Attention, Kmart shoppers… Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? The answer is no. There are no Kmart shoppers, and there are no Kmarts. At least no full-sized stores, as the last one, which was located in Bridgehampton, New York (population 1,416), recently closed. Yes, the flashing blue light has seemingly burned out.

Kmart was once the world’s second largest retail chain with more than 2,500 stores across the country. The retail giant opened its first store in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. Today, all that remains is a small-store concept in Miami and a few locations in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. At its peak, 95% of Americans lived within a short drive of a Kmart. What changed?

We had a Big Red K in my hometown of Algona. It was a big deal when it opened in 1978, and it was a bigger deal when it closed in 2020. Most anyone who shopped at Kmart for those 42 years did not expect great quality, but they accepted that in return for cheap prices. Ultimately, that lack of quality may have been the nail in Kmart’s coffin.

The 1988 movie “Rain Man,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, may not have started Kmart’s demise, but it certainly didn’t help. Movie-watchers were quoting “Kmart sucks” every chance they had. That’s not the slogan any store would seek, but it was accurate in the minds of many. In fact, my friends and I pronounced Kmart as “came-apart.” It seemed fitting.

Despite its problems, Kmart still had shoppers flocking to its stores for decades, seeking those flashing blue light specials. Unfortunately, Kmart struggled to find a way to effectively compete with Target, Walmart and others. The acquisition of Sears in 2004 only seemed to hinder it more.

Unfortunately, Kmart is not alone, as we read about retail store closings every day. Bed Bath & Beyond. Walgreens. Big Lots. Family Dollar. CVS. Foot Locker. The list goes on. Walmart is even closing seven stores. Coresight Research reported that, in 2024, for the first time since the pandemic, store closures are outpacing new openings. I find that alarming, and you should, too.

Just a few decades ago, one could not have imagined ordering stuff on a computer or a phone and having it shipped to your home. Delivery took six to eight weeks, and the shipping and handling charges often cost as much as the product itself. Amazon figured this out and continues to use technology to better serve its customers — except in replacing property tax revenues that those brick and mortar retail stores paid to help fund our schools, roads, police forces and fire departments. If you think your residential property taxes are high now, just wait. The flashing blue light may be gone, but we should be seeing a flashing red light to warn us of what is ahead.

Rest in peace, Kmart.

Have a thoughtful Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See Shane Goodman's other columns here.

YOUR NEIGHBORS
Bringing peace to dogs, one string at a time

By Cyote Williams

Roughly 3 million dogs are in shelters across the U.S. One Des Moines resident is using her cello-playing abilities to soothe, relax and spread the word that she says music can have on animals.

Cheryl Wallace once owned a jewelry business on Ingersoll Avenue. As time went on, she transitioned from doing business inside her store to art fairs.

“I wanted to help animals. But I was doing these art fairs, I was traveling a lot, and you can’t be a regular volunteer at a shelter if you’re traveling. So, I wanted to come up with an idea, something I could do for animals that wasn’t being done. And I thought, Cesar Millan can walk a dozen dogs at a time. I can’t do that. So, I kept with the idea of playing music for them,” Wallace said.

Sheridan shares journey with cochlear implants
A life-changing experience

By Lindsey Giardino

Bill Sheridan is an 80-year-old Johnston resident whose journey with hearing loss and cochlear implants is both inspiring and eye-opening.

When he turned 60, he began wearing hearing aids, but there came a point years later when they no longer served him well.

His audiologist discussed cochlear implants with him. Sheridan wanted to speak with someone who had gone through the experience themselves but found it challenging to find anyone.

Happy Birthday David Jordan!

These celebrities were born on this date: Jeff Goldblum, Bob Odenkirk, Shaggy, Christopher Lloyd, Spike Jonze, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brian Boitano, Catherine Deneuve, Bobby Seale, Bill Condon, Carmen Ejogo, Corey Hawkins, Kyle Gallner, Saffron Burrows, Carlos Mencia, Ichiro Suzuki, Jonathan Lipnicki, Sofia Vassilieva

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

What do you call a baker that quits his job? A DESSERT-ER! And other answers from William Snyder.

Today's riddle:

What did the turkey say to the turkey hunter?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

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mary@dmcityview.com

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