Back in 1998, home broadband connections were rare, Amazon was only four years old, and shopping online was kind of a novel and weird concept to most Americans. Kmart was out to change that, encouraging their customers to purchase an amazing array of merchandise from the comfort of their own… local Kmart.
This idea has actually come back around, with some retailers offering in-store kiosks where you can order sizes and items that aren’t in stock from the website.
We aren’t quite sure what happened to Kmart Solutions: the person who pulled this YouTube video from the DVD that played in stores says that it lasted for maybe two years, then failed to catch on because Americans simply weren’t ready yet.
K-Mart’s 1998 Concept That Made You Drive To A K-Mart To Use The Internet [Digg]
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist