Kmart Corporation. Sears Holdings, the parent company of Kmart, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 15, 2018. S. S. Kresge, the founder of the company that would become Kmart, met variety-store pioneer Frank Winfield Woolworth while working as a traveling salesman and selling to all 19 of Woolworth's stores at the time. In 1897 Kresge invested $6,700 saved from his job into a five-and-dime store in Memphis, Tennessee. He jointly owned the first store with his former tinware customer, John McCrory. Kresge and McCrory added a second store in downtown Detroit the following year. These were the first S.S. Kresge stores.
Discount store Discount store A discount store or discount shop is a retail shop which sells products at prices that are lower than the typical market price. A "full-line discount store/shop" or "mass merchandiser", such as Aldi or Lidl, may offer a wide assortment of goods with a focus on price rather than service, display or wide choice within lines. Meanwhile, a "speciality", "single line" or "category killer" discount store/shop, such as Toys "R" Us or Staples, may specialise in specific merchandise lines, relying on bulk purchase and efficient distribution to keep down costs. Discount stores/shops are not variety stores, which sell