Growing up in small Southern towns during the 1970s and 80s, our retail landscape wasn't exactly overflowing with options. This was long before the retail behemoth Walmart rolled into our area. We had a brief flirtation with Zayre before it became Ames and then vanished, but Kmart was the destination. As the formerly robust TG&Y began to thin out—its once-great shelves becoming barer and its product selection shrinking closer to a dollar store's—Kmart became my family’s reliable anchor. And trust me, I still have immense fondness for TG&Y, the place my dad bought a lawnmower that ran for nearly two decades and where I spent hours in the electronic, record, toy and pet sections wishing I would be able to pick something out and mama or daddy would buy it for me to take home. But Kmart? That was where the real magic was. The Heyday of Everything-Under-One-Roof
It’s funny how the small, everyday components of our childhood—like the ubiquitous department store—are now just a collection of vivid memories. In our town, Kmart felt like the slightly classier, more upscale alternative—the Target to the era's Walmart, which would have been TG&Y. Kmart had nicer items and some great brand names, even if we as kids dreaded being caught in anything that obviously screamed "Blue Light Special."
And speaking of those Blue Light Specials—who could forget that siren call? You'd hear "Attention K-Mart Shoppers," and then, like a synchronized retail ballet, a rumble of shopping carts would converge from every direction, leading to the flashing blue light that was eerily reminiscent of a police car. Witnessing my mom and old ladies make a frantic dash for deeply discounted staples like Fruit of the Loom panties, Cannon Washcloths or Mead Filler Paper was horrifying at the time. Looking back, though, it was pure, small-scale excitement—a mini, everyday version of Black Friday.
Kmart truly was a one-stop shop for almost everything except groceries initially (a venture they attempted later in the 1990s). If you told someone today that Kmart had a full-scale paint department in its large hardware section or a huge sporting goods section where you could browse a vast selection of roller skates, tennis balls and even bowling balls and bags, they'd look at you with utter disbelief—unless they lived through the Kmart heyday.
My absolute favorite time to shop at Kmart was during Christmas. As a kid, it seemed to carry the best decor—my mom’s Christmas cards from Kmart were always stunning. Later, when I moved to Atlanta, my partner Terry and I, frequented the two-story Kmart across from the Lindbergh MARTA station. It even had an escalator that led down to a basement level where the hardware, sporting goods, and, most importantly during the holidays, the massive Christmas section resided.
Kmart’s holiday offerings were surprisingly high-quality. Their glass ornaments were top-notch and usually priced better than other stores. I still have a few strands of Christmas lights I bought there in the early 2000s and aside from the slight fading of the blue bulbs, they work perfectly!
The brand selection was impressive, too. You’d find their Trim A Home® signature holiday brand with a wide array of lights, tree skirts and themed ornaments. They also carried items from Gemmy Industries (known for those fantastic outdoor decorations like Santas and snowmen) and other private label collections like Christmas Tidings. Whether you needed shatterproof globes, lawn figures, themed bath mats or even those novelty gingerbread houses, Kmart was stocked and ready for the season.
The toy section, especially for a pre-teen in the 80s, was spectacular. I liked things that were slightly off the cutting edge of the latest fad and Kmart had a perfect mix of older stock and newer releases. Many of my original Masters of the Universe action figures came from Kmart, as they often seemed to get the new waves before TG&Y.
My mama, a devoted crocheter, loved making everything from scarves to massive afghans. While TG&Y had a huge selection of colors, Kmart’s slightly smaller yarn section often carried a selection with a softer, less scratchy feel. I vividly remember her creating a huge, cozy afghan out of skeins of blue and creamy white yarn from Kmart—it reminded me of a perfect winter sky.
And we can’t talk about Kmart without praising their layaway program. In an era before credit cards were ubiquitous and easy to use, layaway was a lifeline. It allowed people, like my mom, to reserve items they needed for a future date, such as Christmas gifts (Hey Santa I’m thinking about you!) and pay for them in manageable installments until the purchase was complete. It was a true act of community and financial assistance that is sorely missed today.
After Walmart finally arrived, my mom gravitated toward their lower prices, but my dad remained loyal to Kmart, particularly for their garden center. After the Milton, Florida store moved to a newer, larger location a mile or so west of the original store on Highway 90, the vibe was never quite the same.
Yet, even in its final years, Kmart tried to step up its game. Who would have thought the store of our childhood would host clothing lines from names like Martha Stewart, Jaclyn Smith, Sandra Lee and even Adam Levine? In the end, the very last Kmart I frequented, the Peachtree City location, had an Adam Levine collection that genuinely impressed me. I guess it was an effort to reinvent themselves and keep up with the changing retail landscape but as with so many greats, it was a little too late to recapture some of that old department store glory.
Today, Kmart lives on as a nostalgic memory, a symbol of a time when the "department store" was the centerpiece of small-town retail life. That iconic blue light may have gone dark, but the memory of those Christmas trips and the excitement of the layaway counter remains brightly lit.-----Thank you for joining me on this walk down memory lane. I truly enjoy sharing these little pieces of my history with you. Did you have a favorite department store growing up? Perhaps a treasured Blue Light Special score? I'd love to hear your memories in the comments below! If you enjoy these nostalgic stories about the things that shape us, consider sharing this post with a friend or perhaps you could even contribute a little something toward my next writing adventure—every comment and contribution helps keep these memories alive!
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