MIAMI — Tucked in the corner of the Kendale Lakes Shopping Plaza, there’s a small, two-room storefront, roughly the size of a neighborhood CVS. A yellow poster hangs off the side reading “We’re open, come on in!” Another above the front entrance announces “Home appliance sale!”
Inside the last Kmart store in Florida and one of only two left in the country, it’s quiet. Really quiet.
Eighties pop music plays over the speakers, occasionally interrupted by a COVID-19 era announcement asking customers to wear masks and maintain distance in order to keep their community healthy. Red and yellow “Sale” tags dot the store, advertising 25%, 30%, even 50% off items.
There’s a stand-up display poster board tucked into a corner separating the two rooms that seems a relic from another era. The script on the sign should prove immediately familiar to viewers of the old Johnny Carson late night talk show. The late-night talk show host often used the phrase in his comedic segments: “Attention Kmart Shoppers — Blue Light Specials.”
We didn’t see any flashing blue lights on a recent afternoon visit to Miami’s last Kmart, but there were plenty of the yellow “Up to 30% Off Selected Items” signs poking out of the shelves. In the larger stores that once dotted South Florida, rotating blue lights were moved from department to department to signal the sale of the moment.
In this smaller last survivor, the merchandise seems almost randomly collected, ketchup bottles next to a wall of flip-flops, near a collection of children’s toys. Several major appliances, like washing machines and refrigerators, are for sale not far from the front entrance. Many of them are inside tall boxes next to signs to lure customers through 30% discounts — not unlike what you may see in the sole Sears still standing on the Miami-Coral Gables border 14 miles to the north.
“Must Haves. Wish Fors. Friendly Faces. Get it all!” a red sign display tower beckons near the large appliances.
Some of the shelves, especially toward the back of the store, are barren, or close to it, with single items placed on them with no replacements at their backs. If someone beats you to the lone jar of Planters peanuts that sat forlorn next to a few Splenda and Donut Shop Blend Keurig coffee cartons and a rack of plastic bowls in the household supplies section the other day, well, you’re out of luck.
You’re in luck if you need to wash your hair, though. The shampoos and conditioners aisle was fully stocked on a recent afternoon.
This is what’s left of the last Kmart in all of Florida, one of only two remaining stores in the continental U.S. — the other is in Long Island, New York. Most of this Kendall area store isn’t even a Kmart anymore.
Last year, Kmart leased out the majority of its space in Kendale Lakes to At Home, a home-goods store. Most of the cavernous building is now occupied by home decor, furniture, and holiday decorations beneath the At Home branding.
After decades of business, only a small corner for Kmart is left for what was once one of the largest retail chains in the nation.
How long has Kmart been around?
Kmart can trace its beginnings all the way back to 1899, according to a corporate history section on its parent company’s website. Sebastian Spering Kresge founded his first store in Detroit, rapidly expanding over the next decade under the name the S.S. Kresge Company.
It wasn’t until 1962 that the company opened its first Kmart in Michigan. By the early 1990s, Kmart had over 2,000 stores and 350,000 employees across the country, according to Fortune.
What did you buy at Kmart?
In the 1970s, “Attention Kmart Shoppers” caught a lot of eyes and ears, and not just the trailblazing late night TV comedian that you watched in your bedroom on a 12-inch black-and-white RCA or Zenith TV that you may have purchased at a neighborhood Kmart.
Retail historian and Baltimore-based author Michael Lisicky wrote about the chain’s history and told USA Today in February, “Kmart was part of America. Everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not. They had everything. You had toys. You had sporting goods. You had candy. You had stationery. It was something for everybody.”
Lisicky likened a Kmart to more than a pit stop for a View Master reel, 12-inch vinyl record album or 45-rpm single, T shirts or grocery items. There was a layaway department where customers could purchase big ticket items by placing a down payment and paying off in installments.
“It was almost as much of a social visit as it was a shopping visit,” Lisicky said.
Kmarts even had luncheon counters inside. They weren’t gourmet but they were perfect for a quick chat over a sandwich and cup of Sanka coffee. Old-timers might remember the hot specials or the plastic-wrapped submarine sandwiches.
One of the most popular Kmart locations sprawled just off Biscayne Boulevard between North Miami and Miami Shores. The parking lot was packed on the weekends with families and their weekly shopping lists. When the store moved out several years ago, several big-box stores, including Burlington, took its place. Another popular location at Oakwood Plaza in Hollywood recently closed.
“We have two Kmarts In the Virgin Islands,” Maria Laurent said. “One in ST. CROIX USVI and the other one in St. Thomas USVI.”
By ADLAI COLEMAN and HOWARD COHEN/Miami Herald