Located on the 2nd floor of the Broadway Sydney indoor shopping center, this large Kmart had all the general merchandise that one would expect. It was also a nice walk down memory lane to visit.
Kmart was part of my youth growing up, having a store within walking distance during my pre-driving days. Unfortunately, they were on a slow than faster decline, culminating in their closing their last mainland US store in 2024. But here in Australia, they continue to be a large presence, with 214 total stores, 52 in New South Wales.
I was curious about the history of Kmart in Australia:
-- first one opened in 1969, as a joint venture between Kmart US and Coles Meyer Australia, with Kmart US owning 51%
-- in 1978, Kmart US traded its share in Kmart-Australia for a 20% share of Coles.
-- in 1994, Kmart US solds all of its shares, making a Kmart-Australia a completely separate entity.
I did buy something here: been looking for Pokemon trading cards for my daughter, and found a collector set here with many expander decks for retail price. Pokemon cards seem to be popular again, and haven't been able to find any without significant markup. Checkout was self, but I needed a lot of help since the item was security secured. They also scan your receipt for any purchased items as you leave the store. Wouldn't say the workers would add to the stereotype of Aussies being so friendly.
Didn't see any 'blue light specials' when I was there. Later learned that they had them very early in their existence in Australia, but they went away once it broke away from the US mothership. read more