Sears publically admits they're circling the drain

[GeorgeG.]

I have a lot of Craftsman hand tools that I've had for a long time. Probably due to how frequent we visited the mall back in my younger years. About the only time I get to the mall now is around the holidays and that place is always a ghost town.

I've been buying my replacement screwdrivers and pliers from Home Depot and have been tempted to add to my hand tool selections with more of the Husky line. Kobalt even makes some nice looking tools.

I won't buy anything that B&D makes.

[The King]

I was surprised when Sears and Kmart merged years ago. Kmart was always a BS retailer of junk and became even more so after the merger. The last one I stepped into was one in El Paso a few years back and it was disgusting.

[kingjason]

I have a lot of Craftsman hand tools that I've had for a long time. Probably due to how frequent we visited the mall back in my younger years. About the only time I get to the mall now is around the holidays and that place is always a ghost town.

I've been buying my replacement screwdrivers and pliers from Home Depot and have been tempted to add to my hand tool selections with more of the Husky line. Kobalt even makes some nice looking tools.

I won't buy anything that B&D makes.

Same here. Craftsman has always been good to me but I was tired of going into Sears and started buying Husky. They are not bad either.

[Chili]

Man I hope Best Buy doesn't go under. They have been killing it for me on prices for quite some time now. I've actually been shopping them much more than Amazon (prices fluctuate like crazy).

Online? I only ask because IMO their brick and mortar stores have sucked for years. The few times I have gone into one over the last 5 years I felt like I was walking into a Rent-a-Center or something.

The only reason I have even gone into one in that period was because someone gave me a gift card.

[Sgt Beavis]

Man I hope Best Buy doesn't go under. They have been killing it for me on prices for quite some time now. I've actually been shopping them much more than Amazon (prices fluctuate like crazy).

Best Buy has successfully turned itself around. The customer service has gone from crap to decent. Price matching with Amazon sure as hell doesn't hurt. Their stock is up, they have been beating earnings forecasts as well. IMO they are an example of how brick and mortar retail can thrive in today's environment.


Sears death is by a thousand self inflicted wounds that ultimately come from the worst CEO in US history, Eddie Lampert. This idiot tried to manage a retailer the same way he managed his hedge fund. I've read multiple articles on how he has run the company into the ground and frankly I'm amazed he wasn't forced out, shot, then drawn and quartered..

[Rick Modena]

Online? I only ask because IMO their brick and mortar stores have sucked for years. The few times I have gone into one over the last 5 years I felt like I was walking into a Rent-a-Center or something.

The only reason I have even gone into one in that period was because someone gave me a gift card.

When in a pinch, Sears has some decent tools to be had. I also bought a 5.0 hp shop vacuum, it works great and the one before it (Craftstman Vac) ran for over 15 years, if it wasn't for me running over the hose, I would still a have it. I also needed a inch lb. TQ wrench, they had one in stock and it worked fine for putting on my BOSS intake.
When I go to the mall, I'll usually run over to Sears and go through the opened/ returned bin and pick up stuff. IMO they are better than Harbor Freight, Northern and even HD or Lowes for tools. Makes it a lot easier than trying to find a Snap-On truck...

[Chili]

When in a pinch, Sears has some decent tools to be had. I also bought a 5.0 hp shop vacuum, it works great and the one before it (Craftstman Vac) ran for over 15 years, if it wasn't for me running over the hose, I would still a have it. I also needed a inch lb. TQ wrench, they had one in stock and it worked fine for putting on my BOSS intake.
When I go to the mall, I'll usually run over to Sears and go through the opened/ returned bin and pick up stuff. IMO they are better than Harbor Freight, Northern and even HD or Lowes for tools. Makes it a lot easier than trying to find a Snap-On truck...

I was referring to Best Buy.

[ram57ta]

I was surprised when Sears and Kmart merged years ago. Kmart was always a BS retailer of junk and became even more so after the merger. The last one I stepped into was one in El Paso a few years back and it was disgusting.

We still have a huge K-mart supercenter here in Albuquerque....its 75% empty, very run down and dirty, employees won't help you and are rude if you ask for anything...and everything in the store has been on the shelf for a LONG time with dust on everything. I can't imagine the store makes enough money in sales to pay its own electric bill...the place has been on life support for over a decade but yet they still refuse to accept reality and just end it already.

[Rick Modena]

I was referring to Best Buy.

Oh, haha!

[BP]

Sears death is by a thousand self inflicted wounds that ultimately come from the worst CEO in US history, Eddie Lampert. This idiot tried to manage a retailer the same way he managed his hedge fund. I've read multiple articles on how he has run the company into the ground and frankly I'm amazed he wasn't forced out, shot, then drawn and quartered..

That's a matter of perspective. ESL has is name on it, Sears doesn't. I think he's milking the company for all he can before they file for bankruptcy.

[The King]

We still have a huge K-mart supercenter here in Albuquerque....its 75% empty, very run down and dirty, employees won't help you and are rude if you ask for anything...and everything in the store has been on the shelf for a LONG time with dust on everything. I can't imagine the store makes enough money in sales to pay its own electric bill...the place has been on life support for over a decade but yet they still refuse to accept reality and just end it already.

Just like the current state of the U.S. Postal Service in many respects.

[Chili]

Oh, haha!

I'm ok with Sears personally, I just almost never go to brick and mortar stores for anything anymore. I have bought some stuff online for pickup in store within the last couple of years though.

[scootro]

they can close down sears and just do catalog sales

[kingjason]

Just like the current state of the U.S. Postal Service in many respects.

You know I haven't heard anything about them in a long time. You think Amazon has saved their ass? They even deliver on Sundays. I asked my lady one day and she said Amazon paid them overtime to run on Sundays.

[cool cat]

You know I haven't heard anything about them in a long time. You think Amazon has saved their ass? They even deliver on Sundays. I asked my lady one day and she said Amazon paid them overtime to run on Sundays.

Between Amazon, and UPS using The Postal Service for the final leg of a lot of deliveries they may not be in terrible shape anymore.