Kmart’s parent company confirmed Thursday that it will close its last big­­box store on Oahu in mid-­October, with a liquidation sale starting Thursday.

“We can confirm that we are making the difficult, but necessary decision to close the Kmart store at 500 Kamokila Blvd. in Kapolei,” Howard Riefs, spokesman for Kmart owner Sears Holdings Corp., said in an email to the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser. “We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity, and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores as previously announced. This is not an effort solely aimed at cost savings but is part of a strategy we have been executing as many of our larger stores are too big for our needs.”

Riefs didn’t disclose the number of workers that will be affected by the closure, but said eligible employees will receive severance and can apply for positions at other Sears or Kmart locations. When the Kapolei store opened in 2000, it had about 200 workers.

Sears hopes downsizing its holdings will bring the company “to a size and place to meet the realities of the changing retail world.”

The company is taking advantage of online shopping, directing customers to its websites and mobile apps for purchases.

“We understand that members (shoppers) may be disappointed when we close a store, but our Shop Your Way membership platform, websites and mobile apps allow us to maintain these valued relationships long after a store closes its doors,” Riefs added. “We hope to retain a portion of the sales previously associated with this store by maintaining our relationships with the members who shopped this location.”

Hawaii will be left with two Kmarts: one in Lihue and the other in ­Kailua-Kona.

Kmart closed its Kahului store in June after shutting down its Halawa location earlier this year. That follows the closure of its Waikele Center and Nimitz Highway locations. The company said no other Hawaii stores will be affected by the recent round of closures.