Miami Holds Last Kmart On Mainland U.S. — Retail Historian Says, 'Kmart Was Part Of America'

The last Kmart — in Miami's Kendale Lakes Plaza — is a surprising relic from retail history. This lonely store marks the end of an era for the brand once woven into American culture, a place where you could buy everything from lawn chairs to candy under one roof. It's the last mainland store, barely recognizable in its current form — a small corner leased to a home goods chain, stocked only with essential items. Barren shelves and empty aisles tell a story of how much has changed since Kmart's heyday, according to a Miami Herald reporter who visited in August.

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The store was incorporated in 1899 as S.S. Kresge Corporation. Kmart hit its stride in the ’60s and grew rapidly. By the ’90s, it had over 2,400 stores worldwide, becoming a familiar name in American households. Kmart wasn't just another big-box store. It was a cultural icon that brought bargain shopping to the masses. Shoppers remember the iconic Blue Light Specials and the aisles brimming with affordable products for all. Historian Michael Lisicky says it best: "Kmart was part of America. Everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not," he told the Associated Press in 2022, as reported by the Miami New Times.

Kmart's decline is part of a larger narrative about shifts in retail. Giants like Walmart and online shopping have started to take over. The brand tried to keep up, merging with Sears in 2005, but the merger wasn't enough to fend off bankruptcy. By 2018, Kmart faced its second Chapter 11 filing, and stores began closing left and right. What was once an empire dwindled to just a few stores — three in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one in Guam and now, only this one in Miami left on the mainland.

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For many, the Miami Kmart brings back memories of simpler shopping trips with family. Today, it stands as a museum-like symbol of retail nostalgia. It reminds us of a time when going to Kmart was a family outing. The store's scaled-down presence may feel like a ghost of its former self. However, it still holds sentimental value for those who grew up shopping there.

With every new store closure, Kmart fades a little further into history, leaving just memories of crowded aisles, Blue Light Specials, and a strong sense of community. Yes, this last store in the mainland U.S. is a place to buy essentials. But it's also a reminder of how much American retail has changed in a few short decades.

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