Kmart Reaches Agreement With Kimco Realty Corporation To Jointly Market Approximately 317 Retail Properties
Kmart Corporation (Pink Sheets: KMRTQ) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE: KIM) for the joint marketing of approximately 317 Kmart locations and related properties in the United States and Puerto Rico that the Company is in the process of closing. Kmart received court approval on January 29, 2003 to close these stores.
Under the agreement, Kimco or its affiliate will work with Kmart in identifying retailers, investors, landlords and other parties interested in obtaining these properties. Kimco may invest in, redevelop and/or improve the properties in order to maximize their value. The locations to be marketed range in size from approximately 50,000 square feet to more than 190,000 square feet and are located in freestanding, strip and mall locations in 44 states and Puerto Rico. This group of stores includes 57 Kmart SuperCenter locations.
The store closings are intended to enhance the Company's financial and operating performance by allowing it to further reduce costs, improve cash flow, streamline distribution and focus its resources more efficiently. Store closing sales are underway and will continue, depending on the location, for approximately two to three months.
Kmart Corporation and 37 of its U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on January 22, 2002. In the past year, Kmart has taken a number of actions intended to strengthen its business operations and enhance its financial performance. These steps include deciding to close approximately 600 underperforming or non-strategic stores, rejecting leases for previously closed stores, selling three corporate aircraft, streamlining the Company's management structure, reducing staffing levels at the Company's headquarters, and introducing more efficient business practices throughout the organization.
About Kimco
Kimco Realty Corporation, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, has specialized in shopping center acquisitions, development and management for more than 35 years, and owns and operates the nation's largest portfolio of neighborhood and community shopping centers with interests in 606 properties comprising approximately 90 million square feet of leasable space located throughout 41 states, Canada and Mexico. Anyone with an interest in any of the properties should contact Eric Hochman of Kimco at the following email address: ehochman@kimcorealty.com .
About Kmart
Kmart Corporation is a mass merchandising company that serves America through its Kmart and Kmart SuperCenter retail outlets. The Company's common stock is currently quoted on the Pink Sheets Electronic Quotation Service (www.pinksheets.com ) under the symbol KMRTQ.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Other Matters
Bankruptcy law does not permit solicitation of acceptances of the Plan of Reorganization until the Court approves the applicable Disclosure Statement relating to the Plan of Reorganization as providing adequate information of a kind, and in sufficient detail, as far as is reasonably practicable in light of the nature and history of the debtor and the condition of the debtor's books and records, that would enable a hypothetical reasonable investor typical of the holder of claims or interests of the relevant class to make an informed judgment about the Plan of Reorganization. Accordingly, this announcement is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, a solicitation for a vote on the Plan of Reorganization.
Statements made by Kmart which address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate may occur in the future, including certain of the information contained in the Plan of Reorganization and Disclosure Statement, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect the Company's current views with respect to current and future events and financial performance. Such forward- looking statements are and will be, as the case may be, subject to many risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, Kmart's having filed for bankruptcy and factors relating to Kmart's operations and the business environment in which Kmart operates, which may cause the actual results of Kmart to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include those set forth in Kmart's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2002, Kmart's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 30, 2002, or in other filings made, from time to time, by Kmart with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Company Filings"). The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date when made and Kmart does not undertake to update such statements.
Similarly, these and other factors, including the terms of any reorganization plan ultimately confirmed, can affect the value of our various pre-petition liabilities, common stock and/or other equity securities. No assurance can be given as to what values, if any, will be ascribed in the bankruptcy proceedings to each of these constituencies.
A plan of reorganization could result in holders of Kmart common stock receiving no distribution on account of their interest and cancellation of their interests. As described in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, holders of Kmart common stock should assume that they could receive little or no value as part of a plan of reorganization. In addition, under certain conditions specified in the Bankruptcy Code, a plan of reorganization may be confirmed notwithstanding its rejection by an impaired class of creditors or equity holders and notwithstanding the fact that equity holders do not receive or retain property on account of their equity interests under the plan. In light of the foregoing, the Company considers the value of the common stock to be highly speculative and cautions equity holders that the stock may ultimately be determined to have no value.
Accordingly, the Company urges that appropriate caution be exercised with respect to existing and future investments in Kmart common stock or any claims relating to pre-petition liabilities and/or other Kmart securities.
SOURCE: Kmart Corporation
CONTACT: Kmart Media Relations, +1-248-463-1021; or Scott Onufrey of
Kimco Realty Corporation, +1-516-869-7288, sonufrey@kimcorealty.com
Web site: http://www.kmart.com/