Sears/Kmart quickly disappearing

[MossRoad]

Yes, like Montgomery wards, zayres, and others before. Lots of chain food restaurants also on the decline, subway, applebees, chilis, etc.. Markets change..

LS Ayers, Hudson's, ..... oh heck, just read this list of defunct retailers in the U.S.

List of defunct retailers of the United States - Wikipedia

 

[MossRoad]

J C Penny will be gone soon also. Stupid CEO put a openly gay woman as the spoke person and that didn't set well with the publc. CEO was fired but the damage was done.

mark

While a lot of people would like to blame that move for JC Penny's decline, it was more likely that stupid pricing scheme where they did away with all coupons and sales.... THAT is what did them in, plain and simple.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Lot's of good thoughts here, and I still say, America is #1. When we put our mind to it we can out-do anyone! We put man on the moon 40 years ago!
American made tools, mowers, etc., if the word spread people would buy. I stopped at a Sears in Greensboro NC a few weeks ago...a nightmare!
That Sears Parts site is good for looking up stuff, but then I order eBay.
I have my Dad's Craftsman tools mostly from 50s-60s...great stuff made here + the sentimental value (priceless). He was my hero.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The drip turns into a stream it seems. Brick and mortar retail, colleges, etc are at risk of going the same way.

We are going virtual next month since most of our customer base works from home as well. IBM did this years ago with a lot of reps of all types. Many governments do the same.

Location, location and location does not mean the same thing as it did 50-100 years ago.

On a side note we are getting a new Dollar General on my way home from town. It is brick and mortar but back in the direction of local mom and pop stores of 50-100 years ago.

 

[cdaigle430]

They are closing 72 more stores and selling off Kenmore brand.

"The company closed a total of nearly 400 stores during the past 12 months, and now has a total of 894 left, including the 72 slated for closure. The two chains had a total of 3,500 U.S. stores between them when they merged in 2005."

Sears is closing 72 more stores

If I recall correctly-Sears was just about presentation...meaning merchants and manufacturers come to Sears to sell their products. Sears was the Amazon of old....but they lost the competition! Sears was all about the old catalogue-anyone remember getting the big thick 3 inch catalogue in the mail
That being said, they did sell many brands that are good like Kenmore, Craftsmen etc...They should not die with the Sears and Kmart stores-that would be tragic.

I still love Craftsmen and of course Kenmore. Some good news maybe-Lowes picked up Craftsmen.

 

[Fuddy1952]

If I recall correctly-Sears was just about presentation...meaning merchants and manufacturers come to Sears to sell their products. Sears was the Amazon of old....but they lost the competition! Sears was all about the old catalogue-anyone remember getting the big thick 3 inch catalogue in the mail
That being said, they did sell many brands that are good like Kenmore, Craftsmen etc...They should not die with the Sears and Kmart stores-that would be tragic.

I still love Craftsmen and of course Kenmore. Some good news maybe-Lowes picked up Craftsmen.

Two things I thought were amazing in our 1918 Sears catalog. They sold morphine! That's right, you could order it with syringe.
Other was an adapter for your bicycle, two poles clamped onto the frame with a wheel so you could ride it on train tracks!

 

[Jstpssng]

If I recall correctly-Sears was just about presentation...meaning merchants and manufacturers come to Sears to sell their products. Sears was the Amazon of old....but they lost the competition! Sears was all about the old catalogue-anyone remember getting the big thick 3 inch catalogue in the mail
That being said, they did sell many brands that are good like Kenmore, Craftsmen etc...They should not die with the Sears and Kmart stores-that would be tragic.

I still love Craftsmen and of course Kenmore. Some good news maybe-Lowes picked up Craftsmen.

They brought in a lot of new female shoppers in 1975 with that (in?)famous fall/winter catalog.

 

[/pine]

Two things I thought were amazing in our 1918 Sears catalog. They sold morphine! That's right, you could order it with syringe.
Other was an adapter for your bicycle, two poles clamped onto the frame with a wheel so you could ride it on train tracks!

Into the early 70's you could buy S&W revolvers mail order from the back pages of Field and Stream and other sporting mags etc...!

 

[jmc]

Into the early 70's you could buy S&W revolvers mail order from the back pages of Field and Stream and other sporting mags etc...!

And in the mid-sixties, our Kmart in Ft Wayne had stacks of used military rifles for about $10/each.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Into the early 70's you could buy S&W revolvers mail order from the back pages of Field and Stream and other sporting mags etc...!

You're right. I believe, and I bet people here will agree, people in general had much more sense back then! I remember bringing a gun to school either show and tell or hunting season. People had more common sense years ago...back when there were mental hospitals!