Kmart Hamilton's 'treasure hunt' revealed to be staff simply losing things
Store insists misplaced stock is a 'family activity'. Shoppers reckon it's the same as every other Tuesday.
Kmart Hamilton has launched a school-holiday 'treasure hunt'. Children are invited to find marked-down homewares hidden throughout the store. Regular customers say this describes the shop's normal operating condition.
The activity, advertised on a laminated sign near the trolleys, promises 'hours of family fun' finding items 'cleverly placed' in unexpected aisles. A staff member, asked where a saucepan might be, said: 'Honestly, that IS the treasure hunt. If you find it, it's yours.'
Waiheke visitor Colleen Braithwaite, 62, over in Hamilton to see her sister, said she'd spent forty minutes looking for a bath mat. She found three air fryers, a child's scooter, and one lone thong in the candle aisle. 'My Gerald, God rest him, wouldn't have stood for it. He liked a shop where the towels were with the towels.'
Another shopper, Denise from Rototuna, said her grandson had found a set of wine glasses in the men's underwear section and been given nothing for his trouble. 'They said it wasn't a 'featured item'. I said it was featured enough that it was in with the jocks, wasn't it.'
A Kmart spokesperson said the promotion was 'engaging customers with our product range'. Pressed on when it would end, they said it would run 'until stock levels normalise'. They declined to specify a date.
The lone thong remains in the candle aisle. Staff have stopped moving it.
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Reader Letters
couchgremlin
Lol. Kmart treasure hunt.
Garry (Halswell)
When I was a kid, shopping meant knowing where things were. My mum would write a list and we’d get through the store in 20 minutes flat. Now it's like a maze, and that's before they added a 'treasure hunt'. What happened to efficiency?
Sally_MtEden
Mate, if I wanted a workout, I'd go to the gym. Not rooting around Kmart just to find a frying pan.
Trev_Hornby
It's a piss-take! They should pay us to rearrange the stock. We aren’t staff!
Sandra McKenzie
Why go to Kmart at all? Support local businesses where they know their stock layout!
wayne1987
Sandra, you do know local shops don’t sell $3 fairy lights, right?
Prof_Theory
It's a strategic move by Kmart to encourage more foot traffic. The longer you're in the store, the more likely you are to buy something 'unexpected'.
vexed_vicky
Prof_Theory, or they just can't keep the place tidy?
uniqfind
What happens if I find the thong? Do I get a prize?
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