I was literally there today and it was a f****** nightmare!”: Why Kmart’s chaos can’t be ignored

Retail stores can be chaotic at times, but every now and then, a situation unfolds that truly stuns shoppers.

One recent scene inside a popular store left customers bewildered and staff overwhelmed.

What unfolded in a busy Sydney location has reignited debate around retail standards and customer behaviour.


A shocking scene unfolded at a Sydney Kmart store, leaving shoppers and staff alike struggling to make sense of the chaos.

What might usually be an ordinary visit quickly turned into a bewildering experience, as one aisle became virtually impassable.

Footage posted to social media showed the shoe section at the Paramatta store utterly overwhelmed with footwear, the floor completely hidden beneath hundreds of boots and shoes piled high.


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Shoe aisle chaos disrupts Sydney Kmart shopping experience. Image source: TikTok/jadekizana


The clip, which had garnered nearly 30,000 views, was captioned: ‘One wrong step and you’re buried in $7 boots’.

Viewers were quick to share their frustrations, describing the state of the store as a ‘nightmare’. Some recounted similar scenes as a regular occurrence at Kmart, sparking questions about the retailer’s standards. ‘I was literally there today and it was a f****** nightmare!’ one shopper exclaimed.

The footage painted a vivid picture of disorder, with shoes stacked on top of each other to the extent that navigating the aisle became impossible.


Source: TikTok/jadekizana​


This spectacle sparked sympathy for the staff, with one commenter asking: ‘Why is every Kmart in Australia like this??!! Those poor staff’.


A former employee chimed in, shedding light on the issue from behind the scenes.

‘I work at Kmart and it sucks,’ they said.

Another ex-retail worker recalled the constant battle against shoppers leaving items scattered or wedged in random places. ‘The amount of times people just threw stuff on the floor or wedged the items between the racks infuriates the ex retail worker in me,’ they added.

Kmart did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.


This incident came just weeks after another episode at an Adelaide Kmart caught attention on social media.

A video featuring a group of teenagers performing the so-called ‘Apple Pay’ prank quickly spread, reaching over 900,000 views.

The prank involved a teen approaching a man in the store, asking for the time, then pretending to take money from him via Apple Pay. The aim was to provoke an extreme reaction for the sake of a viral clip.


Source: TikTok/boaters_​


Many viewers condemned the prank as ‘dangerous and embarrassing’. ‘This is a dangerous thing to do in Australia,’ one person warned, highlighting concerns about the potential risks such behaviour poses.

Together, these incidents have cast a spotlight on the challenges facing some Kmart stores around the country—from overwhelming messes to reckless pranks—raising questions about customer respect and retailer management alike.

Key Takeaways

  • A Kmart store in Paramatta was filmed with its shoe aisle completely covered in boots, causing shopper frustration.
  • Many described the mess as a ‘nightmare’ and sympathised with overwhelmed staff.
  • Former employees revealed ongoing challenges with customers leaving items scattered or wedged between racks.
  • Weeks earlier, an ‘Apple Pay’ prank by teens at an Adelaide Kmart sparked warnings about dangerous behaviour.

With so many years of experience navigating busy stores, how do you think retailers could better support both shoppers and staff in managing such chaos? Share your thoughts in the comments.

In an earlier story, we looked at another unsettling report about Kmart’s store conditions—because messy aisles and poor organisation can affect everyone’s shopping experience.

For seniors who value ease and safety when navigating stores, these ongoing issues raise important questions about store management.

If you’ve noticed similar problems yourself, it’s worth checking out that story for more insight.

Read more: Shoppers slam Kmart over shocking store condition: 'There is no discipline.'
 
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Kmart could employ more staff where a staff member could be monitoring the shoes area, another staff member to monitor the toys area and so on. Everytime we go to Kmart, it's like a ghost town, there are no staff anywhere, other than at the cash register. Perhaps because there are no staff visible, young people thing well, there is no one here, so what if I don't put shoes or clothing back on the shelves.
When people see staff are present, the young people might think twice before choosing not to place shoes or clothing back on the coat hanger or shelves. 🙏🦋
 
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Kmart could employ more staff where a staff member could be monitoring the shoes area, another staff member to monitor the toys area and so on. Everytime we go to Kmart, it's like a ghost town, there are no staff anywhere, other than than at the cash register. Perhaps because there are no staff visible, young people thing well, there is no one here, so what if I don't put shoes or clothing back on the shelves.
When people see staff are present, the young people might think twice before choosing not to place shoes or clothing back on the coat hanger or shelves. 🙏🦋
it's not only the young people who don't put items back. I have seen many older people doing the same thing. Obviously it is just easier to leave it for someone else. The "Not my problem" attitude has no age barrier.
 
K Mart and stores like them used to be a good casual job for young people. And keeping your area of responsibility clean, tidy and restocked was all part of that job. Has Kmart now decided that only a couple of checkout people are required as most people do their own self service at the checkout. Being old fashioned I would have thought that an attractive display of goods would help to sell them. I for one like many others would turn around and leave if faced with piles of items all over the floor. Or do we now just order everything online and don't bother going to the store?
 
My local KMart (Brisbane) is a disgrace as well, especially the shoe department... always a mess with items dumped on the floor. Other clothing areas resemble a jumble sale, no attempt made to try to fold an item.
Whereas, Big W's shoe area is very clean and neat with small seats to sit and try on shoes.
Perhaps KMarts hanging system needs addressing as they can be difficult to reattach. I often fill in a survey for KMart and always address the shoe "mess" but nothing ever changes.
 
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I believe that the shoes and clothes are scattered everywhere because of a lack of staff which is the fault of management of Kmart. More people need to be employed to keep the store clean smelling and tidy.
Also has anyone noticed the quality of clothes wear in Kmart. Many years ago, the quality and design of clothes were similar to that of Target quality. Now there are stacks and stacks of clothes squashed together on racks, poorly made and of low class material, mostly made in Bangladesh. I would find myself spending so much time searching for something of a good quality make and walk out with a top or dress, with no good shape and of stretchy poor sewen material. Clearly, it appears that these days, Kmart is importing cheap stock and charging it at a price that it's not worth. It further appears that a new croud of managers, who have little knowledge in good quality and fashion, have made themselves at home in the Kmart departments, and are ordering poor quality clothes selling them at a profit price. 🙏🦋
 
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Why can't it just be a 'nightmare' without swearing about it? 🙄
In terms of linguistics, fucking is known as an intensifier. It gives force or emphasis to a statement.

No different to "It's REALLY cold outside".

I might say "It's FUCKING cold outside".

Censorship stifles freedom of speech.
 
Kmart's policy seems to object to personal customer service....lack of staff in store to assist customers will only see customers less inclined to worry about how they handle items in store...the end result of all of this is that a lot of customers get turned off with how the store is managed and the way that they feel disrespected by the store and it's Management....finally the store will lose out.... people will shop elsewhere in outlets that treat customers professionally.
 
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Not all k marts are like this my Victorian suburban k mart is good. Very occasionally a trolly will be in an aisle but is promptly removed.
I even get to see helpers a reasonable amount of time.
Sounds like this stores manager needs to improve his way of doing things.
 
In terms of linguistics, fucking is known as an intensifier. It gives force or emphasis to a statement.

No different to "It's REALLY cold outside".

I might say "It's FUCKING cold outside".

Censorship stifles freedom of speech.
Dear member Veggiepatch, I respect your opinion and find your statement and meaning, interesting. Actually I am of the opinion that the term REALLY can be freely used at the dinning area or infront if children without any hesitation. However the term F..... is not a term that would be accepted so lightly at a dinning table or infront of children. Perhaps one could choose another *intensifier * word that could describe the person's feelings about an unacceptable issue. So it can be said that the term REALLY is, infact very different from the word F...... Good Karma to you always, God bless, 🙏🦋
 

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