KMart is a general all goods discount store that is similar to Wal-Mart and Target with many exceptions -- all negative.

KMart comes in three "flavors" so to speak -- Regular, Big K, and Super K.

A Regular KMart has pharmacy, clothing and shoes, pharmacy, automotive, entertainment, domestic, garden, and only minor grocery type items.

A Big K has the same items as a regular KMart only with the addition of more grocery type items. The grocery type items usually consist of mostly staple items or snack type foods that one can pick up quickly in order to avoid an additional stop at a regular grocery store. These items usually include bread, milk, eggs, cheese, and even some frozen goods.

A Super K is the combination of a full blown supermarket and regular KMart. There's an extensive amount of groceries involved including fresh fruit and vegetables, deli, fresh meats, and so forth.

What Do I Like About KMart?

KMart has been around ever since I can remember. I had loved going to the store when I was a child. They have incredible sales and usually have a wide variety of merchandise. I can find some merchandise at KMart that I can not find at other stores and this appeals to me.

KMart also has fantastic clearance sales. Usually when there is a change of season, I am able to find very good discounted merchandise at even 80 to 90 percent off.

However, now that I am an adult, I am finding it increasingly difficult even deal with KMart, especially in the past five years. Most of these things I believe will cause the eventual demise of KMart into oblivion.

What Is Wrong With KMart?

There's probably not enough room in the Epinions server for me to give you a large enough detail about everything that I can tell you that is wrong with Kmart. However, I will do my best to be brief here and explain why I do not enjoy shopping there.

Sale Items Out of Stock - When there's a fantastic sale at Kmart, no matter WHEN you get there, they are usually out of stock, especially if it is an entertainment or electronics type items. No matter how many times you may try to get one of these items, even if you stand by the door and wait for them to open, they are always out or they didn't receive the shipment in time. Receiving a rain check for these items is a total joke. The rain checks are usually good for 30 days and even after 30 days there are no items in stock.

Ridiculous Layaway Surcharge - Kmart has an outrageous surcharge for layaways. The current charge in our area is $6 for a layaway with $4 of it non-refundable. I really do not understand why their charges are this high except for the fact that they do not wish to encourage individuals to place items on layaway. Usually the surcharge is more than what the sales savings on the items is worth so it does not even benefit the end user to put the item on layaway. This causes the shopper to have to pay for the item in full using a credit card or cash.

Little or No Air Conditioning In the Stores - I have been in Kmart’s for decades, and I can say that only within the past seven years there has been an increase in the temperature in the store. This prevents people from being able to shop in a comfortable environment, and definitely causes individuals to not want to be able to try on clothing. Complaining to the management is rather moot and goes upon deaf ears. Most of the time when I have my children with me, we wind up leaving a lot earlier than we would have because they are sweating and irritable. Having been to Kmart’s in several states, there doesn't seem to be a difference in this issue -- all of them are hot!

Antiquated and Outdated Cash Registers and Inventory System - After watching Dateline and other similar shows where it showed Kmart especially overcharging individuals during the holiday season and having endured this abuse of overcharging myself through the past few years of my shopping experience, I can tell you that Kmart has one of the worst cashiering and sales systems I have ever seen in my life.

Their system is programmed to take off sales markdowns apparently at the end and there is no way that an individual can price check the items as they are being scanned. Just today, I went to BigK to purchase some shorts for my children at a "Buy One, Get One 50 Percent Off" sale, and imagine my horror as I watched every price scan in there at the regular price.

Explaining to me that the computer takes off the discount at the end was not a comfort to me. I was unable to see for myself that the discounts were taken off and had to “trust” the system and the cashier that the total was correct until I actually paid for and had my receipt in my hand.

Normally that would not have been so bad had I only purchased two or three items, because I could have done the math in my head. However, I was at lunch trying to get shorts for my children for summer break, and having to figure discounts on 12 different pair of shorts and five shirts wasn’t going to work that way, especially with the different prices of these items.

In frustration, I told the cashier to void the entire buy one and get one ˝ items so that I could go to the service desk. The customer service representative explained to me that the prices were all adjusted at the end and that it had always been like that, and all I can say is that Kmart has a racket to confuse and frustrate customers.

The Future of Kmart

Personally, I see Kmart leaving the retail industry within the next decade or two. Their outdated practices and frustrating store policies have caused customers to flee en mass to other stores that offer lower prices and better customer service.

Within the past five years, I have seen at least five Kmart stores close in my local area. While it was nice that the stores did close, providing us with incredible prices for merchandise, I can only wonder how many more stores will have to close before Kmart wises up. Hopefully they can avoid their demise if they would finally gets the idea that the customer should be the one that comes first instead of frustrating them with policies and antiquated technology practices that drive away business.

As it stands, because of my frustrating shopping experience today in a store with a negative environment and antiquated sales equipment, I truly hope and pray that all of the merchandise that I purchased today fits my children. I am so tired and frustrated by this entire experience that I do not believe I have the strength to go back to this store tomorrow and deal with the customer service people to effect returns while my blood pressure soars higher than the temperature in the store.

Suggestions

If you have to do business with Kmart, then I say – good luck! As for me, I grow weary of dealing with these stores even on the very limited basis I do and I hope to give more of my business to Wal-Mart in the future, especially when they open the Super Wal-Mart down the road from my home.

Recommended: No