Good bye K-Mart

[MillCreek]

One of the two K-Mart stores in the county is closing as one of the 65 stores being closed across the country.  Another sign of how Sears is circling the drain. 

I won't miss it, since that K-Mart has absolutely nothing to offer, and the clientele is worse than Wally World.

[makattak]

One of the two K-Mart stores in the county is closing as one of the 65 stores being closed across the country.  Another sign of how Sears is circling the drain. 

I won't miss it, since that K-Mart has absolutely nothing to offer, and the clientele is worse than Wally World.

I stopped by Kmart the other day because it was on my way home and I needed an eyeglass repair kit. They didn't have one.

That's likely to be my last stop at Kmart. Nothing wrong with the store- in fact, it was nice to shop in such a deserted place. But if I can't be sure they'll have what I need, I might as well deal with the crowds at Wally-world.

[K Frame]

The KMart near me closed a couple of years ago. It was an unimaginable pit of despair. Filthy dirty, shelves in absolute disarray, creepy, unhelpful staff, and creepier customers.

The one near my mother in Pennsylvania is night & day different.

I just hate the fact that they're taking Sears down with them.

[lee n. field]

One of the two K-Mart stores in the county is closing as one of the 65 stores being closed across the country.  Another sign of how Sears is circling the drain. 

I won't miss it, since that K-Mart has absolutely nothing to offer, and the clientele is worse than Wally World.

Ours here closed 3 or 4 years ago.

Drearier than Walmort.  I don't miss it.

[brimic]

I haven't seen a Kmart store in about 15 years.

[mtnbkr]

I just hate the fact that they're taking Sears down with them.

They aren't taking Sears down with them, Sears is doing a fine job to itself.

Chris

[Pharmacology]

The one in las cruces New Mexico seems to be doing ok

sent from my mobile potato using crapatalk

[HankB]

25 years ago, K-Mart was a pretty decent place to shop - I even remember buying a car battery for my mother's Ford there, and it was actually a fresh "Motorcraft" battery. (Changed it in the parking lot.) But the store just kept going downhill after that . . . by the time they closed the last one in the Austin, TX area back around 2003, they had become real dumps; dirty, disorganized, stuff piled haphazardly on the shelves and strewn across the floor . . . and things were kind of crooked, too; Mom bought something and put it on her Discover card, and K-Mart charged her twice; when she called Discover to contest the double charge, the credit card rep told her that this was common from K-Mart.

Common! 

Thinking back, I like to think that what helped K-Mart go under was the sportsman's boycott that their hoplophobic spokesperson, Rosie O'Donnell, provoked back in the late '90s . . . I don't think they ever fully recovered.

[41magsnub]

Thinking back, I like to think that what helped K-Mart go under was the sportsman's boycott that their hoplophobic spokesperson, Rosie O'Donnell, provoked back in the late '90s . . . I don't think they ever fully recovered.

Ironically, the local K-Mart closed down and a Cabelas was built in it's place!

[wmenorr67]

Loved going to K-mart and getting the hero/sub sandwiches they sold.

Only redeeming quality I see anymore for K-mart would be if they had them is selling Craftsman tools.  Be interesting to see if anyone picks that up if Sears were to flush completely.  Be sad since AAFES now sells Craftsman.

[Brad Johnson]

I was in our local Sears recently and was shocked at how bare it was. I was even more disappointed at the level of staff (un)helpfulness and general lack of staffing quality.  There was a single counter clerk in the tool department.  While friendly, she was more concerned with talking than keeping the rather long checkout line moving.  Throw in some significant personal hygiene issues and it made for a less than pleasant checkout experience. 

Brad

[K Frame]

"Throw in some significant personal hygiene issues and it made for a less than pleasant checkout experience."

Maybe you should crawl through a shower once in awhile...

I, too, would be very sad to see Craftsman hand tools go away...

But if they do, I'm finding that the Kobalt brand from Lowes isn't half bad.

[onions!]

American brands that I grew up with going away.
I understand why they cannot compete.
I've had bad experiences going in to Sears the last couple of years.I usually just wade thru the horrible,horrible THING that is their website,find what I want,and pick it up in the store.I've shopped at the Woodland Mall store for decades.I remember when the counter had a half dozen fortyish to retired guys working there all the time.The department took up a huge area,and was always busy.Now a single,friendly,college kid can handle the whole show.My problems have been staff in the clothing and shoe areas that are more interested in chatting and giving a customer the stink eye than working.

The Kmart in my area is always busy but I haven't been there in years.

I miss Montgomery Wards.I remember when they sold hanguns back in the seventies.
I'll miss Sears,Kmart,& Pennys even more.
Won't it be swell when we buy all our stuff either from Walmart,a grocery superstore(Meijers),or on-line?
You couldn't bribe me with sex or bacon to go into a Kohls store.

[lupinus]

"Throw in some significant personal hygiene issues and it made for a less than pleasant checkout experience."

Maybe you should crawl through a shower once in awhile...

I, too, would be very sad to see Craftsman hand tools go away...

But if they do, I'm finding that the Kobalt brand from Lowes isn't half bad.

I've already given up on Craftsmen to be honest.

These days I don't think they're any better than the better overseas tools but priced like they are.

Unless they are bought up and turned back into what they used to be I could care less if Sears goes down and takes the brand with it.

[Brad Johnson]

But if they do, I'm finding that the Kobalt brand from Lowes isn't half bad.

Same here. The offerings from both Lowes and Home Depot have proven consistently worth the money.

Craftsmen only now, when it's probably too late, seems to have realized the clunky look and feel of their tools is getting them left on the shelf for less expensive, better looking, more ergonomic offerings from the Big Box store just up the street.

Brad

[Monkeyleg]

Years ago, K-Mart's ad slogan was, "You can't do better than K-Mart".  I always considered that a depressing thought.

[Ben]

Years ago, K-Mart's ad slogan was, "You can't do better than K-Mart".  I always considered that a depressing thought.

There is still a very run down Kmart locally, but the only reason it's in existence is that the local yuppies don't want Walmart here. Target has been going through a 20 year long process to put a store here, and it is finally going to be built next year. I expect at that time, the Kmart will go under. I haven't been inside it for years, but the last time I was, it looked kinda like a post Zombie Apocalypse environment.

[Jamisjockey]

They aren't taking Sears down with them, Sears is doing a fine job to itself.

Chris

This. Right. Here.

I've been in a few sears that are pretty pitiful lately. 

[Ben]

This. Right. Here.

I've been in a few sears that are pretty pitiful lately. 

Yeah, they're kinda going down too. Though you can get some good deals with them as they seem to be trying to compete a bit more. I got my new Whirlpool kitchen appliances from them last year cheaper than I could get them anywhere else, and last month got a new set of wrenches (Gearwrench - I'm also wary of Craftsman these days) for 25% less than Amazon. I didn't even have to go into the store. I bought them online, drove to the local store, sent a text from my phone, and 5 minutes later, a guy came to my car and handed me my merch.

[mtnbkr]

My dad is working part time at Sears now that he's retired.  The things they do to sales associates are terrible.  For example, it's not enough to meet your sales quota (he's a commissioned sales associate), you have to sell X numbers of protection agreements.  It's better to miss your sales quota than to miss your PA quota.  Since PA is tied to normal sales, the sales folks don't even want a regular sale unless they think they can get a PA out of the deal, it's pushed that hard by corporate.  Customers have walked on large sales due to PA sales attempts by the associates, but corporate won't budge on the idea that each sale must have a PA tied to it.

Chris

[K Frame]

Great, Chris, your Dad is doing to Sears what he did to Pennys.... Taking it down from inside. 

That's one reason why I don't buy appliances at Sears anymore. The prices are better elsewhere, the Kenmore name isn't what it used to be by any stretch of the imagination, and the sales associates are absolutely ruthless in pushing the damned things.

A few years ago I was about ready to commit to either a freezer or a fridge (can't remember which one) at the Seven Corners Sears, and the guy was absolutely relentless about the service agreement.

I told him I had no intention of purchasing a protection agreement, that if I thought that I needed one I wouldn't be buying a Kenmore appliance in the first place. The ass lied to me and told me that all applicances HAD to be accompanied by a PA.

I snorted, said if he felt like not lying to me I'd be across the street at Best Buy, and walked out.

[French G.]

Why Sears is dying is some my fault. My washer flooded the laundry room at 2:00am. Did some emergency de-watering, learned the only way possible that I do not have valves at the washer fill connection  , then troubleshot the washer. Decided it was terminal, found a switch on e-bay because there is no mfg. support for a 25 year old washer, then decided that $95 to fix a washer with no real parts support was iffy, went on to Lowe's website. Hey look, it's their annual appliance sale week, lucky me. Found a basic washer by Roper, US made for 39% off. Quick google, find a coupon code for another 10% off of that. Surely the site won't take it right? Wrong, it did. So by 4:00 am I had spent $260 with Lowes and then waited patiently for a big truck to take away my old washer and hand me a shiny new one. Not once did I consider riding 50 miles to Sears and window shopping. Ad I bought my last big batch of Craftsman tools at a military exchange and they were on clearance.

[brimic]

I've already given up on Craftsmen to be honest.

These days I don't think they're any better than the better overseas tools but priced like they are.

Pretty much. However, I've never broke a socket that had 'Craftsman' stamped on it, but I've broken many with 'Taiwan' or 'China' stamped on them. Its to the point where I think asian made hand tools are made of pot metal.

[MillCreek]

I grew up in a family that bought all their tools and appliances at Sears, and I carried on that tradition for many years as I established my own household.  But my last three appliance purchases/installs were all at Lowe's: dishwasher, garbage disposal and water heater.  I now think of Lowe's first for this.  I have had some good luck with the Kobalt tools as well.

[Brad Johnson]

My dad is working part time at Sears now that he's retired.  The things they do to sales associates are terrible.  For example, it's not enough to meet your sales quota (he's a commissioned sales associate), you have to sell X numbers of protection agreements.  It's better to miss your sales quota than to miss your PA quota.  Since PA is tied to normal sales, the sales folks don't even want a regular sale unless they think they can get a PA out of the deal, it's pushed that hard by corporate.  Customers have walked on large sales due to PA sales attempts by the associates, but corporate won't budge on the idea that each sale must have a PA tied to it.

Chris

When I worked for The Shack back in the 80s they started doing the same thing.  One of the reasons I quit was for being called on the carpet by a divisional VP for lack of ESPs (extended service plans) even though I was one of only two stores in the entire district running a sales gain. Not just any gain, either. A double digit gain when the entire region was struggling to climb out of a loss.  Didn't get so much as a mention for that, though.

Brad