View Full Version : 2015, Sears won't see it.
Id be surprised if Sears last more than a couple more years. No inventory, no trained employees. Even the tools aren't enough to get me in there. They deserve it. They suck. Tried for most of the day to buy an exercise bike. Not in stock close. I can drive, two stores should have had them. They could not find them. I didn't want to go to Aurora, but the guy on the phone said they had one. Ordered it online so I could get the discount, waited for the "ready to pick up" email. Never got an email to pick up. Got one after the store closed (6 hours later) that order was canceled. Aurora store was out too. Either these things are getting stolen from the back room, or Sears cant keep track of anything. Sorry for the rant, but Sears does not deserve to be in business.
Cut throat on major retailers.
Kmart went BK, and merged with Sears after Kmart restructured. They became a Sears Holding Corporation.
IMHO, they are in worse shape than JCPenny, and bleeding cash badly. (EPS of -26.84)
As you stated, I think Sears holding will probably go out of business within few years.
They had -18.79% loss on Friday's trading.
15469
I have to agree, Sears is in trouble. Kind of like Hostess, they haven't made changes to keep up with the competition. All of their products are more expensive than the same things at other outlets. I can't think of anything that I would go to Sears to buy, they have nothing to entice customers to even walk in the door. Pretty sad really, a few years ago I really wanted to support them due to their stand on ensuring that military reservists would keep their jobs when they returned from duty. I just couldn't spend 50% more to do it.
ANADRILL
11-17-2012, 11:30
Maybe this is how a communist society works. It breaks the captialist, and forces them in one to one or two stores to choose from, then utimately one store.
In the instance of Hostess, the strike could have been ordered from the administration, as a way to break the new society away from what it deems it should not eat.
This administration, has been trying to tell us what we can and can't have, so this is a way they can control that....
Look deeper into the picture....:)
R
BushMasterBoy
11-17-2012, 11:41
I had a Sears credit card. They doubled the rates of interest. I closed the account and don't buy anything from them again. I hope they and Citicorp both go under. Thug bankers and the administrations ripping people off...
ChunkyMonkey
11-17-2012, 11:44
Too bad, Sears is one of the most conservative companies and very pro military. You can be on 12 month deployment and Sear will hold your position open for you and so on.
Unfortunately, Sears is operating on a 1970s business model, trying to compete in a globalized market place. I have some Craftsman tools that are 20-30 years old, but I would not own the current junk. The big problem is they outsourced most of their tool production to Asia, but there was no commensurate reduction in price with the reduction in quality. The same scenario applies to pretty much every area of the store, from clothing to appliances. They can't compete on price due to their sales model, and they're selling the same low quality garbage that you can get (literally) at Kmart for less.
Teufelhund
11-17-2012, 12:22
The last time I walked through Sears, it reminded me of Kmart. Boxes and racks of clothes crowding the aisles and no discernible path through the store. They've really gone to shit and I haven't been back. Damn shame too, one of the oldest retailers in this country. I used to shop there all the time.
I thought companies were required to give a deployed reservist his/her job back when they return. Isn't that enforced by the Soldiers and Sailors Act? I may be thinking of something else.
The Sears catalog revolutionized the country in much the same way the internet did for the world.
I remember my first suit I got at sears, now the store in Westminster is gone, and the one up here has like nothing in it. Know of one that actually still sells jeans?
Sad since my lame "Pride" award money at work good for gift cards has sears as the only half decent choice. : \ (Have like $150 but nowhere worthwhile to get the gift card at.)'
I stopped shopping at Kmart when they stopped selling ammo. When Craftsman ratchets started using plastic and that is what would break I was glad that they would just switch it back out. But except for the occasional tool I don't shop there. Maybe if they started selling ammo again? And mail order guns. But they won't and deserve what happens to them. I feel bad for the employee's though.
I had a Sears credit card. They doubled the rates of interest. I closed the account and don't buy anything from them again. I hope they and Citicorp both go under. Thug bankers and the administrations ripping people off...
I use to like Citi about 12-13 years ago. Now Citi is a joke. They got no retail banking, and MAINLY focusing on credit cards now. LOL
Their mega bank concept just became mini credit card lender.
Hmmm.....guess I'd better go pick up another garden hose, I have found their black hoses to outlast just about any other.
speedysst
11-17-2012, 14:16
Well, my friends, I fear that Wal (China) Mart will be the only game in town soon. Then they will finally have the market cornered and will raise their prices. There will be no choice but to pay them since all the other competitors have gone the way of the Dodo bird. I used to drive past 2 Wal-Marts to get to the KMart at 120th & Sheridan because I despise Wal-Mart so much. Then, of course, they built another Wal-Mart right next door. God forbid we dont have a Wal-Mart every 2 miles.
The CEO of Kmart bought Sears to dismantle it and sell off the name brands (Craftsman, Kenmore, etc). There was never any intention of keeping Sears around.
Sad because I like(d) Sears.
The CEO of Kmart bought Sears to dismantle it and sell off the name brands (Craftsman, Kenmore, etc). There was never any intention of keeping Sears around.
Sad because I like(d) Sears.
Craftmans is a part of Danaher's business holdings.
Kraven251
11-17-2012, 16:54
My father was always a huge supporter of Craftsman tools, I never understood. Most of what I had seen wasn't any better than anyone else, and for the price you were paying there were other brands that were just as good and or better. Sears used to have good mowers and carry some pretty good work clothes, but sadly they are not the Sears my father idolized. I do more business with places like Costco and Home Depot these days, just for selection and the ability to actually find what I need when I need it.
I bought a Craftman torque wrench in the 80's, lifetime warranty. It broke in 2009 and when I brought it back to Sears they would not honor the warranty I will never buy from sears again.
kidicarus13
11-17-2012, 17:19
I bought a Craftman torque wrench in the 80's, lifetime warranty. It broke in 2009 and when I brought it back to Sears they would not honor the warranty I will never buy from sears again.
What reason did they give you?
Snowman78
11-17-2012, 20:54
FWIW snap on would not warrant mine.
ChunkyMonkey
11-17-2012, 20:56
The Sears catalog revolutionized the country in much the same way the internet did for the world.
LIES! That's victoria's secret!
theGinsue
11-17-2012, 21:09
Well, my friends, I fear that Wal (China) Mart will be the only game in town soon. Then they will finally have the market cornered and will raise their prices. There will be no choice but to pay them since all the other competitors have gone the way of the Dodo bird. I used to drive past 2 Wal-Marts to get to the KMart at 120th & Sheridan because I despise Wal-Mart so much. Then, of course, they built another Wal-Mart right next door. God forbid we dont have a Wal-Mart every 2 miles.
Sad, but seemingly true. Reminds me of this:
xFiDoOgRTpk
I bought a Craftman torque wrench in the 80's, lifetime warranty. It broke in 2009 and when I brought it back to Sears they would not honor the warranty I will never buy from sears again.
What reason did they give you?
I went out looking for a torque wrench 2 years ago and my first stop was Sears. Aside from the cheap traditional one for $30+ dollars, the cheapest of the good modern style ones was $70+ dollars and they had others for well over $100. I felt $70+ dollars was awfully steep, but if it had a lifetime replacement warranty.... So, before making the purchase on the $70 one, I asked the tools section employee about the lifetime warranty since I didn't see anything mentioning it on the packaging. He gave me a look like "are you dumb" as he told me that none of the torque wrenches they carried had lifetime/replacement warranties. I walked out of the store without a torque wrench. I'm still looking for a good one that's still reasonably priced (I really need one too)
I bought a Craftman torque wrench in the 80's, lifetime warranty. It broke in 2009 and when I brought it back to Sears they would not honor the warranty I will never buy from sears again.
That's odd, -I snapped a Craftsman open-ended wrench a year or two ago, took half of it back and they handed me a new one over the counter....
theGinsue
11-17-2012, 21:22
Many, but not all, of the standard hand tools like wrenches, ratchets, pliers, screwdrivers, etc. still have the lifetime warranties. You have to look at the item to see if the one you're getting is covered. I thought all non-motorized hand tools with the Craftsman name were covered. I was wrong!
FWIW snap on would not warrant mine.
I've been out of the business of car fixing for around 15 years. I had to warranty a hammer and the new one felt less awesome. Other tools like sockets seem to have cheaper chrome. The later sockets don't match the old ones. They seem to slowly going asian too. They sorta remind me of Harley. Nearly as much value in the marketing shwag as the actual product. As a related interest, I would love to get a list of companies that used to bang the "BUY AMERICAN" drum a few years ago and have quietly switched to Chinese or merely assembled in USA. When I was in high school Sam Walton did TV spots on keeping jobs in the US. That was a time when kids out of high school thought they were lucky to land a with Walmart. I have talked to people who refer to those as the good old days .
What reason did they give you?
They told me no without a reason, took it to the Durango Sears and Farmington Sears, even went online. I've heard since Sears sold the Craftman name to another company the new company does not have to honor the old warranty. Know I see Craftman tools in other stores (true value, ect.)
They don't warrant torque wrenches anymore because they are considered precision instruments and to many people were using them as breaker bars.They are going downhill because 95 % of consumers shop on price and not service or selection.
They don't warrant torque wrenches anymore because they are considered precision instruments and to many people were using them as breaker bars.They are going downhill because 95 % of consumers shop on price and not service or selection.
Since they can't offer superior service, better quality, or greater selection, they had best compete on price, and they're failing badly.
Since they can't offer superior service, better quality, or greater selection, they had best compete on price, and they're failing badly.
Race to the bottom.
Torque wrenches are a different animal. They can go out of calibration from merely dropping them or using them to loosen stuff. So I could see why they called them a precision instrument. Because I bet a lot of idiots out there treat them like crap and wonder why they don't work right. Good news is I bought one from Sears a few weeks ago for 40 dollars. It was 50% off. Still the click kind, but it will do the job.
So if Sears is owned by KMart, that would also mean that Sears is now a French company. Enough reason for me not to shop there.
The one at Hwy 7 and 25 next to Costco has jeans, and a fairly decent selection of stuph. The folks working there are trying very hard, just to damn few customers.
So if Sears is owned by KMart, that would also mean that Sears is now a French company. Enough reason for me not to shop there.
It's more the other way around. Sears gained control of Kmart. Kmart never "bought" Sears.
sellersm
11-18-2012, 15:15
Check your facts before you make such statements: http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/17/news/fortune500/sears_kmart/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/business/18shop.html?_r=0
Kmart and Sears mergerOn November 17, 2004, Kmart Holdings Corporation announced its intention to purchase Sears, Roebuck and Co. The new corporation announced that it would continue to operate stores under both the Sears and Kmart brands. The merger of Kmart and Sears closed on March 24, 2005, following affirmative shareholder votes of both companies. Sears Holdings now operates Sears and Kmart stores. The company continues to market products under brands held by both companies.
The two companies cited several reasons for combining forces:
Sears had begun investing in new, larger off-mall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstore) stores, called Sears Grand. Earlier in the year, Sears had purchased dozens of current Super Kmart locations; the merger permitted the combined company to accelerate that process.
Proprietary brands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand) held by both companies could be made more accessible to their target demographics by leveraging their combined real estate holdings. This was estimated to be an expected $200 million a year in revenue synergies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergy).
At least $300 million a year in cost savings was expected annually, particularly in the supply chain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain) and in administrative overhead.
The establishment of a shared customer-focused corporate culture between the two companies was estimated to yield improvements in revenue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenue) per unit area.
Preservation of two brands after the merger allowed Sears Holdings to continue focusing on different customer demographics, without alienating either group.
The company is directed by a board of directors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_directors) composed of members from the two companies: seven members from Kmart's board, and three from Sears. Shareholders in the Kmart Corporation received one share in the new company. Shares of Sears, Roebuck and Company stock were converted into a combination of 55 percent stock and 45 percent cash (at $50 a share). Stockholders had a choice of receiving either stock or cash, subject to the predefined ratio.
The merger was completed on March 24, 2005, after receiving regulatory approval from the government and approval by shareholders of both companies.
Too bad, Sears is one of the most conservative companies and very pro military. You can be on 12 month deployment and Sear will hold your position open for you and so on.
That's good.
I bought my appliances at Sears at 7 and I25. They did not have the same stove, and sold an $30 more expensive stove for a same price.
Appliance factory would not even talk to me when I needed some other appliance or even mention price match on refrigerators.
I will continue to buy appliances at Sears.
ETA: Sears really needs to up their inventory , and get more aggressive. Appliances area is one of their strong point.
RonMexico
08-07-2013, 15:01
I know this is a huge bump but I didn't feel like starting a new thread.
My renters are moving out and I figured I would go to my parents house and grab the edger and the weed wacker to clean up the yards. My dad told me the craftsman weed eater doesn't work, so I've tried cleaning the carb, putting ethonol free gas and tried a few other tricks, but still no luck. Now here is the fustrating part. This is my dads second one in 5 years, and they only come with a two year warrant. When I went to the craftsman repair shop by my house the girl said it was $89 to send it out plus parts. We then looked for a carb rebuild kit but the only thing in the catalog was a $39 carb that would cost 7.99 to ship. The ironic part is; their cheapest craftsman weed wacker was 74.99 on sale.
I ended up buying the $74 dollar one bc my dad is a craftsman loyalist and I was raised to buy craftsman too but if this weed eater takes a shit in the next two years I think I will have to switch bands and start mixing and matching my tool sets.
I know this wasn't a good rant but its the truth and I can see why craftsman is going down the shitter quick
Have a set of Craftsman Pro series combination wrenches that looked good until the shaft on the 11/16" started bending when tried to adjust the 4-link bars on my race car. Replaced with a Snap-On set for 3x-4x the cost and will never look back.
hurley842002
08-07-2013, 15:51
Costco has a 174 piece Craftsman tool set for $99 and change. Since my tools were stolen awhile back, I decided to pick it up. Nice complete set, guess we will see how she holds up.
The Sears grand at hwy7 and i25 has actually been a good resource for me and the wife the past few years, our biggest purchase was a 56" rolling black/silver Craftsman tool chest.... it would have been almost 2k elsewhere but we got it for less than half that by ordering it on sale online and picking it up at the store.
They have good quality wrangler jeans too... not just cheap Chinese crap.
When we registered for wedding gifts, nearly 2/3 of them came from that sears...the only thing that has wound up being cheap and low quality is the 21qt Ball canner kit.
I can't speak to their untrained employees or crappy inventory management, but if any of you are North of 104th and i25, you should at least give them a try. I'm certainly still pro Sears.
jreifsch80
08-07-2013, 16:35
I remember you used to be able to buy tapco ak receiver flats from sears online lol
So if Sears is owned by KMart, that would also mean that Sears is now a French company. Enough reason for me not to shop there.
Why are we supposed to hate French businesses again?
Hmmm.....guess I'd better go pick up another garden hose, I have found their black hoses to outlast just about any other.
You need one of those pecker hoses. The ones that grow and squirt and then shrivel up when you turn them off.
hghclsswhitetrsh
08-07-2013, 16:58
You need one of those pecker hoses. The ones that grow and squirt and then shrivel up when you turn them off.
hahahahaha
NSFW.
Why are we supposed to hate French businesses again?
Cause they're not 'Merican
I took my box of broken craftsman tools in to the one off highway 7 and they gave me replacements on everything from broken sockets to screwdrivers etc. The only thing they wouldn't give me was my hex wrenches as they said I needed to bring in the whole set and they could give me a few at a time.
I bought our appliances there 4 years ago. Had a major issue with the stove but after going all the way to the top at corporate I got all the parts covered.
The price is what drives me away. I have a craftsman mower but if I were going to buy another I'll go get a john Deere cause its the same price and its green.
Hand tools...I won't buy them there any more. while I love craftsman, harbor freight had the same warranty and probably the same quality.
Bailey Guns
08-07-2013, 18:41
I bought a cordless drill/circular saw combo (along with a bunch of other power tools) at Sears in 1987. The circular saw finally went tits up a few weeks ago. The 18v drill is still going strong but I can't get replacement batteries for it any longer. Still buying sanding belts and discs for the bench sander I bought at the same time.
I have socket sets and other tools that I bought before that I'm still using. I like Craftsman hand tools. I've replaced a few pieces under warranty over the years.
But, yeah, shopping at Sears isn't like it was in the 60s and 70s. Then again, few things are. It's a shame.
I do still have my Sears break-open .410 that I got when I was 10. It's in great shape and still a lot of fun to shoot.
Boadie30
08-07-2013, 19:00
I have to agree, Sears is in trouble. Kind of like Hostess, they haven't made changes to keep up with the competition. All of their products are more expensive than the same things at other outlets. I can't think of anything that I would go to Sears to buy, they have nothing to entice customers to even walk in the door. Pretty sad really, a few years ago I really wanted to support them due to their stand on ensuring that military reservists would keep their jobs when they returned from duty. I just couldn't spend 50% more to do it.
I purchased some Bates tactical boots there yesterday.. Then went accross the street to Dicks to get something else.. 25 dollars cheaper at Dicks.. Then I went to beer store to spend 25 bucks..
I bought a cordless drill/circular saw combo (along with a bunch of other power tools) at Sears in 1987. The circular saw finally went tits up a few weeks ago. The 18v drill is still going strong but I can't get replacement batteries for it any longer. Still buying sanding belts and discs for the bench sander I bought at the same time.
take your old batteries to Batteries Plus and have them rebuilt.
Bailey Guns
08-07-2013, 21:15
take your old batteries to Batteries Plus and have them rebuilt.
Oh...I didn't know they did that. Thanks.
On the other hand, I just bought some new Dewalt 20v tools to replace the old ones, so...
tmleadr03
08-07-2013, 22:00
Sad, but seemingly true. Reminds me of this:
xFiDoOgRTpk
I went out looking for a torque wrench 2 years ago and my first stop was Sears. Aside from the cheap traditional one for $30+ dollars, the cheapest of the good modern style ones was $70+ dollars and they had others for well over $100. I felt $70+ dollars was awfully steep, but if it had a lifetime replacement warranty.... So, before making the purchase on the $70 one, I asked the tools section employee about the lifetime warranty since I didn't see anything mentioning it on the packaging. He gave me a look like "are you dumb" as he told me that none of the torque wrenches they carried had lifetime/replacement warranties. I walked out of the store without a torque wrench. I'm still looking for a good one that's still reasonably priced (I really need one too)
I have a craftsman torque wrench in my tool box. I use it on lug nuts/bolts and that is it. Would not trust it for anything requiring more precision then that. My go to torque wrench is about 400 bucks. Worth every penny.
I was in the other day shopping. While being wrung up the cashier offered me a membership card which I declined. He stated that I would have to get one if I wanted to get anything at their sale price. I again declined. Seems they don't know that I can and will go buy from their competitor before I get another membership card.
I was in the other day shopping. While being wrung up the cashier offered me a membership card which I declined. He stated that I would have to get one if I wanted to get anything at their sale price. I again declined. Seems they don't know that I can and will go buy from their competitor before I get another membership card.
^^^
I thinK Sears and JCPenny is going backward.
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