What Going to Kmart in 1986 Actually Looked Like (From Entrance to Checkout)

Step into a 1980s Kmart with real archival footage and photos: the popcorn smell at the entrance, the "Attention, Kmart shoppers" announcement, the TV and camera departments, the layaway counter at Christmas, and the Kmart Cafe with its subs and Little Caesars pizza. Then see how the second-biggest retailer in America, once behind only Sears, lost its lead to Walmart in November 1990, and how the last full-size Kmart on the mainland closed in October 2024. Made for everyone who grew up in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. 👇 TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS: What was the first thing YOU begged your parents for at Kmart? ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Kmart in 1986: the doors, the popcorn and the PA 0:44 How Kmart started: Kresge and the first store (1962) 1:50 Kmart vs Zayre, Ames, Bradlees, Caldor and Hills 2:34 Inside a 1980s Kmart: popcorn, carts and fluorescent lights 3:21 The Blue Light Special: "Attention, Kmart shoppers" (1965 to 1991) 4:16 Kmart departments: TVs, cameras and shoes 4:40 Back to school, lawn chairs and a car tune-up at Kmart 5:06 The Kmart Cafe, Little Caesars and Kmart Chef 6:12 Kmart layaway: how the layaway counter worked 6:46 Jaclyn Smith and Martha Stewart at Kmart 7:12 Kmart checkout in the 1980s 7:31 How Walmart passed Kmart (November 1990) 8:56 The last full-size Kmart closes (2024) 📚 HISTORICAL DETAILS IN THIS VIDEO: • Founded by S.S. Kresge & Harry Cunningham (Garden City, MI – March 1, 1962) • 2,000th Kmart opened in Kearny, New Jersey (April 1981) • The iconic Blue Light Special era: 1965 to 1991 • First in-store Little Caesars partnership (Rochester, MI – 1990) • Legendary brand partnerships: Jaclyn Smith clothing (1985) & Martha Stewart Living (1987) • First Super Kmart Center opened in Medina, Ohio (July 25, 1991) • Final full-size mainland Kmart closure in Bridgehampton, New York (October 20, 2024) 🎵 AUDIO & VISUAL CREDITS: Music: "Tupelo Train" by Chris Haugen (YouTube Audio Library) Archival Photos & Public Domain Visuals: Wikimedia Commons (Nicholas Eckhart, August Schwerdfeger, Michael Kilgore, Click Americana, Joe Archie, Aaron F. Stone, dankeck), Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), and the George Bush Presidential Library. (All archival clips are short excerpts used under commentary and fair use for historical preservation. This channel is not affiliated with Kmart or its parent companies.) #Kmart #1980s #80sNostalgia #GenX #BlueLightSpecial #VintageRetail #BackThen