Kmart Was Bigger Than Walmart. So What Killed It?

On January 21st, 2002, the grocery trucks stopped coming to Kmart. The next day, the chain that invented the American discount store filed for bankruptcy. Kmart was once bigger than Walmart. It opened 271 stores in a single year, gave America the Blue Light Special, and had almost 2,500 stores at its peak. This video follows the full story of how Kmart fell, from Sebastian Kresge's five and ten cent stores and Harry Cunningham's first Kmart in 1962, to the price war of 2001, the SEC case, the Sears merger and the last stores still open today. It is a story about the boring work that decides who wins in retail. If you like stories about the American brands we grew up with, subscribe to The Wreckage for a new collapse every week. #Kmart #RetailHistory #DeadStores This video is an educational and historical case study. It is not financial or investment advice and not an individual recommendation. Statements about legal cases are based on public records, court decisions and press reports.