I hate to be a hater, but the opening of Kmart and its cult following made me a bit disappointed. This comes with the big fat disclaimer that, yes, the tracksuit on the cover of the issue was bought from Kmart, and yes, I am wearing the slippers I bought while I was there. And I’m never going back. It was an awful experience.
I’ve struggled to find a way to articulate my issue with Kmart. I’m from New Plymouth, where we don’t have a Kmart. I can’t begin to tell you the excitement that a trip to Palmerston North would inspire, purely because they have a Kmart. That’s the only thing they really had going for them. Alongside my canoe polo teammates (new Nina core unlocked) I would giddily frolic among the aisles and buy a bunch of shit I didn’t need. It was just so cheap!
But now? God, I hate Kmart. Because that “it’s so cheap” mindset is exactly what justifies most purchases there. It’s the mindset of consumerism – endlessly buying cheap things that will either break in a month, or cycle out. We’re hooked on the happy chemicals of endless consumption. It’s not limited to purchases, either. TikTok is a daily practice of this, scrolling onto the next video faster and faster for the next dopamine hit. Places like Kmart are the dealer, laying out cheap purchases like an all you can eat buffet.
You’ll notice that the villain in many movies is the evil developer who comes to a lovely small town of lovely small businesses. A big, bad corporate chain waltzes in, fronted by a sleazy rich businessman with a dazzling, yet toothy smile, threatening the local stores at the heart of the community. Everyone rallies against the mall and all its car parks, and everyone lives happily ever after! At least that’s what Hannah Montana sang for in her movie.
The evil developer movie trope is tired, but it’s all I could think about when I saw that Kmart was coming to Dunedin, and when I drove past the “event” signs in South Dunedin that sat in anticipation of the massive queues that the opening of the store would bring. It gave me the ick. What the fuck do you need so badly that you’re willing to queue for the opening of a store?
There should be more behind a purchase decision than, “I may as well since it’s so cheap.” Why is it cheap? Who made it? Will it last, or is it purely for the dopamine hit? At the beginning of last year, I bought a $35 portable blender on a whim at a Wellington Kmart that has sat unused since – it was “just in case” the flat I was moving into didn’t have a Nutribullet. It did. In fact, there were two.
I don’t subscribe to the belief that these kinds of ethical choices should be black or white. How could I? I’m a “vegetarian” who eats chicken in winter when my body craves protein. Making a habit of thinking about it more, though, counts. This clearly extends to other buys, because God did those slippers just look too fluffy to resist. And it’s coming from a privileged position to be able to say Kmart is bad – for many, it’s an accessible option for everyday items.
All I’m saying is that maybe think twice before skipping down to South D for a shopping spree. In Dunedin, we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to conscientious shopping, with an eclectic mix of local businesses that have unique, quality pieces right at our fingertips. Check out the Static Age Vintage feature in the mag as one example!