I'm not sure about the K-Marts near you guys, but the only one remotely close to me is a pile. They never have new figs and the ones they do have are at least $1 or more than Target/Walmart/TRU prices. Prices may be better nowadays, but I remember finding a mid-size ship I wanted there last year and it was $35. TEN BUCKS more than what you find at Target (or $15 this week) is ridiculous and that's what makes me not want to ever shop there.
To be fair, you guys live in the land of Target right? Haven't they all but beaten down a lot of the competition in that area, or is it at least even with WM mostly?
I picture driving into MN and it's nothing but red dots along the freeway, one visible from the next's parking lot, haha.
Around me and in the NE in general, KM is still a larger company which often covers areas that don't have WM or Target (much less TRU) that are 15 minutes from one another all over... Some of our areas have gotten similar to that, but they're few compared to other parts of the country.
So KM here is hit and miss in terms of quality... For me, I live 45 mins or so NE of Pittsburgh, which is a pretty rural area, and KM is all there is here. I have 2 KM's before I have any other large retailer to shop at. Nearest WM to me is 25 or 30 minutes (2 within that distance in 2 directions). The nearest Target for me is at least a half hour. Most are at least 45 mins in various directions.
TRU is about the same, and they're only around malls.
So my KM is ok... It's not great, it's not as nice as Target or even WM (which I have a few WM's I visit that are pretty new/nice). But it's around, so I shop there.
They have figures priced at $8.50 here about... $8.49 I believe, which puts them about $.50 more than most retailers. Also KM is the ONLY store other than TRU that runs any kind of BOGO sale, which is always a value then. I got the entire TPM wave, which is IMPOSSIBLE to find here at any retailer except KM, on sale for BOGO... They put out brand new waves every time they run one of those sales too. They don't just use it to clear up stuff that's been there for months.
I stocked up bigtime last year, at least twice, on their sales. I got ROTJ wave in bulk, I got a bunch of ANH wave when it was brand new, and for BOGO, and I got that TPM wave I recall.
Right now their mid-size vehicles are $21.99... That's a ****load cheaper than other stores. Their deluxe fig/vehicle like is $16.99 I think (I don't know what its normal price is though since I rarely buy it). And the Jodo Kast figure was $8.99 for me... I was ecstatic to get an exclusive fig for that low a price at a any store.
Their AT-AT is $99.99 too... I haven't seen their Vintage and SotDS packaging basic figures out yet though, to compare those prices.
I've found KM is best when they have stuff on sale though... This is just a general shopping POV I mean. Candy, or paper, or whatever, is best when it's on sale.
Oh, and KM now has a rewards card where you earn money back on purchases as well... So if you were to buy there much, you're earning something back too, which is nice, and it accumulates for a year. It also works at Sears too, and if you use Craftsman tools that's a nice plus.
K-Mart has its place then, at least to me... But I've been in KM's which have hung on in areas where there isn't likely to be more construction/development, and KM's all there is, and theyr'e a real hole... The area they're in probably has a lot more to do with that though.
Mine's clean and stuff... The employees are as helpful as any other retailer.
I'd not heard what Jayson mentioned, but that's interesting. I'm all in on that then... I'd love more quality exclusives to K-Mart stores. Their Clone 4-packs aren't exactly inspiring me with hope for that though.
