[quote name='Blaster man']To throw my opinion into this debate, the entire Kmart chain looks like it hasn't been updated since the 80's. They are in the same shopping centers where they've been for decades (I've been to a bunch around the country). Those locations were not the greatest looking places back then but most are completely run down shitholes with parking lots make you look over your shoulder while walking to your car with a bag. Inside the stores, they have the same dated metal racks that have been around for decades. The feel in the store is cluttered and low end. The electronics is a depressing shell of a real electronics department with no employees nearby to take your money. I went to kmart with my wife to pick up some clothes for my kids thinking we'd give that dept a chance. Big mistake. It's a complete wasteland. There was a very limited selection and most of it looked like shit but was priced higher than target, old navy, kohls, etc.
In summary, Kmart is a shothole that I only occasionally go to to buy cheap games and even then I dread it because I know it will take half an hour to find an employee then another half hour for them to "find the key". The store is garbage and I'm amazed that it's management has stayed employeed an that the business itself is still around. They might as well wind down all the kmarts and make ones in areas without sears into sears. Sears has everything Kmart has (clothes, shoes, electronics, housewares, etc) and more (tools, mattresses and beds, etc).[/QUOTE]
Its pretty much the same over here, and as you say, everything costs more, things cost as much as you would pay at a Rite-Aid or Walgrees or truckstop type store. Walmart charges like 98 cents for carmex lip balm, but Kmart charges like 1.99. If you are looking for kids clothes and they don't care about the brand just get them at Walmart because they will outgrow them anyways, you could also get them at Sears since they have the kidvantage guarantee. We have shopped for kids clothing at Sears and the prices were in line with what everyone else charges.
They also never have sale items in stock on Sunday when you go in to get them, and then they just claim the truck never came in. In reality, those sale items almost never come in, and the employees are happy to send you to Walmart down the street. If you can get a sale item, you have to fight with the cashier to give you the price that is in the ad that is right in front of you in the ad, and watch them twist the wording of the ad so they don't give you the price you are entitled to get. They act surprised when it doesn't ring up, as if it doesn't happen to every other single person in line both in front of and behind you.
I do not experience any of these problems at Walmart and Target, and I have never had a price ring up wrong at Target at least, or even Sears, with the obvious exception that prices are often lower than what is on the actual tag. Even if regular priced items cost less there, I wouldn't go there because of the horrendous service. I only pop in once a month or less to check for clearance items.
Our Kmart does have employees, but the employees are morons, pretty much worse than any other store here, and definitely worse than the almost universally hated BB and GS employees. I have actually had a very positive experience shopping at BB the last couple weeks so I will continue to shop there. I can even say that Gamestop employees are extremely friendly and helpful here if you have a question or need assistance. Its more like the Kmart employees REFUSE to honor their own store ads, and refuse to give the correct price when the consumer is right. They act as if its coming out of their pockets or something if they have to give you a 20 cent discount on a product. It doesn't help much if you have employees though, if those employees don't know anything and refuse to help the customer with store issues.
The only reason I don't want to see the chain close, is that would be jobs lost for this area, and that would be bad, since even retail jobs are extremely scarce here and any job lost here would be a bad thing because its not like there would be another store to fill the empty retail space that Kmart left.
The Sears stores here are a complete 360 of Kmart, the employees are almost always helpful and I am greeted upon entering the electronics department every time. Some have taken time when they were clearly busy with other duties to see if I needed anything. The lighting is good and the shelves are not dirty and dusty, the stores appear clean and modern. They have larger departments with more selection, and they have a huge children's clothing department with all sizes included. The women's clothing leaves something to be desired though, most of it is very ugly! That really isn't an issue though, as I have never had store related problems with them at all, and there are plenty of stores here where I can get womens clothing.
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