Sears closing 50 more stores -- 2016

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Here is the list!

http://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-sears-and-kmart-stores-closing-2016-2

 

[Jeeper]

I am surprised more Sears stores aren't closing. One by me is always empty.

Also shocked there is a Kmart in Honolulu.

 

[chris142]

Every time I go to kmart its a ghost town. I can wander around and never see another customer in the place. But it somehow stays open

 

[JonDick13926]

I am surprised more Sears stores aren't closing. One by me is always empty.

Also shocked there is a Kmart in Honolulu.

I was in Sears the other day, and I think I was the only customer around. I walked around for a bit, and then over heard two of the associates talking about how much they sold that day. One guy said he sold nearly $4000 worth of stuff that day, and it was still pretty early. I found it hard to believe myself. Unless he bought $4000 worth of stuff.

 

[jrp458]

Went into the local Sears today. There were only two other customers in the entire store other than me.

 

[winlinmac]

Once they phase out all of their Made in USA Craftsman tools, they'll be done for---for sure.

The only Sears deals I see on Slickdeals.net pertain to tools, and that's it. I think its time for Sears to shutter its doors for good. There's nothing enticing in the Sears stores near me. Long wait time just to pick up a $2 item (Online price only --- go figure, haha)

They can't even compete with Amazon and the like. Sears is a company which see's its operation slowing coming to a halt.

I wonder what this would mean for the Craftsman Warranty.

 

[anndel]

All of our Sears stores are always jam packed with shoppers, especially the tire shop and tools section.

 

[Fordman7795]

I am surprised more Sears stores aren't closing. One by me is always empty.

Also shocked there is a Kmart in Honolulu.

I dont recall seeing a kmart in honolulu but i did stop at the sears while on my honeymoon. I bought some ratcheting wrenches on sale for $10.

 

[Jeeper]

I dont recall seeing a kmart in honolulu but i did stop at the sears while on my honeymoon. I bought some ratcheting wrenches on sale for $10.

And that's dedication there. Not to the wife but to tool hoarding. Gold star for you.

 

[derosa]

Craftsman will continue even if sears closes, they're a seperate division and they're moving into places like ace hardware. The brand is prepping for a possible sears shutdown. Local ace store owner was pissed though when I pointed out that the universal sockets on their Christmas special only said chrome vanadium while the ratchet still said craftsman.

 

[theoldwizard1]

When I was in college, I worked at one of the busiest Sears stores in the US. (Metro Detroit had 3 of the top 10 stores.) Now, you can shoot a cannon down the main isle even on a weekend, 1 week before Christmas.

 

[wesst]

I have sentimental value to my Craftsman tools, and would like to see the Craftsman name live on if the Sears name goes away. That being said, unless it is sold to another parent company, I have little faith in future success.

I have tried to obtain many Craftsman Industrial tools, however the distribution is beyond poor. I used to wait for 3-4 days waiting to see if the item was available for order. Often time the answer would be that piece is discontinued. Poor marketing all the way around, especially when you have people willing to pay, but cannot deliver. Just check out the Craftsman Industrial website as an example. A lot of things I find desirable, but beat of luck trying to get it!

Just my $.02

 

[drink]

More Sears stores closing is not good for the economy whether you like Sears or not. Just think of all the people who will be unemployed. With fewer stores stocking products made by factories means less demand for the factories to fill orders and possible downsizing. Some of us have already been reading articles about the APEX tool facilities in Arkansas and Texas being shut down and moved to South Carolina.

When I was younger I knew quite a few people who worked at Sears and made a living. Now I hear stories from employees saying they only get to work part time. Even though they work part time they still buy products and services from lots of people and businesses. A lot of people might feel the impact of the Sears employees losing their jobs.

I have been saying Sears is a place where you can buy some made in USA hand tools. Maybe the online sales have taken the customers away from the stores to the poing where they look like ghost towns.

 

[drink]

I have sentimental value to my Craftsman tools, and would like to see the Craftsman name live on if the Sears name goes away. That being said, unless it is sold to another parent company, I have little faith in future success.

I have tried to obtain many Craftsman Industrial tools, however the distribution is beyond poor. I used to wait for 3-4 days waiting to see if the item was available for order. Often time the answer would be that piece is discontinued. Poor marketing all the way around, especially when you have people willing to pay, but cannot deliver. Just check out the Craftsman Industrial website as an example. A lot of things I find desirable, but beat of luck trying to get it!

Just my $.02

Where have you been trying to buy Craftsman Industrial tools from? Have you tried Tool Barn? Sears sells some of them online.

 

[B_Bimmer]

I love Sears, used to love kmart to... Oh well, everyone else loves wal-mart. I think I was born 150 years too late. Mail order farm machinery turns me on. I still believe sears could be saved, kenmore and craftsman would still be my brand of choice, but they need the level of American pride they used to have. I am unfortunately being convinced that nobody working there, at least high up enough to make a difference, has the pride or drive to make it happen. The level of history and quality sears' past contains is such a valuable asset, wasted. The shortsightedness of stakeholders is disappointing. Sometimes I pretend there will be a day when the china craftsman will be collectible as a low point in the long history of arguably the greatest name in tools.

 

[DBendr]

SC is a quick truck run to Charleston port for Apex to send stuff out. I imagine the state might be a little more friendly with electric costs, property tax benefits, not sure about state sales tax etc etc.Ask their accounting dept.
Those Sears buildings won't sit idle. Some co. with a brain will get them humming with something fairly soon.....one would hope.Apex could create one hell of a retail center if they took a notion to.

 

[Brownsfan]

To clarify. There is 4 Sears stores closing according to the list. The rest are Kmart

 

[Richard Cranium]

I don't know who wrote the story, But they screwed up, K-mart owns Sears not the other way around.

 

[kngelv]

It is sad how this once proud American retail icon has been brought so low. All this because of one mans greed – Eddie Lampert.

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...so-investors-should-lovehate-eddie-lampe.aspx

James

 

[Mark in Indiana]

I'm surprised that the Sears in Evansville, Indiana is still open. Glad that it is because they do have good clearance prices on clothes at the end of season. Also, I still have a local place to exchange my broken
C-Man tools (as long as they're made in USA, which is getting less).

 

[Brownsfan]

I really wish and hope Sears miraculously turns around and pulls through. It really wasn't that long ago that they posted a profit. I wish something could be done to get lampert out . But sadly it would be too late. Like many here I bought my first tools from Sears and have been buying tools there for years. Still buy some there.

 

[rsanter]

Sears still has more than 50 stores???

The one in my town is like a ghost town even during the Christmas rush

Bob

 

[TheGrooveking]

When they souled out to K-Mart that was one of two mistakes, the other was stopping the Craftsman Tool Catalog, that in itself drove business. When I was a little mutant I couldn't wait for the big Sears catalog to arrive and when they finally came out with the Craftsman tool catalog I'd just picking what I wanted, save my money and would buy it. I used to go to the huge Oakbrook store and drool al over the place.

Another fact is the schools stopping their shop classes. **** in 7th grade it started and thru 12th I was an industrial arts major. There more minds learned what really made the world work, releasing the imagination of the next generation of automotive and industry minded people. Once schools could started directing kids to non-hands on skills it signaled the end of a lot.

Rant off,

TheGrooveking

 

[sberry]

The gap will be filled if Sears moves on. Tools will be bought in a different store, people won't quit due to 1 less vendor, they won't buy more if they stay.

 

[TheEuronater]

I went to the Sears near me to get a gear puller and was happy to find one made in the USA behind the Taiwanese variants. Went to the counter and said to the older guy "got the last American one!" he looked at me like I was a nut lmao. People just don't understand.

 

[Exceller8]

Forget coo, Sears just doesn't care anymore. The stores are dirty and unorganized and most of the employees I come across are lazy and just there to pull a paycheck.

I used to be amazed at how beautiful they kept their stores. I guess that's in the past like most thing associated with Sears these days.

 

[DSM_PWR]

It is sad how this once proud American retail icon has been brought so low. All this because of one mans greed – Eddie Lampert.

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...so-investors-should-lovehate-eddie-lampe.aspx

James

interesting and saddening. thanks for posting.

 

[KraftwerkMk1Jetta]

How much money is enough for these people? Seriously?

 

[1foxracing]

To clarify. There is 4 Sears stores closing according to the list. The rest are Kmart

My local Sears in New Philadelphia is also set to close by mid-April, have no idea why it's not on the linked list. It could be sloppy reporting, Richard Cranium had it right, Kmart owns Sears.

 

[3 Gun Shooter]

Forget coo, Sears just doesn't care anymore. The stores are dirty and unorganized and most of the employees I come across are lazy and just there to pull a paycheck.

I used to be amazed at how beautiful they kept their stores. I guess that's in the past like most thing associated with Sears these days.

That is how most K Marts were. No K Marts around here so it's been over 10 years since I was in a K Mart.

In Cali we had an OSH and K Mart in the same parking lot. OSH was always nice, clean, well stocked, K Mart was a ghetto mess. Sears had bought OSH, then K Mart bought Sears. Now OSH is owned by Lowe's.

K Mart was spun off from Kreske variety stores, the one in the 60's were nice clean, well stocked.

 

[Dirtydan69]

I have worked as a sub contractor at Sears corporate in Hoffman Estares Il. Walking those halls I hear more Farsi & Hindu spoken than English. Not sure how that relates but just a commentary.

 

[drink]

Getting the word out to people that more Sears and K-Mart stores are closing is helpful. A lot of us Craftsman hand tool owners need to know where to go to get warranty service is an important thing to us.

 

[kythri]

I don't know who wrote the story, But they screwed up, K-mart owns Sears not the other way around.

Kmart bought Sears, to be sure, but pretty quickly assumed the name "Sears Holding Company" for the newly combined corporation.

As such, it's not that inaccurate. They've been SHC for over a decade now.

 

[kythri]

My local Sears in New Philadelphia is also set to close by mid-April, have no idea why it's not on the linked list. It could be sloppy reporting, Richard Cranium had it right, Kmart owns Sears.

The article states that Sears hasn't released an official list of all of the stores closing, and that they gathered their list of stores by scouring local newspapers for closing announcements.

 

[Fordman7795]

I really wish and hope Sears miraculously turns around and pulls through. It really wasn't that long ago that they posted a profit. I wish something could be done to get lampert out . But sadly it would be too late. Like many here I bought my first tools from Sears and have been buying tools there for years. Still buy some there.

The last profit they posted was recent but it's not what you think it is. They only showed a profit for the quarter because they sold off a bunch of real estate, their actual in store sales were still down.

 

[Cryptic1911]

The sears hardware store 5 mins from my house is closing. I went in there a week ago to pick up some bolts, and half the store is empty, and they've started the discounts already. Someone picked up half of the nuts/bolts aisle, so there's not much left. Kinda bummed.. it was very handy to pick through their bins for nuts and bolts. Home depot next door doesn't carry ****, so we've just been stocking up at home by buying cases of nuts and bolts online

 

[Davefr]

It is sad how this once proud American retail icon has been brought so low. All this because of one mans greed – Eddie Lampert.

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...so-investors-should-lovehate-eddie-lampe.aspx

James

^^Not entirely true.

Sear's had major strategic problems way before Lampert entered the scene. They totally failed to adapt to the changing environment of US retail due to their complacency.

Whether they could have been save-able or not is debatable.

I predict Craftsman will also atrophy away into oblivion. Other then Ace H/W, I can't see any other retailer needing the CM brand since they all have their own. (Husky, Kobalt, Carlisle, etc)

 

[sberry]

I have 1000's of Sears tool, not worried, None of them cost more than a few dollars to replace IF something should snap.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

For the Garage Journal Community; Craftsman Tools are the cornerstone topic when discussing Sears.. But Craftsman is // was a segment part of the entire Sears picture.
My favorite Ace carries an impressive stock of Craftsman Tools.. I doubt that the Craftsman Brand name will fade into history anytime soon.

 

[anndel]

I could care less if all of our Sears stores shut down. My wife and I were going to buy a Kenmore washer/dryer set and a French door refrigerator when we bought our house 4 years ago. We walked into the store, all the sales people were talking with each other and while we were looking at the appliances, 10 minutes went by and no one made an effort to come and talk with us. When I approached them they walked away. We ended up buying Maytag/Whirlpool appliances from a local store. From that point on we said we were never going to buy from Sears anymore.