Kmart of the first Kmart, some poorly performing S.S. Kresge stores were converted to a new "Jupiter Discount Stores" brand, which was conceived as a bare-bones, deep discount outfit. During the 1970s, Kmart put a number of competing retailers out of business. Kresge, Jupiter and Kmart stores mainly competed with other store chains like Zayre, Ames, Bradlees, Caldor, Hills, and those that were operated by MMG-McCrory Stores (McCrory, McLellan, H.L. Green, J.J. Newberry, S.H. Kress, TG&Y, Silver's and eventually G.C. Murphy Co.). In 1977, S.S. Kresge Company changed its name to K Mart Corporation. In 1980, Vice Chairman Bernard M. Fauber
Howard Brothers Discount Stores Howard Brothers Discount Stores Howard Brothers Discount Stores (informally known as Howard Brothers and Howard's) was a chain of discount stores in the Southeastern United States. The chain was founded in 1959 by Alton Hardy Howard and W. L. "Jack" Howard, a five-term mayor of Monroe, Louisiana. The Howards were an early franchisee of Gibson's Discount Center, but they later pulled out of the franchise agreement and opened stores under their own name. In 1969, the company became a publicly traded company. In 1978, the then 78-store chain was purchased by Gamble-Skogmo, which later merged with Wickes Companies. It had