VRChat Kmart

VRChat Kmart was an online community based around the group of worlds in VRChat recreating the American discount store chain Kmart, founded on the principle of bringing people together in a friendly, welcoming, and nostalgic environment.
==World History==
VRChat Kmart started off as a real store location that opened in the mid-1980's. The store was located in the Northeast United States, and later became the store that our founder, Eric, would become employed at in 2015. Starting his career as an electronics department manager he grew a quick attachment to the store. Using his past 3D modeling knowledge with the program Sketchup he began designing his store, using floor tiles as measurement and adding more as he went. By the time his store closed in 2018 he had a low-poly, void-of-merchandise version of his Kmart.
On October 21st, 2019 the VRChat Kmart (or internally dubbed as our "Main Store") had it's soft opening as a "sleepover" map. The store only had bare, low poly fixtures and a video player as the PA music in store. Based off the store Eric worked at as it was in 1992, the store had it's in store restaurant, the Garden Shop, and auto service center. The Eatery Express in the store was eventually replaced with a Kmart Café featuring Little Caesars due to popular request.
On December 19th, 2019 the Kmart Express store opened to both PC and Oculus Quest players to experience Kmart. The store was a third of the size of the main "VRChat Kmart' world and only took up ~20 MB. Today the world is around ~40 MB with almost everything the main store has such as a K Café Express and Portrait Studio.
To stick with the timing of real world Kmart's "greatest era" the store was stuck perpetually in the year 1992. Sales in the stores match on time with the cassette tapes uploaded to archive.org by Mark Davis. The sales witch between weekly and monthly depending on the time of year. Seasonal updates also occur such as Halloween and Christmas versions of the store where decorations will be put up across the store.
After months of the VRChat Kmart Development Team's hard sweat and tears, in Summer of 2021, Super VRChat Kmart Center debuted on PC. The opening brought new technological feats not possible at the other locations. All the features of the main store (such as Pharmacy, seasonal Garden Shop, year round Layaway, and amazing avatars) were brought over with the addition of full grocery, bakery, deli, seafood, and drive-thru pharmacy. The store was pioneering virtual retail technology never seen before, such as functioning cash registers, inventory system with pricing, and working ATM, all powered by Udon Sharp. In early 2022, Super Kmart Center was also ported to Quest.
In 2024 VRChat Kmart Closed it doors due to controversy surrounding the founder, which is still pending in court.
==Community History==
Originally started off as a server for Eric's livestreams, the VRChat Kmart Discord server quickly shifted from a general hangout server into a community of dedicated shoppers, associates and staff who work to keep the Kmart dream alive.
Starting in the 2019 holiday season, people visited VRChat Kmart and would role play as associates and shoppers. The Discord staff were starting to take notice, so they sat down and began coordinating an application system where people could apply for positions in the stores.
VRChat Kmart started taking applications, originally requiring applicants to draw on a JPEG image application. Custom avatars with Kmart name tags were soon made, training videos for departments were uploaded, and associates started to call the store their virtual home.
Today the server had over 3,000 members, with associates and shoppers of all different kinds from all around the world. VRChat Kmart was an equal opportunity employer.
==Avatars==
Around Christmas of 2019, an avatar creator by the name of Burezu approached Eric to bring new associate avatars to Kmart. His avatars, later dubbed "The Burezu Miko Collection," would be the start of many kinds of Kmart avatars.
Eventually other avatar creators noticed the pedestals popping up and wanted to have their avatars "sold" in Kmart. Partnerships between VRChat Kmart and avatar creators began to as many VRChat Kmart Exclusive brand avatars (such as Jacklyn Smith or Martha Stewart were to the real world Kmart stores.) were created.
There where many varieties of avatars in Kmart available to the public. All avatars featured in the stores are made by members of the community, who wanted to share their creative avatars with the world. VRChat Kmart encourages their associates to create custom avatars for themselves and provides custom assets in the Discord server for creators.
==Social Media==
VRChat Kmart had many social media outlets both under their name and under the CEO's name. Commercials and training videos are currently uploaded to Eric's YouTube page. VRChat Kmart's official Twitter account and Facebook page post frequently about world updates, events, and in store promotions.
VRChat Kmart went viral in a video Tweet featuring Super Kmart Center's functioning self-checkouts.
==Media Content==
VRChat Kmart 60th Anniversary.png|thumb|VRChat Kmart celebrates their real world counterpart's 60th anniversary.
VRChat Kmart Main Store.png|thumb|VRChat Kmart Main Store
Super K Comedy Night.png|thumb|Comedy Night at the Super Kmart Center Café
One Year of Savings Commercial.png|thumb|Our commercial from our 1 Year Anniversary
Category:RP Groups
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Category:Locations
Category:Worlds
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