I last went to a K-Mart when I was in college in 2013. Shit was like stepping foot into a time machine even then.
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Americans when was the last time you stepped foot into a K-Mart?
- Thread starter Uncle at Nintendo
- Start date
Early 2018, not too long before the last one in the area closed down. Only went because I knew I soon wouldn't be able to. It's still empty, drive by it every day.
I've been twice in the last 10 years. Once here in Phoenix to get a hose (lol), and then in 2013 or so in Hawaii when we lived there. They were both pretty gross/depressing. It's a nice hose though.
Couple years ago, before it finally gave up the ghost.
There was a strong, strong aura of nobodygivesashitery there. Like, visible water stains on the ceiling, the floor hadn't been cleaned. The general aesthetics hadn't been updated in a decade or two. If inanimate matter could suffer from malaise, those walls were ripe with it.
I only went there to kill time, but the soul-draining experience near killed me.
There was a strong, strong aura of nobodygivesashitery there. Like, visible water stains on the ceiling, the floor hadn't been cleaned. The general aesthetics hadn't been updated in a decade or two. If inanimate matter could suffer from malaise, those walls were ripe with it.
I only went there to kill time, but the soul-draining experience near killed me.
It was a year or two back for something trivial. For staples like toothpaste, soap, mouthwash, socks, etc it's not any different than going to Wal-Mart (which is always a worse experience).
K-mart being outdated and odd has everything to do with the insane CEO bleeding its assets and not the business model per se.
K-mart being outdated and odd has everything to do with the insane CEO bleeding its assets and not the business model per se.
Either the late 90s or early 2000s. My family moved to Texas in '99 and I remember them pulling out of the Houston market very soon after we got here. I might have gone into one once or twice while visiting family in the midwest, but all I remember is the store feeling pretty dingy. Even as a kid, it felt like that place hadn't been updated in years.
Nostalgia-wise I have more memories of Walmart. I remember when not every store was a super center (which still might be the case, but definitely not in/around cities) and the greeters gave out the stickers when you entered. My dad worked for them for a good 15 years or so before he was poached by HEB, and said the atmosphere at Walmart changed quite a bit after Sam died and the kids took over.
Nostalgia-wise I have more memories of Walmart. I remember when not every store was a super center (which still might be the case, but definitely not in/around cities) and the greeters gave out the stickers when you entered. My dad worked for them for a good 15 years or so before he was poached by HEB, and said the atmosphere at Walmart changed quite a bit after Sam died and the kids took over.
In the 2000s, but the early 2000s.
It was a staple of my household in the 80s and 90s since my parents weren't very well off and Kmart had really good layaway terms - they'd buy everything we needed for school there (supplies, clothes, etc) and pay for it over the summer. I went there a couple times later on to snag game deals, but it was pretty clear that things were starting to head downhill even in the 2000-2004 time period. I also bought an artificial Christmas tree there sometime around then (probably around 2004 since that's when I moved into my house).
Our remaining Kmarts closed a few years ago (and all of our Sears stores followed them not too much later) so I couldn't visit one even if I wanted to, but considering what they were like even 10+ years ago, I'm not sure I'd want to bother.
It was a staple of my household in the 80s and 90s since my parents weren't very well off and Kmart had really good layaway terms - they'd buy everything we needed for school there (supplies, clothes, etc) and pay for it over the summer. I went there a couple times later on to snag game deals, but it was pretty clear that things were starting to head downhill even in the 2000-2004 time period. I also bought an artificial Christmas tree there sometime around then (probably around 2004 since that's when I moved into my house).
Our remaining Kmarts closed a few years ago (and all of our Sears stores followed them not too much later) so I couldn't visit one even if I wanted to, but considering what they were like even 10+ years ago, I'm not sure I'd want to bother.
A few years ago. There was one near our old apartment and my wife and I would stop by every now and then looking for deals but yeah...place was usually a ghost town.
Maybe 5-6 years ago... it was one of those LOW ceiling K-Marts too - like a time warp.
It ended up closing maybe a year later. I don't even remember if we bought anything.
It ended up closing maybe a year later. I don't even remember if we bought anything.
One of ours was torn down to put in a Carmax; the other two were made into Sears Appliance outlet stores. Our Sears locations were in malls; they're just closed now.
It was back in 2013. Was on a trip with my grandparents and we were spending a week at this hotel in Pennsylvania because my grandpa wanted to see his family who lived there, there was a Kmart in the town by the hotel, so we stopped in there like once and bought some stuff.
That place is a U-haul center now lol.
That place is a U-haul center now lol.
In the 90s I'd go there for the little caesers. As a highschooler being able to get 2 pieces of pan pizza, some garlic breadsticks and a chocolate ravioli was great.
Jesus, I've SEEN K-marts on and off in the last 20 years or so but I don't think I've actually been in one since the 90s
Did their website give you the option between frames and no frames?
OP, I'm about to blow your mind. In the death throes of Kmart/Sears, they would abuse their Shop Your Way Rewards (SYWR) and would occasionally email me free deals with no minimum purchase required. They'd toss me $7, $15 worth of points to use on anything in the store, and I would get random stuff I need or sort of need and try not to go over the free points amount. Their goal was to get customers like me in the store but I was not buying anything beyond my points, so ultimately it worked against them. Stuff like a Ski Mask, Garden tools, kitchen gadgets, baby clothes... if I had $7 worth of free SYWR points I'd spend $7.02 on any combination of things and leave. Laundry detergent, a bathtub stopper... I am remembering the stuff I got for free this way.
Multiply this by their Black Friday deals. For large purchases, such as exercise equipment (I did this twice: 1 elliptical, 1 stationary bike) not only would it be discounted for BF but they'd offer X amount of weeks with Y amount of points as part of the deal. Something like $10 a week for 15 weeks. I would do the same thing and get random shit without going over, it was glorious and I absolutely abused the shit out of it. They have since stopped sending me offers right around the same time my local Kmart closes. I still have a Sears nearby.
Multiply this by their Black Friday deals. For large purchases, such as exercise equipment (I did this twice: 1 elliptical, 1 stationary bike) not only would it be discounted for BF but they'd offer X amount of weeks with Y amount of points as part of the deal. Something like $10 a week for 15 weeks. I would do the same thing and get random shit without going over, it was glorious and I absolutely abused the shit out of it. They have since stopped sending me offers right around the same time my local Kmart closes. I still have a Sears nearby.
In the 90s before it was closed and torn down. The area were the parking lot and store was is still empty pavement today.
2007. I'd read that some K-marts had broken release date on Mass Effect 1, so I ventured down to the decrepit local store with my poor grandpa in tow to see if they had any copies for sale.
Alas, it was not to be.
Alas, it was not to be.
2019 or early 2020 (pre-Covid) but I honestly don't remember. It was a good store and I do actually miss it if I'm going to be honest. They had good deals, good clothes and just generally had almost anything needed
Also I remember always being able to find new (but pretty old, often up to 5+ years old) LEGO sets or Nerf guns which was always pretty cool honestly.
And back in 2015 before they got rid of video games I remember finding original Xbox and PS2 games there too sometimes
Also I remember always being able to find new (but pretty old, often up to 5+ years old) LEGO sets or Nerf guns which was always pretty cool honestly.
And back in 2015 before they got rid of video games I remember finding original Xbox and PS2 games there too sometimes
Probably the mid-2000s when one was closing in Miami and everything was 90% off.
Speaking of, did anybody else take advantage of those merch sell-offs at Circuit City? I got so much cheap computer gear, oh my god.
Speaking of, did anybody else take advantage of those merch sell-offs at Circuit City? I got so much cheap computer gear, oh my god.
In like 2015 or 2016 I used to go to the one by my apartment with one of my friends to check on clearance gaming stuff, as they occasionally had really odd things on clearance (they still had some PS2/PS3 games for some reason). It was always completely empty of people though, was really weird for such a large store.
Maybe 5 years ago? Give or take. First time I'd been in one in probably almost 10 years though. I was in a city about an hour north of home and somewhat surprised to see it as I hadn't been in one in forever and the only one I knew of that was still open was about an hour the other direction. I needed a drink and to use the bathroom and it was right there so I stopped. Walked around awhile. I had never been in that particular store before, but it still looked exactly like every K Mart I remembered from the late 90s/early 00s. Eerie, it was almost like stepping back in time. I remember they were clearancing out most of their games/electronics at the time and I almost grabbed Puppeteer for PS3. Around 2015 probably. Both of the KMarts from my home town have been something else for a few years now. One is a Dick's Sporting Goods now after having sat empty for nearly a decade right on the main street of town. The other is an At Home which also sat empty for years on the other side of town. A quick Google search shows both shut down at the same time in 2009, about a year before I moved away.
The last one I visited apparently closed in 2018. From the state of it around 2015/2016/whenever I visited I'm surprised it made it that long. The last one in Illinois apparently closed last April. I might have gone (its only about an hour away) if it wasn't for, you know, the pandemic.
The last one I visited apparently closed in 2018. From the state of it around 2015/2016/whenever I visited I'm surprised it made it that long. The last one in Illinois apparently closed last April. I might have gone (its only about an hour away) if it wasn't for, you know, the pandemic.
Late 2001 or Early 2002, around the time they declared bankruptcy. It was the one on Waltham Woods Rd. in Parkville.
My local one went out of business early last year and I made sure to stock up on jeans before they did.