Sears is Dying

Don M.

Don M.

SF VIP
Location
central Missouri
We may soon see the end of another Retail Icon...Sears. Their sales have been falling for years, and about the Only areas where they still have some customer base is in their Craftsman's Tools and Kenmore Appliances. They, and their K-Mart affiliate are barely surviving, and they are closing more and more locations every year. It appears that they will be joining the ranks of other old familiar stores....like Montgomery Wards, and Woolworth, in the not too distant future.

https://www.yahoo.com/style/sears-total-collapse-matter-not-173154263.html
 

Sears is one of those stores or companies I think that relied on it's name and past success. I have noticed over the last decade especially the prices aren't that great. I've seen Craftsman tools in the local Ace hardware store. I've also seen Sears washing machines & refrigerators in the Kmart. I think they'll just wind up selling off or consigning the brands/names. I seem to remember Jim Cramer right before the crash saying how the Sears owner was going to turn Sears into a 300 dollar stock(danger, stock and company performance are two different things)

Walmart is another one who is having trouble also relying on their reputation. They are over priced on too many items. If someone seriously shops or waits for a sale they can beat too many Walmart prices. I will say after shopping a bicycle Walmart's cost is about 1/3 of what Sears is. As a matter of fact that would be perfect example of why Sears is dying.

http://wate.com/2016/01/15/walmart-to-shut-down-269-stores-154-of-them-in-the-us/
 
Our local Sears closed one floor of its store, getting rid of all the clothing, jewelry, accessories, and a lot of the linens, etc. I went in there the other day to buy a vacuum sweeper, only because it was on sale. The store was deserted, absolutely deserted and I STILL couldn't find a clerk to help me.
 

They just don't really have a market anymore. You can get appliances with your electronic stuff at Best Buy. You can get appliances with your tools at Lowes. You can get fashion at a good price at Target, Sears was never cutting edge with clothing, just cheap.
 
fureverywhere said:
They just don't really have a market anymore. You can get appliances with your electronic stuff at Best Buy. You can get appliances with your tools at Lowes. You can get fashion at a good price at Target, Sears was never cutting edge with clothing, just cheap.
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I don't even see cheap clothing at Sears anymore yet I remember buying cheaper clothing at Sears decades ago. I think they tried too hard or relied on the high end shopper. We recently saw what happened when a hedgefund guy bought a drug company and think this is what happened when the Kmart guy merged with Sears. Online shopping must be killing Sears too although that shouldn't be because if Sears made their niche with their old catalog they should have little trouble in the online business. This also is killing most physical stores.
 
Like a certain brand of undies& pjs they used to have,but can probably get on line. But they lost my store business for good recently. An walking with a cane now after the complicated hip replacement, Sears always had good prices on bedding & I needed some & wanted a new comforter. Was counting on there being shopping carts near the entrance as always. None. Asked a clerk at the registr who had no customers then. if she knew where there were any or if there was any stock prison who could find me one. She sez Oh no, maybe You could find one at the far other entrance of store. I wasn't about to try that. No other help in sight. Left. Then noticed At the far end of the mall parking where I came in were a whole flock of carts in a cart corral that no employees apparently assigned to bring in. This cane & hip business has made me much more aware of how retailers treat their customers & whether they are conscious of people might be mobility impaired or not.
 
P s. I'm actually old fashioned enough that I like to actually FEEL clothing, bedding & stuff that is going to touch my skin , before I buy it.
 
Geezerette said:
P s. I'm actually old fashioned enough that I like to actually FEEL clothing, bedding & stuff that is going to touch my skin , before I buy it.
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I'm with you on that! ;)

It's been years since Sears was on my shopping map, we did recently buy a clothes dryer from Sears, just because it was late in the day, and didn't want to hunt any further.
 
Geezerette said:
P s. I'm actually old fashioned enough that I like to actually FEEL clothing, bedding & stuff that is going to touch my skin , before I buy it.
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All of the retail stores have clothing selections that appeal to 17 year olds. I buy most of my clothes online.
 
Sears screwed up a couple of decades ago when they decided to "move upscale" and abandoned the customer base that had made them a success in the past.

The local Sears closed their auto shop and it has become an outlet store.
 
Manatee said:
Sears screwed up a couple of decades ago when they decided to "move upscale" and abandoned the customer base that had made them a success in the past.

The local Sears closed their auto shop and it has become an outlet store.
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I think you're right. In years past, you could get decent quality reasonably priced clothing at Sears. Those days are long over.

Their customer service went to hell in a handbasket also. In years past you got good customer service, good help in the store, and good repair service for your appliances. No more.

We still have a local store in a big shopping center here, but there's never anybody in there and no store help either. They just quit doing all the things they did right, and they're on the way out for sure. I haven't been there in years, except to get something like a filter for my Kenmore refrigerator's water thing.
 
I used to buy appliances at Sears...but I haven't been in Sears in years. We bought a water heater from them a few years ago..and that was the last time.
 
We have a Sears by us, but it's slowly shrinking away, obviously will be closing soon. I asked a clerk there about it, and they're not saying anything definite. Our washer and dryer is from Sears, we've bought mostly appliances from them over the years, and things like lawn mowers too. Bought some cheap tee shirts and sweat pants there years ago, but last time I checked them out, their clothes were pretty expensive. I rarely go there, hate to go shopping unless I need something specific, and hate going to malls, too many people.
 
Some say Sears owner Eddie Lampert(who is a hedgefund manager as well) is the one who is bringing down Sears. They say he micro manages, uses numbers but doesn't follow trends, is arrogant and didn't use his resources or assets properly. Lampert is the one who bought Sears in 2004 after reviving a bankrupt Kmart.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhar...mpaign=yahootix&partner=yahootix#4443340d41de

Ironically the same publication predicted failure in 2004. My guess Sears was sold by it's previous management/owners to cover up their mishandling of a once great icon. Many sales and mergers are out of weakness as much as they are out of greed.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0411180366nov18-story.html
 

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