Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What does the K in Kmart stand for?"
The K stands for Kresge, as in Sebastian S. Kresge, founder of the S.S. Kresge dime store chain. More than one hundred years ago, Sebastian Kresge opened a modest five-and-dime store in downtown Detroit. He sold everything for 5 and 10 cents. The low prices appealed to shoppers and allowed him to expand to 85 stores by 1912. The first Kmart store opened in 1962, in Garden City, Michigan, and the corporation was renamed to Kmart Corporation soon after. At its peak in 1994, Kmart operated 2,323 discount stores in the United States.