Sears: The Most Hated Company in America?

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Craftsman tools have been available from retailer other then Sears for about 5-6 years now. I first started seeing them being sold by Travers Tool around the same time they showed up in Kmart stores (for the obvious reason). A couple years later Ace got the line too.

I used to buy nothing but Craftsman hand tools. Not sure when but I'd guess about 1990 or so there was a noticeable slip in quality. Screwdrivers and nutdrivers would wear out quickly in service, sometimes only a day or two. I haven't bought any item with the Craftsman name on it for at least 10 years now.

It is indeed sad that they seemingly are no longer trying. The department store model is difficult in today's retail world. At least Sears has (had?) some solid house brands with Craftsman and Kenmore. It appears that they are willing to sell the quality out on those names now for short term profits. The inability to maintain the stores appearance will help drive the nails in the coffin that much sooner. Pity...
 
LG

LG will be the iceberg that sinks the Kenmore ship for sure. The severance from Whirlpool was a good thing for Whirlpool, IMO. Once I usually inform people that Kenmore comes from China now, they usually will look elsewhere for appliances.

Malcolm
 
I deeply hate them now! I've been effectively in a Sears a few times, not a problem since I just walked around and actually bought just a few small things...
But I happened to make the big mistake of trying to purchase some Ultra Plus from them online and it was an experience I don't wish to anyone!
I did post a story here also about this, I promised myself I would have never bought something from them nor even walked in a Sears again.
After that, I've read countless unbelievable stories of every kind on Sears customer's reviews, didn't realize it was that bad and crazy place to buy from before I experienced it myself online!
They're not even able to give a decent service in person, let alone E-commerce!
Sad to see how such a company can drop to such shameful level......
I'm not surprised to read that article..
As a fan of VTG Kenmore machines and VTG Sears products....including the Sears homes of long ago... I'm so sad to see this, it's very sad seeing an historical and once really good reputed company like that reduced to this kind of worthlessness in 2000ish..
Not surprised at all to read this article since my past experience.... Relieved to see I'm in good company!!!! LOL
[this post was last edited: 6/14/2013-15:01]
 
The linked article is clearly an investor perspective, which is telling. I guess Sears has become nothing more than a holding company, not interested in anything other than providing instant gratification to the almighty shareholder. How's that working for them? I know we all want our investments to do well, but this sort of attitude about how to run a company is what is killing businesses like this. Unfortunately, it seems to be the norm today.
 
The Sears store here in Bellevue, Washington is only 1/2 mile away from the headquarter of Microsoft. And the store is DEAD! I called the manager of the store a couple of years ago to ask why there were no more circulars in the Sunday paper and was told they didn't matter anymore. I also asked how they got shoppers in the door. Well, she said, we just hope our name means something! Well, the circulars are now back, but who reads the paper anymore? I can't tell when I was in the store last. Sears isn't a store I can link to anything that's had any lasting value in the last ten years. And yes, the 10 year old Kenmore dishwasher I bought then is still going strong today. I'm not sure that would be the case today. The combination of Kmart and Sears has tarnished it's good reputation for me.
 
Interesting...back in the day Sears was the "no excuses" store...everyone shopped there at one time or another. They had the nationwide coverage to be a rational choice for anyone. The only store which has taken on this role that I can think of on a widespread basis is Costco. In our area, Meijer also (around here Meijer is the store which you never have to apologize for...in the lower 2/3 of Michigan it's "everyman's" store where nearly everyone shops. Interesting that it's union (UFCW) here too. Walmart is viewed (at least in the metro areas) as very slightly gauche, and K-Mart (which was formerly based here) still has a reasonable store base and some of the busiest stores (which isn't saying much) but honestly is less declasse than Walmart (primarily due to it's long history here). Target came fairly late to Michigan (early 90s, believe it or not) and has a denser store base in SE MI than Walmart (and hasn't run off from the inner-ring suburbs).
 
I think that if Sears turned around tomorrow they wouldn't have the time it would take to convince the buying public of any change. I believe they would have to offer a solid ten years of excellent service and reliable appliances before most people would try them again. But I don't think they have ten years, and they know it. So all they are doing is just rearranging the deck chairs and selling those off for a profit before the ship sinks.
 
The Sears store in Greenville NC used to be part of the Carolina East Mall-the owner of that mall let it go to pot.Shopkeepers moved out-only one left---Sears.The abandoned mall got torn down.Now detached stores in the area now.Kohls,Dicks Sport goods,Ruby Tuesday restuarant.-And Sears.Hardly anyone goes there-HR Block doesn't set up there to do peoples incomes taxes anymore-that was a drawing card for Sears-they had to go thru the store to get to the HR block temp office.Not only Crafstman tools sold elsewhere-but DieHard batteries,too.The automotive dept at the Sears near me is silent.A Bonefish restuarant has opened near there,too.The place isn't that good.
 
Transgressions

Sears has a history of racism, gender bias and sexual orientation in discriminating in hiring and promotions. Discover cards reel in people with offers to lower income households and charges fees and interest that compound making it hard to pay down the balance. God, help anyone who makes a major purchase because you'll be called endlessly to buy a warranty extension and sign up for a Discover card. I catered a grand opening at Sears and over the door of the break room hung a sign for the employees. "The customer's not always right, but it's your job to let them think they are."
 
It's hard to "hate" pathos but at the same time it's hard to sympathize because this is supposedly a serious business and every wrong turn they took was an "informed" decision by management. (At least) one analyst suggests the owner is operating it to lose value on purpose, for his own perverse gain. Fine, just leave me out of it.
 
My Sears observations

As a child we didn't buy anything from Sears except for some clothes. I never really liked Sears much for many years.
As I aged I found much of what I wanted at Sears. The only Sears I go to is in Oakbrook Mall. I buy an occasional shirt, a tool and my Whirlpool water filter. Generally I find what I need. I started to like Sears. I suppose I still do.
However, recently the store is devoid of all staff. I was upstairs and could not find any staff at all. I was wondering what people were thinking as I walked in circles trying to find someone to help me. This confuses me. Anyone who knows that store knows that it is a showplace. Everything is always in perfect order. It is just so strange that the building has virtually no staff at all.
On top of it they recently cut the building in half. Maybe now I will find sales staff as the building is more compact! I guess that's one way of solving that problem.

TARGET surprises me. They have what I need. They have their act together.
 
I remember when the Sears Oakbrook store opened. They carried horse saddles and farm implements right inside the store in addition to clothing, electronics, hardware & appliances. That was in 1964.

What did they do to cut it in half? That location was always at the end of the mall on the north side. Did they develop Oakbrook Center more to the north? I haven't been there in about 15 years or so.
 
Not trying to open a new can but...

...had this thread been about R.H. Macy & Co. I could have really run my mouth off. I worked for the California Division as an "executive" (a term that means nothing outside of a department store) when the division was on top of the world. Sales were phenomenal. The Midwest division was showing decent profits as well as was Bamberger's. Their weekly Sunday newspaper supplement "Macy Magazine" was the first thing many people pulled from their paper. I got that blasted supplement 3 weeks before the public and had friends call me and ask if they could get a preview (aka "get a life!) Yet through all of this Macy's was ruthless in their pursuit of more money.

Store management was required to do report after report called R.I.P.E plans. This stood for Review, Intensify, Plan and Exploit...the emphasis being on exploit. Regardless of how great business was, sales results with huge increases were always met with "if you achieved a 50% increase then you could have easily got 75% with more effort."

POS register terminals were wonderful tools to track everything about sales, but for Macy's managers at storeline they were the way to track the hourly usefulness and productivity of sales staff. The axe never stopped swinging and probably continues today. Macys put those people through a Maytag wringer trying to squeeze every penny out of them they could.

Towards the end of my "sentence" I remember attending a meeting in San Francisco and the question was asked why the head of the company Ed Finkelstein was planning on taking Macy's private much to the dismay of many financial experts. I distinctly remember what we were told his answer was..."I'm sick and tired of having people looking over my shoulder and having to report everything I'm doing." Macy's declared bankruptcy a short time later.

Although I rarely visit Sears, I never shop at Macy's. I attribute their current "success" to overpriced quality items supplemented with garbage like a "Tools of the Trade" frying pan "regularly priced" at $59.99 on "sale" for $19.99 with an additional 10% off when you use your Macy's charge. 5 will get you 10 this final price is what the item was intended to sell for complete with a healthy margin. The fact that Macy's eradicated many of the Country's fine department stores like Marshall Field's is yet another can of worms.

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Sears Oakbrook

The building is being cut as we speak. Physically it is the same shape on the outside. However when you go into the building and (for example) you want to go to mens' wear on the first floor, you hit a wall. The main floor feels like a sliver of its old self.
On the outside you can see how they are punching out for new storefronts on the mall-side.
Oakbrook has added quite a few new stores on the periphery. I have to admit they do a good job. In virtually every store remodel, they gut the building to the girders and start anew. They have a TESLA car store which is fun.
They have kept the outdoor-mall model.. Thank God! And are really modernizing the fountains and landscaping.
Mark Shale went bust... I bought my good stuff there. I was not happy about that one.
 
Oakbrook to the North

To the North there is (what I call ) the NORDSTROM wing.
Yes, heavily expanded to the North with a double-decker outdoor mall.
The BEST thing about Oakbrook (and I am sure you know this) - is that during Winter, everyone flees to Yorktown Mall and I have Oakbrook all to myself for Christmas shopping.
(It's my secret, don't tell a soul ! :- ) )
 
If there were ever two retailers that don't go hand in hand, it would be Sears and Tesla.

 

The Tesla showroom here is in the swankiest high-end faux-downtown-style retail, restaurant, residential, hotel and theater complex in town where most slebs choose to stay when in the area performing.

 

I'm seeing more and more Model S sedans out on the roads here.  A dark blue one lives across the street from us.  One place I doubt you'll ever see one is in a Sears parking lot.
 
Interesting to note...about a month ago I was at the Big Lots near me, not exactly the place where the elite meet and this one's no flagship store. This Big Lot's is in a half-deserted strip mall with no other adjacent businesses still open. Parked near the entrance was a brand new copper colored Bentley Continental Silver Spur with paper plates, one of the lesser-priced models but still around $200,000. Just goes to show you, you never know.
 
You described perfectly the locations Big Lots the type of location our Big Lots is located.

I haven't been to Chicago (outside of ORD) in seven years. I am glad they have a Nordstrom in Oakbrook. Fits the place well. I always liked Oakbrook in winter. The elegant decorations and more upscale stores. To me Yorktown is just a regular suburban mall. When Wieboldt's closed I stopped going there.

We dont't shop Macy's at all anymore. It's overpriced for what you get. I swear some of the same merchandise is available at JCP rebranded and less money. For the same money you could shop Saks Fifth Ave and bring home better stuff.

I am just waiting to hear Macy's announce that they will be closing the State St store. It's the last real vestage of the original Marshall Field & Co. Now THAT was a store.
 
Speaking of Sears brands. I just saw a commercial for Ace Hardware, they now sell "Craftsman" chainsaws.  I remember before the death knell of Western Auto they sold "Diehard" car batteries and "Roadhandler" tires.  Need a refrigerator right now? Kenmore basics top freezers are at K Mart.  alr
 

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