S.S. Kresge Co. opened the first official Kmart big-box store in 1962 in Garden City, marking the start of the Kmart brand. Kresge died four years later in 1966, but the Kmart brand lived on.

The retailer also operates in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kmart opened its first store in Garden City, Michigan, in 1962. And two decades ago, the company still operated 1,400 stores across ...