RETAILING

Kmart to Offer Credit Card: The discount retailer plans to test the credit card in 11 cities later this month and expand it nationally in August in a bid to boost sales. The private-label credit card, through Beneficial National Bank USA, will be launched March 22 in 160 Kmart stores and six Super Kmart Centers. The test is expected to last 90 days. The card will have no annual fee, low monthly payments and benefits such as advance or exclusive sales and discount incentives. The test markets are Sacramento; Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y.; Minneapolis; St. Louis; Columbus, Ohio; Houston; Tampa, Fla.; Denver; Seattle; and Phoenix. Beneficial National Bank USA is a subsidiary of Beneficial Corp. Troy, Mich.-based Kmart has 2,163 stores in the United States.