KmartGamer 7.0

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SHC-Gamer

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There are no coupon/gift card deals with any consoles. The thread title has not been updated yet.

I am very easy to reach on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KmartGamer

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www.KmartGamer.com (Blog is effective in all locations)

To receive gaming coupons you must be a Shop Your Way Rewards member. It's free and only takes a couple of minutes to sign up in store.

It's a wiki, please update. This portion of the OP is for anyone who notices a deal posted either at KmartGamer's blog, Facebook, Twitter or in this thread.


Kmart Weekly Ad: (Circulars not effective in all stores, NYC and Offshore in particular - Savings coupon offers effective everywhere)

January 8th through the 14th:

:360::ps3: Rage $34.99

:360::ps3: Madden NFL 12 $39.99

:360::ps3: NCAA Football 12 $44.99

:360::ps3: WWE 12 $44.99
*Get $10 off your next WWE purchase when you spend $30 or more on WWE merchandise. Redeemable for up to 4 weeks after coupon is printed.

:360::ps3::wii: Skylanders Starter Pack $49.99

:360: Kinect sensor $129.99


Shop Your Way Rewards:

It's a wiki, please update. This portion of the OP is for anyone who notices a SYWR offer. These offers can be very targeted (Geo, User, etc.) so anything placed needs to be validated.


Coming Soon:

All titles listed below I am working on offers for and the dates I think they are coming out.

3-23 :3ds: Kid Icarus: Uprising


Games Kmart will not be carrying:
  • Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
  • Catherine
  • PC versions of Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim
  • Any other PC game that was also released on consoles.

Earning Coupons at Kmart:
If I buy a $59.99 game and use a $20 coupon, does that mean I won't get the "Spend $40 on games, get a $15 coupon" coupon?
Yes. As long as it's over $40 BEFORE you use a coupon, you're good.


Using Coupons at Kmart:
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']Once a coupon is used it is gone, it is not refunded. Also, if a game is purchased with a coupon promotion and then returned the coupon needs to be returned as well.

Please don't take this as I am saying you are being fraudulent, this is a general note to everyone as I know this has come up previously. We have a new fraud researcher that has started and already has tracked down people trying to exploit the system and will soon be facing action from us. Every transaction with a coupon it tied to a SYWR account.[/QUOTE]

The total BEFORE taxes must be over the value of the coupon. For example, if your coupon is for $20, you must buy at least $20 worth of gaming merchandise. (i.e. you cannot use a $20 coupon on one $19.99 game.)
You must present coupons before making payment, and redeeming points is a form of payment.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Major Upcoming Jan.-March 2012 console releases: (These are all confirmed dates from publishers via press releases, but beware KMart may not carry all of these titles.)

Jan. 24- Silent Hill HD Collection

Jan. 31- FF XIII-2, Soul Calibur V, NeverDead

Feb. 7- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, The Darkness II, Fallout New Vegas UE, Jak and Daxter HD Collection (PS3 only), Inversion

Feb. 14- UFC Undisputed 3, Twisted Metal, Grand Slam Tennis 2, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii only), Binary Domain

Feb. 21- Syndicate, Asura's Wrath

Feb. 28- SSX, Pokepark 2: Wonders Beyond (Wii only)

March 6- MLB The Show 12/MLB 2K12, Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter x Tekken, Ghost Recon, Max Payne 3, Silent Hill Downpour

March 13- Mario Party 9 (Wii only on March 11), Tales of Graces f (PS3 only), Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations

March 20- Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City, Ninja Gaiden 3

March 27- Tiger Woods 13, Dragon's Dogma
 
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I think this quote sums up a lot of peoples complaints with the K-Mart experience:

"We believe that one of the primary issues is that the company has underinvested in its stores base, especially when compared with its peers," S&P said in a statement.
Credit Suisse Analyst Gary Balter has criticized Sears Holdings' investments in its stores.
In a report issued Tuesday, Balter said the company "effectively ask(s) customers to pay for a poorer shopping environment than available at competitors and online."
USA Today

I think some low cost methods to improve the appearance of stores would be to put in brighter lights, de-clutter the aisles, get less crap merchandise.

I've noticed some people have mentioned putting in new floor tile which is a good idea but several of the older stores have asbestos floor tile/mastic (I have conducted several asbestos surveys in shutdown K-Mart locations) which makes it a bit more tricky of a situation. You can place the tile over it but it ends up looking like crap since it is harder to level it. To remove the tile would cost a fair chunk of money plus you would have the logistical issues of removing it without shutting down the store for an extended period of time.
 
[quote name='LordVila']I think this quote sums up a lot of peoples complaints with the K-Mart experience:

"We believe that one of the primary issues is that the company has underinvested in its stores base, especially when compared with its peers," S&P said in a statement.
Credit Suisse Analyst Gary Balter has criticized Sears Holdings' investments in its stores.
In a report issued Tuesday, Balter said the company "effectively ask(s) customers to pay for a poorer shopping environment than available at competitors and online."
USA Today

I think some low cost methods to improve the appearance of stores would be to put in brighter lights, de-clutter the aisles, get less crap merchandise.

I've noticed some people have mentioned putting in new floor tile which is a good idea but several of the older stores have asbestos floor tile/mastic (I have conducted several asbestos surveys in shutdown K-Mart locations) which makes it a bit more tricky of a situation. You can place the tile over it but it ends up looking like crap since it is harder to level it. To remove the tile would cost a fair chunk of money plus you would have the logistical issues of removing it without shutting down the store for an extended period of time.[/QUOTE]

I believe that I'd heard somewhere that the full remodeling treatment that a nearby store got cost in the range of nearly a million dollars. That didn't include tearing out the floor and replacing it, but did pretty much mean nearly every existing counter was replaced, the walls repainted and new huge signs being mounted to them, and of course the full appliance section being installed. This was pretty much done while the store was still open, with the crew working on one or two areas at a time while that area's merchandise was put in some temporary location, then all of it shifted back once the area was complete and then the next area's stuff moved, and so on. The major fixture installations were done overnight though. I remember seeing some rather shoddy and possibly dangerous improvisations made to shelves that happened to fall in the middle of a support column. I haven't been out that way in a long time so I don't know how much good it did for them, but it was an already well-performing store with not nearly as much competition as the more local stores. I don't know how much the other execs in Hoffman Estates are making, but when you can find over $5 million to funnel to the interim CEO for one years' "work" instead of maybe doing some lighter modernization in a some more stores, that says a lot about where priorities lay.
 
I think I'm officially done with Kmart.

I went back today to use my second Skyward Sword coupon to pick up a $20 PSN card because it should work as it's a completely different transaction this time. They were out out the $20 PSN cards so I picked up Super Mario Land 3DS. Going through checkout, the lady scanned the coupon and said it was rejected because this offer was already used. I explained to her that I bought two copies Skyward Sword (one for my brother, one for me) and that's why I got two coupons and that I used one yesterday and they each had different barcodes. She said the offer is limited to one per account, after which I asked her then why I got two when I made my purchase? She said sorry and that it was beyond her control.

I didn't wanna escalate it to the manager because she was polite through the process and explained things well, but I think I've had enough. I've defend this place for a while but they really are falling apart in regards to policies...
 
[quote name='harveyiscool']The problem is, since you are the ultimate fan boy I am referring to, is that you have switched around my entire point and still lie about it. It obviously makes sense to anyone level-headed on my point. I never became angry that SHC "couldn't wrangle deals while he was out". I was upset that, for a very large corporation, no one else could step in and fill his shoes while he was out. For god's sake, take 8 months if you must, but the entire coupon/game deals should not come to a complete halt because one person is not there.

If that is callous and deriding to someone who just lost a family member, then you are deranged. I don't know how many times I have repeated this, but you constantly twist it around to make your stand stronger and diminish mine.

Then again, it doesn't really surprise me that no one else can step up and handle that after I am seeing 100-120 stores close and unlimited complaints.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you that ideally any company should have a backup person or at least some plan in place but the reality is that it simply doesn't happen as often as it should.

The sentiment against you may have just been influenced or confused by the bias of this board against resellers in general.
 
Did the Mario 3D Land coupons expire yet? I like how that's the ONE coupon that didn't get e-mailed to me with my receipt. I figure I'll dig around for it if it's still active.
 
[quote name='Vinny']I think I'm officially done with Kmart.

I went back today to use my second Skyward Sword coupon to pick up a $20 PSN card because it should work as it's a completely different transaction this time. They were out out the $20 PSN cards so I picked up Super Mario Land 3DS. Going through checkout, the lady scanned the coupon and said it was rejected because this offer was already used. I explained to her that I bought two copies Skyward Sword (one for my brother, one for me) and that's why I got two coupons and that I used one yesterday and they each had different barcodes. She said the offer is limited to one per account, after which I asked her then why I got two when I made my purchase? She said sorry and that it was beyond her control.

I didn't wanna escalate it to the manager because she was polite through the process and explained things well, but I think I've had enough. I've defend this place for a while but they really are falling apart in regards to policies...[/QUOTE]

I've heard this happening before, and it's typically because that coupon's already been used. Since you already tried to use both, perhaps the cashier handed back to you the one that was already used and threw away the one that scanned but was rejected.
 
[quote name='Donut2922']I agree with you that ideally any company should have a backup person or at least some plan in place but the reality is that it simply doesn't happen as often as it should.

The sentiment against you may have just been influenced or confused by the bias of this board against resellers in general.[/QUOTE]
There is no back up unfortunately, I am not sure what may happen on 2012 with Kmartgamer at this time to be honest. I've lost some key supporters this year that helped me build this whole thing up......just me now.
 
[quote name='LordVila']I think this quote sums up a lot of peoples complaints with the K-Mart experience:

"We believe that one of the primary issues is that the company has underinvested in its stores base, especially when compared with its peers," S&P said in a statement.
Credit Suisse Analyst Gary Balter has criticized Sears Holdings' investments in its stores.
In a report issued Tuesday, Balter said the company "effectively ask(s) customers to pay for a poorer shopping environment than available at competitors and online."
USA Today

I think some low cost methods to improve the appearance of stores would be to put in brighter lights, de-clutter the aisles, get less crap merchandise.

I've noticed some people have mentioned putting in new floor tile which is a good idea but several of the older stores have asbestos floor tile/mastic (I have conducted several asbestos surveys in shutdown K-Mart locations) which makes it a bit more tricky of a situation. You can place the tile over it but it ends up looking like crap since it is harder to level it. To remove the tile would cost a fair chunk of money plus you would have the logistical issues of removing it without shutting down the store for an extended period of time.[/QUOTE]
I could not agree more, can't tell you how many presentations I made trying to remodel the gaming department......
 
[quote name='Midnight Express']My prediction for the new year (2012) is that Josh will grow tired of SHC jerking him around and not letting him continue to build on the momentum he has built for Kmart - along with having learned the ends and outs of video gaming buying/selling will take a similar job with another company. As frustrating as it must be, he does not seem to have the full support of SHC, those making millions but who are not on the ground floor seeing what is actually going on or should be going on with the company.

My strategy for the company would be to cut non-profitable stores and update the remaining ones to focus on regaining an identity. I remember a few years ago, Kmart was in the process of updating their stores and going with a new logo along with a green color scheme, but I'm guess they ran out of money or somebody did not like it. I think Kmart needs to update their computer / inventory system, do away with price stickers and actually mark items on the shelves they belong, clean and modernize interior/exterior to make it a place people want to go instead of an afterthought, maybe a little training for the employees?, quit trying to be a jack of all trades (selling appliances, etc.) and focus on core items that will make a profit...I know these ideas take lots of money and it seems the company does not have it but they will continue to go down if they do not invest in some capitol for needed updating.[/QUOTE]
I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.
 
[quote name='spedmunki']There is no such thing as KMart clearance. There used to be, before the SHC gamer found/exploited this site. Now you pay stupid prices for old/out of print games.[/QUOTE]
It's the clearance cycles in gaming that has actually led to a severe decline in support for the gaming business at Kmart.

I know you will never understand how a P&L works for a corporation or what my motivations were for being here but regardless your rudeness never ceases to surprise me.
 
[quote name='harveyiscool']I agree with you Maineavalanche with the recent news that came out, but back then I didn't know this was coming. I still can't comprehend how a company with 1300 stores doesn't have a backup plan/person to know how to operate when the head guy goes out. It would seem to me that this would be how everything operates when the head of something goes out. That is why we have assistant managers, assistant coaches, assistant everything.[/QUOTE]
Wait until I am not here at all, I'm the only one that even used savings coupons really in hard lines. Sux that it feels all the momentum we had going into this holiday has been so abruptly derailed.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.[/QUOTE]

Best of luck in 2012 Josh; with whatever that may be!
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']Wait intil I am not here at all, I'm the only one that even used savings coupons really in hard lines.[/QUOTE]

It baffles me how people sell a few things on eBay/Craigslist and they think they know how to run a major department of a national retail chain.

Thanks for taking the shot, Josh. You seem like the kind of person who will be successful at whatever you do. Selfishly, I hope that's with Kmart.
 
[quote name='GBAstar']Best of luck in 2012 Josh; with whatever that may be![/QUOTE]
Very kind bud, I could use a better year that's for sure :)
 
This is somewhat off-topic, but has anyone ever had luck buying an Amazon or BBY gift card at Kmart or Sears using a Sears gift card?

I'm sorry for this difficulty you're going through, Josh; I know I speak for most, if not all, of us when I say that your efforts will not be forgotten. Depending on your decision, I have to use the $15 coupon from Skyrim last week on something before it expires.
 
[quote name='Vigilante']This is somewhat off-topic, but has anyone ever had luck buying an Amazon or BBY gift card at Kmart or Sears using a Sears gift card?

I'm sorry for this difficulty you're going through, Josh; I know I speak for most, if not all, of us when I say that your efforts will not be forgotten. Depending on your decision, I have to use the $15 coupon from Skyrim last week on something before it expires.[/QUOTE]
Truly appreciated, really.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']It's the clearance cycles in gaming that has actually led to a severe decline in support for the gaming business at Kmart.

I know you will never understand how a P&L works for a corporation or what my motivations were for being here but regardless your rudeness never ceases to surprise me.[/QUOTE]

Josh, you assume he even knows what P&L stands for. :lol:

Don't worry about the roaches and the rats, most of us understood the uphill battle you were fighting. And if gone was the ability to pay $5 for xblades, then so be it.

This site is lousy with morons* who only view the world from their moth hole ridden empty wallets and could never see what is necessary to run... well... anything. But like most things, the morons usually are the most vocal so you got a lot of flack. Still, you have fans in this thread because we understood you worked hard to turn things around and a lot of the issues were beyond your control.

Good luck to you in 2012. You did your best in 2011. And if that makes me the ultimate kmart fan boy, then so be it as well.

*on the flip side, there's some good CAGs here and to those good CAGs, I wish a happy new year as well.

[quote name='salty tbone']It baffles me how people sell a few things on eBay/Craigslist and they think they know how to run a major department of a national retail chain.

Thanks for taking the shot, Josh. You seem like the kind of person who will be successful at whatever you do. Selfishly, I hope that's with Kmart.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't trust some of these people to be in charge of the porta-potties at a park.

As for Josh being successful somewhere other than Kmart, that wouldn't be such a bad thing if you think about it. Imagine what damage he could do at a good company like Target.
 
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[quote name='SHC-Gamer']I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't sound promising for the Kmart deals, but you seem like an amazing and extremely hard working guy, and no matter what you do or where you go just remember that no matter what, you've always given 110% and then some and that's truly all that matters. If you're not with SHC in the future it's nothing but their loss.

You've given us all some amazing deals that other retailers couldn't come close to. If I were in any position to hire you to do what you've done I wouldn't hesitate to beg for the opportunity.
 
i just yesterday went one my local kmart to use my $20 coupon from zelda i got starfox3d for 3DS cause no mario kart and did also look in the other of the store and bought a cool new coat for 60$ off iwhich didnt go they for.
 
[quote name='ShockandAww']Doesn't sound promising for the Kmart deals, but you seem like an amazing and extremely hard working guy, and no matter what you do or where you go just remember that no matter what, you've always given 110% and then some and that's truly all that matters. If you're not with SHC in the future it's nothing but their loss.

You've given us all some amazing deals that other retailers couldn't come close to. If I were in any position to hire you to do what you've done I wouldn't hesitate to beg for the opportunity.[/QUOTE]

+1:applause:
Josh, definitely appreciate all the effort you put into the Kmartgamer program. It got me and several others to shop at Kmart again. I hadn't been in one for several years until you started the deals and prior to that, i hadn't been inside a Kmart since the first big round of closures back in the 90's.

Best of luck to you. And realize you did the best you could in spite of those so-called leaders. I'm pretty familiar with what you most likely had to deal with, only in spin-off industry from the once all powerful Company. The perverse logic that essentially crippled Sears got carried over to the company where I was at by the "rats that jumped ship".

Always fought against the tide and did what was right for the customer until, TC made it so I couldn't help any more. That's the point when I left. And if you can believe it, I got out at a good time. Seems to have gotten worse since then#-o. At least that's what I'm told by those that are still there.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']It's the clearance cycles in gaming that has actually led to a severe decline in support for the gaming business at Kmart.

I know you will never understand how a P&L works for a corporation or what my motivations were for being here but regardless your rudeness never ceases to surprise me.[/QUOTE]

Sorry to hear you are / may be leaving. Although, I think we all know where Kmart & Sears are headed. Exactly how do the fewer stores that remain open intend to increase sales from the prior year? I don't see how they will compete with similar stores that have more market share but whatever. I've enjoyed shopping at Kmart for the most part for games though I echo some of what's been said here, especially that I often have to scour the store to find an employee to ring me up.

Now as for this quote I just wanted to share the Kmart I usually visit has clearance games, right up front. Except, one time I was looking at those and this teenage employee came over and said "Don't bother, I already bought all the good stuff." So if other readers, like me, fail to find decent games on clearance this may be one explanation.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.[/QUOTE]

I've spent thousands of dollars at Kmart (a lot on non-gaming items) over the past year or so. Call me a fanboy but I have never seen one person make such a difference and actually try to connect with buyers like you have. I can truly say before you started putting out the deals I never went to Kmart and if you stop, I'll surely stop since you are the only one trying.

I realize losing your dad, having to work with such limited resources and trying to please CAG's made for a long year but I hope 2012 will be better for you. Good luck, keep posting...
 
Can anyone update me on what's going on? From the last few pages, I think what's happening is the head guy of kmart is gone and now josh doesn't know if he wants to work for kmart anymore? or....?
 
[quote name='SPVietBoy']I've heard this happening before, and it's typically because that coupon's already been used. Since you already tried to use both, perhaps the cashier handed back to you the one that was already used and threw away the one that scanned but was rejected.[/QUOTE]

I know that's not the case because I was afraid that I could use both at once when I originally tried to use both, I handed her one first, she scanned it and slipped it into the register slot thing. Then I handed over the second one that was rejected and she handed it back to me.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.[/QUOTE]
One of us! One of us!

Hope whatever happens, you do well man. It's a shame about the whole KmartGamer site, with what sounds like support crumbling inside the company. I got to sit in on the phone-based focus group they did, and there were some really good ideas there. A site or two have been playing with basic, single concepts, but no one put them together like was described. If you strike out for greener pastures, I hope you can eventually get something like that done. Very clever stuff.

Best of luck to you. Been a big fan of these deals since about the time I joined CAG (I think I joined specifically because of these) so just a thanks for some great deals. :bouncy:
 
Man, this totally sucks, man. Josh, you'll always be welcome here...regardless of whether or not you post deals or not.

As a former hater of KMart, you've really changed my perception of that store (although, if you leave, it'll probably be changed back haha). Anyways, I think one of the reason why all of us like you so much is because you were always "one of the guys". Now, you'll truly be one of us. Wish for the best for you but please do keep us updated with the direction your life leads you to. :)
 
I appreciate/appreciated all the hard work you have done to help us. My store may have frustrated me at times, but I kept going back for the awesome deals. It caused me to spend money at Kmart that otherwise would be spent at other stores closer to home.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.[/QUOTE]

Whatever you decide and whatever happens, you're going to land on your feet; that's just karma.

You've done nothing but help us out repeatedly, and I'm not even talking about the deals.. you went above and beyond for me personally a number of times and I did what I could to support your efforts, even when realistically I should have just gone elsewhere. What you did for me and others here went far beyond just good deals on new releases.

You've got the talent to make big things happen -- I don't doubt that you're going to land a better position elsewhere and get the funding and support you deserve. Like mentioned elsewhere, you've got the business savvy and the contacts that you're going to have a presence in the industry for a long time to come. Hell, for the beginning few months K-Mart was one of the only stores having sales on these games, so if anything you brought about a new age of retail competitiveness everyone benefits from.

Like Confoosius said, imagine what you could do at Target or Wal-Mart? Or even Gamestop?

Hell, look at how many gaming reps we get here now since your arrival (like the Amazon digital distribution rep) -- you pretty much started a whole new way to connect to your customers.

Just know that while I never liked K-Mart as a chain, and was vocal about it, I very much had respect for you -- but you know this. Things are looking down now but they will bounce back for you, I believe that. If anything, K-Mart was holding you back.

Look at all the recent posts here -- this goes far beyond just "thanks for the money savings and good deals." You definitely made an impact.

Don't stay at K-Mart if it makes you unhappy, or because you feel like you will let everyone down; do what is going to be best for you. Personally, I think its a move away from K-Mart, as the company doesn't look to have changed at all since I worked here ten years ago and it still seems like the same soul-sucking, spirit crushing place its always been. You deserve better.
 
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Man. Well that's rough. I hope Kmart and Josh wind up working out. I got many solid deals at launch for games I needed to be able to play on day one, and a person to go to when the deal didn't work out as it should. It was really nice to have a direct contact.

Best of luck to ya, Josh, wherever 2012 takes you.
 
This will be a big loss to kmart and the game publishers, if Josh leaves. I only go to kmart to buy newly release games, and to support josh's efforts. His deals have made me stop buying used games and to also buy new games on release date. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors josh.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']Very kind bud, I could use a better year that's for sure :)[/QUOTE]
Man, I feel ya on that statement.

If nothing else, know that I went from a guy who occasionally browsed Kmart when he had nothing else to do to somebody who made Kmart his primary shopping location solely based on what you did for all of us here on CAG and how well you treated everybody.
It would be a goddamn shame if Kmart were to let you slip away from them, but that would be their loss. Given how you gave the entire gaming sales world a gigantic shot in the arm with the coupons and offers, I don't think it'd be long before somebody else scooped you up to work with them were you to decide to leave SHC.
Part of me hopes you remain with Kmart since you personally have turned me into a Kmart shopper, but know this, my dollar will follow you no matter where you go. You have earned my loyalty as a customer.

Thanks for everything you've done for us, Josh, and I hope you stick around to do even more for us in 2012.
If nothing else, we really gotta play something on Xbox Live on of these months. :D
 
Closing down stores in Toledo is a blessing. The one on Reynolds was a disaster.

The reason I only shop at Kmart is because of the deals. I have been humiliated many times as a customer and I feel belittled every time I am forced to walk into one of their stores. Not to mention spending five minutes hunting someone down in ghost aisles because the electronics department is constantly unmanned.

So do we know for sure if this is the end of coupons and other Kmart deals?
 
[quote name='confoosious']Josh, you assume he even knows what P&L stands for. :lol:[/quote]
It stands for profit and loss. ;) Which apparently the higher ups at Kmart don't pay much attention to as long as they get their big yearly compensation packages. Otherwise the chain might not be back in this same situation again.
Don't worry about the roaches and the rats, most of us understood the uphill battle you were fighting. And if gone was the ability to pay $5 for xblades, then so be it.
Click to expand...
Roaches? Rats? We love you too, Confooshits old buddy.;) I still do not see why both the old clearance type of schedule AND the newer gaming deals SHC-Gamer was trying to implement couldn't have co-existed. Yes. There is no money to be made from selling something the chain likely paid $40 or so for for $5 or less.

But the alternative is a cluttered/messy game case that no one can find anything in that turns away the shoppers who may try going to Kmart looking for that newer title and have to dig through hundreds of older ones to get to it.
This site is lousy with morons* who only view the world from their moth hole ridden empty wallets and could never see what is necessary to run... well... anything. But like most things, the morons usually are the most vocal so you got a lot of flack. Still, you have fans in this thread because we understood you worked hard to turn things around and a lot of the issues were beyond your control.
Click to expand...
As much as I hate this statement, since other CAG's have used it on me when decrying my pricing on games I had on my trade list. I joined CAG for CHEAP game deals. Paying retail for a game(especially with cash), unless I'm paying with gaming credit from game trades or it's a title/series I will actually pay MSRP for(GTA, for example) is a ludicrous concept to me at this point after years of paying $10 or sometimes under for games.
As for Josh being successful somewhere other than Kmart, that wouldn't be such a bad thing if you think about it. Imagine what damage he could do at a good company like Target.
Click to expand...
To this all I have to say is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ

If anything, let him go to Wally World, who needs to learn what a gaming deal actually means.
Plus I kinda don't want him to mess with what lil Target clearance I do find.:razz:

Anyway, all that aside....Good luck in your future endeavours Josh. Your deals may not have been the kinda deals I came to enjoy from Kmart, but thankfully ya let up on Sears so I at least got that place back for clearance....for now.;):booty:
 
I got a lot of great deals from Kmart thanks to Josh and his team, but more importantly, I got fairly quick, reasonable responses to any problems or questions I had. It was great to have an actual gamer in charge of most these deals, someone who thought how we think and knows (for the most part) what games people are interested in. If this is the end, I thank you for everything you've done and everything you tried to do, Josh. I truly hope that if things do not work out, that you catch on with someone else and put your ideas to work.
 
Kmart got a lot of my money last year. I'd buy games for the deals and my family would buy other things while we were there, so it was a win win for both us and Kmart. Thanks for great deals.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']But the alternative is a cluttered/messy game case that no one can find anything in that turns away the shoppers who may try going to Kmart looking for that newer title and have to dig through hundreds of older ones to get to it.[/QUOTE]

Just because clearance isn't was it used to be doesn't mean the stores have to be cluttered messes now. My local stores are pretty well organized. Newer titles are in the cases and games $19.99 and less are on racks.

I have been to stores that were complete chaos, but that's more of a reflection of the department manager and employees who don't seem to give a fuck. My impression would be that the department would be mess even if clearance games were
 
[quote name='salty tbone']Just because clearance isn't was it used to be doesn't mean the stores have to be cluttered messes now. My local stores are pretty well organized. Newer titles are in the cases and games $19.99 and less are on racks.

I have been to stores that were complete chaos, but that's more of a reflection of the department manager and employees who don't seem to give a fuck. My impression would be that the department would be mess even if clearance games were
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']It makes me sad to think that just 3-4 years ago those older games woulda been $5 or under by now, yet there they sit at $20 or higher still.:whistle2:#[/QUOTE]

Yeah, my stores recently set up tables by the registers with clearance signs for games $19.99 and less. The $14.99 games seem to sell pretty well as the stacks have gone down dramatically over the past few months. AC/DC still gets no love, though.
 
[quote name='salty tbone']Yeah, my stores recently set up tables by the registers with clearance signs for games $19.99 and less. The $14.99 games seem to sell pretty well as the stacks have gone down dramatically over the past few months. AC/DC still gets no love, though.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately thanks to an incident a year or two ago they can no longer put the games just in bins on a table by the registers usually. Some shmuck tried running out of the store with 2-3 bins of older games in their hands.

I kinda wish I was there to see the hilarity, as the employees in electronics told me the games were all bouncing out of the bins and by the time they caught him there were maybe 1-2 games left in them.:lol:

Thanks to that above incident all of the cheaper priced games are now locked in individual locking game 'prison' cases.:roll:
 
IATCG- Josh was referring to spedmunki when he said, "you will never understand how P&L works at a major corporation" but he might as well be talking to you.

All you ever think about is how something affects *you*. You (and all the other whiners about the death of clearance sales) somehow can't seem to grasp that there are all sorts of extraneous factors out there. As counterintuitive as it sounds, a dollar received is not just a dollar received.

When you start thinking about the chain of events that a sale of a $50 game at $5 causes, then maybe you'll get it. You think in terms of a mom and pop shop who can balance their books on a ledger. And you think in terms of your own wallet and your narrow worldview.

If you or any of your ilk paid attention, you'd understand why the clearance cycle for games was a nonstarter.

But feel free to luxuriate in your ignorance and continue to decry the death of clearance.
 
[quote name='confoosious']IATCG- Josh was referring to spedmunki when he said, "you will never understand how P&L works at a major corporation" but he might as well be talking to you.

All you ever think about is how something affects *you*. You (and all the other whiners about the death of clearance sales) somehow can't seem to grasp that there are all sorts of extraneous factors out there. As counterintuitive as it sounds, a dollar received is not just a dollar received.

When you start thinking about the chain of events that a sale of a $50 game at $5 causes, then maybe you'll get it. You think in terms of a mom and pop shop who can balance their books on a ledger. And you think in terms of your own wallet and your narrow worldview.

If you or any of your ilk paid attention, you'd understand why the clearance cycle for games was a nonstarter.

But feel free to luxuriate in your ignorance and continue to decry the death of clearance.[/QUOTE]


I think you guys are blind. Kmart's clearance is NOT dead.. I mean 15 months later and Halo: Reach (Legendary Edition) dropped from $149.99 to $89.99!

BAM!

Sarcasm aside something should have been done (and was on occasion with the spend x get y coupons or spend x get a free game that costs less then y) to get rid of old games.

Unlike others i don't think it was necessary to reduce game to $1.98 like you still find at sears but an agressive clearance drop to $4.98, $9.98, $14.98, $19.98 etc should have been implemented.

I'm not sure what your Kmart's look like but the shelves at mine are consumed by shitty DS and Wii shovelware and old NCAA games for PS2. Most of these games are $14.99 or more.

It's just been my experience that for most games that have been out ofr more then six months the price doesn't drop unless the MSRP does.

To strengthen my point just take a look at the pricing for some of the older CE's at Kmart.

Until literally this month Halo: Reach Legendary was still $149.99 and I've seen many places where KZ3 Helghast edition was still marked at $129.99


But at the end of the day who cares; it's not my job to do Josh's for him and to his credit I got the best possible deal on every new release in 2011 for the best possible price at KMart. Also if I decided to pass at launch I knew a month or two later I could still get the best possible deal on a title at Kmart.

It is my hope that Josh can find an opportunity with a company that will truly support his talents. Other companies were forced into becoming more competitive with launch prices and promotions because of what he was doing at Kmart. That was evident with many of the deals at Amazon Walmart and elsewhere.

Also if Josh leaves Kmart and the deals go with him I think that upper managment will be shocked at how poorly that department will do in the upcoming months.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']Wait until I am not here at all, I'm the only one that even used savings coupons really in hard lines. Sux that it feels all the momentum we had going into this holiday has been so abruptly derailed.[/QUOTE]


Jeez, Kmart is really going to go down hard and fast. You tried everything you could. I don't know your profit/loss this past year, but I would be confident to say the sales had to skyrocket in gaming. Your deals were top of the line. I can't imagine another company with a better financial outlook wouldn't want to pick you up and make you the head of their gaming/electronics division. While I've had some criticisms, it was never on you, your constant presence here, or the game deals. Best of luck to you in 2012, I hope the CEO's realize they made a critical mistake soon enough.
 
I thank Josh for his hardwork and the deals he got us. Certainly made a few coupon trains myself.

I think one of the worst things about my kmart's game area is theres clearance games ALL OVER the place, discounted games right by them, and the new games are actually hiding in the corner of the electronics section, and you can't even see in the massive case of over stocked games because of the bad lighting in the spot. Did I mention this part of the store is downstairs where you get no cell phone signal? Yeah... Its also a very old store, I've been to a brand new Big Kmart and its alot nicer in how it's setup, but alot of the old ones are cramped, and really needed some just basic revamping.. I just see bad management as the issue for Kmart/Sears.
 
[quote name='SHC-Gamer']I'll be making a decision very soon, hopefully everyone will still be cool with me posting just as a gamer looking for deals and not making them.[/QUOTE]

Yep, you better stick around and scrounge around for deals with us. Place wouldn't be the same without you even if you're just doing the same thing we all are.

That being said I assume you haven't 100% made your decision, but it seems like you pretty much already know what probably has to happen.

Been a damn good two years for sure. At least in our stores case: 2010 was always rough for finding customer service but in 2011 things changed. Stuff got organized and I could always find where I didn't believe I was being lied to like before. Things thus had to happen on a local level but, I 100% believe it wouldn't have if you weren't around.

Be proud of what you've managed to built up and even if SHCorp doesn't see the immediate benefits of it all. I do believe there is some what of a Karma effect and well free market economics works for a reason. One of my good college professors would tell us just because businesses aren't hiring a ton of people doesn't mean good firms don't see value in accomplishments, and with a backing like yours, dollar amounts you've accumulated doing all this, customer support skills etc. Competitor firms see this stuff and snatch up the good people if you give them a chance.
 
To put it in perspective, Kmarts launch deals this year was so good that even resellers could make money off them. Considering how high ebay fees are, that's a small miracle in itself.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Kmarts-Ten-Deadly-Sins-Incompetence/dp/0471435937
Kmart's 10 fatal mistakes: 1. Brand mismanagement; 2. Not knowing its customers; 3. Underestimating Wal-Mart; 4. Lousy locations; 5. Ignoring store appearance; 6. Technology aversion; 7. Supply chain disconnect; 8. Loss of focus; 9. Strategy du jour; 10. Repeating the same mistakes.
Squeezed by thrifty and technologically savvy Wal-Mart on one side, and trendy, more fashion forward Target on the other, one wonders if the once-mighty Kmart still has a prayer. Hard to say, but if the chain's immediate history of monumental mismanagement offers any clues, it's just a matter of time before Kmart flat-lines — barring a miracle.
Click to expand...

Found an interesting book on amazon about kmart. It was written back in 2003 and looks like the same thing still applies to this day for kmart.
 
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