When his store shut down in fall of 2019, Eric began to recreate a Kmart in VRChat: flat-color shelves filled with toiletries and Chia Pets, aisles of garden and auto centers, and of course, an electronics department. He travels to Kmart locations across the country, many of which have since closed, to take pictures. He then scans those photos of merchandise, fixtures, and signage into VRChat to use as 3D models.
He designed the original store specifically to recall a 1992 Kmart, for which he gathered old photos from former employees, images from press releases, and cassette tapes uploaded to archival websites for in-store music. The merchandise isn’t always historically accurate, but sometimes chosen to inspire nostalgia—think everything from Super Nintendo consoles to clunky VR headsets. “I wanted to re-create that feeling of the Kmart that everyone knew and loved,” he says. “The drop-down lights, the giant vents, the crusty floor tiles. You know, the stuff that everyone visited at Kmart for.”
Eric started the process alone, but people began to develop alongside him around summer 2020. Drawn to the oddity and the unmistakable big red K, other VRChat players became Kmart regulars or collaborators, helping to open new stores. A Super Kmart, a Kmart Express—each served a different purpose. Just as the original is a ’90s homage, the Super Kmart is based on the early 2000s, specifically before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2002. Why those eras? “Because those were the two peaks of Kmart,” he says.
The VRChat Kmart development community began to “hire” employees the same way any store would. They asked for applications, and put employees through training. Trainers follow scripts for each new employee. Once hired, they wear Kmart badges and have a service pledge to follow, with rules like keeping aisles clear and checkout lanes to three customers or less. They’re told to smile and bid farewell to customers with a specific line: “Thank you for shopping at VRChat Kmart. I hope your shopping experience was excellent.” They have Black Friday sales and close on Christmas.
It may seem silly, and for some participants it is. But there’s also safety and comfort in training in a video game, especially for people who struggle with socializing. “Real-world experience can be traumatizing if you don’t go into it completely equipped,” says Carbon, VRChat Kmart’s chief communications officer.
Carbon describes herself as on the autism spectrum and suffering from severe anxiety. “Anyone in our group will tell you I do not touch grass,” she said. Her avoidance of other people is so strong she won’t even go get food if she can’t pick it up without avoiding eye contact. But the safety of a virtual net allows her to be social online. Or have conversations with overly peppy, inquisitive journalists.
Carbon went from keeping to herself in the K Cafes to eventually building up the nerve to apply for a position. Today, it’s practically a second full-time job for her. She refers to herself as “Mama Carbon” when dealing with behavioral problems among the community, a role she plays by trying to talk to and educate players before resorting to outright bans as part of a warning system.
