Besides being annoying and completely incognoscente of other human beings on the planet?
Ancient oil finds at K-Mart
- Thread starter Benzadmiral
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I know what you mean. I've been in places where a SuperKMart was built only 6 years ago. It used to be a busy and thriving store but ever since the SuperWalMarts have come to town the KMart has emptied out. The place looks like a ghost town. I only go there to buy things like air filters, spark plugs, tools, and motor oil. The nice thing about Kmart is that it's so empty that you never need to wait in line at the cash register.
WalMart on the other hand, is the exact opposite. They'll have 40 cash registers and only 3 -4 will actually be staffed by a cashier. And it's always crowded, day or night, weekday or weekend. The funny thing is I don't think the prices are that different from KMart's. I often wonder how KMart can afford to pay the rent on their stores though. It seems like the WalMarts must be selling ten times the amount of merchandise.
I get sad and nostalgic whenever I see a nearly-empty yet almost new "Big K". I remember back the in '70s when KM was THE place to discount shop...everybody went there! I guess you could say it was the Wal-Mart of its day.
And someday, some super chain store will come in and Sprawl-Mart will be forced into bankruptcy. Probably not in my lifetime, but....
Or wipe the dust off.
Seems NAPA stores sometimes have old oil.
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In the town where I work, there is a Super-Target. The selection of products, size/layout of the store, and the number of shoppers, is much the same as what you'll find in W-M. For some reason, however, the shoppers I encounter at S-T tend to be a little more patient/polite, and it seems as if the aisles are wider in the S-T, too. I'll have to take my tape measue in one day & see if it's just my imagination. Also, they always have ENOUGH registers open. Try that in W-M or K-M. Now, if we BITOGers could just find a way to get Target to have a REAL automotive dept.....
Now, here's a totally idiotic & unrelated question that's always been in the back of my mind when I go to W-M; Suppose you were locked inside a Super W-M, all the power was cut, and for whatever the reason, you were unable to leave, and nobody could come to get you out. With everything in the store at your disposal, how long do you think you could survive? Me thinks for years.
Now, here's a totally idiotic & unrelated question that's always been in the back of my mind when I go to W-M; Suppose you were locked inside a Super W-M, all the power was cut, and for whatever the reason, you were unable to leave, and nobody could come to get you out. With everything in the store at your disposal, how long do you think you could survive? Me thinks for years.
One of many reasons I dislike the place -- that, and the incredibly annoying habit so many W-M bottom-feeders have of letting their children scream and run wild in the narrow aisles. At 10 or 11 at night, yet! Why aren't those little rugrats home in bed where they belong?
Target may be poor in the automotive department, but by every other measure (price, pleasant staff, width of aisles, better lighting, excellent selection), they have Evil-Mart beat by 10 kilometers.
Our local K-Marts also have ancient SL and SJ oil. Why they don't clearance it out is a mystery to me. I would load up, unless one of you out there beats me to it.
Anyway, K-Mart is generally more pleasant, and cheaper, than Wal Mart, while Target is better than either. Now, Target is an exemplar of market segmentation. Target may have similar or lower prices on most items than the other two, but Target has a higher demographic customer.
Finally, how can you tell where low income people shop? Look for the oil stains in the parking lot. A great deal of oil staining is an unmistakable indicator of a low demographic customer base.
Anyway, K-Mart is generally more pleasant, and cheaper, than Wal Mart, while Target is better than either. Now, Target is an exemplar of market segmentation. Target may have similar or lower prices on most items than the other two, but Target has a higher demographic customer.
Finally, how can you tell where low income people shop? Look for the oil stains in the parking lot. A great deal of oil staining is an unmistakable indicator of a low demographic customer base.
Local K-mart here has the SJ-rated Durablend. It has a rebate that expired years ago. It is priced to move at $2.09/qt, I believe. What gets me is that they had a great sale price on M1 last summer for $4.50/qt (when everywhere else was charging at least $1 more/qt), but won't budge on the ancient Durablend.
I miss K-mart greatly too!
However, I don't believe rude people only exhist at Wal-Mart; unfortunately they're everywhere, in every store, even driving down streets, and highways.
And I don't find it's limited to just financial status, though I tend to find woman of higher financial status pretty nasty and rude in nature.
I personally like the small towns, not too many people to have to contend with. If you do, it's usually smooth-talking gestures and how ya doin.
However, I don't believe rude people only exhist at Wal-Mart; unfortunately they're everywhere, in every store, even driving down streets, and highways.
And I don't find it's limited to just financial status, though I tend to find woman of higher financial status pretty nasty and rude in nature.
I personally like the small towns, not too many people to have to contend with. If you do, it's usually smooth-talking gestures and how ya doin.
One time in line at Walmart, a woman-beast shoved her stuff backwards on the conveyor, knocking my stuff off. I pointed that fact out to her, although she was already quite aware, and asked her if she wanted to pick-up what she knocked onto the ground. She declined. Nice.
I think a common-sense traffic control reminder should be posted saying that cart operators coming out from side isles into main isles should yield to people already coming down the main isles. Sometimes I have "accidents".
I think a common-sense traffic control reminder should be posted saying that cart operators coming out from side isles into main isles should yield to people already coming down the main isles. Sometimes I have "accidents".
I got a tip from another BITOG member who I've been picking the brain of regarding the '98 Civic I recently bought when he informed me his local K-Mart had some Valvoline Pyroil power steering fluid for Hondas on clearance for a buck a bottle. I took a half day off on Monday, so I went to the retail museum that is K-Mart to see if the one near me had any and sure enough, two bottles of Pyroil on the shelf for a buck.
Does anyone know when Pyroil was phased out? The copyright on the bottle is 1994. They also had some Mobil 1 0w30 and red cap Mobil 1 15w-50. I was really half expecting to unearth a quart can of oil. Darn, I thought I'd be able to use my old spout! Alas, more K-marts to be toured though, so there's hope!
Does anyone know when Pyroil was phased out? The copyright on the bottle is 1994. They also had some Mobil 1 0w30 and red cap Mobil 1 15w-50. I was really half expecting to unearth a quart can of oil. Darn, I thought I'd be able to use my old spout! Alas, more K-marts to be toured though, so there's hope!
Regarding oil stains in the parking lot, brother, I hear you. I pulled into a mom and pop style convenience store and gas station a few days ago just to get a snack and a drink. I got out of the car and in the empty space beside me there must have been a quart of pink looking oil glistening in the sun on the asphalt. I hope that wasn't transmission fluid! I scanned the horizon for any disabled cars, but the coast was clear. Somebody is in a world of hurt if they are losing THAT much fluid. Or else they dropped the pan right there and did a transmission service, which I kind of doubt.
I informed the cashier that it looked like the Exxon Valdez had made a port call in the parking lot. They might want to get that cleaned up before somebody slips, falls, and tries to sue them or the EPA classified the joint as a toxic waste site. The slack jawed yokel just kind of looked at me with a puzzled look. Guess the Valdez reference didn't register.
Keep your eyes open fellas. There's an oil slick in just about every good size parking lot.
I informed the cashier that it looked like the Exxon Valdez had made a port call in the parking lot. They might want to get that cleaned up before somebody slips, falls, and tries to sue them or the EPA classified the joint as a toxic waste site. The slack jawed yokel just kind of looked at me with a puzzled look. Guess the Valdez reference didn't register.
Keep your eyes open fellas. There's an oil slick in just about every good size parking lot.
It's amazing the number of hoopties and grocery-getters that frequent these quickie marts...what few maintenance supplies they may even consider purchasing probably come off these shelves next to the Raisenets and refrigerator magnets. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't buy a quart of Ford ATF (when the pos called for Dexron III) and poured it into the the crankcase and blissfully drove off as their engine sputtered its dying breaths choked with red fluid pouring from a gaping hole in the motor oil pan.
Come to think of it, it may have been my sister...
Amen. Although the Mobil 1 at Target for $4.09/quart is a pretty good deal (if you're a M1 user). Target also have some pretty decent car detailing products (Vroom brand).
The Target near me does not sell oil at all. All they have are some cleaning supplies and zebra print steering wheel covers.
I buy as little as possible at Walmart because of the way they treat employees and then spout rhetoric about how they care about them. I know people that would have to spend more for their healthcare than I do, but can't afford it because of low wages. Also their purchasing tactics of agreeing to buy at a set price and then refusing it at the dock because they wouldn't pay the agreed price.
Wal Mart is an F'n dump! End of story. There automotive section is better than Kmarts yes but I won't go in there at all. I like the way Kmart now has Craftsman stuff now too. I've only been in a Wal Mart twice in the last 13 years or so and don't plan on going back.
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