I want my Kmart back.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I used to love shopping at my Kmart. I don't like shopping at Walmart. There, the customers are straight out of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not.". Target is too corporate with everything ultra computerized. The dollar stores have the right feel of a Kmart, but don't have the range of wares. I want my Kmart back. Are there stores that are now gone, which you'd like to see back in business? Is there a store that replaced Kmart, which you love?
 

Growing up in NE Ohio, I remember a small chain of Department stores that had 'the feel' of Kmart ..... Clarkins. I don't think they ever got out of Ohio though. This was in the late 50's-60's. Many a boring Saturday afternoon, we would go there and spend hours going thru their large warehouse/store.

I miss that type of store also ... now we have Amazon;)
 
KMart signed its "death warrant" 15 years ago, when it decided to buy Sears. KMart poured billions into trying to salvage Sears, and, as a result, Both companies began their slide downhill. It's doubtful that the remaining stores will be around 5 years from now. Next on the list of major retailers closing down is JC Penney. The Retail we've been used to for the past several decades is slowly dying as online sales continue to climb. In another decade, or so, most of the big shopping centers will be closed, and converted to warehouses or maybe even low income housing.
 
Gosh... I have grand memories of so many great department stores from back in the day.

Woolworths (my all-time favourite), Hudson's Bay, Woodward's, Kresge's, Kmart, Woolco, Zellers, Saan's, and when it came to catalog ordering, Sears (known as Simpsons Sears in the really early years) was the best!

Had an aunt that used to get the JC Penny catalog every year, and once or twice yearly, she'd scoot across the line to Spokane WA, to do her shopping.
 
Yep, long-time stores like JC Penny, K-Mart, Sears and others have, or are, "bit the dust". They simply can't make it, when going up against the "big-box" stores, like Macy's and Best Buy.
 
raybar said:
Orchard Supply Hardware
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_Supply_Hardware
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They'd just built a new OSH next to the store that started it all here in San Jose before closing again. I preferred OSH to Home Depot or Lowes because they seemed to carry a wider variety of items even though the store wasn't as big as the other two. Also they had some wonderful long time employees who were very helpful.
 
applecruncher said:
And some of the dollar stores are closing. ☹
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In our area, the Dollar General stores are growing. Almost every town of more than 6 or 8 thousand now has a DG store, and some have even popped up along the highways between towns. Many of the older DG's have even been expanded, as more and more rural residents visit these stores.
 
Gimbels. I always liked it better than Macy's. Also, Abraham & Strauss (A&S) & Korvettes, which I think?? became KMart.
 
I never liked KMart particularly, but I miss several excellent department stores that were very popular in my area: Woodward & Lothrup (fondly known as Woodie's), Hecht's, Garfinkles. Anyone who has ever lived in the DC area remembers those stores, all sadly gone. They had quality goods without ridiculous prices.
 
Ah, the grand department stores of yore.

It was an "occasion" to take the bus downtown and shop and you dressed accordingly.

The glass-fronted elevators, the tea rooms, the personal service, the nattily-dressed "floor walker" who kept an eye on everything and made sure you were being "served".

For me, the real fun was riding the escalators up the 12 floors and back down.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I used to love shopping at my Kmart. I don't like shopping at Walmart. There, the customers are straight out of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not.". Target is too corporate with everything ultra computerized. The dollar stores have the right feel of a Kmart, but don't have the range of wares. I want my Kmart back. Are there stores that are now gone, which you'd like to see back in business? Is there a store that replaced Kmart, which you love?
Click to expand...
Going wayyy back, i worked part-time for a bank that had set up shop inside Kmart. Let me tell ya, it was a thrilllll to be in the loop & have QUICK access to any BlueLightSpecial events of interest LOL......you’ve gotta remember the blue light specials, right? 😬
 
Pepper said:
@jujube
Remember the big bathrooms with a 'matron' in them?
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The biggest one in town had a large "ladies' lounge" with chaise lounges and an attendant. After a couple of hours of serious shopping, one had to rest one's feet and gather strength to re-enter the fray, y'know? My grandma always enjoyed chatting with the other ladies and comparing bargains.
 
I too miss both K-mart and OSH. And I also agree about both Wal-mart & Target: the ones here are nice, well-run stores but I just never find anything I want; at K-mart I always did. Luckily we've got a few really good thrift stores; I always seem to find something at them, lol.
 

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