Avvertimento agli acquirenti di Kmart: l'ultimo Kmart di grandezza naturale negli Stati Uniti continentali sta chiudendo
Il negozio situato a Bridgehampton, New York, sulla Long Island, è previsto che chiuda il 20 ottobre, come confermato da un dipendente anonimo contattato durante una telefonata del lunedì mattina. Il direttore del negozio era irreperibile e Transformco, la corporation che ha acquistato i resti di Sears e Kmart dal fallimento di Sears Holdings nel 2019, non ha risposto a una richiesta di commento via email.
although the chain maintains a scaled-down version of its convenience store in Miami, it no longer offers the full array of goods Kmart was famed for. This Miami location does stock larger-ticket items, such as appliances, yet it lacks competition from dominant big box retailers. The company also has stores in Guam and the US Virgin Islands, where it enjoys a monopoly over the market.
Il prossimo chiusura del negozio di Long Island segna la fine di un altro capitolo nel catastrofico merger del 2005 di Sears e Kmart, uno dei tanti retailer iconici che hanno incontrato la loro fine dopo gli acquisti da parte di fondi hedge e società di private equity. Valutato 11 miliardi di dollari, il merger è stato orchestrato dal manager del fondo hedge Eddie Lampert.
The merged entities too struggled against fierce competition from successful big box rivals, such as Walmart and Target, which supplied groceries together with clothing, home goods, and tools offered at Kmart and Sears. Additionally, the rise of online shopping further weakened their positions.
Al momento del merger, Kmart gestiva circa 1.400 negozi, mentre Sears gestiva quasi 900 negozi a linea completa negli Stati Uniti. Lampert si è concentrato principalmente sulla liquidazione dei beni immobiliari e degli altri asset, come il marchio Craftsman, che era venduto in esclusiva da Sears. Di conseguenza, le società hanno dichiarato fallimento nel 2018.
Following their emergence from bankruptcy, the retailer retained a mere 231 Sears and 191 Kmart stores. However, the overwhelming majority of these stores were among the few that were destined to close. Today, merely a handful of Sears stores remain operational, although it continues to operate under various Sears Hometown brands.
Kmart initially surfaced in the late 19th century when its founder, Sebastian Spering Kresge, opened a five-and-dime store in downtown Detroit featuring his surname. The Kmart trademark was not popularized until 1962.
The chain experienced significant growth during the following decades, effectively cornering the discount market that is now dominated by big box stores.
Kmart was widely known for its 15-minute blue light specials compared to traditional sales - the store would flash a blue light and announce the discounted items to customers over the PA system, prompting a quick spree for bargain hunters. This promotional technique was introduced in 1965 but was discontinued in 1991, although the company attempted to reintroduce it on several occasions.
Il prossimo chiusura del negozio di Long Island è un duro colpo per le operazioni
