My Sears is looking really sad

[carbleaks]

I was talking about the Sears catalog and all the logistics required to support their home delivery, not just retail stores. 100 years ago you could order an entire house from Sears and assemble it yourself.

Sears management thought the Internet was a passing fad and by the time they invested in e-commerce they had already missed the boat. They tried to catch up but Amazon had already cornered the market.

Sears could have offered what Amazon Prime offers now because they already had all the warehouses and stores in place. Hell there used to be a Sears warehouse 25 minutes away from me and I would go there to pick up appliances.

Not just the logistics but the name recognition and trust factor too. When Amazon was first starting a lot of people were hesitant to order off the internet. "Who is this Amazon?" "Isn't Amazon on a whole 'nother continent?" VS "I've shopped at Sears my whole life" "Even my grandpa grew up shopping at Sears."

Given similar inventory and advertising I'm sure most people would have easily chosen Sears over Amazon at the time.

 

[zendriver]

Not just the logistics but the name recognition and trust factor too. When Amazon was first starting a lot of people were hesitant to order off the internet. "Who is this Amazon?" "Isn't Amazon on a whole 'nother continent?" VS "I've shopped at Sears my whole life" "Even my grandpa grew up shopping at Sears."

Given similar inventory and advertising I'm sure most people would have easily chosen Sears over Amazon at the time.

To some extent, they did.

In 2014, Sears was ranked as the 5th largest online retailer, which is really not that shabby, considering the competition from ambitious low cost startups like Amazon.

Maybe Sears could not just keep cutting prices like the rest, as since most internet shoppers have learned that the lowest price, is the price they want.

Many had already given up on Sears decades ago and started hitting the discount stores, mostly because they could.

Perhaps loyalty means nothing, when it comes to money.

https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/...ts peak online,2018 Internet Retailer Top 500.

 

[coleman10]

To some extent, they did.

In 2014, Sears was ranked as the 5th largest online retailer, which is really not that shabby, considering the competition from ambitious low cost startups like Amazon.

Maybe Sears could not just keep cutting prices like the rest, as since most internet shoppers have learned that the lowest price, is the price they want.

Many had already given up on Sears decades ago and started hitting the discount stores, mostly because they could.

Perhaps loyalty means nothing, when it comes to money.

That’s a point. Perhaps they had thought, “We’re Sears. We’re an icon. People will come to us no matter what.” Guess that didn’t happen.

In the late ‘90’s, I worked part time at a big box retailer. One of their mottos was “we offer low prices.” Not the lowest price, just low prices. They carried a huge selection of electronics and large appliances. People would come in, spend time with the sales team, learn what they needed, then go elsewhere and buy. People want to get the lowest price they can.

And they’re not around today. It wasn’t too long before the entire chain was shut down.

 

[anndel]

I ordered from the Sears website some tools about 7-8 years ago and in all occasions, shipping was not an option. I had to drive down to the Sears store at Pearlridge and pick them up. Come to find out, Amazon had a similar RIdgid pipe wrench for $5 less with free shipping. Who could not resist the items coming to your door?

 

[wazzabie]

went to Sears first time in about a year. no hand power tools. no Christmas tool displays. the size of the tool department shrunk by half its floor space and was replaced with lawn furniture. the tools on the racks were sparse. no air compressors. they did have many boxes of made in china band saws. sad.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

went to Sears first time in about a year. no hand power tools. no Christmas tool displays. the size of the tool department shrunk by half its floor space and was replaced with lawn furniture. the tools on the racks were sparse. no air compressors. they did have many boxes of made in china band saws. sad.

That’s really sad. I don’t even have a Sears anymore mine looked like that at the very end except they mostly had hand tools left. But no Christmas stuff as they closed in October of last year. They had lots of Christmas stuff the year before that though.


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[tdkkart]

Pretty much written off Sears and Craftsman altogether, not sure where the closest Sears is anymore, maybe Des Moines, over 125 miles away.

 

[mritchie77]

The one closest to me, Crystal Lake (now a Mariano's) was a Montgomery Ward's, too.

I did a 3 year stint in Woodstock and worked right next to that Sears at 5/3 Bank. Headed straight over to Sears for their closeout sale. Prices sucked so I think all I got was a 6" C-clamp.