Whats happened to Sears?

[JohnnieHolmesNole]

Where do HS kids hang out these days (before getting drunk)?

As for the death of the Mall - I think we're seeing a resurgence of mom and pop type local boutique stores, esp for women's fashions. Frankly I think it's a good thing, while sites like etsy are taking a cut from all of these folks, most of the profit winds up with a local business rather than some a-hole corp exec. The downside is we're seeing a huge reduction of "first job" type employement. Had a nephew try to get a summer job at Walgreens and get turned down because they decided to hire a 35 year old who wanted to work there year round, part time. Have heard the same about crappy fast food jobs as well. Doubly sad because people can't live their lives on those jobs, they're made for kids who don't have the full expense portfolio of an adult.

It is amazing the number of adults who are willing to -- or forced to -- take menial jobs that do not offer benefits, etc. The enormous cost of health insurance is the prime driver behind this phenomenon. Take the part-time gig or take nothing.

 

[osceola63]

Not true. While not quite up to par with some of your outrageously expensive designer brands, the Walmart brands are every bit as good as most goods you'll find on the market and they are made in the good ol' US of A. And SW supports the troops and our seniors who built this fine nation. Long live Walmart!

I prefer ease of shopping to bottomline pricing. Walking amongst the bottom feeders of society while shopping is not my thing. Add to that the 10 minute wait to check out and I stay away from Walmart

 

[JohnnieHolmesNole]

I prefer ease of shopping to bottomline pricing. Walking amongst the bottom feeders of society while shopping is not my thing. Add to that the 10 minute wait to check out and I stay away from Walmart

Would love to have a beer with Osceola63. I also disfavor Walmart because of the impact they have had on Mom/Pop stores in the rural communities they invade. Spare me the part about "oh, the family-owned hardware store that survived for 90 years failed to keep up with the times." Even if that is true, I would rather do business with real, live, long-term neighbors than with some cut-throat corporate behemoth that would haul ass tomorrow if it could make an additional 1.4% yield somewhere else.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Would love to have a beer with Osceola63. I also disfavor Walmart because of the impact they have had on Mom/Pop stores in the rural communities they invade. Spare me the part about "oh, the family-owned hardware store that survived for 90 years failed to keep up with the times." Even if that is true, I would rather do business with real, live, long-term neighbors than with some cut-throat corporate behemoth that would haul ass tomorrow if it could make an additional 1.4% yield somewhere else.

What's sad is now walmart has assumed the role of the mom and pop. They employ prob 100+ people per store and as they get squeezed by amazon and other online retailers, those local jobs (albeit not great ones) disappear.

I find many of walmart's business practices loathsome, however have they and other big box chains become a needed part of local economies? Yes, probably.

 

[seminole97]

The downside is we're seeing a huge reduction of "first job" type employement.

It's because the economy is doing so awesome people don't even want to work anymore.

"Putting this in perspective, while the elderly workers in the US have risen by a whopping 7.4 million since the start of the Depression in December 2007, workers aged 25-54 are down 4 million!"

 

[seminole97]

My wife broke the glass turn table in our microwave.
Looked up the replacement part, sold by Sears. $43.43 to have it delivered.
Checked elsewhere online and got it for $31 delivered.
They then sent me an email:

"Thank you for recently visiting Sears PartsDirect.
We noticed you left items in your shopping cart. If you had any problems during checkout, please contact a Parts Specialist who will be happy to help you.
As a special thank you we would like to offer you 15% off your next order on any of our 7 million parts and accessories for every major brand."

So I replied and told them I could get the same piece of glass (sourced from the same manufacturer) for nearly 30% less from their competition.
So they sent me a 15% off coupon....

 

[TexSkills]

My wife broke the glass turn table in our microwave.
Looked up the replacement part, sold by Sears. $43.43 to have it delivered.
Checked elsewhere online and got it for $31 delivered.
They then sent me an email:

"Thank you for recently visiting Sears PartsDirect.
We noticed you left items in your shopping cart. If you had any problems during checkout, please contact a Parts Specialist who will be happy to help you.
As a special thank you we would like to offer you 15% off your next order on any of our 7 million parts and accessories for every major brand."

So I replied and told them I could get the same piece of glass (sourced from the same manufacturer) for nearly 30% less from their competition.
So they sent me a 15% off coupon....

I've bought lawn equipment from Sears Outlet and when I was walking around their store I noticed their "outlet" pricing was not exactly competitive.

When my wife and I found the washer and dryer set we wanted, we shopped around looking at prices. Sears price, as I've noticed anytime I compare them, wasn't competitive at all but they said they price match. They said all I needed to do was pay full price and wait for a "refund" of the difference. Something told me there were too many things that would go wrong with that scenario so I passed on it and we bought the set from Home Depot instead.

The fact Sears doesn't do free delivery and haul away was another reason why I passed on buying from them.

 

[SeaPA]

Would love to have a beer with Osceola63. I also disfavor Walmart because of the impact they have had on Mom/Pop stores in the rural communities they invade. Spare me the part about "oh, the family-owned hardware store that survived for 90 years failed to keep up with the times." Even if that is true, I would rather do business with real, live, long-term neighbors than with some cut-throat corporate behemoth that would haul ass tomorrow if it could make an additional 1.4% yield somewhere else.

He drinks Zima.

 

[osceola63]

Smirnoff Ice...