"Attention Kmart Shopper..."

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So I stop in at a Kmart nearby to another store to see if they have one thing, 8 1/2 x 14 printer paper. Why not try this ill-fated store, right?

After parking my car in their spacious parking lot which had many, many available convenient spaces for perspective patrons, (that included a few carts strewn about), I walked in to the store unopposed by any other humans to find the entire sum of 3 other shoppers in the building; 2 oddly perusing the pristine (and probably dusty) book & magazine aisle. The other was at the return desk (more than likely returning that short-sleeve suit she got for her husband). The pure emptiness of this store reminds me of Myspace, only with a floor plan.

After I find the well-labeled office supplies area and that they don't have any paper size other than the usual 8 1/2 x 11 (surprise, right?), and after the lone employee pushes cart with a few misplaced stock items RIGHT NEXT TO ME (who misplaced them? and why my aisle, WHY NOW?), I mosey to the oil section. After all, I found Castrol 5w-30 dino on clearance for $1.50/qt a few years ago....

My what a few year's difference makes! No, not in the aggregate number of patrons as that has remained a constant (zero of them, which is good in a way, keeps floor cleaning costs very low), but the in price of oil. I did a triple take, laughed out loud & said "no wonder no one shops here!" then snapped this photo:


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$39.99
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Yep, $39.99 for a 5qt jug of standard M1 product. WallyWorld has it for around $24.xx-$26.xx depending on region.

Of the few Kmarts I have visited in the last few years in different states all are the same: a well-stocked store with high prices and no shoppers in it. Kinda like Google+.

"Kmart, we were the Myspace of the 20th century!"
or
"Kmart, why pay less!"
 
i used to buy oil there years ago because the prices were really low when on sale but now their prices are nuts and yes that is the number one reason in my opinion that they are in the shape they are in.. i won't shop there its a joke
 
Wow, that is NUTS.

I know I just read an article in the WSJ that said that a new very competitive pricing plan is coming to K Mart very soon. My question is where has it been for the past several years?


That being said, I really miss the days back in the early - mid 70s when the used to have plenty of "Blue Light Specials" every day, and you'd hear the PA system state "Attention K mart shoppers, there is a blue light special on ( )"

Sad to see a old icon like K Mart go down quietly.
 
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Regular priced items at K-mart are typically up there but they have decent sales and blowout clearances.
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I for one, would be sorry to see them go under.

Anyway, if things keep on the way they have $30+ for a jug of oil may be the going price eventually.
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Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Is that the 5.1 quart jug? I think that`s what Autozone wants for it too.


+1
 
That's still cheaper than the regular prices we see up here. I just checked Canadian Tire's website, Mobil 1 on sale for $35.99/4.4Liters. Regular $48.99
 
K-Mart for a long time has had a very haphazard, unprofessional business model, and they do not seem to be able to fix it. They do have some sales, but by and large shopping at a K-Mart is a frustrating experience.
 
I think I remember posting this a while back (no pictures though). Prices will go down..just not that much.

As someone said, we are closer to that price than you think...
 
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
That is insane.

K-Mart probably doesn't have much longer.


Yeah. That's Canadian territory for M1 prices. They want to move up to Canada now. That may work out for them if they keep the same prices that they have in the U.S. High there might be a bargain here.
 
The small lines, parking, and being able to be alone wtihout people bugging you are the best things about Kmart.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
I was just in KMart last night picking up a pizza (big mistake) and the prices the OP posted are the same here.

I don't believe many people pay the everyday retail price at K-mart, they are mostly there for the sales, which are often better than regular Walmart prices.

Its simply a different sales strategy.
 
Originally Posted By: BigBuck
The small lines, parking, and being able to be alone wtihout people bugging you are the best things about Kmart.


+1

We have a K-Mart less than 1 mile from our house. It's much more convenient than Walmart or Target based upon the same criteria as you mention.
 
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Originally Posted By: BigBuck
The small lines, parking, and being able to be alone wtihout people bugging you are the best things about Kmart.


We have a K-Mart less than 1 mile from our house. It's much more convenient than Walmart or Target based upon the same criteria as you mention.


You forgot to mention the lack of freaks and weirdos that Walmart seems to attract for some reason.
 
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