New Kmart Grocery Prototype

[pseudo3d]

If you haven't read the book:

Kmart's Ten Deadly Sins

The book chronicles Kmart's repeated decisions that plagued the chain until just after the 2002 bankruptcy. Ironically, some of them continue today. It's a good read of what not to do in retail. And Kmart did it over and over again.

I actually have read it, but it's not an entertaining or well structured read, or particularly well researched, like bumbling the differences between "Big Kmart" and "Super Kmart" (admittedly confusing in and of itself) or just straining to find things wrong, like blaming the use of Little Caesars in the cafés because Little Caesars has inexpensive, "low quality" pizza or something like that (I could try to find the quote).

[wnetmacman]

I'll give you that; it does ramble on in spots, but the general ideas are there:

1. Doing the same bad things over and over.
2. Using the 'idea du jour' to plan for the future
3. CEO hired in 'idea du jour' manner
4. Lack of trust in their IT
5. Lack of investment in older stores
.....and the list goes on.

Kmart hasn't had a clear focus since the 80's, and even then it was fuzzy. That's the point. It hasn't changed at all.

[SamSpade]

Kmart hasn't had a clear focus since the 80's, and even then it was fuzzy. That's the point. It hasn't changed at all.

Must be why "Blue Light Special" is back. Then again, our GROWING metropolitan area (announced today the state broke 4 million residents) is down to one "big" K-Mart and one really run down KMart on opposite sides of the area.


Looks like they remember their current audience, too

[pseudo3d]

I'll give you that; it does ramble on in spots, but the general ideas are there:

1. Doing the same bad things over and over.
2. Using the 'idea du jour' to plan for the future
3. CEO hired in 'idea du jour' manner
4. Lack of trust in their IT
5. Lack of investment in older stores
.....and the list goes on.

Kmart hasn't had a clear focus since the 80's, and even then it was fuzzy. That's the point. It hasn't changed at all.

I haven't read the book from start to finish, but even in the 1990s, there were a few problems. The Super Kmart stores were a big improvement over the old Kmart stores, but they were expensive to build (basically cramming a modern supermarket into the store, which was better than Target or Walmart ever did) and not nearly enough to make an impact, plus like Albertsons in that era, were often plagued with bad locations.

They acquired stores that they didn't really need...the Venture stores came to mind, but they didn't have the features like "real" Kmart stores did (garden centers for starters) and if I'm reading right, they were basically remodeled into Big Kmart stores anyway.