mall that is now Lowe's), CLinton (Became Shaw's, 53,000 square feet), NAtick (late 1970s, closed early 1980s it says on Framingham retail website, now Burlington Coat) and Chelsea (opened 1979, became STuart's) closed in like the early-mid 1980s.

SEekonk (Opened 1973, Rt. 44, like in the 60,000s or 70,000s of thousands of square feet, West Springfield (84,180 square feet and opened 76 or 81, I saw it vacant 2 years ago and it looked unchanged with the brown front instead of the remodeled grey and the slope unchaged and the label scar of the old School Kmart logo and it looked the one in MAnchester NH), Springfield (Boston Rd, opened 1978, now Furniture store) closed in FEburary 1995. Apparently one in DArtmouth MAss closed in 1993. ROckland MAss closed in April 1995 and opened 1977 and was old looking. Pittsfield Mass closed in August 1997 due to poor sales and it opened in August 1971 (And the buildign looked like Hooksett nh and is now a vacant Pep Boy's, HOme goods, TJ Maxx and Petco and the building below the logo area is grey instead of brown, maybe the stores remodeld it)

In 2002 DAnvers Mass (IT looked like East greenbush picture, it opened 1974, was 82,500 square feet, I went in it in February 1997 and the inside was white instead of brown, it had the old school kmart logo still, its now a relocated market basket), HAdley (Opened 1978, in HAmpshire Mall, 91,572 square feet, added 25,000 square feet in 1994, now a larger Target), North Adams (Opened 1981, and demolished and rebuilt in 1994 into a 95,000 square foot store and it was 40,000 square feet larger), and Salem (Opened November 1999, replaced caldor, was 97,000 square feet, now Target).

In 2003 Boston South BAy CEnter (opened 1993, was 128,000 square feet and the largest one in MAss and I was the only white in the store, its now Target), Plymouth MAss (Opened feb 1996, had the trinagle front but with the Red K logo with the mart in it, 118,242 square feet), WEstfield (Opened 1980, 68,000 square feet, apparently the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, now Big Lots), Haverhill (Opened OCtober 1976, 64,239 square feet, plaza built in 1966, the store was silver grey, APPARENTLY the store was never changed until 1997/1998 when they only repainted the inside of the stoer and changed the logo to the Red k with the mart in it and turned it into Big K in 2000, still vacant), Raynham (Opened 1975, 84,278 square feet, renovated and maybe even remodeled in 1993)

In 2005 TEWksbury will become Sears and the store is 125,000 square feet and OPened September 1992.

RElocations: Chelmsford MAss (apparently opened 1976, in EAstgate plaza that opened 1961, WAs a WT GRant, and it is now a relocated MArket Basket) relocated in 1992 to the Kmart in TEwksbury. North Attleboro (like 50,000 square feet) relocated to South ATtleboro in 1992 and is now Shaw's.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE ONE IN FALL RIVER

This K-mart is in WEbster Mass in WEbster Plaza. The plaza opened 1963, I heard K-mart opened Fall 1980. I heard that in Spring 1992 K-mart got 35,000 square feet added to it. I have been to this K-mart.

[d_fife]

This Kmart is in Endicott New York, this is near Binghamton New york.

[shakethis1234]

the kmart in Fulton Ny is almost 90,000 sf buts everything is spread out

[Jag67]

Does anyone have any info on the Buffalo area stores?? I really wanna know!!

[d_fife]

This k-mart is in Niagara FAlls new york.

[d_fife]

this k-mart is in Chili new york, is 114,000 square feet, opened mid 1970s, and is now sears essentials. chilis is near rochester new york.

[d_fife]

this kmart is in linden new jerseyt and is 130,000 square feet.

[d_fife]

this kmart is in lawnside new jersey and is 102,000 square feet.

[d_fife]

thgis is the former kmart in el paso texas and on alabama st and 84,000 square feet

[d_fife]

this is the former kmart in bowling green ohio and 87,000 square feet.

[d_fife]

this is teh former kmart in ardmore oklahama

[d_fife]

this is the former kmart in lake mary florida

[d_fife]

this is the former kmart in marquette ohio and is 85,000 square feet and now kohls