# How do the remaining KMarts stay in business? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2022, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739 "2022-04-12T23:32:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/21 "2022-04-17T01:06:25Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > My recollection was that it was around the same retail tier as a KMart. We had some other similar chains (Ames was one, can’t remember the others) Bradlees, Caldor, Zayre? ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/22 "2022-04-17T13:46:23Z")
Gold Circle, Hills? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/23 "2022-04-17T13:58:12Z")
In Maryland? ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/24 "2022-04-17T14:03:20Z")
Not sure if they were in MD, but they were in SW PA, not far from western Maryland ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/25 "2022-04-17T14:36:31Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > . We had some other similar chains (Ames was one, can’t remember the others) that may have been regional and/or a much smaller footprint than KMart but they were retail chains. > with discount store chains such as [Kmart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kmart_(United_States)), [Ames](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_(store)), [Two Guys](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guys), [Gibson’s Discount Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson%27s_Discount_Center), [E. J. Korvette](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Korvette), [Mammoth Mart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth_Mart), [Fisher’s Big Wheel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher%27s_Big_Wheel), [Zayre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayre), [Bradlees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradlees), [Caldor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldor), [Jamesway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamesway), [Howard Brothers Discount Stores](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Brothers_Discount_Stores), [Kuhn’s-Big K](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuhn%27s-Big_K) (sold to [Walmart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walmart) in 1981), [TG&Y](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TG%26Y)[_[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)_ ] and [Woolco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolco) (closed in 1983, part sold to Wal-Mart) among others.[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discount_stores#cite_note-Walmart_Acquires_Woolco-6) > > > [Walmart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walmart), [Kmart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kmart_(United_States)), and [Target](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Corporation) all opened their first locations in 1962. Kmart was a venture of [S. S. Kresge Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._S._Kresge_Company) that was a major operator of [dime stores](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_stores). Other retail companies branched out into the discount store business around that time as adjuncts to their older store concepts. As examples, [Woolworth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._W._Woolworth_Company) opened a [Woolco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolco) chain (also in 1962); [Montgomery Ward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Ward) opened [Jefferson Ward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Ward); Chicago-based [Jewel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewel_(supermarket)) launched [Turn Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_Style); and Central Indiana-based [L. S. Ayres](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._S._Ayres) created [Ayr-Way](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayr-Way). [J. C. Penney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Penney) opened discount stores called Treasure Island or [The Treasury](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treasury_(store)), Sheboygan, Wisconsin based [H. C. Prange Co.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._C._Prange_Co.) opened a chain of discount stores called [Prange Way](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prange_Way), and Atlanta-based [Rich’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich%27s_(department_store)) owned discount stores called [Richway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richway). > **[Discount store](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discount_stores)** > > A discount store or discounter offers a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient distribution to keep down costs. > Discount stores in the United States may be classified into different types: > Discount superstores such as Walmart or Target sell general merchandise in a big-box store; many have a full grocery selection and are thus hypermarkets, though that term i... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/26 "2022-04-17T14:59:17Z")
In my old home state of Wisconsin, in addition to Prange Way, there was Shopko, based in Green Bay, which was an independent discount chain – it was maybe a small step above Kmart, but not much. Shopko also bought another regional chain, Pamida, at some point. They operated in most of the Midwest and Northwest at various points, but went into bankruptcy in 2019, and closed all of their stores (though they continue operating optical centers under the Shopko name). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739/27 "2022-04-18T02:53:51Z")
Shopko tried to expand ca. 2000, but they bit off way more than they could chew, and I think this contributed to their recent demise. Very few of those newer stores stayed open longer than a few months. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-remaining-kmarts-stay-in-business/962739.md?page=1)