Some thoughts on the Prototype Kmart, M-59 @ Liz Lake Rd., White Lake Township [MI]:
I like the modified Kmart logo. It’s the “big K,” but the straight part is grey and the arms of the K form a green arrow over it, and the cursive “mart” is smaller and inside the green part. Did that make any sense? This logo supersedes the red K on all permanent signage, in some cases literally pasted over the red K on elements shared with other Kmart stores. A black and white version [black K, white “mart”] appears on the register receipt. Exceptions: temporary [i.e. weekly sale] signage and fliers, on the soap dispensers in the bathroom, and on price tags for individual items [it would probably not be cost effective to print green price tags for one location]. The checkout clerks were wearing green vests, other store employees were not, though I believe I saw the Entertainment clerk wearing grey.
There is a big aisle in front of the entrance with featured items in it, presumably to grab your attention as you come in the door. The rest of the store radiates out from there. [The photo in the linked article is of the southwest corner of the store, facing west.] The inner walls of the store were lined with cute slogans you would imagine people saying in Kmart TV ads while an instrumental loop of Nico’s “These Days” plays:
- “Parenthood would be fabulous if it weren’t for the damned kids.”
- “Don’t cry over spilt milk, paper towels are cheap.”
- “Why wait out the headache? Self-medicate.”
- “Feet grow — shoes don’t.”
- “Lowe’s is for sissies. Your Dad bought his lightbulbs here.”
Some of those are the actual slogans on the walls and some I made up. Take a guess.
I bought a Jabra cellphone headset — you know, the in-your-ear kind with the brightly shaped gels that mold to your ear — for $2.00 on clearance. It’s the kind with the mike on the cord. They also had the EarBoom [mike on a little stick], but it’s only marked down to $20, which is barely a clearance price at all. I also bought lightbulbs for my car tail lights [actually, my dad would’ve gone to Murray’s for those, but auto parts places intimidate me the way computer stores intimidate normal people]. So here’s $4 toward the Save K-Mart fund.
Share
Leave a Reply
