Kmart shoppers are in stitches over an X-rated detail on a children's product available in the retailer's online store. One customer shared photos of a T-rex balloon she purchased for her child, only to discover something unexpected about the item's design.
"Bought this balloon for my daughter's birthday, and there's something a little off-putting about the blow hole," the amused customer posted in the Kmart Mums Facebook group, along with a nervous laughter emoji. The pics show a $6 Standing Tyrannosaurus Foil Balloon with an inflation valve located in a rather crude location.
The post attracted thousands of likes, with other mums sharing their amusement at the find. "They knew what they were doing when they designed this," one shopper said, implying the eyebrow-raising detail wasn't added by mistake. A second said she'd bought the same dinosaur balloon for her son but hadn't noticed the placement of the valve. "Now this has been pointed out makes it 10 times funnier," she said.
The placement of an inflation valve on a Kmart dinosaur balloon has amused shoppers. Other members of the group shared photos of other foil balloons with similar air valve locations. Kmart has been contacted for comment.
The balloon fail comes as Kmart announced it is relocating checkouts to store exits in multiple locations. Two dozen more Kmart stores will be refurbished with a new format that moves the cash registers back to the front of stores. Kmart Group managing director Aleksandra Spaseska told analysts on Wednesday that 16 of the roughly 300 Kmarts in Australia had already been converted to the "Plan C+" format, which features entry and exit gates and relocated cash registers.
"It is delivering improved space allocation, better visual merchandising, and an enhanced beauty experience," Spaseska said. The format is also driving higher sales through increased cross-shop between departments, with shoppers buying more items per basket, she said. As a result Kmart Group is increasing its investment in the transformation program and expects to have 40 stores trading in the new format by the end of 2026/27.
