My earliest memory of Sears was when I was under 10 years old and the family went to Sears one night to buy a school skirt for my older sister, She wanted one of those poodle skirts that were so popular at the time. I'm not sure of the discussions that went on, but I can only guess that while my dad was ok with it, my mom objected to the cost and insisted on a cheaper, plainer, plaid skirt. What I do remember is my older sister getting very grumpy and the whole mood of the outing turning sour. I think my sister was in mourning for the rest of the school year over the loss of that poodle skirt.
The above has little to do with the decline of Sears, but it occurs to me that multiple forms of competition made Sears decline. First it was department stores. But most didn't sell hardware or lawn mowers or large appliances, so Sears still had its niche intact. Sears remained the one place you could go and get virtually anything you needed outside of perhaps food.
Then along came the shopping malls with a variety of businesses concentrated in one big location. Sort of like a decentralized Sears. Instead of making it a night out at Sears, families started making it a night out at the mall.
Then the rise of the box stores: Home Depot, Lowe's, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc., started cutting into more and more of Sear's niche. After that, the rise of the bulk "warehouse" stores like Price Club, Costo, Sam's Club, which often offered quality merchandise, clothing, appliances, at prices that were hard to beat anywhere else. Why go to Sears to get a new fridge or washer when you could get something perfectly adequate for hundreds less at Costco?
Finally, the rise of the internet. Sears started out being a mail-order company, but it never seemed to catch on to the fact that the internet was the new mail-order medium. If you've ever suffered through one of Sear's web sites, you'll know what I mean. The company just didn't seem to get the internet thing and maybe it never will. Too bad, because embracing the internet would allow Sears to go full circle, in a good way.
There are no doubt many other reasons behind Sear's gradual decline into oblivion, but those are a few of the thoughts that spring to mind. Like America's car companies, Sears has failed to change with the times, embrace new technologies and make them its own.
I just hope the Craftsman name and product lines live on after Sears goes away.
The above has little to do with the decline of Sears, but it occurs to me that multiple forms of competition made Sears decline. First it was department stores. But most didn't sell hardware or lawn mowers or large appliances, so Sears still had its niche intact. Sears remained the one place you could go and get virtually anything you needed outside of perhaps food.
Then along came the shopping malls with a variety of businesses concentrated in one big location. Sort of like a decentralized Sears. Instead of making it a night out at Sears, families started making it a night out at the mall.
Then the rise of the box stores: Home Depot, Lowe's, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc., started cutting into more and more of Sear's niche. After that, the rise of the bulk "warehouse" stores like Price Club, Costo, Sam's Club, which often offered quality merchandise, clothing, appliances, at prices that were hard to beat anywhere else. Why go to Sears to get a new fridge or washer when you could get something perfectly adequate for hundreds less at Costco?
Finally, the rise of the internet. Sears started out being a mail-order company, but it never seemed to catch on to the fact that the internet was the new mail-order medium. If you've ever suffered through one of Sear's web sites, you'll know what I mean. The company just didn't seem to get the internet thing and maybe it never will. Too bad, because embracing the internet would allow Sears to go full circle, in a good way.
There are no doubt many other reasons behind Sear's gradual decline into oblivion, but those are a few of the thoughts that spring to mind. Like America's car companies, Sears has failed to change with the times, embrace new technologies and make them its own.
I just hope the Craftsman name and product lines live on after Sears goes away.
