Lifestyle

1977 old Kmart ad selling $50 rifles baffles nostalgic Australians

Louie

August 31, 2022

Australian shoppers embark on a journey through memory after an old 1977 Kmart ad sells camping gear and rifles.

The full-page catalog published in the Herald Sun 45 years ago was posted on Old Shops in the Australian Facebook Group.

It comes from a time when Kmart was not considered a cheap seller. Gun laws were also lax, allowing Australians to purchase firearms as easily as sleeping bags or fishing rods.

An old 1977 Kmart ad promoting the sale of camping gear and even rifles caught the attention of hundreds of nostalgic Australian shoppers

The ad features a discounted “outdoor sale” sale on three guns at Sydney stores and “Hurry for these savings!!” included the slogan.

The Stirling rifle was reduced to $52.84, or “about a week’s salary.” One commenter claimed the amount was $322.51 in 2022.

$16 might seem like a bargain for a sleeping bag these days, but in 1977 it was over $100, and likewise, a 5.5-foot tent at $299 equates to $1,824.93 today.

A full-page ad shows an “Outdoor sale” sale at two Sydney Kmart stores, with three pistols being discounted with the tagline: “Hurry for these savings!!”

How much are 1977 Kmart articles worth in 2022 dollars?

5.5m-3.7m tent

Three-person nylon tent

1920s Stirling car gun

15 Stirling Rifle

Kmart field bed

camouflage sleeping bag

Fishing Rod and Reel Set

dart board

From: $299

Dan: $29.94

From: 42.88

From: $52.84

From: $9.88

From: $16.48

Dan: $9.98

Dan: $3.46

Now: $1,824.93

Now: $182.13

Now: $261.72

Now: $322.51

Now: $60.30

Now: $100.58

Now: $60.91

Now: $21.12

The nostalgic post received hundreds of “likes” and dozens of comments from many members who were shocked by the gun sales.

“It was a different world. Can you imagine walking into a supermarket today and buying a small arsenal for under two hundred dollars without needing an ID or anything like that?’ one person asked.

“I remember when they were selling weapons. I couldn’t believe it then, and I still can’t believe it now,” wrote another.

‘Weaponry! Are you kidding me!’ a third shouted and another joked, “Kmart: Serial Killer Edition”.

$16 might seem like a bargain for a sleeping bag these days, but in 1977 it was over $100, and likewise, a 5.5-foot tent at $299 now equates to $1,824.93.

Others said the retro ads reminded them of the “good old days” and what shopping was like in Australia 45 years ago.

In the mid-1980s, I was working at Kmart, where guns and ammunition were still sold. I also remember full-rack car exhaust systems to be installed at home, and even some live fish for the home aquarium,” one man recalled.

“I remember Kmart selling cans of house paint and car paint. I bought an above ground pool from Kmart in 1986,” she replied for a second.

“Wow, the Kmart logo hasn’t really changed,” another said.

“In 1986, my brother and I entered Kmart for $85 and left with a 12-gauge shotgun. Not a word, lie!” said the fourth.

A brief history of Kmart in Australia

Kmart was originally a joint venture between Coles and the SS Kresge Company, which operates Kmart in the United States.

When the first Kmart store opened in Burwood, east of Melbourne, nearly 40,000 people passed the checkout on the first day.

The first Kmart store was developed in the American model and sold groceries in a section at the back of the grocery store.

Over the years, the sale of food through stores diversified and grocery departments subordinated to a variety of goods.

A stock deal with Kresge in 1977 saw Coles take control of Kmart in Australia.

Between 1982 and 1989 Coles opened a series of Super Kmarts that combined all the products of a regular store with a full range supermarket.

The concept didn’t work and the stores were later split into two separate stores.

In the ’80s and ’90s there were in-store restaurants called Holly’s. These were gradually closed and the last of the Horsham stores closed in 2010.

The chain has been struggling with several bankruptcies and hundreds of store closures in the US, while the Australian chain owned by Wesfarmers claims to be “one of the most profitable discount stores in Australia”.

There are more than 200 stores in Australia and New Zealand.

Source: AustraliaFoodTimeline.com.au

Source: Daily Mail