K's Merchandise Mart, Inc. (usually known as simply K's Merchandise) was a catalog showroom department store based in Decatur, Illinois.[1] It offered furniture, jewelry, and general merchandise, including electronics, at 17 locations in 5 Midwestern states at the time of its closing.[2][3]
K's was founded in 1957 by Raymond "Ray" Eldridge Sr. and his brother Kay.[2][1] However, by the 2000s, competition from big box stores had eroded K's sales for years, though it had 17 locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Kentucky. Boston's Gordon Brothers Group took over the company from the original family, appointing Bill Weinstein as president. After an attempt at turning around the stores' operations, K's announced on October 3, 2006, that it would liquidate and close to pay off its creditors in full.