Again...Sears...REALLY?

[jclary]

For the past few days, the first time in a long time, I'm seeing advertisements for Sears. Problem is, they are not advertising any particular great products or services...instead, it's rather nice looking everyday type people, bragging that they don't just shop at Sears...they OWN store!

For some reason, instead of inspiring me to get in my car, and drive several miles to the nearest SEARS...I'm reminded of the kid who showed up at school one morning, with a tiny box, bragging about buying this box full of cute baby animals! He had paid another kid a dollar for the little box. Inside, lying on a bed of cotton balls, were about a half dozen tiny four-legged creatures. That's when a biology teacher happened to walk up, became alarmed, and took possession of the box. He informed the kid that he had purchased a box of newborn rats! Then kindly took possession & disposed of them.

Another thing this reminds me of is the huge number of our population who are hiring lawyers to try and extract themselves from getting caught up in the "TIMESHARE" craze that swept the nation a few years back. I'm certainly no financial genius, but if I recognize this, what must the true money smart people think?

Instead of having a positive reaction to the commercials, my thoughts are that these folks just got scammed.

Am I being too harsh? Judgemental, unfair...

[8E45E]

Move to Canada; where Pimpson-Queers is now HISTORY!!

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?100882-Sears-more-bad-news/page2

Craig

[Stude Shoo-wop!]

Sears, from what I can recall, has been circling the drain for quite some time. A series of poor business decisions regarding product priories in the 1980s as well as the merger with Kmart (that ranks right up there with Chrysler-Daimler as far as corporate messes go) doomed them from competing fully in the 21st century. It was the same with Studebaker. In one century, both of them were the biggest players around in their respective fields. In another, they were removed from their gilded pedestals and thrown essentially into the trash heap.

As some wits say, nothing can last forever. Not even Studebaker...

[wittsend]

A friend of my brother worked a day job as a sandblaster. In the evenings he had a second job at Sears in the Loss Prevention department. Not too long ago they moved him to Appliance sales and just this week was made the Manager of the Automotive department (an area he claims he has no experiernce in).

So, I think that kind of shows how Sears is scrambling. Also makes me wonder if the removal from the Loss Prevention position was becasuse there was nothing theives wanted to steal from Sears. While I'm sure there are many reasons for the decline of Sears a large part of it may be that successive generations simply don't want to shop where their parents shop. So, what does Sears do, alienate their traditional base, or ignore the future purchasers???

BTW, very recently car insurance companies seem to be using the "not like your parents" angle to draw customers away from following their parents as to who they insure with.

[57studie]

Ever try buying something off their website? Really painful and frustrating.

[ddub]

This month both the Sears and K-Mart closed in our county. Now at least a 30 minute drive to Sears.

[StoneDog]

I have had good experiences with Sears. I haven't had any problems with their website. The products Sears sells are, generally, a decent quality product for the price. Their Diehard, Craftsman and other signature brands have been known as good quality products.

As opposed to Wally-World which sells the absolutely lowest quality junk made by political prisoners and/or slaves in China. But, this is the way of retail today: buy the cheapest junk you can and sell it for the lowest price since that's all people today look at. I'd rather go to Sears, thank you very much.

[556063]

It's a last ditch effort to capture any goodwill left to their Signature brands, which have all been sold off to other entities and will soon be offered everywhere.

The "Hometown Stores" around here are dropping like flies. Several have closed around here in the last 12 months, and they are getting down to a number that have to remain to support populations of legacy product. They may hang on a few more years. My best friend just drove 60 miles to the one still open in my town for a built in stove that is only still offered by Kenmore. It was the closest store pick up for him.

Don't get excited. These stores are pulling from a large geographical area now, and buying one for sentimental purposes would be like buying a Studebaker dealership in 1963.

[Bob Bryant]

A few years ago people were picking up Craftsman tools and equipment at yard sales, etc. They would take the stuff to a Sears store and exchange it for new equipment. Maybe the stores ask for a purchase receipt now.

[55s]

In the latest Lowes flyer in Canada, the last page has a full page ad for the new, re-engineered line of Craftsman tools to be sold soon at Lowe's stores. No pictures.

[jclary]

I know I started this thread, and it seems like I'm picking on Sears, but I'm really not. It's just that the iconic old company had such a huge impact on my early life! Some of my earliest memories of venturing into the retail public was a trip to Sears! Heck, I was almost 10 years old when our family of 8 (at that time) got our first car! Until that time, a trip to town took some planning and involved a trolley, train, bus, or a borrowed car. It was a rare and hectic excursion. Even after getting the used '50 Pontiac woodie station wagon (in '53), a trip to Sears was probably like a trip to Disney for today's kids.

From Sears came our clothes, mom's sewing machine, our radio, record player, our first TV, guns, toys, tools, appliances, steel traps, and our first tractor! (I still have it.) So...it is sad to see such a once great entity reduced to unkempt desolation that couldn't even be described as worthy of a "Shadow" of its former self. Very sad.

[8E45E]

In the latest Lowes flyer in Canada, the last page has a full page ad for the new, re-engineered line of Craftsman tools to be sold soon at Lowe's stores. No pictures.

I wonder if someone will ever pick up the 'Allstate' name for auto parts and accessories.

I'm aware Allstate Insurance also has its roots with Sears, but I don't believe there would be any legal issues it someone only used the 'Allstate' name for parts & accessories.

Craig

[DEEPNHOCK]

K-Mart (Big-K) has their closeout scheme in full BS mode.
They put my local store on their close list, and milked that closeout cow dry.
Advertised that they were selling the fixtures, too.
Approached them about buying some display racks... Got the 'Talk to the mgr' excuse.
Oh... BTW.. The Mgr only works 8-5 M/F....
Tried several times M-F to contact the 'Mgr' during the M-F 8-5 window...
Staff all left. Temp help staffing the place during the cosing ritual.
Never did hook up.... Their loss... Not mine. The bldg has now been de-badged and shuttered.
Good riddance.

[j.byrd]

jclary, a trip to Sears was a really big thing for us too as kids, especially me. I had several surgeries and a LOT of Dr visits all through school, and these were in Knoxville, TN. We lived a few miles out in a small town, Daddy worked more than full time, and Momma was pretty busy with the younger kids as well as a job. Pretty often on the trips to Knoxville, if he had the time, Daddy would stop at Sears and let me wander around the candy counter and then the area where the motorcycles, scooters, go-carts, and bicycles were. We, being country folks, also "shopped" the gun racks looking at the J.C. Higgins and other brands of long guns for hunting. Sears was such an event, and being with Daddy in there was always special. Oh, he did NOT enjoy me looking at the motorcycles at all, and when I was 26 and got my 1st one, I thought he was going to come down to AL where I was living then and "whup my tail", ha ! Had bikes ever since, but he was so scared I would mess up my leg surgeries. When I got my 1st really good job in Texas working on F-111 aircraft, I went straight to Sears in Knoxville before driving to Ft. Worth and filled my new little tool box with all the "required for employment" items that General Dynamics specified.... Good times, great memories, all brought on partially by my Sears "adventures".

[DEEPNHOCK]

jclary, a trip to Sears was a really big thing for us too as kids, especially me.<snip>

Being a midwestern kid born and raised NW of Chicago... Sears was a huge deal... Big part of the area...
When the first 'big' mall opened in the country (Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg) my girlfriend and I both applied for work (while still in high school).
Sears hired her, but passed me by (for the auto department).
Took my automotive talent (BS) elsewhere, and made a successful career in the industry...
But do I hold a grudge against Sears?
Nope.
Their tailspin and failure is well deserved, and I am glad I avoided that ride...