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More Kmart stores closing

Started by LM117, September 19, 2016, 06:00:32 PM

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webny99

Quote from: Rothman on September 04, 2019, 08:59:45 PM
It is too easy to just blame bad management. Read up on disruption theory, where businesses like Sears get so good at what they do that they don't keep a bigger picture of what could threaten them due to advances in technology and other innovations.

Kodak is another classic example.


RobbieL2415

I think Sears Roebuck was set in its ways by the time the merger happened.  Lampert was busy championing Kmart coming out of bankruptcy and got too greedy.  And what's irritating is he's still a billionaire after all these years

roadman65

Someone should take them over who is good at what they do.   Both are historical icons. 

On another note, a gentleman got a video out on youtube just before the Sears Watchung, NJ store closed and he pointed out the size of the parking lot of the store that was never used completely.  He suggested that Sears should have sold part of it for other use, like allowing restaurants to build there or even some small stores.

Citrus Tower did it in Clermont, FL as they were a big tourist attraction years ago.  When development took place and changed the landscape surrounding it all, it lost its appeal for tourists and lost a lot.  Now the tower got other businesses to build in its parking lot and saved itself from closing and having the taxpayers flip to save the historic tower.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

GCrites

Quote from: Rothman on September 04, 2019, 08:59:45 PM
It is too easy to just blame bad management.  Read up on disruption theory, where businesses like Sears get so good at what they do that they don't keep a bigger picture of what could threaten them due to advances in technology and other innovations.  There's a lot of fluff and probably TED talks devoted to it, but I don't know how a lot of brick and mortar stores expect to survive in the number that we have, even when management is aware of the broader picture.

Focus on demos that aren't cracked-out on e-commerece. There's still a lot of them and there still will be in the future. Basically anyone but college-educated white people under 50 living in cities that make less than $150,000. Avoid those folks... they're gone from B&M except for weird, unusual products. That's how Wal-Mart does fine; rural folk don't spend all their free time surfing the 'net or sipping in taprooms/coffee shops.

Flint1979

Quote from: In_Correct on September 04, 2019, 07:52:06 PM
I am going to type my commentary about Sears K Mart. Basically I have no use for either place. If they go away, I can not say that I will miss them.

Sears has been around for ever as a Store and as well as a Foundation. But now the Store is going down hill. I remember Sears being a department store ranging from clothes and linens to appliances and tools. The tools include silly "Craftsman" with many commercials by Bob Vila. They are also a Carrier H.V.A.C. dealer. Other stores sell clothes and linens. As for appliances and tools, I prefer Lowe's and Home Depot.

Kresge Mart, never mind ... It is better as K Mart, also has a Kresge Foundation. So that is another Store with a founder that started both a Store and a Foundation. Another store with a truncated last name of its founder Walmart (or Wal-Mart ... or perhaps Wal * Mart ... or perhaps Wal  :bigass: Mart ) has expanded tremendously. K Mart was ahead of its time, as it seemed to be Walmart before Walmart expanded. K Mart had numerous expansions, most of them discontinued. Walmart's various expansions seem to be much more successful. Also with Walmart's successful expansions no need for "Super K Mart". And with Dollar General Market, there is no need for "Big K Mart" any more either. And finally, there is a Hyper Market (or Hypermarket) known as Target which is an alternative to Walmart. K Mart now has to compete with Walmart and Target. I remember Blue Light Special, and just as Sears, K Mart also relied on Celebrity Endorsements.

So Fear Not, Shoppers Of Sears And / Or K Mart! Target is probably a replacement store of K Mart for you. Also there is Walmart and Dollar General Market which are effective replacements for K Mart. Lowe's and Home Depot can replace Sears.

I will shop at Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, and some times Target be cause some times it has things that Walmart does not. Dollar General Market is silly but I might shop there some times. Sears K Mart is too much of a disorganized mess. When The Aisles Resemble Alleys, I will not feel safe shopping at either place.

If nobody wants Sears K Mart to go away, the Sears K Mart must be organized. Forget about Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Dollar General Market, and Walmart for a moment. Sears K Mart will not survive even if there was no other competition. They are also closing many stores be cause they are disorganized. It is so bad, shopping at either place online is not recommended unless the entire businesses of Sears and K Mart are reorganized.
Meijer pioneered the supercenter concept long before Walmart did.

GCrites

They used to say (10 years ago) that Wal-Mart's dirty secret was that they were terrified of Meijer even though the foot traffic at the average Meijer is quite a bit lower than Wal-Mart's. Wal-Mart doesn't like that Meijer is privately held so therefore doesn't have to spend a bunch of money on crazy optimization and gets decide on their own whether or not to expand and show sales growth. Also, almost every store's shrinkage and return fraud rates are lower than Wal-Mart's and they don't have to have the cops come to the store multiple times a day -- this goes for Meijer as well.

Flint1979

The Meijer stores around here dominate Walmart. Walmart even closed a store that was across from a Meijer in Hartland.

Tonytone

IMHO. I went into target recently & they look like Wal-mart in 2005. Items not stocked, the store wasn't the "clean target we know"  & the grocery aisle has lost alot of the items they used to have.

Wal-mart for the 3rd time in my lifetime, has changed/upgraded all the stores again to a more modern look. This shows they are still growing. Wal-Mart now looks like a Target in 2009. Cleaner, way more items & always stocked. Even the employees &
Management are better. I worked at Wal-Mart when I was 17-18 in the year 2016-17. They have improved in the core aswell. I've heard the stories of management stealing merchandise & treating workers wrong. But I didn't see it, or atleast I wasnt there long enough.


So Target is falling off, I assume because of Amazon & Wal-Mart both tag teaming them. They will have to change up soon in order to keep up.

I can see Wal-Mart being a problem for amazon. Especially since they are making more moves on their online shopping & now free nextday Delivery.


iPhone
Promoting Cities since 1998!

Big John

^^ The Target around here just remodeled and modernized.  Not sure if this is a store-by-store decision or a company-wide decision.

Tonytone

Quote from: Big John on September 06, 2019, 11:41:18 PM
^^ The Target around here just remodeled and modernized.  Not sure if this is a store-by-store decision or a company-wide decision.
The Target near me just started remodeling aswell. So it might be a company wide decision. Hopefully the remodel will bring forth a better future.


iPhone
Promoting Cities since 1998!

Flint1979

 The Target in my town was remodeled recently as well.

hbelkins



Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Scott5114

Quote from: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

http://kentuckyvalleyviews.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-happens-when-everyone-hates-you.html

In light of El Paso, I have a feeling they'd have lost more business if they hadn't made that decision, because the "scared of people with guns" bloc is bigger than the "has strong feelings about right to carrying guns" bloc.

If some guy was allowed to run around the store with a gun prominently displayed, even if he wasn't doing anything with it, I would still feel as if I were in danger, because what's he planning to do in that store that he needs a gun for, testing the cakes at the bakery to see if they're baked through all the way? And I don't like feeling on-edge like that, so if it kept happening, I'd avoid the situation and thus the store.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

MNHighwayMan

Quote from: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

Yeah, right. Wal-Mart is far too large for that.

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 07, 2019, 02:47:44 PM
If some guy was allowed to run around the store with a gun prominently displayed, even if he wasn't doing anything with it, I would still feel as if I were in danger, because what's he planning to do in that store that he needs a gun for[...]?

Self-defense is not something you consciously plan for, except by carrying a weapon.

RobbieL2415

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 07, 2019, 02:47:44 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 07, 2019, 02:23:00 PM
If Walmart keeps alienating voting blocs, they may end up feeling Kmart's pain.

http://kentuckyvalleyviews.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-happens-when-everyone-hates-you.html

In light of El Paso, I have a feeling they'd have lost more business if they hadn't made that decision, because the "scared of people with guns" bloc is bigger than the "has strong feelings about right to carrying guns" bloc.

If some guy was allowed to run around the store with a gun prominently displayed, even if he wasn't doing anything with it, I would still feel as if I were in danger, because what's he planning to do in that store that he needs a gun for, testing the cakes at the bakery to see if they're baked through all the way? And I don't like feeling on-edge like that, so if it kept happening, I'd avoid the situation and thus the store.
I doubt their firearms sales amounted to much.  Their logic is probably that no one bought from them and no one would care since there's plenty of independent gun shops around.

roadman65

I was trying to find the old radio commercials where Sears used to have a service to fix ac and heating.  I believe it was called the Sears Air Fair or Sears Air Fare or Sears Air something.

Google is not much help, but they used to have a good jingle that was "We are the Sears Air (Fare, Fair, whatever) we are always there, yada yada yada.

Also who is the former NBC Tom Brokaw announcer who once was the Sears radio man?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

GCrites

Sears Heating and Cooling is considered part of their "franchised services" and apparently is unaffected by the bankruptcy proceedings.

roadman65

Craftsmen tools is now sold in Lowes Stores.  I guess that is old news, but have not been to Lowes too much.   The whole front of the Orlando store on Sand Lake is full of tools, cabinets, and other such stuff that Sears has in their hardware departments.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

DaBigE

Quote from: roadman65 on September 10, 2019, 10:04:42 PM
Craftsmen tools is now sold in Lowes Stores.  I guess that is old news, but have not been to Lowes too much.   The whole front of the Orlando store on Sand Lake is full of tools, cabinets, and other such stuff that Sears has in their hardware departments.

I think it might be now easier to say what stores aren't selling Craftsman tools. As a kid, I never thought I'd live to see the day that a store other than Sears sold them.
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

roadman65

Do they sell Die Hard batteries outside Sears?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Big John


SP Cook

Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.

hbelkins

Quote from: SP Cook on September 11, 2019, 09:32:47 AM
Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.

I don't remember Penney's automotive services, but I do remember Sears. They had a garage on an outparcel at Fayette Mall in Lexington. Sears also owned NTW at one time as well, and road hazard/alignment/rotation warranties from one place could be honored at the other. I bought a set of tires from NTW in Richmond years ago. They were an expensive retailer but I caught a decent sale.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

tchafe1978

Sears sold off the Craftsman brand to Stanley/Black & Decker in 2017, which is why you now see the brand in other stores. I don't think they honor the lifetime replacement warranty that Craftsman tools used to have either.

https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/05/investing/sears-sells-craftsman-stanley-black-decker/index.html

Brandon

Quote from: SP Cook on September 11, 2019, 09:32:47 AM
Sears and JC Penney got sued back in the 80s over their automotive services.  Sears had Die Hard batteries, Muzzler mufflers and in house branded tires that were really made by Kelly Springfield.   Penney's had the same deal.  The batteries and mufflers came with an "unconditional lifetime warranty", similar to Craftsman tools, and the tires came with lifetime alignment.  Of course, the deal was that every car that came in for replacement needed some additional, uncovered, services.  Both paid a big price and Penney's left the automotive business.  They had to make a deal with some outfit, I think it was Goodyear's,  and if you have an old enough car you can still get free batteries and mufflers thre.


Sears got sued in the 1980s, but JCPenney was out of the automotive business by then, having left in 1983 due to the lack of profitability.  Montgomery Ward, on the other hand, kept the automotive business until they went under in 2001.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg



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