Sears

retailisking · June 04, 2019, 12:22:49 AM

What Fast Eddie wants, Fast Eddie gets...
https://www.retaildive.com/news/esl-attempts-to-block-sears-hometown-liquidation/552924

shore72 · June 08, 2019, 10:16:31 PM

On Facebook this week there have been numerous posts from someone soliciting a new owner for the local Sears Hometown store; apparently the current owner (who has been there since the catalog days) is retiring. It appears the poster works for Hometown, maybe "recruiter" would be a good title. While some folks were showing interest there were quite a few negative replies, mostly asking why anybody would want to buy-in to a company that's circling the drain. At least one person chimed-in that they had made an inquiry in the last year and Sears kept dropping the ball. (Reminded me of an experience I had years ago when I looked into becoming a franchisee; the company in question was beating the drum to find new locations. I would talk to someone who was all "gung-ho" and then wouldn't hear back. This happened a few times, in each case because the person I was dealing with had left the company.)

The Hometown store in question is in the same shopping center as Lowe's. Now, just how are you supposed to compete with that, especially given what happened to the Craftsman name?

retailisking · June 25, 2019, 11:37:33 AM

Sears Hometown is in terrible shape as it prepares to be re-absorbed into Sears proper, even admitting in a filing that it has "significant doubt" about its ability to survive as a going concern. It's having enormous problems keeping Craftsman and Kenmore merchandise on the shelves, which is a huge amount of their business.
https://www.retaildive.com/news/sears-hometown-bleeds-money-and-sales-ahead-of-acquisition/557486

shore72 · July 07, 2019, 10:27:36 PM

I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I jumped in the van a few days back and the battery was dead; 7 years old, okay, jumped it but really have to get it replaced; got to stop somewhere on this list of chains that work with our fleet company. Jiffy Lube is backed up with 2 rows of cars almost out to the street. Firestone has a shop full, having to work on cars out in the parking lot, others pulling in ahead of me. Shoot. Well...there's always (for now, anyway) Sears.

I walk in and the reception area is empty. After several minutes "Mr. Joy" comes out, an older fellow who looks like death warmed over. I ask him how long it would take to replace the battery (something I could do myself in 10 minutes, if only the fleet company would let me). " 45 minutes to an hour. Once they start. Understand?" So, you can have it done within an hour? "You don't understand, I said 45 minutes to an hour, once they get started!". So, when can they start? "Like I said, 45 minutes to an hour!" So, they'll start in 45 minutes to an hour? "No! Once they start, it will take them 45 minutes...." and so it went.

He fills out some stuff on his terminal. He has to get someone from the back to help him. He then has me sit in his chair and type in my name and address. He tells me now he just has to wait for approval. I check back in 20 minutes. The first time, he tells me, he filled the form out wrong. He fixed that and resubmitted it...but messed something else up. He tells me he can submit a third time but by now it could take a couple hours. Do I want to schedule for another day? Uh, no thanks.

While I'm dealing with this, "Ms. Love" shows up at another station. A customer comes in from the waiting room, a very friendly grandmotherly type, and tells Ms. Love that the tech told her she was all finished. Ms. Love barks at her, "I don't know who you are! I just got here! I don't know what anybody is working on! Hold it, wait!" The customer is patient. Finally the tech shows up, eating a hot dog, and mumbles through the bites that, yes, her car is ready. The customer asks about a noise she's been hearing that made her think her wheel might be ready to fall off. Neither the tech nor Ms. Love seems overly concerned.

I left. Drove to another town. Jiffy Lube had a battery installed in 35 minutes. I really need to stop trying to give Sears a break.

Retail_247 · August 20, 2019, 02:40:44 PM

The Sears in Key West FL has a garden center

retailisking · December 14, 2019, 12:24:45 AM

Word has it Sears Optical is winding down in the coming weeks. I'm also hearing that Home Services is next on the chopping block.

retailisking · December 23, 2019, 12:07:44 PM

Sears sold its money-losing PartsAmerica and Western Auto divisions to Advance in 1998, so they've done business before. This move leaves Kenmore as the last of Sears' big brands that haven't been sold off
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/23/advance-auto-parts-to-buy-diehard-brand-from-sears-for-200-million.html

shore72 · December 26, 2019, 09:54:57 PM

We were in Boscov's last week and I was only mildly surprised to see they were stocking Kenmore vacuum cleaners. Just as well-it's getting to be a long drive to the nearest Sears store.

Wild_Rose · February 20, 2020, 12:41:14 AM

My nearest Sears closed last summer. It was the North Dartmouth Mall location in Massachusetts. After that and the Swansea Mall closed, I'm not sure where the nearest Sears would be off the top of my head. I spent one last visit in there last spring and actually had a good time. I walked out with a plaid shirt and I didn't have that much money to spend especially since I was at the mall for other things and was planning to eat after. Because I can be a bit of a nostalgic hoarder, I kept the receipt in case it was my last visit.

The only drawback... I hate this new logo. The location itself had the classic 80s style logo, but the receipt had the new logo with that weird design thing. Look, if you want to revive the Sears brand don't change the logo. Bring back the old navy blue and silver colors and the logo that was once the symbol of a retail giant and also gives older shoppers that nostalgic feeling. None of this green and blue neon crap or whatever.

EddieJ1984 · May 09, 2020, 12:57:36 AM

Sears Outlet stores are being renamed American Freight after merging with their company.

Everything Community · March 25, 2022, 10:58:32 PM

Quote from: Everything Community on May 12, 2019, 07:10:22 PMWe're very lucky that our local SEARS has managed to miraculously survive so many rounds of closings, even the path following the bankruptcy. Manchester has had a Sears in town for around 60 years!

It was originally located at the Parkade in West Middle Turnpike.(where the current Stop & Shop supermarket is) When the Shoppes at Buckland Hills opened here in early 1990, Sears moved in as their current location (yes, it was one of mall's original anchors!).

Now, it feels that you're walking in the 2000s era of Sears. Crazy enough that they still have older carts & IBM computers used for checkout transactions.

Fast Eddie should've felt his need to upgrade all of that technology & Other stuff in all of his stores years ago!

Anyways, here y'all go & see it for yourselves virtually how this store looks like after bankruptcy!

Unfortunately, that Sears at that very mall closed permanently in late January of 2021. That property is vacant. As of now, that store still has signs on the building and even inside of the store as well despite it shuttered on the inside too.

Everything Community · October 02, 2022, 11:50:19 AM

Current update: As of September 30, 2022, The SEARS logo (as well as STORE CLOSING signs) that used to be on their building is finally gone over a year and a half after SEARS closed it's last Connecticut location.
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Everything Community · February 07, 2023, 11:27:13 PM

Quote from: Everything Community on October 02, 2022, 11:50:19 AMCurrent update: As of September 30, 2022, The SEARS logo (as well as STORE CLOSING signs) that used to be on their building is finally gone over a year and a half after SEARS closed it's last Connecticut location.
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Still vacant as of today!

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Everything Community · February 13, 2023, 09:33:35 PM

Here's the inside of the mall in Manchester, CT showcasing a SEARS wing on the lower level that features multiple artworks displayed on the wall installed after SEARS permanently closed it's doors a few years ago. On the upper level, there's a mural painted on its wall.

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