Sears, What Went Wrong...

[Flash Gordon]

List of 80 Sears, Kmart closings released ? USATODAY.com (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2011-12-29/sears-releases-sears-kmart-closings-list/52272742/1)

[tw33k2514]

Ill tell you what went wrong.


They started selling Chinese crap...

[Flash Gordon]

Ill tell you what went wrong.


They started selling Chinese crap...

And their target audience seems to be 70+

[Porsche Pilot]

I have never understood the Sears business model. You can buy tires, lawn mowers, appliances and underwear...all within a few feet of each other. Every time I walk into a store, the smell of new rubber is overpowering. I think the big box stores killed Sears and K Mart many years ago but they are just now admitting it and thousands will be out of jobs. My heart goes out to the employees.

[5.4 Shelby]

Online sales. Brick and mortar stores cant compete with virtual stores. Cost of running the store is much higher than that of a warehouse.

[Flash Gordon]

They started selling Chinese crap...


I have never understood the Sears business model. You can buy tires, lawn mowers, appliances and underwear...all within a few feet of each other. Every time I walk into a store, the smell of new rubber is overpowering.

Funny thing is Wal Mart has done both these things and been quite successful ^

=====================================

Which bring me to another point :idea:

A few years back I was shopping for a t.v. The exact same model I purchased from Best Buy for a little over $600, Sears had it retailed for $1,100,

IMO they've failed to be competitive

[Shane731]

I guarantee it would make a comeback if Max was running the show. :dblthumb2:

[C. Charles Hahn]

I have never understood the Sears business model. You can buy tires, lawn mowers, appliances and underwear...all within a few feet of each other. Every time I walk into a store, the smell of new rubber is overpowering. I think the big box stores killed Sears and K Mart many years ago but they are just now admitting it and thousands will be out of jobs. My heart goes out to the employees.

Interesting; it must depend on the store, because I have never gotten that smell or impression in our local Sears store.

[Flash Gordon]

Online sales. Brick and mortar stores cant compete with virtual stores. Cost of running the store is much higher than that of a warehouse.

They failed BIG TIME in this area for sure ^

I think they should still have a brick and mortar prescence, just scaled back abit. Maybe thats what their trying to do now



I guarantee it would make a comeback if Max was running the show. :dblthumb2:


:iagree: That Billionaire dude should've made a thread here 5 years AGO. He wouldn't be in the mess he's in if he hadda ;)

[dougaross]

I just got a good deal on an installed garage door opener from Sears online

[Flash Gordon]

I just got a good deal on an installed garage door opener from Sears online

I just purchased a mattress and box springs after tense negotiations

[grungy]

Online is not the only thing that has harmed the sales, the stores are overpriced and not so helpful in the sales associates department.

[Flash Gordon]

I just purchased a mattress and box springs after tense negotiations


Online is not the only thing that has harmed the sales, the stores are overpriced and not so helpful in the sales associates department.

;)

Good to have you here grungy :props:

[RFulmer]

Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowes killed Sears along with most mom and pop hardware stores. Wal-Mart has been the downfall of K-mart for years.

[IBTROLLIN]

Just so you know, this online -v- retail debate is happening here in Australia too. We have a GST (10% goods and services tax which is automatically added at the time of sale) that the actual physical stores/retailers have to apply to their items. One of the 'big' stores over here (Harvey Norman) is complaining that people are buying orders under $1000 from overseas and not having to pay GST on that order. The boss of Harvey Norman contends that this makes it impossible to compete with online stores from overseas.
Mind you, his stores are always incredibly over priced to the point you can save literally $1000 on a TV by going to a different store (I know this because I saved $700 on my TV by going to another physical store, I didn't even need to go online for it).
He also fails to realise that his sales are being decimated not just by overseas online stores, but Australian online stores too. I think the whole GST point is just a scapegoat.
It's easier to whinge and complain then actual reflect and do things differently.
I think there's a lot of dinosaurs out there that have failed to adapt their business model to suit the 'new' way people are shopping. This type of antiquated mentality is not reserved for retailers though. Record and films companies share it aswell. It seems that they're frantically clinging to the 'good old days' and won't admit to themselves that times are changing.
They're going to have to either get with the program or fall by the way side. I don't think they can win this one.