Report from K-Mart

No MagLite LEDs at all, not mini nor large ones. Some mini incan however.

Lots of 3AAA headlamps in all kinds of configuration.

Dorcy 1W LED 2AA $20.

Craftsman - seems identical to Dorcy - for $12.

Nothing really interesting.

There are no K(ame)-Aparts here anymore. I would sure like to have one to peruse once in awhile.

I was in a Kmart for the first time in months on Friday. They have Craftsman Endurables, w/ the PR based Luxeon, for $19.99.

Kmart, the place with Target prices but with a Walmart shopping experience (or even worse?). So why bother?

There's still one around here that I'll sometimes check out, mainly since they've started putting some Sears stuff in it. Prices seem high (Dorcys for example), service non-existant, and there's normally only one cashier. I always come out of there shaking my head. No wonder they're almost gone.

Geoff

It's amazing that they are in business at all if you ask me. Usually around 20% (if not more) expensive than Walmart on an item if both strores carry it. They also have a slow turn over rate and are never up to date on new release items (MMLED for example). They also rarely reduce prices on an item even if the item has had a nation wide price break (ex. video games). There is a Kmart in my town, but a Superwalmart is opening in the end of October, so Kmart's days are numbered.

Sounds pretty accurate. Around here, K-Mart has shut down all of their stores where Wal*Mart stores have popped up. The only ones that remain are those in areas where there is no Wal*Mart that is close by. In areas where there are Wal*Mart stores, the only K-Mart holdings would be Sears stores.

And the remnant of their attempt at a warehouse store (Pace) in the SF Bay Area has since become a Sam's (Wal*Mart), though it tends to retain much of the flavor of it's K-Mart heritage (trashy, a bit worse than Costco without the frills.)

adirondackdestroyer said:

There is a Kmart in my town, but a Superwalmart is opening in the end of October, so Kmart's days are numbered.

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A wise man once said "Kmart sucks". I think he probably visited the store here in Durham, NC. Of the few lights they do have only about one third have a price on them.

Brighteyez said:

And the remnant of their attempt at a warehouse store (Pace) in the SF Bay Area has since become a Sam's (Wal*Mart), though it tends to retain much of the flavor of it's K-Mart heritage (trashy, a bit worse than Costco without the frills.)

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A bit worse than Costco? The Costco stores I have been to are much nicer than any X-mart and their staff is consistently 10x more helpful and more intelligent. So if it is trashy, it should be a lot worse than Costco, not just a "bit worse." :laughing:

I don't really like K-mart, but it's easier than going to the supergigantis 11,000 acre Wigmart north of town.

Okay call it "Costco" without the classy decor
Even though the store is now a Sam's and is part of Wal*Mart now, it seems to retain trashy look of an urban K-Mart store.

With regards to Costco staff, they just tend to hire a better class of people.

pilou said:

A bit worse than Costco? The Costco stores I have been to are much nicer than any X-mart and their staff is consistently 10x more helpful and more intelligent. So if it is trashy, it should be a lot worse than Costco, not just a "bit worse." :laughing:

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2 K marts here. I dont see how either of them are open. There is never anyone in there shopping and if there is one person in front of you in line u will have to wait longer than if there was 10 people in front you at wal mart. I dont feel sorry for them not being sucessful lately they have done it to thereself, not because wal mart and target took there customers.

Generally we leave a thread in a forum if it starts on-topic. While the originating post did mention some flashlights, the nature of the topic immediately focused it otherwise. I'll move the thread to the Cafe, rather than urge it to return to the subject of flashlights.

Personally, I wouldn't spend any money in Wal*Mart unless it were an emergency and they were the only option. Of course, I live in a place where I have options - those of you who live in places where Wal*Mart has crushed any competition, I understand you're nearly forced to shop there.

The reason Costco is a better (if no-frills) experience is that they actually treat their employees like - GASP! - human beings. Their turnover rate is a fifth that of Wal*Mart, and they pay some of the best wages and benefits in mass-market retailing.

Jim Sinegal, COSTCO's CEO takes a salary of $350,000 - a fraction of the millions CEOs of companies of comparable size take, and it's his conviction that taking care of the employees is good for business.

No, I can't get everything at Costco - but I generally look there first.

While I can't agree with you about Costco treating their employees like employers in other private industry arenas do, I would agree that they appear to be treated a bit better employees who work for other retailers.

Costco's requirements seem to be more stringent as well.
-With few exceptions, they only hire people who are able to communicate effectively in English with customers and other employees.
-Costco does not appear to hire older employees (though many have grown older working for Costco or previously with Price Co.)
-Like a lot of little mom&pop businesses, Costco employees have to wait 90-180 days following their hiring date before they are eligible for health benefits (most reasonable sized companies start coverage immediately or at the first of the month.)

Many CEOs and other corporate officers may have salaries that are not indicative of their overall income, and may have stock options that are worth many fold (to millions of times) their annual salary (e.g. Steve Job's $1/year salary that does not include a $1/2 Billion in stock grants that is to be fully vested in 2008.) So in addition to Sinegal's $350K monetary compensation, it quite honestly sounds a bit odd that he only has about $150M of Costco stock, being a founder of the company.

On the other hand, being humane and ethical in the treatment of their employees is not new. There was a fellow by the name of Thomas Watson that tried that with a time clock company in Endicott NY. It got a little bigger over the years and they changed to name of the company to International Business Machines . While their employees are still treated better than employees of many other companies, one can't help but to think that their "lean & mean" approach from the 90's has less been successful in growing the company.

Biker Bear said:

The reason Costco is a better (if no-frills) experience is that they actually treat their employees like - GASP! - human beings. Their turnover rate is a fifth that of Wal*Mart, and they pay some of the best wages and benefits in mass-market retailing.

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The last time I was in a K-Mart killing time I scored a sweet framed picture of JC and the Boys eating their Last Supper for $0.25 SWEET!