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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Jonathan Barrett Senior business reporter

The art of Kmart: why the discount retailer is thriving while rivals such as Big W struggle

Kmart Big W Target Wesfarmers Kmart Group Brian Walker Anko Crawford RMIT University UBS
Revenue at the Wesfarmers-owned Kmart Group jumped almost 5% last financial year to $11.1bn, even as cost-of-living pressures dampened the mood of many shoppers.
Revenue at the Wesfarmers-owned Kmart Group jumped almost 5% last financial year to $11.1bn, even as cost-of-living pressures dampened the mood of many shoppers. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The last full-sized Kmart in the US closed this week – yet another casualty of online buying habits proving to be an existential threat to department stores around the world.

But in Australia, the discount retailer that shares the same branding is bucking the global trend after engaging in a years-long transformation to shed its daggy image. The result? Supercharged profits for its owner.

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