Kmart has long been a beloved one-stop shop for Australians looking for quality goods at affordable prices. From fashion to furniture, toys to tools, Kmart seems to have it all.

But even the most loyal of customers can find themselves at odds with their favorite retailer, especially when changes to the shopping experience seem to hinder rather than help.

The latest uproar? The positioning of Kmart's checkouts.



In a move that has left many shoppers scratching their heads, Kmart has placed the checkouts in the middle of the store rather than near the exits as is traditional.

This decision has sparked a wave of frustration among customers, who have taken to social media to voice their concerns.


One social media user posed a question that quickly garnered hundreds of responses: 'Do you like the checkouts in the middle of the store, or would you like them back near the door?'

The consensus was clear, with many calling for a return to the old layout.

One shopper's comment encapsulated the general sentiment: 'Near the door. What a stupid idea to have you walk back through the store with purchased items instead of the door people seeing who has come straight from checkout and who has not.’



‘And no, I'm not stopping in a line of people for them to scan my receipt, I'm walking out the door.'

‘Back near the door, it's crazy having to have big lines to get receipts scanned,’ another said.

‘If it was at the door, this wouldn't be as big of a deal. Also, have more than one staff member at checkouts to help with machine errors.’

‘I'd prefer full-service registers with staff members as opposed to self-serve at the front,’ a third suggested.

Other shoppers said they ‘hate them where they are’ and don’t like using ‘self-checkouts’.



Even experts in consumer behaviour are baffled by Kmart's decision.

Paul Harrison, Professor of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing at Deakin University, was ‘flummoxed’, stating that there seems to be no scientific evidence supporting the move.

‘It's interesting because I don't think that there's any scientific evidence would say that it was a good decision,’ Paul said.

‘It may well have been a gut feeling. I think part of it might have been that they thought, if we keep people in the centre of the store, they'll buy more.’

‘But yeah, when it first happened, I kind of just went looking at all the research, the actual research, not marketing consultants, and yeah, I couldn't see the reason why they would do that.’



‘If anything, I guess one of the critical things in marketing often is about kind of removing friction,’ he added.

‘So what that means is make it as easy as possible for people to do the thing you want them to do. And I think, if anything, it adds friction.’

‘And yeah, it's a mystery to me as a person who researches how consumers actually behave. It is one of those moments where I just went, I don't know where that came from, so yes, I'm flummoxed.’

Paul said he is ‘looking for reasons’ why Kmart made this decision.

‘Because that's my field, it's not just me as a customer, it's me as a person who researches the theory. And I just can't think of a reason. I'd love to know what their reasoning was and what the evidence was that led to that [choice],’ he said.



Kmart, for its part, has indicated that the central checkout layout, which has been gradually introduced since 2015, aims to streamline queues and reduce congestion at exits.

However, a trial at Eastlands Shopping Centre in Melbourne saw the checkout moved closer to the exit, suggesting that the retailer is open to experimentation and customer feedback.

A Kmart spokesperson has emphasised the company's commitment to improving customer experience by saying the layout change in Eastlands was only a trial and they have no plans to roll out the change nationwide.



‘We have lots of things we do to try to improve customer experience, such as new technology. We test and learn from things,’ the spokesperson said.

‘At Kmart Eastland, we are looking to try out a range of new store elements and ideas over the next year or so.’

'As a business, we are always looking for ways to make our customer experience better, so trying out new things is just part of what we do.'

‘As always, we have a number of trials taking place involving lots of new ideas so we can see what our customers think. As these are rolled out, we look forward to hearing our customer feedback so we can continue to adapt and improve.’
Have you shopped at a Kmart with central checkouts? Do you prefer the traditional layout with checkouts near the exits, or do you think the central checkouts have their own advantages? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.