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LundyLund
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There are two types of personal bankruptcy. One is as you describe. The other is essentially a repayment plan.
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FrDavid96
Guest
KMart has itself to blame for its failure.
I stopped shopping there years ago (probably 15 to 20 now) except for the occasional quick trip when I’m traveling and I need just one or two small items and I’ll get them wherever I can at the moment.
What is the current experience of a customer in a KMart store? Here’s my typical experience:
–The stores look dirty. They aren’t kept clean, shopping carts all over the place, litter filling the carts, like store circulars and empty beverage cans. Other sorts of litter all over the place. The mop buckets don’t seem to be actually used, but they’re still left around as customer obstacles.
–Customers cannot walk around the store. They have merchandise sitting on pallets all over the store. Sometimes, it’s like walking through a warehouse. This doesn’t just happen at night, when 24 hour stores often re-stock the shelves. Palleted merchandise blocks the aisles, and it’s piled-up in front of display merchandise. It’s actually a challenge to just walk around the store. One goes down an aisle, only to find the end of that aisle completely blocked. It’s like walking a maze.
–The buildings are decrepit. Lights don’t work. Flickering and buzzing light bulbs. Buckets and other vessels are scattered about the store catching the water leaking from the roofs. Peeling paint, missing floor tiles and broken shelves are the norm in todays KMarts.
–A poor selection of merchandise, often low quality. Other stores offer a choice. KMarts have almost entirely ‘the cheap stuff.’ I find an empty space where I know my brand of shampoo or soap is supposed to be–the shelf tags are there, but not the items. They have men’s undershirts, but all the L and XL are gone.
–Empty shelves all over the place. Together with the piles of merchandise on the floor and the poor selection, this bodes very badly for the stores. Dear KMart: pick up the merchandise from the floor and put it on the shelves.
–Constant announcements made over the public address system. Really, it’s almost non-stop. It’s extremely annoying when one is shopping to hear over and over again “John, call on line 2” or “Manager to the front please” or “checker number 2 needed at the register.” then “John call on line 2” then “price check for hardware” then “John line 2 is still waiting” This bothers me so much that the last time I was in one of their stores, I actually looked. There was not one full minute without someone talking on the PA. Not only is it annoying to listen to it, but it also tells the customers quite clearly that the employees are not doing their job, because they have to be constantly told to get to their assignments over the PA.
–The registers seem abandoned. They might have 12 lines, but only 1 register is open. And if there’s no customer waiting, the checkers leave their post. They go somewhere else and just wait for the PA announcement to get back to the registers.
–Despite all their problems, their prices don’t make shopping there worthwhile. Whatever KMart offers, even if it’s their own brand, can be had for less at WalMart.
Being a customer in a KMart store is an absolutely miserable experience. It’s no wonder that people have stopped shopping there, and they have no one to blame but themselves for the fact that they’re failing.
I stopped shopping there years ago (probably 15 to 20 now) except for the occasional quick trip when I’m traveling and I need just one or two small items and I’ll get them wherever I can at the moment.
What is the current experience of a customer in a KMart store? Here’s my typical experience:
–The stores look dirty. They aren’t kept clean, shopping carts all over the place, litter filling the carts, like store circulars and empty beverage cans. Other sorts of litter all over the place. The mop buckets don’t seem to be actually used, but they’re still left around as customer obstacles.
–Customers cannot walk around the store. They have merchandise sitting on pallets all over the store. Sometimes, it’s like walking through a warehouse. This doesn’t just happen at night, when 24 hour stores often re-stock the shelves. Palleted merchandise blocks the aisles, and it’s piled-up in front of display merchandise. It’s actually a challenge to just walk around the store. One goes down an aisle, only to find the end of that aisle completely blocked. It’s like walking a maze.
–The buildings are decrepit. Lights don’t work. Flickering and buzzing light bulbs. Buckets and other vessels are scattered about the store catching the water leaking from the roofs. Peeling paint, missing floor tiles and broken shelves are the norm in todays KMarts.
–A poor selection of merchandise, often low quality. Other stores offer a choice. KMarts have almost entirely ‘the cheap stuff.’ I find an empty space where I know my brand of shampoo or soap is supposed to be–the shelf tags are there, but not the items. They have men’s undershirts, but all the L and XL are gone.
–Empty shelves all over the place. Together with the piles of merchandise on the floor and the poor selection, this bodes very badly for the stores. Dear KMart: pick up the merchandise from the floor and put it on the shelves.
–Constant announcements made over the public address system. Really, it’s almost non-stop. It’s extremely annoying when one is shopping to hear over and over again “John, call on line 2” or “Manager to the front please” or “checker number 2 needed at the register.” then “John call on line 2” then “price check for hardware” then “John line 2 is still waiting” This bothers me so much that the last time I was in one of their stores, I actually looked. There was not one full minute without someone talking on the PA. Not only is it annoying to listen to it, but it also tells the customers quite clearly that the employees are not doing their job, because they have to be constantly told to get to their assignments over the PA.
–The registers seem abandoned. They might have 12 lines, but only 1 register is open. And if there’s no customer waiting, the checkers leave their post. They go somewhere else and just wait for the PA announcement to get back to the registers.
–Despite all their problems, their prices don’t make shopping there worthwhile. Whatever KMart offers, even if it’s their own brand, can be had for less at WalMart.
Being a customer in a KMart store is an absolutely miserable experience. It’s no wonder that people have stopped shopping there, and they have no one to blame but themselves for the fact that they’re failing.
C
Casilda
Guest
This describes the Walmarts around here, the next store to go out of business?KMart has itself to blame for its failure.
I stopped shopping there years ago (probably 15 to 20 now) except for the occasional quick trip when I’m traveling and I need just one or two small items and I’ll get them wherever I can at the moment.
What is the current experience of a customer in a KMart store? Here’s my typical experience:
–The stores look dirty. They aren’t kept clean, shopping carts all over the place, litter filling the carts, like store circulars and empty beverage cans. Other sorts of litter all over the place. The mop buckets don’t seem to be actually used, but they’re still left around as customer obstacles.
–Customers cannot walk around the store. They have merchandise sitting on pallets all over the store. Sometimes, it’s like walking through a warehouse. This doesn’t just happen at night, when 24 hour stores often re-stock the shelves. Palleted merchandise blocks the aisles, and it’s piled-up in front of display merchandise. It’s actually a challenge to just walk around the store. One goes down an aisle, only to find the end of that aisle completely blocked. It’s like walking a maze.
–The buildings are decrepit. Lights don’t work. Flickering and buzzing light bulbs. Buckets and other vessels are scattered about the store catching the water leaking from the roofs. Peeling paint, missing floor tiles and broken shelves are the norm in todays KMarts.
–A poor selection of merchandise, often low quality. Other stores offer a choice. KMarts have almost entirely ‘the cheap stuff.’ I find an empty space where I know my brand of shampoo or soap is supposed to be–the shelf tags are there, but not the items. They have men’s undershirts, but all the L and XL are gone.
–Empty shelves all over the place. Together with the piles of merchandise on the floor and the poor selection, this bodes very badly for the stores. Dear KMart: pick up the merchandise from the floor and put it on the shelves.
–Constant announcements made over the public address system. Really, it’s almost non-stop. It’s extremely annoying when one is shopping to hear over and over again “John, call on line 2” or “Manager to the front please” or “checker number 2 needed at the register.” then “John call on line 2” then “price check for hardware” then “John line 2 is still waiting” This bothers me so much that the last time I was in one of their stores, I actually looked. There was not one full minute without someone talking on the PA. Not only is it annoying to listen to it, but it also tells the customers quite clearly that the employees are not doing their job, because they have to be constantly told to get to their assignments over the PA.
–The registers seem abandoned. They might have 12 lines, but only 1 register is open. And if there’s no customer waiting, the checkers leave their post. They go somewhere else and just wait for the PA announcement to get back to the registers.
–Despite all their problems, their prices don’t make shopping there worthwhile. Whatever KMart offers, even if it’s their own brand, can be had for less at WalMart.
Being a customer in a KMart store is an absolutely miserable experience. It’s no wonder that people have stopped shopping there, and they have no one to blame but themselves for the fact that they’re failing.
E
egretps
Guest
Our local Targets, in ‘middle class’ neighborhoods, were dirty. The parking lots, the entrances and the stores in general. Yuck.
My local Kmarts, which are now closed, were older, but fine. I think some of the failings of Kmart were brands. Martha Stewart was THE brand and she moved onto Macys.
Macy’s is doing not so hot either.
On-line seems to be taking over?
I am not a fan of buying online products I’m not familiar. Oh, toothpaste I’m certain which to buy. But, a new article of clothing? I have to try it on, frequently several sizes of the same style. I would not want to have to pay the added costs of shipping.
My local Kmarts, which are now closed, were older, but fine. I think some of the failings of Kmart were brands. Martha Stewart was THE brand and she moved onto Macys.
Macy’s is doing not so hot either.
On-line seems to be taking over?
I am not a fan of buying online products I’m not familiar. Oh, toothpaste I’m certain which to buy. But, a new article of clothing? I have to try it on, frequently several sizes of the same style. I would not want to have to pay the added costs of shipping.
T
ToeInTheWater
Guest
It’s a strange sign of the times that we’re even asking this question. I’m not even 40 years old and I remember many other iconic store brands that are now kaput.
Remember Woolworths? People used to go to the “dime store” for the type of inexpensive merchandise that is now sold in “big box” scores. Indeed, I can think of at least one Kmart that moved into a closed Woolworth store.
Or what about Radio Shack, or the A & P? Both companies are technically still in business but have been reduced to mere shells of what they used to be. Radio Shack’s tech geek market base has moved almost exclusively to the online shopping realm. As for A & P I’ve even read articles referred to it as the “Wal-Mart of its time” and stores across the country at one point, but now has been reduced to a struggling regional supermarket chain in a handful of Northeast states. I’d be surprised if either brand survives me.
I don’t think “brick and mortar” retail chains will ever completely go away, though. I do think the ones that survive will be ones that actually provide enough on-site hands-on customer service to draw people into their stores, and provide experiences that can’t be replicated on-line, they cannot compete based on price or even quality merchandise alone.
Remember Woolworths? People used to go to the “dime store” for the type of inexpensive merchandise that is now sold in “big box” scores. Indeed, I can think of at least one Kmart that moved into a closed Woolworth store.
Or what about Radio Shack, or the A & P? Both companies are technically still in business but have been reduced to mere shells of what they used to be. Radio Shack’s tech geek market base has moved almost exclusively to the online shopping realm. As for A & P I’ve even read articles referred to it as the “Wal-Mart of its time” and stores across the country at one point, but now has been reduced to a struggling regional supermarket chain in a handful of Northeast states. I’d be surprised if either brand survives me.
I don’t think “brick and mortar” retail chains will ever completely go away, though. I do think the ones that survive will be ones that actually provide enough on-site hands-on customer service to draw people into their stores, and provide experiences that can’t be replicated on-line, they cannot compete based on price or even quality merchandise alone.
D
DignumEtJustum
Guest
This sounds like the old Walmarts that haven’t been updated much in 30 years. There’s one near me but most of the ones closest seem to be either new or fairly well kept up; unfortunately more are going up than are coming down. I don’t like shopping there as the quality of many groceries is questionable and 95% of the other items seem to be from overseas and when they do bring in items made domestically they expect the prices from the manufacturer to be competitive with similar items from overseas; ie. they expect other businesses to treat their employees the same way they treat their own. Their own employees are not paid a living wage and are treated like dirt. I don’t know why they don’t unionize.This describes the Walmarts around here, the next store to go out of business?
Mary_Gail_36
New member
Do any of you have a Lands End shop within the Sears? That’s really the only Sears shopping I will do.
My mom’s old home had all Kenmore appliances. Everything was still working well when the house sold. I bought a Kenmore washer that died after three years. I be the worst experience with the Kenmore service technician. Never again.
My mom’s old home had all Kenmore appliances. Everything was still working well when the house sold. I bought a Kenmore washer that died after three years. I be the worst experience with the Kenmore service technician. Never again.
Mary_Gail_36
New member
I think the Martha Stewart line for Macy’s was better quality than the K mart one. Often designers will do that different quality for different stores.Our local Targets, in ‘middle class’ neighborhoods, were dirty. The parking lots, the entrances and the stores in general. Yuck.
My local Kmarts, which are now closed, were older, but fine. I think some of the failings of Kmart were brands. Martha Stewart was THE brand and she moved onto Macys.
Macy’s is doing not so hot either.
On-line seems to be taking over?
I am not a fan of buying online products I’m not familiar. Oh, toothpaste I’m certain which to buy. But, a new article of clothing? I have to try it on, frequently several sizes of the same style. I would not want to have to pay the added costs of shipping.
I’ve never seen a messy Target. I had a Walmart near by that closed. They just seemed to stock the shelves haphazardly. It was always cluttered.
D
DignumEtJustum
Guest
Years ago but not in a long time. I liked the quality of Lands End though you paid for it. My nearest Sears is an old mall retail location which happens to now be an outlet location though it is still like a regular Sears rather than an “Outlet Center” Sears. They are sent the unsold items of many Sears stores and they are often sold at heavily reduced prices. Just the same, I can count the number of times I go there in a year with a couple fingers.Do any of you have a Lands End shop within the Sears? That’s really the only Sears shopping I will do.
Kenmore was never really its own brand. It was always a Whirlpool/Kitchenaid or other brand with a Kenmore label. Many Kenmore products are excellent and others are not; it depends who made it. Perhaps yours was a Bosch.My mom’s old home had all Kenmore appliances. Everything was still working well when the house sold. I bought a Kenmore washer that died after three years. I be the worst experience with the Kenmore service technician. Never again.
Mary_Gail_36
New member
I think it might have been L/G. But I understand that they are a good brand. I think the service tech was not capable of fixing it, and ruined it. Terrible customer service.Years ago but not in a long time. I liked the quality of Lands End though you paid for it.
Kenmore was never really its own brand. It was always a Whirlpool/Kitchenaid or other brand with a Kenmore label. Many Kenmore products are excellent and others are not; it depends who made it. Perhaps yours was a Bosch.
D
DignumEtJustum
Guest
LG is likely made in China and poor quality; worst fridge I’ve ever seen was made by them and I’ve worked in the appliance industry. Even Whirlpool fridges only seem to last 10 or 12 years nowadays. One would probably be better off buying a SubZero fridge and freezer from the 80s ($10,000 then) than something new.I think it might have been L/G. But I understand that they are a good brand. I think the service tech was not capable of fixing it, and ruined it. Terrible customer service.
V
Vim71
Guest
Sears has themselves to blame. In December, we had to order a new Dryer. Went with Sears first and for a Dryer (not even a great one, a cheap brand) it was $399 plus $300 shipping.
Tried Leons after seeing the shipping. Leons has free shipping on orders over $300 or something like that. The best part? We got a really good dryer for $499.
When the cost of shipping you a dryer costs almost the same a brand new dryer, you’re doing it wrong.
This is just one of the stories I have about Sears. They’ve routinely done a bad job, so I can’t say I’m sad to see the one here shut down. Maybe Leons can take over the old buildings, they seem to have a good grasp on how to run a business.
Everything is falling apart these days it seems. It’s not just stores, streets look filthy. Yards look unkept. There’s loose garbage everywhere. It’s depressing to be honest. I’ve tried many times to clean up my neighborhood, but with new garbage limits, that might not be possible anymore.
Tried Leons after seeing the shipping. Leons has free shipping on orders over $300 or something like that. The best part? We got a really good dryer for $499.
When the cost of shipping you a dryer costs almost the same a brand new dryer, you’re doing it wrong.
This is just one of the stories I have about Sears. They’ve routinely done a bad job, so I can’t say I’m sad to see the one here shut down. Maybe Leons can take over the old buildings, they seem to have a good grasp on how to run a business.
This accurately describes Walmart here. And the spacing really can make you feel claustrophobic.–The stores look dirty. They aren’t kept clean, shopping carts all over the place, litter filling the carts, like store circulars and empty beverage cans. Other sorts of litter all over the place. The mop buckets don’t seem to be actually used, but they’re still left around as customer obstacles.
–Customers cannot walk around the store. They have merchandise sitting on pallets all over the store. Sometimes, it’s like walking through a warehouse. This doesn’t just happen at night, when 24 hour stores often re-stock the shelves. Palleted merchandise blocks the aisles, and it’s piled-up in front of display merchandise. It’s actually a challenge to just walk around the store. One goes down an aisle, only to find the end of that aisle completely blocked. It’s like walking a maze.
–The buildings are decrepit. Lights don’t work. Flickering and buzzing light bulbs. Buckets and other vessels are scattered about the store catching the water leaking from the roofs. Peeling paint, missing floor tiles and broken shelves are the norm in todays KMarts.
I’m not sure about where you live, but minimum wage raises are what caused this problem here. They’re always understaffed now in every store because it simply costs too much to pay people.–The registers seem abandoned. They might have 12 lines, but only 1 register is open. And if there’s no customer waiting, the checkers leave their post. They go somewhere else and just wait for the PA announcement to get back to the registers.
Everything is falling apart these days it seems. It’s not just stores, streets look filthy. Yards look unkept. There’s loose garbage everywhere. It’s depressing to be honest. I’ve tried many times to clean up my neighborhood, but with new garbage limits, that might not be possible anymore.
D
DignumEtJustum
Guest
I’m sorry… are you suggesting minimum wages are too low? Those people making low wages aren’t even making a livable wage but there is a deeper cause to the problem. It began years ago when executive boards decided to buy from overseas instead of from home without passing the savings on to the consumer while at the same time that extra money saved began to allow their salaries to go through the roof compared to the worker on the ground whose pay has remained relatively the same, all while the industrial foundation of America crumbled as a result. Even those once clean yards and streets have obviously suffered as a result. The only way to fix things seems to be the last thing on anyone’s mind.I’m not sure about where you live, but minimum wage raises are what caused this problem here. They’re always understaffed now in every store because it simply costs too much to pay people.
Everything is falling apart these days it seems. It’s not just stores, streets look filthy. Yards look unkept. There’s loose garbage everywhere. It’s depressing to be honest. I’ve tried many times to clean up my neighborhood, but with new garbage limits, that might not be possible anymore.
V
Vim71
Guest
No, Minimum wage is too high. When you raise the minimum wage, you raise the cost of living. It solves nothing.I’m sorry… are you suggesting minimum wages are too low?
D
DignumEtJustum
Guest
Yes of course that’s what I meant. I agree with your further point to an extent as those making minimum wage might benefit somewhat while anyone making $5 or $10 more than minimum wage an hour are really the ones to suffer and pay for it as everything goes up in price while their wages remain the same. Just the same, the problem lies much deeper than the current rate of minimum wage.No, Minimum wage is too high. When you raise the minimum wage, you raise the cost of living. It solves nothing.
M
mikekle
Guest
In 15-20 yrs time, we will be saying the same about walmart and other really popular places right now, its just the way retail works, stores come and go over the years, what is popular now will be obsolete within 20 yrs, on to the next best thing.It’s a strange sign of the times that we’re even asking this question. I’m not even 40 years old and I remember many other iconic store brands that are now kaput.
Remember Woolworths? People used to go to the “dime store” for the type of inexpensive merchandise that is now sold in “big box” scores. Indeed, I can think of at least one Kmart that moved into a closed Woolworth store.
Or what about Radio Shack, or the A & P? Both companies are technically still in business but have been reduced to mere shells of what they used to be. Radio Shack’s tech geek market base has moved almost exclusively to the online shopping realm. As for A & P I’ve even read articles referred to it as the “Wal-Mart of its time” and stores across the country at one point, but now has been reduced to a struggling regional supermarket chain in a handful of Northeast states. I’d be surprised if either brand survives me.
.
From a recent article I read in Popular Mechanics, one of the technologies they are working on right now that is said to be available in about 10 yrs is the ability to email or ‘text’ tangible objects…once that technology is available to the public, I cannot see any brick and mortar retail stores sticking around for long. If someone can go online, buy a pair of jeans and then receive them by email within minutes…physical stores could never compete!
Mary_Gail_36
New member
We had a Woolworth’s bout a mile or so from my home. That was one of the first outings I was permitted to do with my friends, we walked to Woolworth, I remember buying a lipstick, and having lunch at the counter. That was the best part, having lunch at the counter!It’s a strange sign of the times that we’re even asking this question. I’m not even 40 years old and I remember many other iconic store brands that are now kaput.
Remember Woolworths? People used to go to the “dime store” for the type of inexpensive merchandise that is now sold in “big box” scores. Indeed, I can think of at least one Kmart that moved into a closed Woolworth store.
Or what about Radio Shack, or the A & P? Both companies are technically still in business but have been reduced to mere shells of what they used to be. Radio Shack’s tech geek market base has moved almost exclusively to the online shopping realm. As for A & P I’ve even read articles referred to it as the “Wal-Mart of its time” and stores across the country at one point, but now has been reduced to a struggling regional supermarket chain in a handful of Northeast states. I’d be surprised if either brand survives me.
I don’t think “brick and mortar” retail chains will ever completely go away, though. I do think the ones that survive will be ones that actually provide enough on-site hands-on customer service to draw people into their stores, and provide experiences that can’t be replicated on-line, they cannot compete based on price or even quality merchandise alone.
Mary_Gail_36
New member
Like Mike TeeVee from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory?In 15-20 yrs time, we will be saying the same about walmart and other really popular places right now, its just the way retail works, stores come and go over the years, what is popular now will be obsolete within 20 yrs, on to the next best thing.
From a recent article I read in Popular Mechanics, one of the technologies they are working on right now that is said to be available in about 10 yrs is the ability to email or ‘text’ tangible objects…once that technology is available to the public, I cannot see any brick and mortar retail stores sticking around for long. If someone can go online, buy a pair of jeans and then receive them by email within minutes…physical stores could never compete!
D
DignumEtJustum
Guest
I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t think that would be a good thing; sounds like the potential to put a lot of people out of work, possibly even those making the jeans.In 15-20 yrs time, we will be saying the same about walmart and other really popular places right now, its just the way retail works, stores come and go over the years, what is popular now will be obsolete within 20 yrs, on to the next best thing.
From a recent article I read in Popular Mechanics, one of the technologies they are working on right now that is said to be available in about 10 yrs is the ability to email or ‘text’ tangible objects…once that technology is available to the public, I cannot see any brick and mortar retail stores sticking around for long. If someone can go online, buy a pair of jeans and then receive them by email within minutes…physical stores could never compete!
M
mikekle
Guest
Oh yes, it may put a lot of people out of work, but on the other hand, its not right to suppress technological progress just for the sake of keeping jobs or certain industries afloat…if we started doing that, we would plateau pretty quick in regards to technology. Just imagine if they had this mindset 100 yrs ago!I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t think that would be a good thing; sounds like the potential to put a lot of people out of work, possibly even those making the jeans.
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