Kmart Can No Longer Honor Car Seat Certificates Issued By International Center for Injury Prevention

TROY, Mich., April 15 -- Kmart Corporation announced today that effective immediately, Kmart stores can no longer honor car seat certificates issued by the International Center for Injury Prevention (ICIP) due to delinquent payments owed the company. This program, launched in November 1999, enabled state and local agencies, hospitals, HMOs and insurance companies to purchase special certificates, redeemable at Kmart stores, from the ICIP and distribute them to families needing child car seats.

Families receiving the certificates redeemed them at their local Kmart store for one of three Cosco child car seats. ICIP, in turn, would reimburse Kmart for the car seats.

ICIP has been delinquent for more than 90 days in reimbursing Kmart for car seats that have been redeemed in its stores. Kmart has tried repeatedly, with no success, to contact ICIP to determine how many car seat certificates are outstanding and the names and addresses of organizations that purchased the certificates. Kmart had hoped to send communication directly to these organizations informing them of the necessity to decline the certificates.

Kmart regrets any inconvenience this may cause organizations that have purchased the certificates or families that have already received the certificates.

Kmart has contacted the Wisconsin Attorney General's office and been advised that certificate purchasers can make complaints regarding ICIP directly to The Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708 (telephone 608-266-5511). Kmart's Customer Service phone number is 1-800-866-KMART4U.

Kmart Corporation is a $37 billion company that serves America with more than 2,100 Kmart and Kmart SuperCenter retail outlets and through its e-commerce shopping site, www.bluelight.com .