Sears stores need customers.
Jul 17, 2019 07:31:26 #
waldron7 wrote:
Sears department store in Greensboro at midday on a big sales event. Wonder how much longer the lights will stay on.
Good luck, our huge local Sears store that I frequented often because of its location, has not only closed its doors but the building has been totally demolished, even their tremendous parking lot has been uprooted. Sad to see such an old company fall by the waste
Jul 17, 2019 07:43:06 #
TriX wrote:
Same here. Sears woes are self-inflicted, but malls and shopping centers are taking a beating everywhere. All our Sears stores have closed and so far, and they’ve taken two very large malls with them (both malls have been sold at auction after the anchor tenants left).
The internet and its easy access to merchandise played a huge role in the demise of many box stores.
Jul 17, 2019 07:45:18 #
Collhar wrote:
The internet and its easy access to merchandise played a huge role in the demise of many box stores.
So true but when you're slow to embrace technology, like Sears, you lose....
Jul 17, 2019 08:07:36 #
Not long. Their quality has seemingly gone to the K-Mart side while trying to keep afloat. In days past, the Sears brands had a connotation of quality; but, unfortunately, that is no longer true. Customers recognize this and shop elsewhere.
Jul 17, 2019 08:18:13 #
waldron7 wrote:
Sears department store in Greensboro at midday on a big sales event. Wonder how much longer the lights will stay on.
Largely so I wouldn't steal his, my father gave me a metric and a standard set of Craftsman tools in 1975...still have 'em and they're still in good shape. I don't remember how long ago Sears gave up its Lifetime Guarantee for their tools but I think that's when they started going downhill. They went to cheaper suppliers for Sears products, too. Remember when we all knew a Sears tire was made by Michelin?
Kenmore stuff used to be good too. Now their white goods are designed to last a whopping 5 years as per their salesman. Still, I liked their clothes, their prices were pretty good and I liked browsing their stores. I understand their demise was largely the result of bad business decisions like ignoring on-line sales. I'm sure their CEO retired with a multi-million-dollar severance package, though.
Jul 17, 2019 08:26:55 #
I hate to see the old standards die. Remember A&P stores? Woolworths - with a Grants probably right across the street? Lowe's is now selling Craftsman tools. I have several hundred pounds of craftsman tools dating back to the 1960s in my garage.
Jul 17, 2019 08:27:42 #
fourlocks wrote:
Largely so I wouldn't steal his, my father gave me... (show quote)
They were good for car batteries, too.
Jul 17, 2019 08:41:05 #
jerryc41 wrote:
I hate to see the old standards die. Remember A&P stores? Woolworths - with a Grants probably right across the street? Lowe's is now selling Craftsman tools. I have several hundred pounds of craftsman tools dating back to the 1960s in my garage.
And does anyone remember Montgomery Ward? They were a Sears competitor for quite a while with a catalog as thick as Sears'. As I write this, I have a 1978 Montgomery Ward dehumidifier humming away in my basement and it's working perfectly...it's never even required a freon recharge.
Jul 17, 2019 08:51:37 #
I wonder if Lowe’s will honor The Craftsman lifetime guarantee? Over almost 60 years of being a “car guy”, I’ve only had a couple of Craftsman ratchets fail, and they were instantly replaced without question - I still have them, and they, like all the rest of their hand tools, are just fine. But my best Craftsman purchase was an (expensive) rubber garden hose, complete with cast brass fittings that said Craftsman. Every so often, when it got tired, I’d drag this dirty old hose into Sears and they’d give me a new one. After about 45 years, I’ve probably gotten 5 or 6, and I still have the last one in excellent condition - not bad for a single purchase 45 years ago.
Jul 17, 2019 08:51:55 #
We are suffering the same "Big Mall Store Blight" in our area. When I do see a number of people in the mall it is mostly teenagers hanging out using it as a meeting place. They seldom buy anything other than in the food court so the mall shops remain void of needed spending customers. When a mall closes the groups of teenagers move on to one that is still open so the concentrations of "not really spenders" builds.
Many mall patrons feel uneasy being among them so they resort to other more "shopper friendly" venues including buying online now.
Sadly, I doubt that it will get any better.
Many mall patrons feel uneasy being among them so they resort to other more "shopper friendly" venues including buying online now.
Sadly, I doubt that it will get any better.
Jul 17, 2019 08:57:29 #
DirtFarmer wrote:
The last few tools I have bought have been Pittsburgh tools from Harbor Freight, probably made in Pittsburgh, China.
Fortunately I don't have to do heavy repairs to the extent that I used to.
The wrenches are not bad but the screwdrivers leave something to be desired.
OTOH, the last screwdriver I broke was a Kobalt I bought at Lowes. The phillips drive lost a couple wings on a screw.
Fortunately I don't have to do heavy repairs to the extent that I used to.
The wrenches are not bad but the screwdrivers leave something to be desired.
OTOH, the last screwdriver I broke was a Kobalt I bought at Lowes. The phillips drive lost a couple wings on a screw.
I bought two set of Pittsburgh wrenches about 10 yrs ago, used them to make "special" to do one or two jobs with, worked good for that heat and bend to make off-sets ect. cut off to make a shorty to use with an air hammer when there wasn't room enough to swing a longer wrench. never planed to use them much, and only $20 a set!!! Mostly the worst part is they are too thick walled unusable with close clearances.
Jul 17, 2019 09:01:40 #
jerryc41 wrote:
They were good for car batteries, too.
That's for sure, but even they went downhill toward the end
Jul 17, 2019 09:08:31 #
TriX wrote:
I wonder if Lowe’s will honor The Craftsman lifeti... (show quote)
I wish I could say that about the ratchets in they later years, in 1966 I broke four on one job, oh they replaced them but I lost about 3 hrs getting them replaced, and yes I was abusing them, I have done the same thing with my Snap-On 1/2" drive ratchet that is now 30 yrs old its been rebuilt 3 times in that 30 yrs at no cost of course it cost 2 1/2 times the price of the craftsman but its money well spent.
Jul 17, 2019 10:05:36 #
The last several time I went into the Sears store, here in York, Pa. I could never find what I was looking for. When I finally Found a salesman, he told me that Sears doesn't carry those items. I would tell him that SEARS used to have EVERYTHING ! I would then ask him if he knew who Montgomery Ward was. The answer was Always-NO. I told him they were a store, bigger than Mr. Sears and Mr. Roebuck. I would then tell him that they folded because of "LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVCE". They Still haven't caught on.
Jul 17, 2019 10:10:38 #
StanMac
Loc: Tennessee
Our local Sears and K-Mart closed about two years ago. Sears carried the Outdoor Life brand of men’s clothing that I really liked - it fit well and very durable. I still get emails from Sears about products so thought I’d check out their online offerings of that clothing line. The variety of what they showed as being available in that label was pathetic - it looked like what one would see in a store which is nearing the end of its “going out of business” sale - sparse selection indeed. I say just go ahead and shoot the lame horse and end the suffering of the stockholders and employees so they can get on with their lives.
Stan
Stan
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