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118-777: Physical stores: US Virgin Islands , Guam , Miami area Kmart ( / ˈ k eɪ m ɑːr t / KAY -mart ), formerly legally registered as Kmart Corporation , now operated by Transformco , is a department store chain, and a current online retailer in the United States and its territories and operates five remaining Kmart big-box department stores — three in the US Virgin Islands and one each in Kendale Lakes , Florida (Miami postal address);and Tamuning , Guam . Before 2018 Kmart owned and operated

236-652: A referendum on the sale held in Denmark in December 1916 in which voters approved the decision to sell. The deal was finalized on January 17, 1917, when the United States and Denmark exchanged their respective treaty ratifications. The United States took possession of the islands on March 31, 1917, and the territory was renamed the Virgin Islands of the United States . Every year, Transfer Day

354-540: A territory of the United States . The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles . The islands have a tropical climate . The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Saint Croix , Saint John , and Saint Thomas and 50 other surrounding minor islands and cays . The total land area of the territory

472-423: A $ 185 million reserve against its Ames preferred stock and contingent lease liabilities on former Zayre stores as a result of Ames' announcement of continued poor performance. That same month, Ames filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code . By 1990, all Zayre stores had been closed or converted into Ames stores, and what had once been America's fifth largest discount retailer

590-428: A Kmart. The 4,000 sq ft (370 m) store-within-a-store opened inside the former garden department of a Birmingham, Alabama, Kmart. It was two-thirds the size of the appliance department in most Sears stores, but larger than the 2,500 sq ft (230 m) appliance department in remodeled Kmart stores. In October 2009, it was reported that Kmart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia failed to come to

708-481: A careful period of initial growth through the end of the 1950s, Zayre began to expand rapidly. Only six Zayre stores operated in 1959, approximately the same time that Zayre's volume reached that of the Bell Shops/Nugent stores. By 1962, there were 27 Zayre stores open, with ten to twenty new ones added annually for many years afterward. That same year, Zayre Corp. became a public company and began trading on

826-499: A chain so quickly that within four years, it attracted the attention of the much larger Zayre Corp. In 1969, Zayre Corp. bought the Hit or Miss chain and began its exploration of the off-price fashion market. Zayre's timing could not have been better. During the recession of the 1970s, Hit or Miss's results climbed so rapidly that Zayre Corp. considered expanding its off-price upscale apparel merchandising. Zayre Corp. first attempted to buy

944-582: A company spokesman who has often spoken on behalf of Kmart, said, "Store closures are part of a series of actions we're taking to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model." On October 10, 2014, Kmart was a victim of a data breach concerning customers' credit and debit card information. On October 19, Kmart stated, "Based on the forensic investigation to date, no personal information, no debit card PIN numbers, no email addresses and no social security numbers were obtained by those criminally responsible. There

1062-548: A dozen of the ringleaders shot themselves before the French forces could capture them. It is estimated that by 1775, slaves outnumbered the Danish settlers by a ratio of 8:1. After another slave rebellion occurred on St. Croix, slavery was abolished by Governor Peter von Scholten on July 3, 1848, now celebrated as Emancipation Day . Over the following years, strict labor laws were implemented several times, leading to

1180-489: A few months of negotiations, a selling price of $ 25 million in United States gold coin was agreed, equivalent to $ 700 million in 2023 dollars. At the same time, the economics of continued possession weighed heavily on the minds of Danish decision makers, and a consensus in favor of selling emerged in the Danish parliament. The Treaty of the Danish West Indies was signed on August 4, 1916, with

1298-405: A high dividend, which reduced the amount of money that was available for improving its stores. Many business analysts also faulted the company for failing to create a coherent brand image. In September 1995, Kmart sold its money-losing in-store auto repair centers to Penske Corporation for $ 112 million to operate them as Penske Auto Centers . Penske later closed the auto repair centers in 2002 as

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1416-436: A loan of $ 5 million (equivalent to $ 8.47 million in 2024). In a scandal similar to that involving Enron , Conaway and Schwartz were accused of misleading shareholders and other company officials about the company's financial crisis while making millions and allegedly spending the company's money on airplanes, houses, boats and other luxuries. At a conference for Kmart employees on January 22, Conaway accepted "full blame" for

1534-599: A much larger chain of Kmart stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois , United States. The company was incorporated in 1899 as S. S. Kresge Corporation and renamed Kmart Corporation in 1977. The first store with the Kmart name opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan . At its peak in 1994, Kmart operated 2,486 stores globally, including 2,323 discount stores and Super Kmart Center locations in

1652-478: A new agreement. This came after Stewart made remarks on CNBC that her line at Kmart had deteriorated, particularly after the Sears merger. In November 2009, Kmart reported its first year-over-year sales increase of 0.5% since 2005, and only the second such increase since 2001. On December 27, 2011, Sears Holdings announced that 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores would close. In 2014, news reports indicated that Kmart

1770-482: A new warehouse retail concept to the Northeast called BJ's Wholesale Club . The self-service, cash-and-carry, membership warehouse sells general merchandise and food at wholesale prices. The following year, the company acquired Home Club, Inc. , a chain of home improvement stores. While neither of these ventures was immediately profitable, Hit or Miss and T.J. Maxx continued to thrive. In 1985, Zayre Corp. purchased

1888-537: A new, exclusive, cross-promotional clothing brand called Attention. Attention was launched as a new clothing brand that would be sold only at Kmart stores and would be used to promote E! News Live . Kmart had previously signed a similar deal with the WB Network to have the cast of five WB shows wear Kmart branded clothing during shows. On November 8, 2004, Kmart launched the Kmart Rewards credit card that

2006-417: A now-defunct chain of Kmart supermarkets , opened in that decade. Though the store chain continued to open Kmart branded stores, the store chain was still officially known as S.S. Kresge Company. Company founder Kresge died on October 18, 1966, at age 99. Around the time of the opening of the first Kmart, some poorly performing S.S. Kresge stores were converted to a new "Jupiter Discount Stores" brand, which

2124-617: A part of the U.S. Virgin Islands territory until 1996, when 50 acres (20 ha) of land was transferred to the territorial government. The remaining 200 acres (81 ha) of the island was purchased from the United States Department of the Interior in May ;2005 for $ 10, a transaction that marked the official change in jurisdiction. In 1966, Hess Oil began construction on an oil refinery. Until February 2012,

2242-518: A phrase which became a pop culture reference. The original concept for the Blue Light Special was a limited-time offer to sell slower-moving merchandise. The sale was first introduced in 1965 and was retired in 1991. Starting in the 2000s, Kmart would repeatedly bring back the Blue Light Special. This was done first in 2001, but was discontinued again in 2002. The sale was briefly revived in 2005, though Kmart at that time had no plans to use

2360-519: A planned major restructuring, in which Kmart would invest in new customer check-out and new inventory management technology and other related systems. In 2001, Kmart opened several new Super Kmart stores as part of Kmart's plan to expand their Super Kmart Center store portfolio and make groceries available at stores. However, Kmart having filed for bankruptcy in January 2002, the company was unable to open any new Super Kmart Center stores, and construction

2478-551: A public awareness campaign aimed at assisting the people of the United States Virgin Islands with their inalienable right to self-determination and in gaining a better understanding of the options for self-determination". In March 2023, a poll conducted by Suffolk University among USVI residents revealed 63% supported the territory becoming a U.S. state while 23% opposed. Respondents were also asked about becoming an independent country, which 58% rejected

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2596-468: A result of a payment dispute with Kmart. In 1997, Kmart launched the Kmart Cash Card as a replacement for the paper gift certificates and to facilitate the return process. In July 1999, Kmart hired SuperValu and Fleming to distribute $ 3.9 billion worth of food and other related products to all Kmart stores. From 1999 to 2000 Kmart converted 150 regular Kmart stores into Big Kmart stores during

2714-430: A significant amount of Kmart's outstanding debt was purchased by ESL Investments , a hedge fund controlled by Edward Lampert . Lampert worked to accelerate the bankruptcy process. On January 13, 2003, Kmart closed 326 stores due to a lack of profitability and poor sales. On May 6, 2003, Kmart emerged from bankruptcy protection as a subsidiary of the new Kmart Holding Corporation. On June 10, 2003, Kmart began trading on

2832-452: A third of Zayre's store revenues. In the mid-1960s, Zayre bought out many of these firms, leaving only a handful of departments as leased operations. Zayre stores featured frequent flashing light 15-minute specials with live/recorded public address announcements meant to build excitement and drive traffic to specific departments, similar to Kmart ’s Blue Light Specials. Zayre's slogan in the 1960s was, "Fabulous Department Stores", followed in

2950-503: 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. After two years of partnership , he traded McCrory his share in

3068-417: Is Stacey Plaskett , a Democrat. Like other territories, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not have U.S. senators . At the territorial level, fifteen senators —seven from the district of St. Croix, seven from the district of St. Thomas and St. John, and one senator at large who must be a resident of St. John—are elected for two-year terms to the unicameral Virgin Islands legislature . There

3186-662: Is 133.73 square miles (346.36 km ). The territory's capital is Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas. Previously known as the Danish West Indies of the Kingdom of Denmark–Norway (from 1754 to 1814) and the independent Kingdom of Denmark (from 1814 to 1917), they were sold to the United States by Denmark for $ 25,000,000 in the 1917 Treaty of the Danish West Indies ($ 595 million in 2023) and have since been an organized, unincorporated United States territory . The U.S. Virgin Islands are organized under

3304-611: Is also no evidence that kmart.com customers were impacted. This data breach has been contained and the malware has been removed. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our members and customers." In April 2016, Kmart announced that it was liquidating 68 stores. The chain announced in September 2016 that 64 more stores in 28 states would close by mid-December 2016. Sears Holdings CEO Eddie Lampert stated in October 2016 that there were not and never had been plans to close

3422-501: Is managed by HSBC Bank . On November 17, 2004, Kmart's management announced its intention to purchase Sears for $ 11 billion. As part of the merger, the Kmart Holding Corporation (the company that owns Kmart) would be transferred to the new Sears Holdings Corporation and Sears would be purchased by the new Sears Holdings Corporation. The new corporation announced that it would continue to operate stores under both

3540-483: Is no limit as to the number of terms they can serve. The U.S. Virgin Islands have elected a territorial governor every four years since 1970. Previous governors were appointed by the president of the United States . The U.S. Virgin Islands have a Superior Court and Supreme Court . The District Court of the Virgin Islands is responsible for cases brought under federal law , and the U.S. attorney for

3658-475: Is recognized as a holiday, to commemorate the acquisition of the islands by the United States. Rear Admiral James H. Oliver was the first American governor of the islands. Paul Martin Pearson , the first civilian governor, was appointed by Herbert Hoover and was inaugurated March 18, 1931. U.S. citizenship was granted to many inhabitants of the islands in 1927 and 1932. The Danish West Indian daler

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3776-723: Is thought to have been the first European to see the islands, giving them their current name. The Spanish later settled in 1555, with English and French settlers arriving on St. Croix from 1625. There followed a complex period in which the islands were disputed among Spain, France, Britain and the Netherlands. Denmark–Norway also took an interest in the islands, and the Danish West India Company settled on St. Thomas in 1672 and St. John in 1694, later purchasing St. Croix from France in 1733. The islands became royal Danish colonies in 1754, named

3894-431: The 1878 St. Croix labor riot . With the plantations no longer as profitable, Danish settlers began to abandon their estates, causing a significant drop in population and the overall economy. Additionally, the 1867 hurricane and earthquake and tsunami further impacted the economy. For the remainder of the period of Danish rule, the islands were not economically viable and significant transfers had to be made from

4012-538: The Anegada Passage , including Charlotte Amalie (the capital) and Christiansted . Like most Caribbean islands, most of the islands of the Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas and St. John, are volcanic in origin and hilly. The highest point is Crown Mountain on St. Thomas at 1,555 feet (474 m). The easternmost point of the United States is Point Udall (U.S. Virgin Islands) on St. Croix. St. Croix,

4130-882: The Chicago metropolitan area , Miami , and its home turf of Boston. Medium-sized Zayre markets at the time included Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh , Atlanta , Cleveland , Columbus, Ohio , Jacksonville , Tampa , and the Providence -area suburb of Warwick. Some of this growth came through acquisition. Several locations in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Florida were acquired through the bankruptcies of discount chains Towers Marts in 1963 and Consumers Mart of America in 1965. In December 1966, Zayre bought out Northern Enterprises, Inc., owner of four Shopper's City stores in Duluth , Minneapolis , and St. Paul , Minnesota , rebranding

4248-508: The Hovensa plant , located on St. Croix, was one of the world's largest petroleum refineries, refining 494,000 bbl/d (78,500 m /d), and contributed about 20% of the territory's GDP. The refinery ceased operation in 2012, and the facility stopped exporting petroleum products in 2014. In the final year of full refinery operations, the value of exported petroleum products was $ 12.7 billion (2011 fiscal year). Since refining ended,

4366-612: The Marshalls chain, already established as a retailer of off-price apparel for the whole family. When that effort failed, the company hired Bernard 'Ben' Cammarata, previously General Merchandise Manager of Marshalls, to essentially create a Marshalls clone. In March 1977, he opened the first T.J. Maxx in Auburn , Massachusetts, quickly followed by a second store in nearby Worcester . The stores were an instant hit with customers, including middle- to upper-middle-income shoppers, providing

4484-479: The NASDAQ stock market with the ticker symbol of KMRT with Lampert serving as the chairman and with ESL Investments controlling 53% of the new company for an investment of less than $ 1 billion. Lampert dismissed his concerns that the smaller company would be at a disadvantage, stating "The focus that a lot of people have in retail revolves around sales, but sales without profit do not allow a business to be successful in

4602-566: The New York Stock Exchange . Beginning in 1960, Zayre embarked on a program to open stores in major markets all across the eastern half of the U.S., with a presence in nearly every state east of the Mississippi River by the middle of the decade. The company opened new stores in clusters, so as to maximize brand presence and advertising efficiency. By the end of 1966, Zayre had 92 stores with major concentrations in

4720-478: The president of the United States . People born in the U.S. Virgin Islands derive their U.S. citizenship from congressional statute. The U.S. Democratic and Republican parties allow U.S. Virgin Islands citizens to vote in their presidential primary elections for delegates to the respective national conventions. The main political parties in the U.S. Virgin Islands themselves are the Democratic Party of

4838-653: The "Orange" prototype in 2005. In 2006, the typical white and blue interior of the stores was changed to orange and brown, and shelf heights were lowered to create better sightlines. The remodeled stores contain an appliance department with Kenmore Appliances and most have hardware departments that sell Craftsman tools, which prior to the merger had been exclusive to Sears stores. Some auto centers left vacant by Penske after Kmart filed for bankruptcy had been converted to Sears Auto Centers. As of 2009, 280 stores had been remodeled to this new prototype. In July 2009, Sears Holdings opened its first Sears-branded appliance store inside

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4956-633: The 17th and 18th centuries, a sizable Jewish community also began to settle on the islands. In 1733, St. John was the site of one of the first significant slave rebellions in the New World when Akan – Akwamu slaves from the Gold Coast (modern Ghana ) took over the island for six months. The Danish were able to defeat the enslaved Africans with help from the French in Martinique . Instead of allowing themselves to be recaptured, more than

5074-500: The 1954 Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands and have since held five constitutional conventions. As with other territories in the United States, the Virgin Islands elects a delegate who can participate in debates in the House of Representatives but cannot vote. Tourism and related categories are the primary economic activities. The islands were named Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes by Christopher Columbus in 1493 after

5192-497: The 34-million-barrel tank farm has operated as a crude oil and petrochemical storage facility for third-party customers. The refinery's closure provoked a local economic crisis. Following the acquisition of the 1,500-acre complex by ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC, in 2016, Limetree Bay Ventures, LLC, was formed, and is currently executing a project to refurbish and restart the refinery, with a processing capability of up to 200,000 bbl/d (32,000 m /d). Hurricane Hugo struck

5310-641: The Big Kmart stores were successful, and by the end of 1997, Kmart sales numbers had grown by 10% thanks to their Big Kmart stores. In 1998, Kmart acquired 45 former Venture stores and converted them into Big Kmart stores. By the end of 1998, 62% of Kmart's stores were Big Kmart stores. Kmart converted nearly 1,900 of their regular Kmart stores into Big Kmart stores in 1999, resulting in further improvements in sales figures. The last Big Kmart in Marshall, Michigan , closed on November 22, 2021. The Sports Authority

5428-647: The British Virgin Islands. The territory consists of three main islands: St. Thomas , St. John , and St. Croix , as well as several dozen smaller islands . The main islands have nicknames often used by locals: "Twin City" (St. Croix), "Rock City" (St. Thomas), and "Love City" (St. John). The combined land area of the islands is roughly twice the size of Washington, D.C. . The U.S. Virgin Islands are known for their white sand beaches , including Magens Bay and Trunk Bay , and deepwater harbors along

5546-575: The Czar's army, settling in Chelsea, Massachusetts . An underwear and hosiery wholesaler , the company began as a supplier to full-line department stores and specialty shops. Ten years later, the brothers launched their first retail operation, Bell Hosiery Shops (later shortened to "Bell Shops"). Within a few years, Bell Shops expanded beyond underwear and hosiery into women's specialty stores, competing with such chains as Lerner Shops and Three Sisters. By

5664-548: The Danish West Indian Islands ( Danish : De dansk-vestindiske øer ). Initially the currency was the Danish West Indian rigsdaler , replaced by the daler in 1849. The islands proved ideal for sugar plantations: sugarcane , produced by enslaved Africans, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Other plantation crops included cotton and indigo dye . During

5782-420: The Danish state budget to the authorities in the islands. The United States began to take an interest in the islands, and in 1867 a treaty to sell St. Thomas and St. John to the U.S. was agreed but never effected. A number of reforms aimed at reviving the islands' economy were attempted, but none had great success. A second draft treaty to sell the islands to the United States was negotiated in 1902 but

5900-732: The District of the Virgin Islands can bring federal criminal cases there. The Superior Court is responsible for hearing cases under U.S. Virgin Islands law at the trial level, and the Supreme Court is responsible for appeals from the Superior Court for all appeals filed on or after January 29, 2007. (Appeals filed prior to that date were heard by the Appellate Division of the District Court.) Appeals from

6018-596: The Hyannis Zayre opened with 5,000 sq ft of retail space. The store was soon expanded to 7,500 and then 10,000 square feet, and was replaced in 1962 with a 45,000 square foot unit directly behind it. A second Zayre store opened in September 1956 in the Roslindale section of Boston , a much larger 39,000 square feet. Within a few years, Zayre stores would average 70,000 to 90,000 square feet. Longtime New York Times retail writer Isadore Barmash explained

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6136-506: The Kmart format and that they are working hard to make it a "more fun, engaging place to shop, powered by our integrated retail innovations and Shop Your Way". In December 2016, at least 25 Kmart locations were targeted for closure in early 2017. US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands , officially the Virgin Islands of the United States , are a group of Caribbean islands and

6254-419: The Kmart stores to other companies it had acquired or created, such as Sports Authority , Builders Square , and Waldenbooks . The Blue Light Special was a sale promotion within the store for a short period within store hours only. It was advertised using a rotating blue light, in the same style a police car used, and was announced over the store public address system with the phrase "attention Kmart shoppers",

6372-668: The Medina and Copley stores opened, many more Super Kmarts opened nationwide. The largest super Kmart store was in Euclid, Ohio, as it was a former Hypermart. Big Kmart opened in Chicago, Illinois, on April 23, 1997. The format focuses on home fashions, children's apparel, and consumables (The Pantry). Most Kmart stores were remodeled to this format during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. During 1997 and 1998, Kmart converted 1,245 of their regular Kmart stores into Big Kmart stores. Initially,

6490-711: The Memphis store, plus $ 3,000, for full ownership of the Detroit store, and formed the Kresge & Wilson Company with his brother-in-law, Charles J. Wilson. In 1912, Kresge incorporated the S.S. Kresge Company in Delaware with 85 stores. In 1916, Kresge incorporated a new S.S. Kresge Company in Michigan and took over the operations of the original company; the new company in Michigan is the modern day Kmart company. The company

6608-560: The Sears and Kmart brands. Around this time, Kmart changed its logo from a red K with the script "mart" inside, to the same K with the chain's name in lowercase letters below it. Kmart's headquarters were relocated to Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and in 2012 the sprawling headquarters complex in Troy, Michigan, was acquired by the Forbes Company, which owns the nearby upscale mall, Somerset Collection . No concrete plans for redevelopment of

6726-403: The U.S. Virgin Islands in 1989, causing catastrophic physical and economic damage, particularly on the island of St. Croix. The territory was again struck by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995, killing eight people and causing more than $ 2 billion in damage. The islands were again struck by hurricanes Bertha , Georges , Lenny , and Omar in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2008, respectively, but damage

6844-614: The U.S. Virgin Islands must be admitted to the Virgin Islands Bar through either a bar exam or meeting certain requirements for admission on the basis of experience in another reciprocal jurisdiction. The bar exam consists of a standard American Bar Association multistate exam and a local law essay exam. As in the mainland United States, attorneys practice in a variety of settings including private law firms, government, or corporate offices. On October 21, 1976, President Gerald Ford signed Pub. L.   94–584 authorizing

6962-470: The USVI is not a state and Congress has not determined otherwise, the federal district court is an Article IV tribunal , subject to the authority of the United States secretary of the interior and without lifetime appointment for judges. Elements of Danish law have all been repealed, except for two 1914 laws having to do with customs and ship duties for St. Thomas and St. John. Attorneys who practice law in

7080-434: The United States had reached 420, and sales had climbed to $ 300 million (~$ 707 million in 2023). Some 70 percent of its inventory was made up of nationally known brands. The remaining 30 percent consisted of standard apparel, produced by Hit or Miss under its own private label. With such a merchandise mix, Hit or Miss was able to sell current fashions at 20 to 50 percent less than most specialty stores. In 1986, profits of

7198-417: The United States. From 2005 through 2019, Kmart was a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation , which owns Sears . Since 2019, Kmart has been a subsidiary of Transform SR Brands LLC , a privately held company that was formed in 2019 to acquire assets from Sears Holdings. S. S. Kresge , the founder of the company that would become Kmart, met variety-store pioneer Frank Winfield Woolworth while working as

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7316-566: The Virgin Islands , the Independent Citizens Movement , and the Republican Party of the Virgin Islands . Additional candidates run as independents. At the national level, the U.S. Virgin Islands elect a delegate to Congress from their at-large congressional district . The elected delegate, while able to vote in committee, cannot participate in floor votes. The current House of Representatives delegate

7434-698: The Virgin Islands were damaged or destroyed and 13,000 of those buildings had lost their roofs. The Luis Hospital suffered roof damage and flooding, but remained operational. The U.S. Virgin Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean , about 40 miles (64 km) east of Puerto Rico and immediately west of the British Virgin Islands . They share the Virgin Islands archipelago with the Puerto Rican Virgin Islands of Vieques and Culebra (administered by Puerto Rico), and

7552-478: The Virgin Islands. However, in June 2009, Governor John de Jongh Jr. rejected the resulting constitutional draft, saying the terms of the document would "violate federal law, fail to defer to federal sovereignty and disregard basic civil rights". A lawsuit filed by members of the convention to force Governor de Jongh to forward the document to President Barack Obama was ultimately successful. President Obama forwarded

7670-498: The Zayre chain, targeting low- to middle-income customers, dropped, although T.J. Maxx, Hit or Miss, and Chadwick's of Boston, targeting mid- to higher-income customers, continued to grow. That year alone, Zayre Corp. opened 35 more T.J. Maxx stores and 31 new Hit or Miss stores. Zayre Corp.'s off-price retailing chains had become so successful that by 1987 Zayre thought it prudent to organize them under one name and grant them autonomy from

7788-409: The Zayre transaction was a problem. While the stock was entitled to annual dividends, Ames had the option of paying the first four semiannual dividends with more Ames preferred stock rather than cash, an option that Ames exercised for each of the payments it had met. The value of Ames preferred stock was dubious, however, as Ames was closing stores and experiencing losses. In April 1990, TJX established

7906-609: The benefits of custom-built facilities. Having settled on discounting as the logical direction in which to take their company, the Feldbergs decided to forego the mill building route and launch with a newly constructed store when the opportunity presented itself. That opportunity came in late 1955 when Stop & Shop, Inc. approached them with an offer to build them a store alongside a new Stop & Shop supermarket to be constructed in Hyannis , Massachusetts. On September 20, 1956,

8024-546: The boundary of the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate . Natural hazards include earthquakes , hurricanes and tsunamis. The U.S. Virgin Islands contain the Leeward Islands moist forests and Leeward Islands xeric scrub terrestrial ecoregions. The United States Virgin Islands experience a tropical climate , with little seasonal change throughout the year. Rainfall is concentrated in

8142-426: The company began to explore options, putting considerable effort into studying the hugely successful mill stores. Mill stores began operation in closed, empty textile mills available at dirt-cheap rents selling mainly clothing, linens, and other softlines. As these companies became more successful, they began to build their own new stores, either free-standing or in shopping centers, allowing greater visibility along with

8260-422: The company's "Dare to Compare" advertising campaign inaccurately compared its own prices with those of Target a majority of the time on in-store signs. On January 22, 2002, Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under the leadership of its then-chairman Charles Conaway and president Mark Schwartz. Conaway, who successfully expanded CVS Corporation , accepted an offer to take the helm at Kmart along with

8378-399: The company's chairman. The Great Depression reduced profitability and resulted in store closings, but the number rose to 682 in 1940. After the war, shopping patterns changed and many customers moved out of the cities into the suburbs. Under the leadership of executive Harry Cunningham , S.S. Kresge Company opened the first Kmart-named store, at 27,000 square feet (2,500 square meters), which

8496-911: The company's most recognized spokespersons. Super Kmart Center (Super Kmart) opened an all-new location on July 25, 1991, in Medina Township, Ohio , featuring a full-service grocery with a full-service deli, seafood counter and bakery. It also had general merchandise like many Kmarts had. However, this location was downsized in 2011 and was one of a number of Kmarts closed in early 2012 following poor Christmas 2011 sales. The second ground-up Super Kmart Center opened in Copley Township, Ohio , featuring an in-store video rental center, and an in-store carryout Chinese restaurant. This location has also shut down. The last Super Kmart Center in Howland Township, Ohio , closed on April 8, 2018. After

8614-466: The concept long-term. Blue Light Specials were revived again in 2009 on Saturdays, offering surprise hour-long sales on selected merchandise, but they were again discontinued. Blue Light Specials were revived once again in November 2015. In 1990, in an effort to update its image, Kmart introduced a new logo. It dropped the old-style italic "K" with a turquoise "mart" in favor of a red block letter K with

8732-455: The convenience of home shopping. By the mid-1980s, off-price specialty retailing had become important to Zayre Corp. Hit or Miss and T.J. Maxx had brought in just 14 percent of the company's operating income in 1980; by the first half of 1983 these operations were producing nearly 45 percent of its income. At the same time, however, Zayre was renovating its discount department stores and expanding its product mix. In 1984, Zayre Corp. introduced

8850-415: The decreasingly prosperous parent company. In June 1987, just ten years after T.J. Maxx opened its first store, The TJX Companies, Inc. was established as a subsidiary of Zayre Corp., with Cammarata serving as president and CEO. It sold 9.35 million shares of common stock in its initial public offering; Zayre Corp. owned 83 percent of the subsidiary. During this time, Zayre faced several challenges. In

8968-444: The early 1950s, company sales leveled off, and it became clear to the Feldbergs that drastic changes were needed for their business to remain viable. The Bell Shops/Nugent stores were suffering due to the decline of downtown business districts and to the rise of "mill" discount store operations. With the family's second generation, Stanley H. Feldberg (son of Max) and Sumner A. Feldberg (son of Morris) now in positions of responsibility,

9086-523: The early 1970s with, "Compare... you can't do better than Zayre." Zayre was one of only a few stores to remain open 24 hours a day during the weeks preceding Christmas each year. By the end of the 1960s, Zayre Corp. diversified into specialty retailing. Among Zayre's early acquisitions was the Hit or Miss chain, an off-price chain specializing in upscale women's clothing. The first store, which opened in Natick , Massachusetts, in 1965, flourished and grew into

9204-456: The embargo of Americans on travel to Cuba , the U.S. Virgin Islands became a popular tourist destination. In 1970, Virgin Islanders elected their first governor, Melvin H. Evans , and from 1976 the islands began work on creating their own constitution. Water Island , a small island to the south of St. Thomas, was initially administered by the U.S. federal government and did not become

9322-542: The end of World War II , there were nearly 30 Bell Shops in the New England area. In 1946, the company doubled its number of stores with its buyout of New York City -based Nugents, another women's specialty store chain. With its store base in New York , Pennsylvania , Maryland, Delaware , New Jersey , and Washington, D.C. , Nugents was a natural extension of the company's market area with almost no overlap. By

9440-507: The entire chain of nearly 400 Zayre stores to Ames Department Stores, Inc. In exchange, the company received $ 431.4 million in cash, a receivable note, and what was then valued at $ 140 million of Ames cumulative senior convertible preferred stock. The company continued to home in on its profitable new core business, selling unrelated operations. In June 1989, it spun off its warehouse club division, Waban, Inc., which owned B.J.'s Wholesale Club and Home Club. The same month, Zayre Corp. acquired

9558-685: The federal District Court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit , located in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . District Court judges are appointed by the U.S. president, while Superior Court and Supreme Court judges are appointed by the governor. As of 2019, the USVI courts apply both American common law and the 2019 US Virgin Islands Code as passed by the territorial legislature . Because

9676-684: The financial disaster. As Kmart emerged from bankruptcy, Conaway was forced to step down, and was asked to pay back all the loans he had taken. After dismissing Conaway and Schwartz, Kmart closed more than 300 stores in the U.S., including all the Kmart stores in Alaska, and laid off around 34,000 workers as part of the restructuring process. Kmart introduced five prototype stores with a new logo, layout, and lime green and gray color scheme, one in White Lake, Michigan , and four in central Illinois: ( Peoria , Pekin , Morton and Washington ). The new layout

9794-409: The first half of 1988, Zayre stores had operating losses of $ 69 million on sales of $ 1.4 billion. Observers blamed technological inferiority, poor maintenance, inappropriate pricing, and inventory pileups, and Zayre appeared ripe for takeover. Throughout all this, however, The TJX Companies subsidiary continued to yield a profit. In October 1988, Zayre Corp. decided to focus its energies on TJX. It sold

9912-796: The first half of 2000. In 2000, Kmart and Capital One launched an all-new co-branded MasterCard as a replacement for the private label Kmart credit cards. Also in 2000, Kmart expanded the Martha Stewart Everyday Garden Collection to include live plants and seeds. Kmart also launched the Martha Stewart Everyday Kitchen, which is a complete line of housewares essentials. In July 2000, Kmart closed 72 underperforming stores, while opening 20 new Big Kmart stores, converting 12 regular Kmart stores into Super Kmart Center stores, and opening 5 new Super Kmart Center stores. The company announced

10030-404: The former Gaylord's store chain. However, many of the new Zayre stores opened during the 1980s suffered from cluttered aisles and messy appearances. Zayre began to feature appearances from celebrities such as Sherman Hemsley and Robert Guillaume in "Grand Re-openings" of their major stores, but even these events failed to improve their market share. By 1986, the number of Hit or Miss stores in

10148-405: The high-sun period (May through October), while in the winter the northeast trade winds prevail. Summer and winter high temperatures differ by 5 °F (3 °C) or less on average. The U.S. Virgin Islands are an organized, unincorporated United States territory . Although those born on the islands are U.S. citizens , U.S. Virgin Islanders residing in the territory are ineligible to vote for

10266-447: The hurricane, and estimates for St. John and St. Thomas were somewhat less. The hurricane killed two people, both in their homes: one person drowned and another was trapped by a mudslide. A third person had a fatal heart attack during the hurricane. The hurricane caused extensive and severe damage to St. Croix. After both hurricanes, the office of Virgin Islands congresswoman Stacey Plaskett stated that 90% of buildings in

10384-750: The idea to 19% who agreed. Law enforcement services are provided by the United States Virgin Islands Police Department (USVIPD). Defense is the responsibility of the United States. There are some military facilities and personnel on the islands, supported by the U.S. government: Zayre Zayre was founded in 1919 as the New England Trading Company in Boston , Massachusetts , by brothers Max and Morris Feldberg. The brothers were Jewish immigrants who fled Russia to escape conscription in

10502-496: The in-store cafeteria at the store in Canton, Michigan , was converted to a Wendy's . Until November 1990, when it was passed by Walmart, Kmart was the second-largest retailer in the United States, after Sears. During the 1980s, the company's fortunes began to change; many of Kmart's stores were considered to be outdated and in decaying condition. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the corporate office shifted much of its focus from

10620-421: The island's west end. The British Virgin Islands and the other two U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John and St. Thomas, were far enough northeast to avoid the worst from Maria, but were still massively impacted, with great destruction everywhere. A wind gust to 86 mph (138 km/h) was reported at St. Thomas. Weather stations on St. Croix recorded 5 and 10 inches (130 and 250 mm) of rain from

10738-728: The largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, lies to the south and has a flatter terrain because of its coral origin. The National Park Service manages more than half of St. John, nearly all of Hassel Island , and many acres of coral reef . There are several national park sites, such as the Virgin Islands National Park , Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument , Buck Island Reef National Monument , Christiansted National Historic Site , and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve . The U.S. Virgin Islands lie on

10856-465: The legend of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins. The name was later shortened to the Virgin Islands . The U.S. Virgin Islands were originally inhabited by the Ciboney and Arawaks , with some scholars thinking that the islands were inhabited from as early as 1000 BC. The Kalinago (Island Caribs) arrived around the mid-15th century AD. Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage in 1493,

10974-477: The long term." He began to improve the company's balance sheet by reducing inventory, cutting costs, and closing underperforming stores. By the fourth quarter of 2003, Kmart posted its first profitable quarter in three years, although it has since returned to an operating loss. On July 23, 2004, a new Kmart logo featuring a large red "K" with "kmart" in small block letters underneath it was announced. On August 12, 2004, Kmart and E! Entertainment Television announced

11092-462: The origin of the chain's name in a 1985 article: One day the Feldbergs and Bert Stern, an advertising consultant, were casting around for possible names for the new operation when Max broke off to take a call. He ended his phone conversation with a typical Yiddish phrase: " Zehr gut ," or "very good." Stern repeated, "Zehr, where, we need a nice-sounding name." The men stared at one another. Zehr—"let's spell it Zayre"—for very good, they decided. After

11210-577: The outstanding minority interest in TJX. On the day it acquired the minority interest, the company merged with TJX and changed its name from Zayre Corp. to The TJX Companies, Inc. The newly named company, headed by Cammarata, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company's transition into an off-price fashion business was relatively smooth, but the Ames preferred stock it received in

11328-424: The people of the United States Virgin Islands to organize a government pursuant to a constitution, which would be automatically approved if Congress did not act within 60 days. In 2004, an act was passed by the legislature of the Virgin Islands calling for a fifth constitutional convention, and 30 delegates to the convention were elected in 2007. On May 26, 2009, the convention adopted a proposed Constitution of

11446-471: The perfect solution to the heightening demand for quality fashions at reasonable prices with an ever-changing fresh assortment. Within six years of that T.J. Maxx opening, Zayre Corp. found another avenue to the off-price fashion market. In 1983, Chadwick's of Boston began to sell selected Hit or Miss items through mail-order catalogs. Hit or Miss and Chadwick's crossover operations allowed customers to handle products before ordering, and brought frequent buyers

11564-591: The proposal to Congress in May 2010, along with a report noting concerns raised by the United States Department of Justice that the powers sought exceeded what would be considered allowable under territorial status and restating the issues noted by Governor de Jongh. A U.S. Congressional resolution disapproving of the proposed constitution and requesting that the Fifth Constitutional Convention reconvene to consider changes to address these issues

11682-711: The short-lived name Today's Kmart . In 1991, the company revised its name slightly to Kmart Corporation . In 1992, Kmart entered the Eastern European market with the purchase of 13 stores in the former Czechoslovakia. These stores were sold off in 1996. The company also began to offer exclusive merchandise by Martha Stewart , Kathy Ireland , Jaclyn Smith , Lauren Hutton , and Thalía . Other recognizable brands included exclusively licensed merchandising of products relating to Sesame Street and Disney . Actress and television personality Rosie O'Donnell and actress/director and producer Penny Marshall became among

11800-473: The site had been announced. In 2005, Sears Holdings Corporation introduced the Sears Essentials store format, which would serve as a Kmart-Sears hybrid. Sears Essentials stores were freestanding (not located at a shopping mall) stores. In 2006, the company discontinued the Sears Essentials name, and renamed all of the Sears Essentials stores as Sears Grand stores. Kmart started remodeling stores to

11918-668: The stores as Zayre Shopper's City stores. In Zayre's early years, the stores' product mix leaned heavily toward softlines due to the Feldbergs’ experience in fashion, gained through years of operating the Bell Shops/Nugent stores. As the sixties progressed, Zayre's product offering more closely resembled that of a typical discount store, with toys, sporting goods, records, books, health and beauty products, and much more. A number of these departments were leased out to concessionaires during Zayre's first decade, including linens, greeting cards, candy, and health and beauty items, totaling nearly

12036-580: The surrounding plantation land. A 1993 referendum on status attracted only 31.4% turnout, and so its results (in favor of the status quo) were considered void. No further status referendums have been scheduled since. The territory is classified by the United Nations as a non-self-governing territory . In 2016, the United Nations ' Special Committee on Decolonization recommended to the UN's General Assembly that this larger body should "actively pursue

12154-693: The three main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands is counted as a county equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau, with the following FIPS codes: 78010 for St. Croix, 78020 for St. John, and 78030 for St. Thomas. While a Danish possession, the islands were divided into "quarters" (five on St. John and nine on St. Croix), which were further divided into many dozens of "estates". Estate names are still used to write addresses; estates and quarters are used in describing real estate, especially on St. John and St. Croix. More densely populated towns such as Frederiksted and Christiansted on St. Croix were historically referred to as "districts", in contrast to

12272-560: The word "mart" written in script and contained inside the "K". Kmart then began remodeling stores shortly thereafter. This logo was replaced in 2004 with the current logo. In 1990, Little Caesars Pizza opened its first in-store Kmart restaurant in Rochester, Michigan (coincidentally, Little Caesars and Kmart were both founded in Garden City, Michigan, in 1959 and 1962 respectively). In 1995, Kmart also tried to reinvent itself by using

12390-482: Was approved with nearly 72% voting in favor . Administratively, the U.S. Virgin Islands are divided into two districts : the St. Thomas and St. John district, and the St. Croix district. However, the U.S. Census Bureau divides each of the three main islands into three separate statistical entities (which are further divided into 20 subdistricts). Below is the U.S. Census Bureau's division model. Each of

12508-405: Was acquired by Kmart in 1990 and spun off five years later. Kmart's profitability and sales peaked in 1992, and the later decline is attributed to competition with Walmart, Target, and internet shopping. In 1994, Kmart announced they would close 110 stores. Unlike its competitors Walmart and Target, Kmart failed to invest in computer technology to manage its supply chain. Furthermore, Kmart maintained

12626-531: 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

12744-446: Was defeated in the upper house of the Danish parliament in a tie vote (because the opposition carried a 97-year-old life member into the chamber). The onset of World War I brought the reform period to a close and again left the islands isolated. During the submarine warfare phases of the war, the United States, fearing that the islands might be seized by Germany as a submarine base, again approached Denmark about buying them. After

12862-599: Was elected as the chairman and as the CEO of Kmart. In 1981, the 2,000th Kmart store opened. By the end of 1981, there were 2,055 Kmart stores across the United States and Canada. In 1987, the Kmart Corporation sold its remaining 76 Kresge and Jupiter stores in the United States to McCrory Stores, and the brands were almost entirely discontinued, although Canadian Kresge and Jupiter stores continued to operate until 1994. Kmart experimented with co-branding in 1985, when

12980-434: Was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange on May 23, 1918. During World War I , Kresge experimented with raising the limit on prices in his stores to $ 1. By 1924, Kresge was worth approximately $ 375 million and owned real estate of the approximate value of $ 100 million. Growth early in the 20th century remained brisk, with 257 stores in 1924, rising to 597 stores by 1929. Kresge retired as president in 1925, continuing as

13098-410: Was halted on others, no matter how close the stores were to completion. In 2001, Kmart signed a $ 4.5 billion arrangement with Fleming , making them the sole food and consumables distributor for the company's stores. In February 2001, Japanese video game company Sega sued Kmart for failure to pay $ 2.2 million of $ 25.9 million for Dreamcast game systems. In August 2001, Target sued Kmart because

13216-609: Was liquidating dozens of stores across the United States. Kmart's parent company, Sears Holdings Corporation, underwent financial distress throughout the year, sparking an unspecified number of closings of Sears and Kmart locations amid vendors' and lenders' concerns about its liquidity. Along with store closings, measures included the spinning off its Lands' End division, selling most of its stake in Sears Canada, issuing debt and taking on loans that cumulatively put it on track to raise $ 1.445 billion in cash in 2014. Howard Riefs,

13334-570: Was not as severe in those storms. In September 2017, Category 5 Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic damage, particularly to St. John and St. Thomas. Just two weeks later, Category 5 Hurricane Maria ravaged all three islands. Sustained winds at the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge on St. Croix reached 99 to 104 mph (159 to 167 km/h) and gusted to 137 mph (220 km/h). Even stronger winds likely occurred somewhere across

13452-599: Was referred to by Kresge as a "bantam" Kmart and was in fact originally intended to be a Kresge store until late in the planning process, on January 25, 1962, in San Fernando, California , just six months before the first Walmart opened, while the first ground-up full-size Kmart with 80,000 square feet (7,400 square meters), opened on March 1, 1962, in Garden City, Michigan . Cunningham and Sam Walton were both inspired by Ann & Hope , which they each visited in 1961. Sixteen more Kmart stores opened in 1962. Kmart Foods,

13570-508: Was replaced by the U.S. dollar in 1934, and from 1935 to 1939 the islands were a part of the United States customs area . The 1936 Organic Act and the 1954 Revised Organic Act established the local government. Tourism began to develop following World War II , over time becoming the most important sector of the islands' economy. The Virgin Islands National Park was established in 1956 on St. John , and by 1959, after

13688-470: Was signed into law by President Obama on June 30, 2010. Months later, a federal lawsuit was filed in the federal District Court of the Virgin Islands . The lawsuit claimed that the United States had to provide U.S. Virgin Islanders with the ability to be represented in Congress and vote for U.S. president. It alleged that racial discrimination present in the all-white and segregated U.S. Congress of 1917

13806-445: Was the impetus to deny the right to vote to a majority nonwhite constituency. The case was ultimately dismissed on August 16, 2012. The Fifth Constitutional Convention of the U.S. Virgin Islands met in October 2012 but was not able to produce a revised constitution before its October 31 deadline. On November 3, 2020, the Virgin Islands held a referendum on whether to convene a sixth constitutional convention. The proposal

13924-413: Was touted as having wider aisles and improved selection and lighting, and the city or town's name was featured under the new Kmart logo at the front entrance. However, Kmart could not afford a full-scale rollout. The lime green prototype was abandoned for the new Kmart "Orange" concept that rolled out at several of its locations throughout the United States in 2006. While Kmart was going through bankruptcy,

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