Review: Kmart

Last week I started my "review" series where I give my comments, thoughts, and opinions on a retail store. We had quite a spirited discussion about Walmart then, and I'm looking forward to the same today. ;-)

This week I'll be reviewing another mass merchandiser: Kmart.

I have a long history with Kmart. I used to shop there all the time while growing up and between my junior and senior years in college I worked for a store as an assistant manager intern (no, you can NOT get farther down on the food chain than that.) At that time Kmart was the king of mass merchants, but my particular store was panicked because a new competitor was headed into their region, some company by the name of Walmart. They had heard of Walmart's devastation on other Kmarts across the south, and they were bracing for an invasion that they expected to be about as terrible as the Huns coming to ransack their city.

But that was a long time ago -- back in the days of the Blue Light special (yes, I had to do those) and Teddy Ruxpin (he was new that summer and I swear I almost murdered our display bear because all he did was talk, talk, talk!) For now, I'm going to look at Kmart as a shopper and what I think of it as a consumer. To cut to the chase, here's my quick summary:

In general, I think a good description for Kmart is "a low-end Walmart." Yep. I'm not too high on the big K.

Pros

The only pro I can think of is that they SOMETIMES have a great deal in their ad that makes it worth the horror of actually going into their store near us. That's about it for the positive. Oh yeah, there's a Taco Bell nearby, so that makes it a more positive experience. ;-)

Cons

The cons -- everything else. Stores are crummy and in poor locations, prices are only "ok", employees are rude, merchandise is weak. If I could think of anything else negative to say, I'm sure it would apply to these stores.

Overall rating: F

As a result of my thoughts above, we rarely shop in Kmarts. I was in on a few weeks ago and it simply served to reinforce the perceptions noted above. It's a loser in my book.

What's your take on Kmart?

Comments

[Ryan S]

A couple of pros to add:

Craftsman tools
Wrangler jeans
Timbercreek slacks
Closer to my house than the mall
Not crowded (since everyone is at the walmart nearby)

[Michael]

I have to largely agree. In the 90's K-Mart decided to build a bunch of new stores. Those were all pretty nice, and they also kept most of the old out of date stores around for some reason. I guess that made sense when they went through a few years later and closed all the brand new ones, leaving open still the old, out-of-date stores.

Anyways, I went into one about six months ago for some reason or another, and it was like you said, like stepping back in time. Walking in with rows of old flourescent lights hanging from the ceiling that still made the loud buzzing that I've only heard in K-mart stores. Junky endcaps and displays. Felt unclean and grimy.

But, to their credit, since they've merged with Sears, they've re-branded some of the Kmart stores as Sears Essentials, and those seem somewhat nicer.

[Mike]

I have to disagree with the review, or at least state that the local KMart in my area (SE PA) is rather nice. They have everything I'd to to WallyWorld or Target for and they're closer, not as packed, and have almost the same prices. This store is also very bright and clean, and with the red theme, looks and feels a lot like the Target that I'd have to drive an extra 20 minutes to.

Best of all: it's not a WalMart.

[Maria]

Long story short, dead battery, no jumper cables. K-Mart was the only store in walking distance (central NJ). What a shock. Filthy, understocked, understaffed, overpriced. I had no other choice than to spend $20 on cables that cost $10 any where else. I can't believe in this financially challenging time that they are still in business.

[Cyn94601]

Kmart always has a long line in my area. Do they train the help to be rude? I will never understand how fusing with a customer over trival things is a part of customer service - but each time I've gone to Kmart it seems that I've witnessed this type of behavior. So, no, Kmart is not one of my favorites!

[Becky@FamilyandFinances]

The old KMart building around here is still sitting empty after over 10 years. They built a new one about 5 years ago that lasted for about 2 years and then closed down. Luckily, the newer building was in a good location and was bought and used by another retailer.

No more KMarts left in my town. I was never impressed with it when it was around, so no loss :)

[Joshua]

I, too, remember the days that Kmart ruled. Now I walk into the sliding doors of Kmart and the first thing that happens is I smell piss. The front area of the Kmart that is near me smells like dog piss. It's absolutely horrid. 2 thumbs way down for Kmart. Sorry Super K.

[Caanan]

Ughh. The last time I went to a K-mart it was a "Super" K. Half of the items I saw were in the wrong place (I guess people working there think customers know where things go better than they do). And in the produce section... the strawberries were absolutely covered in mold. It was disgusting. I think the whole shipment was rotten, but they put it out on the floor anyway. It'll be a cold day in Hawaii before I shop there again.

[Bobby]

To quote Dennis Hoffman "K-Mart Sucks"

[DMD]

I just bought a nice dining room set from KMart and am very happy with it. As commenter Michael noted, the item was a Sears crossover, which has increased quality a bit.

Frankly, I rather shop at KMart than Walmart, if only for the smaller crowds and the nostalga factor.

K Mart...wow. It's been a while since I've entered one of those. Like one commenter already said as a positive: It's not Wal-Mart. Heh. I'm surprised any of them are still in business. They should have faded away, like Ames did.

[CyanSquirrel]

(Sorry...anon above was me)

K Mart...wow. It's been a while since I've entered one of those. Like one commenter already said as a positive: It's not Wal-Mart. Heh. I'm surprised any of them are still in business. They should have faded away, like Ames did.

[Kristi]

The thing that always boggles my mind is why on earth Martha Stewart would want her name at all associated with a store like Kmart.

[Bobby]

Or why K-Mart would want their name associated with her.

[JSB]

I have to agree with Ryan S. The tools at Kmart are far superior to anything you can get a WalMart or Target. For that reason, I would give it a passing grade of D.

[Amy]

Agreed. Kmart is gross. The one near us (suburb of Boston) is horid, messy and outdated. I've gone there a few times to look for inexpensive martha stewart home decor things, and I am also bewildered as to why she would agree to be associated with them. I bet she is counting the minutes until her contract expires.

[LC]

I disagree with this post. Comparing the Wal Mart and the KMart that are closest to my house, the Wal Mart is much dirtier and more crowded and has lower quality items. I have gotten very nice furniture and shoes from Kmart and the same type of items from Wal Mart fall apart very quickly.

The only benefits to Wal Mart are the prices are often lower and the variety of the selection is better. KMart is closer so I tend to shop there when I am in a hurry or if it is a peak time. I go to Wal Mart for the major shopping trips primarily because of the prices.

Sounds like there is a lot of variation in different areas of the country (I've also observed this with certain hotel chains... very nice in the north and the "you need to hire a bodyguard" type in the south).

[Lord]

Martha Stewart is a plus.

[Sarah]

We used to shop at K-Mart all the time when I was growing up. Grody then, grody now. But I hit the one in Manhattan on occasion when I just can't bring myself to spend unnecessary money on certain basic supplies and I can't make it out to the Target in Brooklyn (although that Target is a disgrace to the chain, too).

[rwh]

There's a Taco Bell close to my KMart too.

I would rather go to KMart than WalMart. They have nice plants in the garden center in the spring a very good selection of bulbs (tulips etc. not light bulbs) in the fall.

And I bought some very nice Martha Stewart fencing for my flower beds. Most of the Martha Stewart stuff is pretty nice for a store like KMart, particularly linens.

[Sarah]

My husband and I just went to a kmart last week and it was totally repulsive! Not only was the store totally disgusting, it was unorganized, the merchandise just looked cheap, the workers were rude, and not to mention the fact that it totally stunk! Now I am a MAJOR fan of Target but, still there is no explanation for a store to look like that. My husband and I walked out of there and vowed to NEVER shop in a kmart ever again. I'm so glad that we are not alone on our views of this store!

[Tim]

Kmart is great because you always get a good parking spot!

[db]

I haven't set foot in a KMart since the early 1990s. Actually, I don't even know where there is a KMart in my city.

[jason]

the last time i went o a kmart was a couple of years ago, the holiday season that the nintendo DS was released. i was driving around like mad trying to find one. i honestly went to 20+ stores (multiple shopping centers, malls, etc). i gave up, and was about to drive home.. and there it was. KMART.

i figure it can't hurt to try. sure enough, kmart had 1 nintendo DS left when the rest of the state seemed to be sold out.

for that, i give them props.

[Rich Guy]

Kmart here in Illinois is never busy. Most of the products are the lowest quality crap from China. I have seen better quality at Dollar General.

[Kristina]

I like Kmart and I'm really an elitist and a snob. I find the Basic Editions to be reasonably priced compared to other t-shirts and jeans. Also, the Martha Stewart is great design for really, reasonable prices. If she's leaves them, I'm out of there.

[Mike]

Where we live the Big K is now Sears Essentials and it's become VERY worthwhile to go there, just for the craftsman stuff alone. Not many choices other than Walmart, they seem to have cleaned up their act somewhat since the switchover.

[becky]

Personally, I enjoy Kmart a ton more than Walmart, mostly because it's not a circus in the Kmart stores (and because I will NOT shop at Walmart stores). I don't shop at Kmart very often, but I have purchased gardening supplies, toys, and clothes there (Joe Boxer sweatpants) and have been happy with the quality and the price. The store hasn't always been the most organized, but that doesn't bother me. The service I've encountered has always been good and very helpful.

I do remember the days when Kmart was the powerhouse of the market and I shopped there all the time...

[Dustin]

No one yet has mentioned a major pro in my book: Little Caesar's! My wife and I go to Kmart on a regular basis just for the Little Caesar's because we can't find a stand-alone location near us. When we want to eat out, $5 large pizzas is a great deal.

[Jo]

There was a Kmart in the town I just moved out of. And I have to agree with most of what is said. I would shop there occassionally. I madely went there was a I was bargain shopping. I got some pretty good deals (mostly on toothpaste and toothbrushes) there especially when combined with coupons and they have inexpensive shoes. But much of the merchandise is overpriced, the clothing is not very fashionable and cheaply made, it's hard to get any help, and there was rarely more than one or two checkouts open even when it was busy.

Also, for my job at the time I was asking for donations to fill Easter baskets for senior citizens. Only one year did Kmart donate anything, and that was a few bags of Easter candy which amounted to about 3 pieces per basket. Target and Walmart donated every year...not much but it was something.

I would rather shop at Kmart than Walmart, but I really don't want to go to either. Luckily, I have several Targets around me!!

[Susan]

K-Mart isn't so bad. It's been awhile since I've been in one but I prefer a lot of the merchandise over
Wal-Mart.

[moe]

The K-Marts around here aren't too bad, as far as the cleanliness of the store is concerned...they just have a lot less stuff than Walmart does, and in general are much less well organized. Seems like if they wanted to differentiate themselves from the Big W, they'd go back to being S.S. Kresge stores like they were until about 1964 or so. Or figure out how to lose the "mart" in the name...I avoid shopping anywhere that ends in "mart".

[asithi]

Martha Stewart is one of the reason why I do not go to K-mart. I cannot stand the woman.

But K-mart is just a step above Walmart for me. Maybe a D-

[Axel M.]

We used to have three K-Marts in Kalamazoo County, but one of them closed. I have got to admit that I shop at Kmart one or more times every week. The variety has improved, and some of the store workers are friendly. They do have some outstanding products I have purchased there. I have never stepped foot into a Wal-Mart store, or bought anyone there.