Carol Spieckerman

TPMA Outlook: Where Did Kmart Go Wrong?

July 22, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
An interesting article in dbusiness, the Detroit business magazine, attempts to explain how Kmart blew the huge lead it had in the discount channel and collapsed into bankruptcy. In hindsight, what were the main reasons that Kmart lost its leadership position in the discount channel?      [more...]

And adding insult to injury, Kmart had a reputation for slapping suppliers with punitive fees that were intentionally indefensible. They basically defined charge back-as-profit-center. When they went on the skids, suppliers ran for the hills.