Does KMart still run Blue Light Specials?

[Khadaji]

They shut down the KMart here in York and I am not sure I went that often anyway, but in my youth Blue Light Specials were common.

Do they still do that?

[DSYoungEsq]

@Wikipedia

Blue Light Special
The original Blue Light Special had disappeared in 1991, due to changing consumer habits and misuse by individual stores (according to the company’s official explanation). The company later brought back the Blue Light Special in the early-2000s, which was planned to have the manager announcing a promotion in-store every hour, on the hour, with said special lasting for twenty-five minutes. Each store was given a blue strobe light surrounded by a large blue banner, which was suspended from the ceiling in the center of the store. When the announcement of the special took place over the public address system, music would fill the store and all employees would stop their current actions, clap twice and pump their fists in the air, shouting “Blue Light, Blue Light!” This scheme aimed to generate more interest in Kmart from shoppers and the media, but store managers refused to go along with it. Customers complained of the process being too noisy, too intimidating, and altogether tacky. They also noticed the discounted prices were less impressive than the Blue Light deals of times past. Within a few weeks, the program was scrapped, though the blue strobe lights remained in the stores.

From the Wikipedia article on Kmart.

From time to time (example: 2005), the term blue light is used for special discounts, but the old strobes are no longer part of the promotion. They may be used by individual stores for all I know, since the equipment is probably still around.

[Rigamarole]

@Wiki article

music would fill the store and all employees would stop their current actions, clap twice and pump their fists in the air, shouting “Blue Light, Blue Light!”

Sounds just a little bit creepy.

Heil blue light!

[Operation_Ripper]

What is this Kmart you speak of?

[WolfpackJeep]

The last time I was in a Kmart (2002 or so?) they were using little blue-light stickers on various shelves and products.

The “Blue Light Special” is a bit of a legend in my family. I have an uncle who would hang out at K-mart, happily filling up a cart with whatever the Blue Light Special happened to be.