Sears Spins Off Land's End

[launderess]

Like rats from a sinking ship:

Sears to spin off Lands' End business

Struggling retailer plans to distribute stock to shareholders for value of clothing unit.

www.usatoday.com

 

[danemodsandy]

Sears -

The only stores in the world that make Macy's look high-end.

 

[washman]

The end is near

For both Sears and JC Penney. Within 5 years we'll either see a merger between the two or Ch 11. Look for more store closings.

And the article is right, the stores do look like hell indeed. Just when both need foot traffic, they are not making the necessary investments to lure customers which results in fewer sales and reduced cash flow. Out of stocks are legion and I wonder if vendors are expecting payment upfront prior to shipment.

 

[launderess]

Five Years?

J.C. Penny's has about one or two the most if that. Sears will die a long slow and painful death long as that hedge fund vulture as at the helm. Bits and pieces will be sold off as oft the same old story so investors can get their taste, what is left of the carcass will go into bankruptcy.

 

[launderess]

Shame Really

Lands' End the only reason one has kept our Sears credit card open. Other than that there is not much else one wants or needs from Sears.

 

[washman]

Such a shame too

I can remember the "big 3" catalogs we used to get. Pennys, Sears, and Wards. I grew up in JC Penny Plain Pocket jeans and all our appliances I remember as a child were JC Penny. Dad had a hard on for Sears. Said back then everything we bought from them was junk. So we became Pennys shoppers. I do remember we had 3 B&W 19 inch portable TV replaced from sears in less than 2 years because the transformer kept blowing out.

One can hope lands end will land (no pun intended) someplace solid and go back to offering what made it successful in the first place. Ever since sears bought them, the quality has gone down and the price up.

 

[NYCWriter]

A real shame ...

... Sears and Roebuck used to be a real powerhouse retailer.

It really was where America shopped.

 

[mattl]

I rarely go to Sears anymore, Penny's more, and Macy's Never.  My local Sears is outdated looking though it was redone 4 or 5 years ago.  Penny's just got the major makeover and it's very attractive, marble and bright lighting it actually makes me want to shop there.  Macys, what can I say -bane of retail shopping.  they absorbed so many unique and interesting regional retailers and turned them into cookie cutter mush.

 

[d-jones]

I'm going to miss Sears when they're gone. I have many fond memories of shopping there with my parents when I was a kid. The December trip to the Soto Street Sears here in L.A. was a long standing tradition for my family, and a sure sign to us kids that Christmas was just around the corner.

I drove by that store a little while ago when I had the DG906 dryer parts galvanized. It's a massive art deco structure built in 1927 to pull double duty as a retail store and a distribution center. Not having much to distribute anymore the distribution center's been vacant for years. The retail store is still hanging on, though it's enormous parking lot was nearly empty when I passed by.

 

[arbilab]

I hate to see institutions fail (Sears, Wards, Pennys, Westinghouse, Maytag, Whirlpool.... ) but no sympathy, they all did it to themselves with airheaded new-age management.

 

[whirlcool]

Ever since sears bought them, the quality has gone down and the price up.

This happens a lot when stores get bought out by others. I remember Foley's in Houston for example, used to sell Armani & Austin Reed suits. When they were bought out by the May Co. the best they carried was Botany 500 suits which by then had almost become a bargain basement brand. They raised the prices for the cheaper goods. People stopped shopping there and then Macy's stepped in and the rest is history.

Even last week there were reports of Sears stores not being fully stocked. They may very well be on a cash only basis with some suppliers.

Penny's here in Houston seems to be coming back a bit. We were in there last week and the store seemed to be pretty crowded. Almost everyone had a coupon of some kind.

We have never been big Sears buyers anyway. The only thing I have ever bought there was Craftsman tools, and lately I have been buying those at our local ACE hardware. The closest two Sears stores have closed down. Sears never really was a huge player in the Houston market anyway.

Now as a kid I DO remember shopping with my parents at the original Sears Homan Ave headquarters store in Chicago. It was a huge store in a huge building west of the loop. But after the move to the Sears tower the whole Sears complex was torn down.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Sears keeps re-inventing, re-inventing, and RE-re-inventing itself!

And the newer, more tries it attempts, the shorter-lasting the results...

Land's End..., The Great Indoors..., --More failed signs, that soon this soon-to-be-extinct, dinosaur retailer is gonna croak...!

-- Dave

 

[cehalstead]

spelling

PennEy's.

 

[imperial70]

I shopped Penney's almost exclusively

For my everyday work clothes and even suites.
But only when they ran sales. Then that guy from apple took over. He got rid of sales people to help fit you with a suit. They still sold suits, but then you had to go elsewhere to have them fitted. So no more for me.

Now I can't even find the type of clothes I like there. So I've been using sears for my everyday clothing needs.

sigh.

 

[jerrod6]

I remember when Lands End joined Sears because I thought it was a bad move. I am glad they have separated. There is no Sears near by so I haven't shopped in one in about 13 years--even then It wasn't all that good.

 

[ptcruiser51]

Fit & Quality

I ordered from Land's End catalogue for years because they had the size I needed, plus the option of hemmed or cuffed pants. Plus a long "rise" option which I need. Shirts could have nice touches like monogramming on pockets or cuffs. As soon as Sears took over, all those options vanished immediately. End of story.

The only thing the Sears store here in Boynton Beach offers that I appreciate is a "watch shop". I collect novelty watches (57 at last count) that are usually battery-operated. I can drop a bunch off for replacements and stop by later on and they're all ready, set to the correct time, and cleaned. Done. And at a reasonable price. The shop also sells seldom-seen-anymore items like cigarette lighters (!!!), ID bracelets, attractive key fobs and money clips at a good price.

I'll miss this when they're gone.

 

[danemodsandy]

Land's End Quality

I also am a former Land's End customer. Quality used to be quite high, particularly for the price point.

The last time I ordered a pinpoint oxford shirt, the amount of polyester in the blend was so high I might as well have been wearing Saran Wrap, for all the breathability it had.

And when I say "the last time," I mean the LAST TIME. Good dress shirts are hard to come by nowadays; it seems to me that anyone making a point of offering good ones could make a killing.

 

[washdaddy]

There aren't any retailers that are what they once were.
With today's market of dog eat dog....cut costs where you can....improve and increase your gross margin...price it higher...make it cheaper...the list goes on.

Oh, and don't forget the modern tech advances that we've all come to know and love....now you don't have to leave the comfort of your warm home to purchase anything your heart could possibly desire.....you just jump on this infernal contraption ...and a few key strokes later.....BOOM ....IT'S ON ITS WAY.

In the end...it's no ones fault but our own...what's happened has happened....we succumbed to this retail mess and now we have no one to blame but ourselves for suffering through it.

 

[launderess]

Quite honestly have found the quality of Lands' End items quite good. Indeed would feel comfortable in saying not that far off from LL Bean. However will have my eyes open to see what this spin off does, if things start slipping will drop them like a hot pot.