15, 2018 - Sears Holdings files for bankruptcy court protection. The chain, based in Troy, Mich., was down to about 2,114 stores.Ģ003 - Kmart emerges from bankruptcy protection.Ģ004 - Kmart and Sears, Roebuck & Co. Stewart later said she regretted not buying the company.Ģ002 - Struggling against competition from Walmart and Target, Kmart files for bankruptcy court protection. The relationship will continue for more than 20 years and include Martha Stewart-branded goods. Kresge Company changes name to Kmart Corporation.ġ987 - Martha Stewart becomes a Kmart spokesperson. Sam Walton opens the first Walmart the same year.ġ977 - S.S. Kresge Company opens new line of stores that only sell items for $1 or less.ġ962 - First Kmart discount department store opens in a Detroit suburb.
Kresge opens a five-and-dime store in Detroit.ġ920s - S.S. Kresge Company five-and-dime store opened.ġ899 - Sebastian S. Kmart’s roots go back to 1899 when the first S.S.
stores, is pushing to avoid a full shutdown. The parent company, with hundreds of remaining U.S. The pairing of Kmart and Sears didn’t keep them out of financial trouble.
Soon a deal was announced to combine Sears and Kmart, a chain once famous for its “bluelight specials,” sudden discounts announced in the store with flashing lights. That was shortly after the chain had emerged from another stint in bankruptcy court following bruising discount competition with Walmart and Target. In 2004, Kmart considered moving its headquarters from Michigan to metro Atlanta, with plans for about 1,000 jobs, according to news reports at the time.