Research Paper on:
The Rise and Fall of Kmart

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
C. Losing ground to Wal-Mart and Target III. EVALUATION A. How analysts evaluate a business B. What analysts have said about Kmart IV. SWOT ANALYSIS  A. What is a SWOT analysis B. Strengths C. Weaknesses D. Opportunities E. Threats V. ISSUE A. The main problems that brought Kmart down B. Why these problems were  so devastating VI. SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATIONS A. What analysts recommend B. Restructuring after bankruptcy C. Improving inventory management D. Improving customer service INTRODUCTION This paper will explain the rise and  fall of what was once the number three retailer in the country, Kmart. What led to this downfall and how it could have been avoided will be discussed.  Also presented is the SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) as well as the strategies and objectives for the Kmart Corporation. The retailer has had many problems in  the past including poor inventory management and inefficient customer service. All of these items will be considered and analyzed in order to suggest recommendations as to how the retailer  can make a financial comeback. HISTORY As recently as 1995 Kmart Corporation was in the number three retailer position behind Wal-Mart and Sears. After constructing one hundred fifty  new discount stores and sprucing up or expanding eight hundred existing ones in a continuing three billion-dollar renewal program, the Troy, Michigan, corporation vowed to go head-to-head with Wal-Mart of  Arkansas. To get balance and growth, K-Mart built a specialty retail group, including Pace Membership Warehouse, PayLess Drug, Waldenbooks, OfficeMax, and Sports Authority. For its efforts, Kmart was  second to no one in diversification. The trouble was that Kmart continued to remain second to someone in nearly every critical retail segment in which it competed. The company