Sears is in turmoil

Top heads are rolling because of a poor fourth quarter. Sears has long been in trouble. When they merged with another struggling company (K-Mart) a few years ago many thought that would really do them in but they're still around (barely)...

http://money.msn.com/market-news/post.aspx?post=1d3ade36-24c9-4bdc-b583-20e21c12718d&GT1=33002

they'll sell off K-Mart. But I worked for them years ago and their philosophy has not changed at all. they always made stuff and sold them higher than anyone else . yrs ago (70's) they were the elite and just because they're name was Sears&Roebuck that reputation was their clout and commanded their prices. But slowly thy're pricing structure met competition with penny's and then targets and Sam's then that changed they're whole view and marketing concept.. they were not competitive and they still run on they're so called elite status. but some things they sell an d stock are ok but when you search the web for same items man Hugh price differences , and also they sell generic electronics and some common names but they sell very high priced and to think some go there and pay the prices. Now this could be unfair because its now 2011 and I haven't been there for a few years and since I am a 99 er, I don't seem to shop everyday! Oh well!

exhaustedandtired/1208 wrote:they'll sell off K-Mart. But I worked for them years ago and their philosophy has not changed at all. they always made stuff and sold them higher than anyone else . yrs ago (70's) they were the elite and just because they're name was Sears&Roebuck that reputation was their clout and commanded their prices. But slowly thy're pricing structure met competition with penny's and then targets and Sam's then that changed they're whole view and marketing concept.. they were not competitive and they still run on they're so called elite status. but some things they sell an d stock are ok but when you search the web for same items man Hugh price differences , and also they sell generic electronics and some common names but they sell very high priced and to think some go there and pay the prices. Now this could be unfair because its now 2011 and I haven't been there for a few years and since I am a 99 er, I don't seem to shop everyday! Oh well!

For me Sears has always meant Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances (hardlines). Softline goods like clothing never appealed to me. I always thought Penney's had better options from that standpoint but since I was fired from there I no longer have a desire to go to Penney's either! Target for me as I hate Wal-Mart!

I don't live "China-Mart" either (that is what my US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse calls it). Unfortunately, I have to get my prescription drugs there because they are the cheapest, but that is the only thing I buy there.

I've really seen the fit of K-Mart and Sears ... the two store chains aren't what I would similar ... I think that Sears should have spun that store chain off a long time ago and doing so at this point will improve Sears bottom line and force K-Mart to restructure itself.

Personally, I think it's become nothing more than an over-glorified Family Dollar Store. I've walked into some stores recently and it looks like more of a Flea Market type setup than a real store chain.

Hmmm, Sears, American Icon.
Where's it going?
The way of Monkey Wards?

wilcal wrote:Hmmm, Sears, American Icon.
Where's it going?
The way of Monkey Wards?

Rosie the Riveter is turning over in her grave.

Montgomery Wards used to be a great store. I remember the one we used to have right here in Flint, Michigan ... my parents used to take us there quite frequently ... the same as the Kresge store chain ...

I think one way they could stay more competetive is in their pricing.

I'm in So. Cal. and we have Huge Sears Grand stores and they are way overpriced. Even Kenmore which is their premium brand, is sooooooo expensive. Here in So. Cal, they are just not competetive in their pricing.

What'da ya think? Is there a market
for this kind of thing again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home

Almost every small town in the USA still has
some of these.

When Sears first bought out K-Mart, they closed the K-Mart near me and merged the two into "Sears Essentials". It is basically an over-priced K-Mart with Kenmore appliances. I'd rather shop at a regular K-Mart.

wilcal wrote:What'da ya think? Is there a market
for this kind of thing again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home

Almost every small town in the USA still has
some of these.

On-line shopping has all but taken that away. Its fast cheap and easy. I did some xmas shopping that way.

I grew up going to Sears and all the other chains like them (JC Penney, Wards, Carsons, etc). My grandmother worked for Sears and we often got items from there including Christmas, where we would get the Wishbook and make our Christmas lists from Santa from that book. There is both a Kmart and Sears by me but the rumor is they will close whichever one is less profitable and keep the other one. Right now the Sears store is in a failing mall so I expect that to be closed.

Wal-Mart has destroyed all these companies and I expect many more to fail, which scares me. Wal-Mart to me means junk and a ruined economy. One person said this to me one time "shop at Wal-Mart and eventually you'll work there".

superstevies wrote:I think one way they could stay more competetive is in their pricing.

I'm in So. Cal. and we have Huge Sears Grand stores and they are way overpriced. Even Kenmore which is their premium brand, is sooooooo expensive. Here in So. Cal, they are just not competetive in their pricing.

with Sears, it's their MALL overhead that's killing them too. The Sears-Essentials stores (the converted K-Marts) are still empty for the most parts. China-Mart and Target is going to be responsible for their demise, now that ALL the food store refits are being put into those stores. Places are PACKED all the time, I wonder what grocery chains will start closing it's doors???

mistermunster wrote:

superstevies wrote:I think one way they could stay more competetive is in their pricing.

I'm in So. Cal. and we have Huge Sears Grand stores and they are way overpriced. Even Kenmore which is their premium brand, is sooooooo expensive. Here in So. Cal, they are just not competetive in their pricing.

with Sears, it's their MALL overhead that's killing them too. The Sears-Essentials stores (the converted K-Marts) are still empty for the most parts. China-Mart and Target is going to be responsible for their demise, now that ALL the food store refits are being put into those stores. Places are PACKED all the time, I wonder what grocery chains will start closing it's doors???

Around New England, it is a chain called Shaws. The lay-offs are beginning now.

For the record, even with my measly food stamp allowance, I won't buy my groceries at a Super Wal-Mart. I buy nothing there except my prescriptions because I have no choice on that one.

I expect grocery stores to fail too. Another problem is how Wal-Mart treats the food workers. In the grocery stores the workers tend to be union and higher wage earners. A few actually move up into management and making a good wage. Wal-Mart obviously has no union workers at their food areas and they pay much less. I have a friend who works at the deli of a local Wal-Mart and the horror stories he tells me are scary. He used to have a good paying job at a railroad foundry but that went to Mexico (now China), he lost his job, got a job at an union grocery story but they went out of business too. [b]

New_Wave_Princess wrote:I expect grocery stores to fail too. Another problem is how Wal-Mart treats the food workers. In the grocery stores the workers tend to be union and higher wage earners. A few actually move up into management and making a good wage. Wal-Mart obviously has no union workers at their food areas and they pay much less. I have a friend who works at the deli of a local Wal-Mart and the horror stories he tells me are scary. He used to have a good paying job at a railroad foundry but that went to Mexico (now China), he lost his job, got a job at an union grocery story but they went out of business too. [b]

It's all about slavery by BIG corp now.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:Wal-Mart has destroyed all these companies and I expect many more to fail, which scares me. Wal-Mart to me means junk and a ruined economy. One person said this to me one time "shop at Wal-Mart and eventually you'll work there".

Disclaimer here, I've held WMT stock in my IRA for a very long time.
From what I can see from reports I get is that WMT will continue to be
incredibly aggressive in it's position on the top of retail. Someone's
gonna have to take a big step up to knock'em off.

Note: WMT paid enough in taxes last year to pay for:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_George_H.W._Bush_(CVN-77)

in total and then some.

Yep and it'll get worse when Wal-Mart is the only choice.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:Yep and it'll get worse when Wal-Mart is the only choice.

If we have 1 choice. Isn't that corporate communism???

Nope, it's only communism when people want social programs. Corporations could never be commies according to them. We all know corporations know what's best for us.

mistermunster wrote:

New_Wave_Princess wrote:Yep and it'll get worse when Wal-Mart is the only choice.

If we have 1 choice. Isn't that corporate communism???

No, it would be fascism by definition. Communism looks like you only have one choice because you are buying a service from your self in essence.


Companies like that essentially all the pay the same anyway. If you work at target you might make $10 and hour (maybe) but if you go to target, and they really want you, they might pay you $10.25.