1970s Kmart Traditional Alarm Clock-West Germany

ATTENTION KMART SHOPPERS!
Made in West Germany (pre-1990) by gifts and gadgets manufacturer Blessing-Werke between 1970-1977.
Weighs 5.6 ounces
Measures 4” X 3” X 1.25”
In good condition and works (see video)

Blessing-Werke made various travel size traditional “bell strike” clocks and other various analog clocks from 1940 until going out of business in 1977. They were one of the largest clock manufacturers in Germany during this period making thousands and thousands of them for several American retailers.
Blessing-Werke made this clock for the Kmart Corporation for private-label use to advertise the company name.

Kmart was a mass merchandising corporation that began operations in 1912
Michigan and Delaware as S.S. Kresge Corporation.
S.S. Kresge was a traveling salesman who sold supplies to the Woolworth five and dime outlets and decided to startup his own business. Kresge opened on the NYSE in 1918 and by 1929, Kresge had 597 retail locations in the United States called Kresge’s Stores.
In January of 1962, S.S. Kresge Corporation opened the first Kmart branded store in California. Originally to be another Kresge’s, the name was changed when company executives learned of a new mass merchandise retailer opening in Arkansas as early as July of that same year….Wal-Mart Discount City.
Company founder S.S Kresge died in 1966 at the age of 99.
S.S. Kresge Corporation became just the corporation Kmart in 1977 and converting at the time, all 1700+ outlets (Kresge’s and Jupiter’s) to the single brand name... and the legend was made.
Kmart was the second largest retailer in America behind Sears until both were passed by Wal-Mart in the early 1990s.
Kmart corporation would try different strategies to compete with mega-retailer Wal-Mart but ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2002 and started closing locations globally. In 2019, Kmart was acquired by a new holding company who left only Kmart brand stores in Guam and the Virgin Islands and only one in the United States.
The last American Kmart is in Kendale Lakes area of Miami, Florida, but it is now a very small, condensed store operating within the former garden center of the original full-size location. The rest of the large building was leased to a home goods store called At Home, leaving the Kmart as a tiny outpost.
At Kmarts peak (1994) it had 2,323 stores in the US as well as 163 stores divided into Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Caribbean.

THE INFAMOUS KMART BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL:
The Blue Light Special was a sale promotion within the store for a short period within store hours only. It was advertised using a rotating blue light, in the same style a police car used, and was announced over the store public address system with the phrase "attention Kmart shoppers", a phrase which became a pop culture reference. The original concept for the Blue Light Special was a limited-time offer to sell slower-moving merchandise. The sale was first introduced in 1965 and was retired in 1991.

KMART FUN FACTS:
Kmart Corporation at one time had ownership in Sears, OfficeMax, Borders and Sports Authority.

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