Kmart Fountain Gate: Address, Hours, Products & History

Anyone who’s walked through Westfield Fountain Gate in Narre Warren has probably noticed the bright blue Kmart sign. It’s one of over 200 Kmart stores thriving across Australia under Wesfarmers ownership — a stark contrast to the chain’s near-total collapse in the United States.

Kmart founded (US): 1962 ·
Kmart founded (Australia): 1969 ·
Parent company (Australia): Wesfarmers ·
Number of Kmart stores in Australia: Over 200

Five details about Kmart Fountain Gate, one pattern: the store is central to both local shoppers and the brand’s Australian success.

Does Kmart still exist?

Kmart in Australia vs United States

• Australia: over 200 stores, thriving under Wesfarmers (Kmart Australia official store page)
• United States: only a handful of locations remain after the 2002 bankruptcy and 2005 Sears merger (Wikipedia Kmart article)

Current number of stores

• Kmart Australia: over 200
• Kmart US: fewer than 10 stores remain as of the 2020s (Wikipedia Kmart article)

Online presence

• Kmart Australia offers full online shopping at kmart.com.au (Kmart Australia official store page)
• Kmart US online site (kmart.com) still operates but with limited inventory (Wikipedia Kmart article)

The implication: Kmart is very much alive in Australia, while in the US it’s a ghost of its former self — a split that directly affects what shoppers at Fountain Gate can expect.

Why did Kmart go out of business?

Factors leading to bankruptcy

• Kmart US filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 22, 2002 (Wikipedia Kmart article)
• Key causes: heavy debt, outdated supply chain, and failure to compete with Walmart’s everyday low prices (Wikipedia Kmart article)

Competition from Walmart and Target

• Walmart’s expansion into small towns and aggressive pricing eroded Kmart’s market share (Wikipedia Kmart article)
• Target in the US positioned itself as a trendier, design-led alternative, leaving Kmart as neither cheap nor stylish (Wikipedia Kmart article)

Sears merger failure

• Kmart merged with Sears in 2005 under Sears Holdings (Wikipedia Sears Holdings)
• The combined entity failed to stem losses, and Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 in 2018 (Wikipedia Sears Holdings)

The pattern: Kmart’s US collapse was a slow death from competitive pressure and a disastrous merger, while its Australian operations were shielded by Wesfarmers’ disciplined retail management.

Are Target and Kmart the same?

In the United States

• No — Kmart and Target are separate competitors. Target has over 1,900 stores while Kmart has nearly vanished (Wikipedia Target Corporation)
• Target was never owned by Kmart or Sears Holdings (Wikipedia Target Corporation)

In Australia (Wesfarmers ownership)

• Kmart Australia and Target Australia are both owned by Wesfarmers, but operate as separate brands with distinct product ranges (Wikipedia Wesfarmers)
• Wesfarmers acquired Target Australia in 2007, while it has owned Kmart Australia since the joint venture with S.S. Kresge in 1969 (Australian Food Timeline)

Differences in product range and pricing

• Kmart focuses on ultra-low pricing on basics (homewares, clothing, toys) while Target positions itself as slightly more design-focused and higher priced (Wikipedia Target Australia)
• Both share some suppliers but maintain separate buying teams (Wikipedia Wesfarmers)

The trade-off: Under the same corporate umbrella, Kmart and Target in Australia compete with each other — giving shoppers more choice but also blurring brand lines.

What are the opening times for Kmart Fountain Gate?

Regular hours

• Kmart Fountain Gate is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – including public holidays (Kmart Australia official store page)
• Individual departments (e.g., electronics counter) may have reduced hours during late night (Kmart Australia official store page)

24 hour entrance

• A dedicated 24-hour entrance is available from the carpark, separate from the main centre hours (Kmart Australia official store page)
• The rest of Westfield Fountain Gate follows standard shopping centre hours (Wikipedia Westfield Fountain Gate)

Holiday hours

• On Christmas Day, Good Friday, and certain other public holidays, Kmart Fountain Gate typically closes; check the store’s website for exceptions (Kmart Australia official store page)

Contact information

• Phone: +61 3 8781 9300 (Kmart Australia official store page)
• Address: Fountain Gate S/C Cnr Princes Hwy & Magid Dr, Narre Warren VIC 3805 (Kmart Australia official store page)

Why this matters: Fountain Gate’s 24-hour Kmart is a rare convenience in the outer south-east suburbs, giving late-night shoppers and shift workers a go-to destination.

What products does Kmart Fountain Gate offer?

Homewares

• Furniture, bedding, kitchenware, and home decor at budget prices (Kmart Australia official store page)

Electronics

• TVs, headphones, phone accessories, and small appliances – often seen as “good enough” for the price (Kmart Australia official store page)

Toys and clothing

• An extensive toy section (Lego, dolls, outdoor games) and kids’ clothing that changes with seasonal trends (Kmart Australia official store page)

Seasonal items

• Rotating collections for Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and back-to-school – often the cheapest option in the centre (Kmart Australia official store page)

The pattern: Kmart Fountain Gate’s product mix leans heavily on essential low-margin goods, making it a one-stop shop for price-conscious families in the area.

For specific Kmart furniture items like the popular shoe cabinet, see our dedicated review: Kmart Shoe Cabinet.

Timeline: Kmart’s diverging paths in the US and Australia

• 1962 – Kmart founded in the United States (Wikipedia Kmart article)
• 1969 – First Kmart opens in Australia, in Burwood, as a joint venture with Coles (Australian Food Timeline)
• 1970 – Fountain Gate Shopping Centre (housing Kmart) opens in November (Year 3 WCC NWS Educational Resource)
• 1980 – Fountain Gate reconstructed and reopened on 11 March, with Kmart and Coles New World as anchors (Year 3 WCC NWS Educational Resource)
• 2002 – Kmart US files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (Wikipedia Kmart article)
• 2005 – Kmart merges with Sears to form Sears Holdings (Wikipedia Sears Holdings)
• 2018 – Sears Holdings files for bankruptcy (Wikipedia Sears Holdings)
• 2020s – Kmart US stores dwindle to a handful; Kmart Australia operates over 200 stores (Kmart Australia official store page)

The pattern: While the US chain collapsed under debt and competition, the Australian arm was consistently profitable under Wesfarmers’ stewardship.

What we know and what’s unclear about Kmart

Confirmed facts

• Kmart Australia is owned by Wesfarmers (Wikipedia Wesfarmers)
• Kmart US filed for bankruptcy in 2002 (Wikipedia Kmart article)
• Sears Holdings (owner of Kmart US) filed for bankruptcy in 2018 (Wikipedia Sears Holdings)

What’s unclear

• Exact number of remaining Kmart US stores (estimates vary, but fewer than 10) (Wikipedia Kmart article)
• Exact number of specialty stores at Fountain Gate – around 320 per some sources but not officially confirmed (Year 3 WCC NWS Educational Resource)

The catch: Most of Kmart’s story is well-documented, but the precise count of its few surviving US locations remains elusive — a symbol of how far the brand has fallen.

By 2002, Kmart had become the largest retailer in US history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with $17 billion in assets.

— Wikipedia Kmart article

Westfield Fountain Gate is the second-largest shopping centre in Australia by floor area and hosts three discount department stores: Big W, Target, and Kmart.

— Wikipedia Westfield Fountain Gate entry

For shoppers at Fountain Gate, the implication is clear: Kmart’s Australian success means you can expect a well-stocked, 24-hour store backed by a parent company that prioritises expansion — not survival. The alternative, a Kmart ghost town, is what the US experienced. Fountain Gate shoppers get the best of both: low prices and a brand that actually grew up here.

For electronics and furniture alternatives at the same centre, consider Harvey Norman Fountain Gate.

Frequently asked questions