Raiders of the Lost K-Mart

 

The Consumerist often has entries labeled "Raiders of the Lost Walmart", where intrepid readers send in pictures of obsolete items that still languish on Walmart shelves years after they were discontinued, and oftentimes priced close to their original retail.

They don't deal much with K-Mart except to ridicule them for attempting to continue operations when they (along with Sears) should have closed years ago. However, perhaps they should do a "Raiders of the Lost K-Mart" series, especially after the find I made last night in one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/razorzedge/Strephon/I...

Yes folks, a refurbished StreetPilot C330 in original package for the bargain price of $199.99! If I recall correctly, the StreetPilot was introduced in 2005, which means this particular one has been sitting in this K-Mart for eight years now. At that price it will sit for as long as the K-Mart this was found in is around, because Amazon prices these devices at between $35-45.

No, I did not buy it. :)

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"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams

K-Mart

I bought a Phillips universal TV remote at K-Mart for a nice price. Problem: The code for my TV was not listed & their web site was no help. Phillip's CSR told me that remote unit ceased production many years ago.
A few days later, Phillips emailed me a code that worked.

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1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

199.99?

A C330 for the bargain price of $199.99? It'll be an antique in a few years worth ten times that price. Buy it now and keep it in the original sealed box. When you sell it at Sotheby's, I only ask for half your profits as a finders fee.

didn't know that there were any kmart stores still around

I didn't know that there were any Kmart stores still around. Found out that only one is left in Tucson on the South side. I used to shop quite a bit at sears but it has been around 3 years since I was there buying some vacuum cleaner bags.

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Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps

K-Mart

The Cedar Rapids K-Mart is having their store closing sale right now. There used to be 2 K-marts in town, now 0. So far Sears is still open ... hope they don't close.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Are they still open

I haven't been in a Kmart in years.

dohdohdohdoh

dohdohdohdoh

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nuvi 250 --> 1250T --> 265T Lost my 1250T

a lot ado about nothing

I don't really see anything weird here. Only risk is that some customer not familiar with current tech will buy it. As long they have this item on stock they will rather put it on shelf than keep in storage. Probably if there will be some sale this unit will be put as "special" for low price. It's not like store manager in big chain can set prices as he see fit. I saw many times "old junk" with insane prices next to cheaper, new model. Reason was simple: it didn't sell on time and get stuck on shelf, and with new model arrival it become dust catcher.

Consumerist Readers

The readers of The Consumerist get a laugh out of stuff like this because it promotes a perception that these stores are overly concerned about profit and have forgotten that the shelf space these items take up actually prevent the store from carrying new product that is more likely to sell. In the case of both stores the merchandise should be reduced by x percent per month until the product is finally gone. The alternative is that the merchandise should be returned to the warehouse, from where it would be sold to a retailer specializing in closeouts. It is better to get some money for a product that isn't selling than none at all.

About the only time I actually saw genuine clearance prices at a Walmart was when they were closing down an old location. They didn't want to take the merchandise to the new location, even if it was only a couple hundred feet away. In the case of Sears/K-Mart, there is supposed to be an individual who handles the pricing of discontinued and open box items. The items are marked down, and every month following the items are marked down a bit more until they are sold. In the Sears store I once worked at, I was that individual, and taking those consistent markdowns was how in the course of one summer I managed to move nearly a dozen leaf blowers, over a dozen push lawn mowers, and a half dozen lawn tractors that had been either returned or repaired.

Those items would have continued sitting there because the department manager didn't want to take the markdowns as they would affect his bonus. I finally had to ask him whether he wanted to repeatedly move them each and every time a snowthrower or other large ticket item was sold. He finally took the hint.

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"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams

K-Mart

I'm surprised they are still in business. The stores are always almost empty here and products are very low quality.

K-Mart

There is one near me in Florida (right across from Wal-Mart). Depending what I am looking for it is easier to just go there. Never crowded and their prices are just about the same. I will not stand in a long line at the register just to save a dollar or two.

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!

I was dragged back there the

I was dragged back there the following week. They had new nüvi 42 and 52 units sitting on the glass shelf above the C330.

The stores are empty, dingy, and look old. That apparently is the Sears way: Sears owns K-Mart. The few associates in the store try, but they can't stop the world from crumbling around them.

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"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams

actually, it's the other way around

Strephon_Alkhalikoi wrote:

I was dragged back there the following week. They had new nüvi 42 and 52 units sitting on the glass shelf above the C330.

The stores are empty, dingy, and look old. That apparently is the Sears way: Sears owns K-Mart. The few associates in the store try, but they can't stop the world from crumbling around them.

KMart owns Sears.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.

Actually...

Kmart Holdings Corporation purchased Sears, Roebuck and Co. in a deal that closed in March 2005 and became Sears Holdings...

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

I used to work for

I used to work for Sears...sadly. I've tried rather hard to forget my time there so it's only natural I'd forget which company bought the other to become Eddie Lampert's cash cow.

The point about the store's appearance is still valid, regardless of which store bought the other.

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"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams

nobody

Strephon_Alkhalikoi wrote:

The point about the store's appearance is still valid, regardless of which store bought the other.

Questioned that. We just pointed out that the ownership was reversed.

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Illiterate? Write for free help.