Is Sears in BIG trouble?

[MN4x4]

When I went to my local Sears store earlier in the week, I noticed that the tool section was BARELY stocked, with lots of items having only one tool on the peg and no back stock. I asked the one (!) person who was working in the tool department what was going on, and he stated that they had been trying to get stuff in for weeks but it keeps getting backordered. Mostly this appears to be on the high-end tools, as they had plenty of the $99 type kits.

This idea is further bolstered by the basic Craftsman tools showing up in other venues like Ace hardware, Menards, and Costco.

Since we haven't heard anything about Danaher being unable to fulfill orders, I have to wonder if Sears isn't in financial trouble (again) and can't pay their vendors, therefore isn't getting merchandise. Can anyone confirm or refute this?

 

[Travis E.]

The sears near me is stocked better now than a few years ago.

 

[bluebolt]

I have two Sears stores near me, one was well stocked when I needed to replace broken screwdrivers and sockets, the other had bare spots for weeks.

 

[american lockpicker]

Mine is well stocked.

 

[woody 73]

The one down the street is closing up, they told me the rent was to high. Not sure about sears but even on a busy day they look dead; I guess only time will tell.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

The Sears I was in last weekend (Superstition Springs Mall in Mesa, AZ) was very well stocked.

 

[CHRIS LUCKYMAN]

A Sears near me just turned into a Kmart within a few days time.

Anyone remember the Blue Light specials?

 

[ibedayank]

does SEARS really need 3 giant stores withing 20 miles? nashville coolsprings area
sears is closing stores to cut down on overhead .... lowes is doing the same

 

[Stuey]

I wouldn't think too much of it, it happens every now and then around here too.

 

[eborcim]

your store had such a good sale last week they have not gotten it restocked!

 

[2oolhound]

Sears Canada where I am on Vancouver island, Victoria is pretty bad. I was asking for info on a 3/4 drive set and the dummy new nothing and basically recommended I go on line to look. Then he followed me around the store for 20 minutes. I wasn't impressed. Their tool department is poorly stocked.

 

[chevelle67]

With the offshoreing of many hardline tools as of late I'm going to say they are "getting" in trouble.

 

[BigAl62]

A Sears near me just turned into a Kmart within a few days time.

Anyone remember the Blue Light specials?

Attention KMart shoppers! Look up and look around for the flashing Blue Light! Now coming to you from the automotive service department for the next 15 minutes and 15 minutes only, you can get a oil change for $9.99! please hurry and don't miss out on this deal! (can you tell I used to work there?)
BTW, the Sears near me (at the 8th largest mall in the world, according to Wikipedia) is grossly under stocked and has very uneducated (trying to be polite) people working in the tool department. I was asked for a receipt when trying to get a tool warrantied.

 

[fourtythree]

Mine just closed it's doors last week. I wouldn't be surprised if the company was in trouble.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I dont think it takes a genius to figure this out. They have mismanaged themselves out of competition for the past 20 years only getting worse as the years go on. They were the company that was used as an example of what NOT to do in my college business classes. One of my professors inherited Sears stock from his parents and watched it go from priceless to worthless. I dont know if you can give it away nowadays.

 

[global72]

Here are two long articles:

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112989/brands-disappear-2012-247

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/earnings/2011-08-18-sears-holdings-kmart-lands-end_n.htm


quick quotes:

"Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter said Sears fell short of expectations due to a "lack of store traffic, sales being driven by promotional activity and, in our opinion, the consumer's reaction to years of service cuts and lack of investment in infrastructure."

"The company is working to turn around results by cutting jobs and costs, closing underperforming stores and launching exclusive lines such as the Kardashian Kollection at Sears."

 

[PassnThru]

Yyyyaaaawwwwnnnn.

Here we go again.

 

[Shipfittin]

Sears is getting to the point now that Craftsman and Kenmore can no longer keep it alive. It won't be long before they are gone the way of Montgomery Wards.

 

[B17E1943]

... launching exclusive lines such as the Kardashian Kollection at Sears.

I hate to even admit I know who these morons are.

Sears is finished.

 

[pipsters]

Someone wrote this in the comments section:

Sears. My how the mighty have fallen. Goes to show if you can't adapt, you cannot compete. When I was growing up and you needed a refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, paint, carpet, tools, lawnmower, Tv, clothes, toys, a bike, exercise equipment, or matress, Sears was the first place everyone went. I remember getting the Sears catalog at Christmas and it was a one stop shop for Santa. Today, if I told my kids were were going to Sears, they would think it was some in law they have never met.

That about sums it up. I do remember the Sears Xmas catalog. It was great! Loved looking at all the toys. Sears has been made obsolete by Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc.

Sears going away...man that would be the day. There have been similar iconic businesses turned into dust throughout the years, I would not be surprised if Sears became the next. ***** about the "lifetime warranty" Craftsman tools, hopefully I don't break any although I doubt I will. Maybe buy another set when they clearance them out just in case.

My guess is in a bout to raise money before they finally shut the doors, the Craftsman and Kenmore brand will be sold to the highest bidder, probably Chinese, in an effort to gain entry into the US market as their own brand vs just manufacturing for US companies (ie Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, list goes on).

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

What has killed Sears is NOT competition, what has killed Sears is idiotic management moving away from their proven business model.

Sears started as a blue collar store, supplying the needs of the average blue collar family. Somewhere along the way a bunch of drooling morons in the boardroom decided that the rural and small town customers could piss off, and that you could only go to Sears in urban/suburban mall settings. Then the same morons decided to convert 75% of the stores over to "fashion" at prices that virtually anyone could beat. Now you've got a fundamentally worthless store, with a built in failure. You are trying to compete with Saks, Robinsons May, Macys and other fashion stalwarts on their own turf.

If Sears wants to survive, they need to abandon the population centers and return to the smaller communities that built the brand in the first place.

Another way to increase the sales would be to take the idiot who came up with the "Blue ____ Crew" concept out into a field somewhere and beat him mercilessly until he ceases to believe that annoying the **** out of customers is a viable marketing strategy.