Kmart shoppers slammed for 'disgusting' store treatment

Kmart shoppers have been branded "feral" by furious Aussies after the state of one "disgusting" store was uploaded to social media, shocking people all over the country.

In the footage, a Kmart branch in Ballina — in the NSW Northern Rivers — is seen with aisles littered with rubbish, products out of order, grime covering shelves and empty food packages virtually all around the store.

The shopper who captured the "grubby" find said she "normally loves visiting Kmart Australia" but "the Ballina store today had me shook". Responding to the post, many people were quick to defend the chain itself, pointing out that shops all over the country are often left in states of "carnage" during school holidays when there are hoards of "bored teenagers" around.

Shoppers slammed for 'feral' treatment of Kmart store

One woman said she "actually cannot fathom this". She wrote: "What are these people doing, this is actually disgusting. Is this honestly what entitlement looks like to these I assume teens these days?"

"School holidays — unfortunately too many parents let their kids go to shopping centres to 'hang out', which isn’t such a bad thing, only they forget to teach them to respect the workers," another argued.

While some pointed to the fact that it looked as though the outlet "hadn't been cleaned properly in months", others insisted that it's difficult for staff — many of whom are also "probably teenagers" — to stay on top of the mess when people are disrespectful while shopping.

"I feel for the staff that have to clean this up. How can people think this is how you treat stores," a woman responded.

Discarded Hungry Jacks and McDonald's packaging can be seen throughout the store, with used, damaged and even empty products also scattered around the aisles. Beneath the shelving themselves, dozens more abandoned products lay among other miscellaneous items.

Increased theft, school holidays, lack of cleaning blamed for mess

Some people debated whether the mess was a result of increased theft, which has largely been reported among the nation's top retailers as the cost of living crisis bites. "That’s what happens when they are stealing," said a woman.

"They open and take the item then pull a bunch of other stuff all messy to cover it up. So annoying as a staff member [has to] to clean it all up. Get a few people doing this in the supermarkets too. Rather just grab the empty packet and not have the mess."

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Checkouts to be relocated according to reports

Last year, it emerged that some checkouts would be relocated from the centre of the store to the exit as part of a raft of experimental changes. Checkouts had earlier been moved to the store's centre to combat shoplifting.

The news comes after people expressed frustration over the layout, which requires customers to pay at checkouts in the middle of the store then be subjected to receipt and bag checks when leaving.

"Why put the checkout area in the middle of the store if you're going to treat every shopper like a shoplifter on the way out?" one annoyed shopper said.

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