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Kmart’s blue light special sale gimmick, consisting of surprise price cuts on specific merchandise, was successful in the past but phased out in 1991. It was revived in 2001 but customers were not as enthusiastic. Kmart filed for bankruptcy and restructured marketing efforts, including the creation of BlueLight.com. The blue light special was reintroduced in 2009 but is now only offered on weekends and has a negative connotation. The phrase “special blue light” was used in a derogatory way in the 1980s and became part of popular culture.
Kmart® is a discount department store best known for its iconic blue light special sale gimmick, consisting of surprise announcements when price cuts are offered for a limited time on specific merchandise. At the beginning of each random sales blitz, the phrase “Kmart® Buyers Attention…” heard over the loudspeaker in the store usually preceded the proclamation of the bargain item. At the same time, a flashing blue light from a siren, similar to the one atop many police cars, illuminated the area. Customers then flocked to the designated department to take advantage of the sale. During the height of its popularity, the campaign was often successful in whipping up a shopping frenzy, especially since the discount typically lasts no more than 15 minutes.
Developed by Kmart® in the 1960s, the special blue light campaign was established to boost sales. It was successful for several decades but was phased out in 1991. Ten years later, in 2001, the marketing ploy was revived, but the return of the famous sporadic event was short-lived. Buyers weren’t as enthusiastic as they were in the past. Kmart’s® competitive advantage may have diminished due to the influx of discount department stores, such as Walmart® and Target®, where value-priced items were marketed in a more contemporary and less intrusive way.
At the time, Kmart® was suffering from financial difficulties which ultimately led to its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Subsequently, the company worked to restructure marketing efforts. Since the iconic sales blitz was as famous as the brand itself, the company started a website called BlueLight.com, which gave the financially struggling company a much-needed presence on the World Wide Web (WWW). Shoppers were then able to visit Kmart® stores via the Internet to access discounted merchandise from the comfort of their homes, without the occasional flashing and loudspeaker announcements.
Only in 2009 was the blue light special reintroduced to the Kmart® shopping experience. However, customers are unlikely to see the once-familiar siren light flashing around the store again. Now, most locations only participate in the program during the weekends, if at all. The decline in popularity is likely attributed to the negative connotation associated with the business blitz.
Sometimes, the phrase “special blue light” is used to describe an inexpensive item, regardless of where it may have been purchased. The term dates back to the 1980s when it was often used in a derogatory way. During the era, many feature films, such as Beetlejuice, Rain Man, and Ruthless People made somewhat unfavorable references to the store’s famous campaign. During that time, the phrase became part of the vocabulary of popular culture.
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