There’s big and there’s BIG. Even a grownup would recognize that the Super Kmart Centers that opened last week in Homewood, Vernon Hills and Elk Grove Village are BIG.
Well before noon on opening day last Thursday, the parking lot in front of the 189,000-square foot store at 600 Meacham Rd. in Elk Grove Village was filled with cars crawling along in the sub-freezing weather looking for parking spaces.
But so vast was the store that inside, even though there were lines at all 30 checkout stations and several temporary checkouts, customers could move through the aisles easily.
Although no one was yet counting the returns less than midway through day one, Bob Reed, the store’s general manager, volunteered, “We’re pleased, ecstatic. We had a `soft’ (unofficial) opening earlier in the week to practice and everyone seems to be taking things in stride. The food area in particular is beyond our expectations.”
The Super Kmart Centers marry the traditional Kmart to a supermarket. The chain tried this concept in the late 1960s, but abandoned it after two years. It has been born again because of competition, which is posed most directly in this area by Omni and Cub Foods, both 24-hour-a-day “superstores” with extensive food departments. The three new stores, also open round-the-clock, bring the national total of Super Centers to 21.
In the grocery department (55,000 square feet, with a staff of 165) there are 26 numbered aisles, each 60 feet long.
At mid-day, the most congested areas were the store’s deli, bakery, fresh produce and meat sections as well as the food court-a cafeteria area that offers Italian, Oriental and “Americana” fast food. These departments are arranged along the two outside walls of the food department. (Considering its size, the department might consider applying for statehood. Anyone forgetting an item is likely to pay penance with a lengthy backtrack to find it.)
A trio of kiosks placed strategically near an entrance feature serve-yourself items such as a salad bar selection, cheeses, sandwiches, cookies and muffins.
In the other two directions, the food department melts into the rest of the store, which carries the products familar to veteran Kmart shoppers.
The brightly lit food department is painted white with bold red trim, while the staff wears red jackets and hats. The logos of 20 major food companies form a frieze along the walls, testifying that Kmart offers brand-name products. “Brand Names for Less,” a sign proclaims.
In addition to basic grocery, vegetable, meat and poultry items, the Super Kmart has a fresh-fish counter (with “Jet Fresh Shellfish”), fresh meats and poultry stuffed and seasoned for quick preparation and exotic fresh vegetables and fruits such as elephant garlic, cactus leaves, tomatillos, and kiwis.
Despite some minor snafus (a passing shopper accidently launches an avalanche of green onion bundles onto the floor and somehow several still-folded bath towels have found their way into a case of frozen pizzas), the grocery department was remarkably orderly on its first day.
Some snapshots from the mid-day crowd, whose makeup was skewed toward women with preschool children, elderly couples and singles and some multi-generational (mother-daughter-granddaughter) groups:
“Sir,” a woman said to a clerk, “where can I get a cup of coffee?” The clerk shuddered visibly, then replied, “We”ve got it, but it’s a far walk. I’ll try to tell you.”
Nancy Moulton of Elk Grove Village, shopping on her day off, said, “I like it here. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be, but it’s very nice and the prices are pretty good.” Admitting she works for another supermarket in the area, she added, “The prices here are pretty good.”
Another clerk asked a jolly-looking woman, “How do you like the store?” “It’s beautiful,” she said, “but I’m going on to Dominick’s” and cited an item on sale there.
An elderly man who declined to give his name said he was impressed with the selection, but said he won’t be back. “It’s too far from where I live,” he said. “I just came here to see what they have.”
Cory Kelly, her mother Lorraine Biermann and Lorraine’s mother, Pat Biermann, systematically pushed a convoy of shopping carts through the aisles. In one of the carts, 1 1/2-year-old Patrick Kelly slumbered while his sister, asked what she likes about the store, waved a packet of bologna.
“The store is very neat,” said Cory Kelly. “I like that and you can take care of a lot of things with one stop.”
“And it smells good,” added Lorraine Biermann as some odors from the bakery department wafted by.
The Super Kmart Centers are banking heavily on competitive pricing to bring in customers and bring them back. This informal survey records some of the prices on opening day.
Pace picante sauce, 16 ounces, $2.09;
Star Kist chunk light tuna in water, 6 1/8 ounces, 58 cents;
Maxwell House coffee, 24-ounce can, $3.89;
Hellmann’s mayonnaise, 32 ounces, $1.69;
Weight Watchers frozen combo pizza, 6 ounces, $2.18;
Carrots, 1 pound, 39 cents;
Carrots, tops on, 89 cents a pound;
Dubuque boneless ham, water added, $2.19 a pound;
Cauliflower, $1.69 each;
Large eggs, 67 cents a dozen;
Perdue boneless, skinless chicken breast, $3.99 a pound;
Ground beef round, $2.19 a pound;
Gulf shrimp, large, shell-on, $6.99 a pound;
Cook-and-serve Cajun Chicken breast, $2.99 a pound;
Cook-and-serve stuffed mushrooms, $3.99 a pound;
Cook-and-serve stuffed turkey tenders, $2.99 a pound;
Oscar Mayer bacon, 1/2-pound package, $1.89;
Vienna Beef cooked corned beef (deli), $5.99 a pound;
German potato salad (deli), $1.49;
Fried chicken breast (deli), 99 cents.
