Kmart Not so obsessed

I'm in a bit of a pickle, it's a debacle I swear... Okay so maybe a 'first world' debacle, but still a mindset I'm trying to overcome!

Here's what's troubling me... I'm not sure if I love the hype that Kmart is pulling at the moment. 

I have to admit in the beginning I was hooked line and sinker, traipsing to the mall to meander the Kmart aisles and to discover the newest 'must haves'. Despite #operationquitmalls still being active - a bit of a slap the wrist event, that happened on recurring occasions. 

Then when I wasn't at the mall I was devouring 'Rough Diamond' to see what other bargain hunters had discovered and what lucky treats their Kmarts had conjured up that mine wasn't so forthcoming with. 

But it all came to an end over a little black bedside table.

I'd seen said black bedside 'Rough Diamond' in mid-January an Auckland based store had them on sale and so I totted along to mine to see if they had any in stock. A very helpful staff member told me that whilst they had them in stock the stock was being kept aside for when the new catalogues were to be delivered early February.  Fair call. Wouldn't want any misleading advertising. I could live with that. 

So a very excited me waited with bated breath by my letterbox, virtually sleeping next to it, waiting for the catalogue to land. And the minute it did I again totted off to Kmart to be told - ah, no - there actually wasn't any in stock, the stock hadn't landed and wouldn't be landing until the following Monday.

My first - AH WAIT, WHAT!? Moment. Who needs truth serum?

So Monday comes along, and after a busy day at the nine till five I decided to ring first and see if they had arrived... only to be told they'd SOLD OUT! AH WAIT, WHAT!? The stock only landed that day (apparently) how did they sell out so fast?

Kmart, they're clever, they're really clever. How do you make yourself desirable? How do you make a bargain basement brand desirable? How do you pick a brand's reputation up off the floor?

We see it with the major fashion houses ALL the time. Produce a fabulous product - with the fashion houses it's usually a handbag - and give them to a covetable few... models, princesses, Kardashians. Then produce them in ridiculously limited numbers, forcing wait lists to occur and drip feed your audience. 

Which is exactly what Kmart is doing, and although you mightn't find what you came for, you're bound to walk out with at least a couple of things that you actually don't need. Further fuelling consumerism. 

So the penny dropped, and I've decided I don't like their tactics... they're Kmart not Prada! 

But there is the other side of it - the reason I loved this particular bedside is because it is a reproduction of a model created by Kartell one of the all time greats in future furniture design. 

What made this particular design so popular and allowed it to stand the test of time, is although it was mass-market it's price tag was such that it limited it to only a certain number of households. Those, with the disposable income to sustain such a price tag. We see them in designer homes, meaning in our own - instant swag.

But now that it is available to ALL household's no matter what their disposable income... will it still hold the test of time? Will it still be popular a decade from now? Will I still love it as much then as I would now? Chances are... No.

I like to be ahead of the game with my homewares choices, so why am I coveting a Kmart bargain? 

I've decide I'm throwing in the towel, I'm not playing the game. And I'm off to seek out something different, something to offer my home its' instant swag - with not a Kmart swing tag in sight. 

My last name should have been 'Jones' because you'll be racing to keep up with me! 

Ha... and I shall do it by continuing to abide by #operationquitmalls - which if it hadn't have been for Kmart, I've actually been doing an exceptional job with to date! 

What are your thoughts on Kmart?