Kmart ... Anyone Else Enjoying This?

[Jeff Thomas]

Now, don't get me wrong. I take no pleasure in people losing their jobs, or investors losing their investments.

However, I strongly believe in the free market, I think that bad management deserves to be replaced, and I think that significant corporate stockholders deserve to lose money when they retain bad management.

And, Kmart's management has acted despicably regarding the RKBA. Remember the absurd kowtowing to Michael Moore, and their decision to quit selling sidearm ammunition? Also, wasn't it the patriotically-challenged Kmart management who quit selling firearms and ammunition on September 11? And, lest we forget, these bozos employed the brilliant, political genius Rosie O'Donnell as a pitch woman. Other than those little details, I suppose Kmart's management has been just ducky regarding fundamental American liberties ...

So, frankly, I'm not at all troubled to see this weak-kneed, poorly-managed dinosaur slouching towards extinction.

As a matter of fact, I'll be a little plainer ... Kmart can go to H-E-double hockey sticks, as the kids say.

Now, I have no idea how much this disgusting poltical behavior has cost Kmart, but I will say this ... life and business are competitive enough these days without ticking off millions of gun owners. Very, very stupid for Kmart's management to get themselves unnecessariliy embroiled in such controversy. And, hopefully this will serve as a good example for other large firms, even if the RKBA effect is vague and easily overstated.

Businesses should stick to their knitting ... and that means stay out of politics, especially when it comes to supporting leftists.

Anyone else out there NOT missing that old blue light special?

Regards from AZ

 

[Snowdog]

I believe, and will maintain the belief that this should be seen as a pyrrhic victory. An American company, American workers, the American economy... these are the losers here, not the anti-gun nuts.

I also believe none of us directly caused their downfall, but I'm certainly not popping champagne corks over it.

The best I can do is shake my head.

 

[Ed Brunner]

OK! Just how much effect do you figure the RKBA "boycott" had on it?

 

[Jeff Thomas]

Well, here is how I see it ...

Use the analogy of a NASCAR race. Would a top driver want to add 20 pounds to his car? Use poorer tires? Burn cheap fuel? I don't think so ... he / she is in a very competitive race. They want every advantage they can get.

From my perspective, the market is the same. If I am in competition with Wal Mart, Sears, Amazon.Com, etc., do I want to give myself an additional handicap by aggravating millions of Americans? I don't think so.

This kind of political, retail foolishness is almost surely going to cost you more buyers than it wins by the misperception that Kmart was a corporate do-gooder. Very foolish, in my book.

Did it force them into bankruptcy? I doubt it. Did it help force them into bankruptcy? I would wager that it did. It will be interesting to see if anyone ever searches for this empirical evidence.

Regards from AZ

 

[Monkeyleg]

When a company goes out of business, or files for reorganization, it's no cause for celebration. If I hear that one of my competitors is in trouble, I'm not glad, because it only means that there's trouble on the horizon for me as well.

A victory for RKBA? Wow, those twelve boycotters have more buying clout than I ever imagined.

Just about every family I know has had someone lose his/her job in the last two weeks.

Rejoice? I don't think so.

 

[Redlg155]

It is sad that Americans will be losing their jobs over this, but on the other hand the company itself played a major role in its impending demise. I was kind of iffy about K mart and exactly what it stood for until Sept 11th.

I personally called the Kmart Manager here in Panama City and confirmed from him that he was ordered by company HQ's to quit selling ammunition and firearms " For the safety of its customers and the salespeople". That to me drew the line and sickened me.

When I inquired about who I could talk to about this policy all I got was a run around. In fact it took me ten minutes of "I need to talk to your boss" before I could find out someone who half way knew what was going on.

I'm sure the number crunchers would be surprised when they figured just how much revenue they lost with their policies. Walmart on the other hand sold ammunition and weapons as fast as they could get them on the shelves.

Good Shooting
RED

 

[sven]

K-Mart also censored artists, only allowing the "parent friendly" versions of pop albums to be sold.

It's called Freedom of Speech for a reason!

I never shopped at K-Mart. Hated the lighting. Bright, harsh, cheap lamps. Why not go to Target, or Wal-Mart?

Sorry to those who may lose jobs, but REALLY now...

-steve

 

[EricM]

K-Mart also censored artists, only allowing the "parent friendly" versions of pop albums to be sold.

Wal-Mart does it, too.

K-Mart was always out of touch. It was a matter of time before it went under, regardless of the company's position on RKBA.

 

[SkySlash]

I don't shop at K-mart for a variety of reasons.

1. Crappy customer service.
2. Filthy stores.
3. High prices.
4. Lack of value added products.

I have always favored Wal-Mart over K-mart.

Wal-Mart has gone downhill since old Sam died, but it has maintained and exceeded my expectations during my entire life.

I can walk into a Wal-Mart, and for a reasonable price I can remodel my home, provide complete maintenance for my car, clean and outfit all my sporting endeavors, buy my groceries, and pick up a card, flowers, and gift for my wife.

I can do all that for an excellent price, and K-Mart simply doesn't offer that value, and as a result, they've never had me as a customer.

They can disappear for all I care, they never really existed in my world to begin with.

-SS

 

[PaladinVC]

A really bad thing about it...

Future generations of B-Movie watchers won't find it quite so funny that Ash works at S-Mart. Tragic.

"Lady, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the store."
"Who the hell are you?!?"
"Name's Ash. *Shk-chak* Housewares."

Man, that's good.

 

[Modifiedbrowning]

PaladinVC, "Shop smart, shop S-Mart"

 

[Good Guy]

Enjoying the demise of Kmart? No, not really. I haven't set foot in one since rosie was hired by them. Never gave any more thought to it. They've been out of business for several years now as far as I'm concerned.

At least my local Walmart still sells guns, ammo & accessories.

 

[blades67]

Don't know if my local k-mart has firearms or ammo, haven't been there since that fat pig rosie started doing their ads.:barf:

 

[Jamie Young]

Here in Pennsylvania "Dick's Sporting Goods" and "WalMart" are slaughtering KMart. I haven't gotten anything at KMart in years.

 

[SteelyDan]

K-Mart was in trouble long before the "boycott." From what little I know, I'd agree it was an upper-management problem. If they go under, I assume that other big retailers will just raise their prices a few percentage points. That's annoying, but not nearly as bad as the lost jobs; most of those people probably didn't have a lot of other employment options.

Don't get me wrong. My wife and I actually had one of our biggest fights ever (we didn't speak for 2 days) over Rosie. But I still hope Big K pulls through.

 

[Hal]

No, I'm not enjoying it at all,,,even though I despise K Mart.

What everyone here is overlooking is the fact that with 700 stores as well as the corporate office closing,,,all those people don't just disappear off the face of the Earth. What they do, is go out and get jobs at the very stores I see touted here all the time.

PS. The majority of them take their attitude along with them. Frankly, I'd far prefer they stayed right where they were.

 

[AC's & 45's]

Yes and no!

I hate to see the few hard working American employees lose their jobs.
The rest of the goof offs deserve it. They didn't really want to work and honest job anyway.

The controlling interests will make out the best. Sad though, because their bad descisions and disregard fore their customers caused all of this.

 

[AnotherPundit]

One angle:

I agree that the "gun buyer boycott" didn't do much. But, conversely, I think that the sort of idiot who thought not selling handgun ammunition was a good idea, is also the sort of idiot who bankrupts companies.

 

[Larry Wright]

I hated their abdication of policy to Rosie and her crowd. I also had a bad experience with them recently (another post) vis a vis handgun ammo but I hate to see any business go belly up because of the workers and probable ripple effect in the economy. There has been too much going bad lately: Enron, Ford Motors, air industry, etc.; we don't really need another business going under.

 

[Jeff Thomas]

Well, call me heartless, I suppose. I also won't shed a tear when Bin Laden's body is found, nor when Arafat and his murderous crowd are finally shown the door in Israel ...


Companies, and even industries, disappear from time to time. No, those people don't disappear off the face of the earth ... they move into more productive roles in the market. I've gone through it, and I'll bet many of you have. It is logical, it's life, and in the long run, it is what makes our economy strong. Without that kind of discipline, we'd have the beauty of a Soviet state, keeping people in obsolete, inefficient jobs.

And, when those people move to other companies and other jobs, certainly they can take that lousy Kmart attitude with them. But if that attitude isn't acceptable at Wal Mart or wherever else they land, they'll lose that job as well. That also is the way it should work ... customers have to be treated right, or they won't part with their money.

It was time for Kmart to go.

Regards from AZ