Last full-size Kmart in the U.S. to close in October, reports say

End of an Era: Last Full-Size Kmart Store Closing in October

According to reports, the last full-size Kmart store located in the continental United States is scheduled to close in October. This leaves only one downsized location remaining.

At its peak during the early 1990s, Kmart boasted approximately 2,300 locations across the country. The upcoming closure of the full-size store in Bridgehampton, New York, on October 20 was reported by Newsday, citing an employee at the store.

Last Remaining Kmart Store in the U.S.

With the New York store closing down, a mini Kmart store in Miami will then be the only one remaining in the U.S. Kmart, now under the ownership of Transformco, also runs three stores in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Transformco has yet to comment on the issue, but a spokesperson for Kimco Realty Corp., the company that owns the shopping centers hosting the Kmarts in New York and Florida, confirmed to Newsday that the Bridgehampton store closure is indeed happening.

Declining Kmart Locations

The Kmart store in Bridgehampton has been serving customers for 25 years, according to Newsday. The company’s history goes back further, with the first Kmart discount department store opening in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan.

Kmart has faced multiple financial challenges in the past, filing for bankruptcy in 2002 and later merging with Sears. The company had to file for bankruptcy once again in 2018.

The only other Kmart location in the continental U.S., at Kendale Lakes Plaza in Miami, will be the last one standing. However, this store has been significantly reduced in size as it leased out most of its former space to the home goods store, At Home.

A representative of Kimco Realty Corp. told local newspapers that Kmart has a “long-term lease” at the Kendale Lakes location, potentially indicating that this last store won’t be closing anytime soon.

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