This past week I followed a LINK to a list of the few remaining Kmart locations. Knowing the banner was being pruned I still had a jaw-dropping moment when my eyes saw the now-open list (August 2021 end). 17 locations are left as I write this, 11 in USA states and 6 in USA territories.

My nostalgic brain kicked in as I recalled the Blue Light Special implementation. Pre-internet but highly effective “in the day”. An employee would turn on a bright blue light, visible to all shoppers. At that moment you’d hear over the public address system what was on sale, at what price, and in what aisle. Shoppers galore, including my mom, would push their cart to the sale aisle where a yes/no decision would be made.

With so few stores left I visited eBay to see what Kmart merchandise was for-sale. It was/is the polar opposite of a Special. $200 will buy you a “Blue Light is Back” Employee Polo OR a Giant Beach Ball OR a six-pack of Tube Socks. No thank you.

In case you were wondering there are 25 Sears stores left, bringing the company total to 42 stores.

What will become of the Blue Light Special? If roadside chain Stuckey’s can be resurrected, as it is now, perhaps so too can the Blue Light Special. Call me nostalgic but I’d love to see the quirky feature of shopping Kmart survive.