By Alexandra E. Petri
When Chrissy Economos and Gloria McCourtney learned that the last full-size Kmart on the mainland U.S. was shutting down, they felt compelled to pay homage, no matter the distance of over 1,300 miles to the store.
As the merchandise rapidly cleared out at the Kmart in Bridgehampton, New York, the sisters reminisced about the one in Duluth, Minnesota, where they grew up. They visited that location as kids in the 1980s accompanied by their mother and grandmother, who would write poetry in the Kmart Cafe. They obtained their driver’s licenses there and spent idle hours exploring the aisles as teens. Economos purchased her first pregnancy test at that store. Later, as mothers themselves, the sisters would sneak off to Kmart for their “mom breaks.”
“We would feel regret if we didn’t come,” McCourtney, 39, declared.
Kmart was once the premier discount retailer in America, renowned for its “Blue Light Specials” that catered to in-store shoppers. The phrase “Attention Kmart shoppers!” became iconic, often voiced by Johnny Carson and Beetlejuice.
Now, inside the Bridgehampton store, the announcements seemed trapped in a time warp from the pandemic: Shoppers were reminded to protect themselves by wearing masks and maintaining distance.
Following years of decline, Kmart has nearly vanished, surviving only in comedic skits or classic films like “Rain Man,” where Dustin Hoffman’s character purchases nothing but boxer shorts from Kmart in Cincinnati. The closure of the Bridgehampton location this Sunday will leave just a small shop in Miami, tucked into the former garden center of a larger Kmart, along with a few locations in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The announcement of the Bridgehampton store’s closing brought both lapsed and devoted customers back to its unadorned interior, not only for the liquidation sale — everything must go! — but also to grieve and reminisce. Some customers honored the store by wandering the aisles, while others filled their carts with discounted cologne, L.O.L. Surprise! sticker books, and household items. Online, Kmart enthusiasts have long been paying tribute to the retailer on Facebook and the Kmart subreddit.
“It evokes this strange nostalgia for us,” said McCourtney, dressed in Kmart Joe Boxer leggings and sharing part of a “Kmart 4 Eva” tattoo on her forearm with a friend. When envisioning tranquility, she thinks of meandering through Kmart.
“Strolling the aisles of Kmart brought me such calm and joy,” McCourtney reflected. She turned to her sister, adding: “Probably because I was always doing it with you.”
“Everything Must Go!”
One recent Wednesday afternoon, patrons flowed in and out of the Bridgehampton Kmart, passing by yellow signs with bold red text proclaiming: “Everything Must Go!,” “Store Closing Sale,” and “Nothing Held Back!” Shoppers carried mesh bags filled with firewood and handfuls of sponges or pushed carts overflowing with toilet paper. They inquired about the sales inside and exchanged tales about the convenience of Kmart for greeting cards, layaway plans, and small gifts for holiday gatherings or parties.
“Wow, they’re clearing out quickly,” remarked Gerri MacWhinnie, 80, as she packed stocking fillers, cat food, and other goods into her car’s trunk.
Like many community members, MacWhinnie, a Southampton resident, is curious about what will take over the nearly 90,000-square-foot space. Bridgehampton, located on the upscale eastern portion of Long Island, which is among the most costly ZIP codes in the country, lacks other big-box retailers. The nearest Walmart and Target are at least a 45-minute drive away.
“This was truly the only place where affordable clothing felt accessible,” stated Dana Casale, 46, who grew up in Sag Harbor and still possesses shirts purchased from Kmart a decade ago. “Public transportation comes here, which is significant. It’s hard to get that to go anywhere.”
Inside, clearance sale posters adorned the store. Pop tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s filled the air through the speakers. Customers meandered past discounted Kenmore appliances like washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers on the showroom floor. An area cordoned off with yellow caution tape had missing tiles exposing patches of dirt floor, while bare mannequins were piled together. Shoppers scrawled in the layers of dust that covered a Craftsman YT 3000 red lawn mower displayed near pet apparel with a yellow “sold” tag on it. They debated whether prices might drop further.
Transformco, the parent company of Kmart, did not reply to inquiries from The New York Times. A Kmart manager indicated that store employees were not permitted to speak with the Times when a reporter and photographer visited on Oct. 2.
Once unstoppable, the chain became characterized by understocking and understaffing.
The first Kmart opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan, although the company’s history dates back further to a chain of S.S. Kresge variety stores that began in Michigan in 1899. Kmarts rapidly spread throughout the nation by offering a variety of products from groceries to apparel, according to Mark Cohen, former CEO of Sears Canada. “They became a significant player in retailing back in their prime,” said Cohen.
By 1986, Kmart had risen to become the leading discounter in the U.S. and the second-largest retailer overall, behind Sears.
Kmart fell victim to poor management, Cohen noted, and could not keep pace with Walmart’s low prices, Target’s appealing branding, and, eventually, the emergence of Amazon. Once a retail giant that showcased brands like Martha Stewart and Jaclyn Smith, Kmart’s locations became understocked, understaffed, and neglected.
In 2002, Kmart, which then boasted 2,114 stores and 240,000 employees, filed for bankruptcy—marking the largest bankruptcy filing for a retailer at that time.
In 2005, Kmart merged with Sears, which was also in steep decline. This merger nearly obliterated both brands. Sears Holdings, their parent company, declared bankruptcy in 2018, and Kmart persisted in closing more stores.
As Kmart’s demise unfolded, nostalgia for its glorious past began to emerge. In 2015, fans celebrated the release of four years’ worth of in-store music and announcements meticulously preserved by a former employee, Mark Davis, and uploaded to Archive.org.
“It represents the final chapter in the remarkable American saga of success and failure,” Cohen remarked.
