Michigan Radio & TV Buzzboard

Gotta love Kmart - a great example of Detroit's history of failure in most aspects of society.

The web site linked below is GREAT.

The author has visited a handful of Kmart stores in the Inland Empire area of California and has documented numerous - let's say, interesting - findings with regard to product merchandising. I was laughing my butt off at some of the photos.

http://wtfkmart.tumblr.com/page/10

Here's a similar site; this one seems to be from a former manager:

http://shcemployee.tumblr.com/

K Mart has operated poorly for a long, long time. When I moved back here from the left coast in the early 90's I stopped in to purchase a snow shovel because the forecast called for snow and I didn't have one. It was very early February and although they had row after row of golf clubs on display there was nary a snow shovel to be found. Was told they were out of stock.

I sold my K Mart stock that very day. Turned out to be a great move. Only wish I had shorted a bunch of it.

Bryce wrote:K Mart has operated poorly for a long, long time. When I moved back here from the left coast in the early 90's I stopped in to purchase a snow shovel because the forecast called for snow and I didn't have one. It was very early February and although they had row after row of golf clubs on display there was nary a snow shovel to be found. Was told they were out of stock.

I sold my K Mart stock that very day. Turned out to be a great move. Only wish I had shorted a bunch of it.

We were in Florida in September when temps were in the 90s every day. Home Depot had stacks of snow shovels.

Turkeytop wrote:

Bryce wrote:K Mart has operated poorly for a long, long time. When I moved back here from the left coast in the early 90's I stopped in to purchase a snow shovel because the forecast called for snow and I didn't have one. It was very early February and although they had row after row of golf clubs on display there was nary a snow shovel to be found. Was told they were out of stock.

I sold my K Mart stock that very day. Turned out to be a great move. Only wish I had shorted a bunch of it.

We were in Florida in September when temps were in the 90s every day. Home Depot had stacks of snow shovels.

They're sand shovels in Florida.

I do miss our St. Johns Kmart, just because it was a nice quiet alternative to the Walmart down the road. Problem is, it was a little too quiet, so when the end finally came a few years back, nobody was really surprised. In fact, I'm amazed they stuck it out as long as they did.

MWmetalhead wrote:Gotta love Kmart - a great example of Detroit's history of failure in most aspects of society.

The web site linked below is GREAT.

The author has visited a handful of Kmart stores in the Inland Empire area of California and has documented numerous - let's say, interesting - findings with regard to product merchandising. I was laughing my butt off at some of the photos.

http://wtfkmart.tumblr.com/page/10

Here's a similar site; this one seems to be from a former manager:

http://shcemployee.tumblr.com/

You realize Detroit was once really nice right?

Why didn't they change all Kmart's into Sears?

audiophile wrote:Why didn't they change all Kmart's into Sears?

That would have been kind of weird... Plus Kmart BOUGHT Sears not the other way around. The corporate name changed from Kmart Corporation to Sears Holdings Corporation.

What id like to know is how a bankrupt company buys a healthy company?

Bryce wrote:K Mart has operated poorly for a long, long time.

I avoid them for one simple reason - the checkout process is PAINFULLY slow. Every single person that goes through the lane, the cashier first asks them if they have a rewards card. If they do, then the cashier asks if they'd like to use it. If they do, then the cashier looks up their balance and tells them how much they have left on it. If they don't have one, the cashier asks if they'd like one. After that song and dance is over, then they ask you if you'd like to donate part of your purchase to charity. You have to click yes or no on the touch screen - which, since mostly old people shop at KMart, this take a while for them to figure out. Then when its all done, the cash register prints out at least 5 or 6 different receipts/coupons/who knows what - what a waste of paper, and of time!

UGH, I almost get a panic attack just thinking about standing in line at a KMart.

NS8401 wrote:

audiophile wrote:Why didn't they change all Kmart's into Sears?

That would have been kind of weird... Plus Kmart BOUGHT Sears not the other way around. The corporate name changed from Kmart Corporation to Sears Holdings Corporation.

What id like to know is how a bankrupt company buys a healthy company?

Not sure either was all that healthy. Sears probably has a better reputation though.

NS8401 wrote:

audiophile wrote:Why didn't they change all Kmart's into Sears?

That would have been kind of weird... Plus Kmart BOUGHT Sears not the other way around. The corporate name changed from Kmart Corporation to Sears Holdings Corporation.

What id like to know is how a bankrupt company buys a healthy company?

Actually, it was the newly formed Kmart Holdings Corporation, founded by billionaire investor Edward Lampert in 2003, which bought out Sears, Roebuck and Co., not the bankrupt entity formerly known as Kmart Corp.

They have changed their corporate name to Sears Holdings Co.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=SHLD

It was announced earlier today that our local Acme Township store will be closing.I go in there about once a month to pay my DTE Energy bill(for whatever strange reason I like paying my bills with cash when I can).This store is a bit outdated up front and has few floor cracks but is otherwise extremely clean and very nice looking throughout,including a very clean modern large men's restroom,unlike most Kmarts which are dumpy and dirty,including the nearby Garfield Township store.

Even though this store is nice and quite,which i kind of like,I don't believe I've ever spent more than 10 dollars on merchandise there at once.

I will be very sad to see a large nearby building sitting empty,possibly for many years.

ADD in TC wrote:It was announced earlier today that our local Acme Township store will be closing.I go in there about once a month to pay my DTE Energy bill(for whatever strange reason I like paying my bills with cash when I can).This store is a bit outdated up front and has few floor cracks but is otherwise extremely clean and very nice looking throughout,including a very clean modern large men's restroom,unlike most Kmarts which our dumpy and dirty,including the nearby Garfield Township store.

Even though this store is nice and quite,which i kind of like,I don't believe I've ever spent more than 10 dollars on merchandise there at once.

I will be very sad to see a large nearby building sitting empty,possibly for many years.

10 Kmarts and a Sears store in Grand Rapids are all closing here in Michigan.

Bryce wrote:K Mart has operated poorly for a long, long time. When I moved back here from the left coast in the early 90's I stopped in to purchase a snow shovel because the forecast called for snow and I didn't have one. It was very early February and although they had row after row of golf clubs on display there was nary a snow shovel to be found. Was told they were out of stock.

Not to defend K-Mart but that sort of thing is not uncommon at all retailers.