Kmart shutting NJ store for good, only 3 locations left in the US

Kmart has been one of the biggest retailers in the United States for decades, but it seems to be reaching its end already as another one of its stores is shutting down for good. The company announced that it would be closing its location in Avenel, New Jersey, and customers can only shop until April 16.

As per Fox Business, Kmart has been discarding its brick-and-mortar stores in recent years, and now another one is about to go as well. When the Avenel, New Jersey branch closes its doors this weekend, the total number of Kmarts in the U.S. will be reduced to just three.

It was revealed that it was only last month when employees at Kmart learned that the store would cease its operation. In its heyday, the brand had more than 2,000 branches across the country, but now, under the ownership of Transformco, only three locations are left to serve the customers.

The report noted that the company's decline may have been slow, but it was a steady event, resulting from years of plummeting sales that were heightened by the changing shopping habits of the people. Its competitors also pushed Kmart sales to fall further.

Earlier this year, the low sales have led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This was the only option as it struggles to go head to head with other retail brands. In its filing, it was stated to have closed down more than 250 stores.

Kmart's store in New Jersey is almost bare now, with most of its shelves already empty as it prepares to shut on Saturday. Loyal customers who would like to shop can head to Westwood, New Jersey, Miami, and Bridgehampton on New York's Long Island, where the three remaining outlets are still in operation. Finally, CBS News reported that many customers and staff were saddened by the closure, and they remembered the time when Kmart was the go-to place when they need almost anything.

"Kmart was part of America and everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not. They had everything," the publication quoted Baltimore-based US retail history author, Michael Lisicky, as saying regarding Kmart's fate. "You had toys. You had sporting goods. You had candy. You had stationery. It was something for everybody. This was almost as much of a social visit as it was a shopping visit. You could spend hours here. And these just dotted the American landscape over the years.