My depressing trip to Kmart today

[NNN0LHI]

First thing I noticed was two middle-age men ... about my age walking up and down the street out front of the store wearing advertising sandwich boards like these:



With "Big Sale at Kmart today", written on the front and back. It was in the forties outside today. Pretty cold for old geezers like me.

Pull right up to the front of the store and park next the the Handicap parking. The lot seems rather empty. This is the Sunday the week before Thanksgiving. Normally this store would be a mad house. It isn't.

I go in and there are more employees than shoppers. This is the Sunday before Thanksgiving I keep telling myself. I get my things and head for the checkout that normally would be so long people would be complaining about the delay. Not today. There was only three registers open and I only had to wait for one person in front of me. It was a woman with some things that looked like a few essentials and a few small child's outfits and two small toys. When she went to check out she asked for the price of the child's outfits that she found them on the discount rack and wanted to check the price of them to see if they were on sale. There weren't and said she didn't want them. Same thing happened with the child's toys. I was going to pay for the stuff for her but I checked and I barely had enough for my stuff or I would have.

As I said there were three checkout ladies in a huge Kmart where there are maybe 14 registers available. And the three were standing around most the time. And as I walked out I noticed there were five people at the computer systems with chairs in the front of the store filling out applications. All this the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

I told my brother what I seen today when I got to his house and said to him that at the rate we are going him and I are going to end up being Walmart greeters before this mess is all over with. He disagreed. He said all the good jobs like those will all be filled when we need them. I looked at him and realized that he wasn't kidding around.

Don

[tekisui]

1. It is going to be hard for some,

harder for others. I don't know many who will be immune.

[Historic NY]

2. My grocery store is near a K-Mart & it was busy, free turkeys to those

with points. The liquor store had a small line, looks like people are taking things that comfort over material goods.

[LeftyMom]

3. Is there any other kind of trip to Kmart?

They closed all but one here years ago. That one's still as dreary as I remember though.

[ACTION BASTARD]

11. Kmart's making a huge comeback here in the Bronx

They are trying like mad to be Target. The employee's here wear red shirts and the bathroom is even cleaner than the Starbucks next door. It's gone from low class Walmart to watch your ass Target were right behind ya.

They even got a little Cesar's pizza corner in it. Not bad at all.

[ejpoeta]

34. the kmart here is usually not very busy.

doesn't help that you can never find anything in there. i refuse to go there for black friday either. can't find any of the stuff on sale. we just had a target open up here and there is walmart too of course. i keep wondering how kmart still survives at all! everything is twice as expensive as walmart and you can't find what you are looking for.

it is a tough year for extras. so many are just hanging on by a thread as it is. I consider myself lucky. we aren't rich. and we aren't doing that great. but we are keeping our head above water. and we have always valued family and the memories over stuff anyway. the family, my siblings and i have long ago cut out the gifts to the adults. we exchange cookies. and we pick names and have a limit.

[arcadian]

4. I saw a sign waver for Circuit City yesterday.

30% off store closing sale.

[bluedeminredstate]

5. I noticed the same thing at Target on Friday

I told my husband I couldn't believe there was no one in the store on payday for many state employees - me being one of them. I think it's going to be a grim Christmas. I hate to be a scrooge, but I'm dreading it already.

[JeanGrey]

6. Kmart should have never reorganized and and stayed out

there. Of course they are empty, they've always been. They can't compete with Walmart.

[donco6]

7. Best Buy was hopping here in Northglenn.

So, maybe some good news?

I need a "hope" smiley.

[LuckyTheDog]

8. Saturday I went suit-shopping

I needed two new suits because I am interviewing for jobs and, thanks to some big weight loss, my old suits and dress shirts don't fit anymore.

While I was in the store, it hit me: It was a Saturday afternoon and I was one of only two customers in that store at the time. And I would not have been there unless I was out of work and looking for a new job.

I was able to put $650 on my credit card for the new threads -- which makes me fortunate. But it's not like I'll be back any time soon. I wonder if that store will still be there a year from now.

[mb7588a]

10. Good luck with the search!

It took me 5 months to find my first job out of school (Jan. 2006 to May 2006). I worked there for two years and then left for grad. school. I partially regret leaving that job now (government job with fantastic benefits).

[LiberalEsto]

9. Kmart hasn't put out its weekly circular lately.

We used to get one every week in the Washington Post, along with the others from Kohls, JC Penney, Sears, Target, etc.. But there hasn't been a Kmart circular for about 2 months.

I strongly suspect they are about to go under.

[LuckyTheDog]

13. Last year was bad for Kmart

I remember I wanted a particular toy for my son last year and could not find it until I finally broke down and went to Kmart. I found the toy because Kmart's toy section was still almost fully stocked just days before Christmas.

I was pleased to find the toy, but a little surprised to see that store so very empty of shoppers.

[DemReadingDU]

17. I'd much rather shop at K-mart than Walmart anyday

[emilyg]

19. My K-Mart - about 20 miles from me is

dark, dirty and I hate going there. I like my trips to Wal-Mart.

[DemReadingDU]

16. We didn't get our K-mart circular either, last week

But we did today.
Also today, we received 3 circulars for Rite-aid!

Sometimes I think the person stuffing the circulars in the paper, are in a hurry that sometimes we don't get some circulars, and other times, we get extras of the same one.

[Blue Diadem]

22. We very seldom get one in our paper. I have to look at the ads online.

Right now they have their Thanksgiving day, Friday, and Friday and Sat. ads up as well as the one beginning today.

I used to shop there more but they got to the point they never had what was advertised.

[mrbarber]

12. The K-Mart company treats their employees like garbage.

I knew someone who was a Store Manager at one, and the stories he told would make you want to burn down the first K-Mart you happened across.

[Odin2005]

14. Sears has brought back Layaway.

I think a lot of people won't be using credit cards for a long time, possibly never again.

[lurky]

15. That's very bad. K-Mart is the kind of place that's supposed to do

better in hard times. According to the theory, people shop there instead of the fancier stores to save money. If they're not even shopping at K-Mart, you know things are tough.

[LiberalEsto]

18. We're shopping at Big Lots.

That place is usually mobbed.

[bunkerbuster1]

20. Reminds me of a conversation with my better half.

I realized that the Saturday-after-Thanksgiving would be an opportune time to stop by a popular local electronics store (Fry's) to exchange a memory stick that I didn't need.

Wife says, "it will be insane, that day. You sure you want to do that?"

I just thought a bit and shrugged. "This economy? I don't think I'll have a problem."

And I don't. Last few times I've been there fairly early in the morning, it's been as you've described the KMart--three checkers, hardly anyone checking out.

[walldude]

21. I'm sure Dobson will say it's due to the "boycott"

K-Mart is one of those stores on the "anti-Christmas" list.

[bluesmail]

23. The term depression didn't come out of 'we're happy!' It's telling.

It's depressing. 'The World Has Gone Out Of Business' depressing. It's frightening. Thanks for your personal perspective.

[RC]

24. Didn't Sears buy out K-mart?

[and-justice-for-all]

25. I think Kmart bought Sears actually...nt

[RC]

29. I was thinking it was one way or the other.

[Historic NY]

31. Your right K-Mart own Sears...

http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/17/news/fortune500/sears_kmart/index.htm

[blue_onyx]

32. Yep...Kmart bought Sears

It's kind of annoying because one would assume the company that's being purchased would be the one to eliminate it's headquarters. Instead, Kmart closed down it's Michigan headquarters and left...after saying they would keep jobs here.

I rarely go to Kmart anymore. I live near the original store and it's really run down.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

26. don't know about KMart but a great restaurant

we go to when we get to Fayetteville AR was practically deserted at noon on a Sunday. Very sad, as it is one of the best eating places in the state.

[Blue Diadem]

27. My husband and daughter ran to a food service/restaurant supply

store yesterday. The company sells to restaurants and big institutions but also has stores for the public and they have some very good prices. The weekend before any holiday, it's normally swamped, people bumping carts into each other, having to stand in long lines etc. He told me it wasn't very busy at all.

[murielm99]

28. I went shopping for clothing last weekend.

I finally had to admit that since they killed my thyroid with radioactivity, I am heavier. I may stay that way for awhile, too.

I was a bit worried about shopping for clothing on a Saturday. The store I chose (medium, not high-end), might be mobbed. There was one other woman using the dressing room.

I did notice that there were fewer clerks on duty. Are laying off employees, since things are so slow?

We have always kept Christmas fairly simple. I do much of my shopping online. Who knows what the malls will look like this year?

[lib2DaBone]

30. Talk about depressing..I went to Home Depot Today....

Same thing. Weekend before a big holiday.. the store should be jammed. There were maybe 10 people in the store and only self-checkouts open.

Bush and the Republicans have destroyed not only America but the world economy. I don't see it getting any better in 2009.

It's going to take a lot of work to reverse Bush's devastation.

[blue_onyx]

33. I went to Kohls on Wednesday

and it was packed. It was senior discount day but it was busier than usual. Guess there's one store that may do ok this Christmas.

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Bed bad and beyond... surprised me

I needed to get a carpet cleaning system on an emergency basis... my washing machine failed... fortunately with me at home

So I was able to stop it before the flood got major

But I needed to buy the carpet cleaning to help save the carpet (t was budgeted for, though not this week)

The surprise came as it was pretty full with long, almost normal, lines

Perhaps because everybody had 20% off coupons, but still... (Me too...big ticket item, so it helped)

There's also a football game today, and the restaurant\bar was full