Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
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retailfanmitchell019
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

storewanderer wrote: June 17th, 2021, 12:28 am On Reddit there is a post about a Kmart in NJ also being cash only. Maybe they had a chainwide system problem.
I think this cash only situation could be the beginning for the remaining stores to shut down.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by storewanderer »

retailfanmitchell019 wrote: June 18th, 2021, 10:25 am
storewanderer wrote: June 17th, 2021, 12:28 am On Reddit there is a post about a Kmart in NJ also being cash only. Maybe they had a chainwide system problem.
I think this cash only situation could be the beginning for the remaining stores to shut down.
I would assume it is fixed... by now.

I think they still run the IT equipment out of Troy, MI. At least for the Kmart side. 2240 Cunningham Drive in Troy.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by HCal »

Kmart Costa Mesa, which just closed last month, was cash only for some period of time a few years ago. I think it was some system outage or something. So I don't think this is an indication of anything other than general disinterest in the stores.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by storewanderer »

HCal wrote: June 19th, 2021, 1:37 pm Kmart Costa Mesa, which just closed last month, was cash only for some period of time a few years ago. I think it was some system outage or something. So I don't think this is an indication of anything other than general disinterest in the stores.
I come across grocery stores using the NCR POS systems where the systems go offline from time to time. They will still process transactions via Credit for certain amounts and the thing that happens unusual is it will require a signature for the (very low dollar) transaction in this case. This has happened to me at least three times in the past year. In the case of Save Mart it prints a bunch of usual processing information on the receipt and there is some language indicating the mode of authorization is card (vs. issuer) and there is no authorization code. In the case of Raleys it just prints nothing on the receipt but the card number (none of the usual authorization data).

Some Save Marts in the past have said cash only when they go offline but others will let the transactions go through offline then hope they all go through when they are online later.

Have never seen Kroger go offline...

I am surprised some of these chains do not have back up processing to ensure they do not go offline.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by Alpha8472 »

Walmart cash registers cannot take credit cards or gift cards if the internet goes down. The registers only accept cash if there is no internet. I have seen this happen several times. The employees have to contact the corporate office and get tech support to fix it, or have tech support send out a technician which could take hours.

My guess is that Kmart corporate is so understaffed that there are very few employees who can fix their internet and tech support problems. Good luck waiting days for a technician to be dispatched.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by mbz321 »

storewanderer wrote: June 16th, 2021, 9:17 pm
Where this is going to end is with no public restrooms in these stores. I suppose another option would be (I am only being halfway serious here) to have "outside entry" restrooms like an old fast food restaurant.

I'm not sure if this is still the case but I haven't been in one in several years, but in Burlington (Coat Factory) stores, you had to be buzzed in to use the restrooms and there were cameras pointed outside of the doors. I'm guessing there was a video monitor at a service desk or such.

Going off topic here, but if (more like when at this point) the economy ever goes real south, I wonder if some retailers will go back to a 'catalog showroom' style of shopping where the customer pays for merchandise and it is brought out by an employee.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by storewanderer »

mbz321 wrote: June 19th, 2021, 8:52 pm
I'm not sure if this is still the case but I haven't been in one in several years, but in Burlington (Coat Factory) stores, you had to be buzzed in to use the restrooms and there were cameras pointed outside of the doors. I'm guessing there was a video monitor at a service desk or such.
Burlington ended this policy at least in my area a number of years ago. It was really bad. You had to ring a doorbell to get let into the restroom- basically the security department controlled the thing to lock/unlock the door and they were supposed to look at you on the camera to see if you were bringing any merchandise into the restroom. They had implemented it at all locations. Or you could just wait for someone to come out of the restroom and walk into it...

Ross still seems to have this policy but with the way the Ross is built the restrooms are with the fitting rooms so the fitting room attendant monitors the restrooms.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by Alpha8472 »

The Kmart in South Lake Tahoe, California is closing August 22 and the Watsonville Kmart is closing in August. There will only be 1 Kmart left in California in Grass Valley.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by mbz321 »

Rumor has it the Astor Place, NYC Kmart will be gone in a couple months. A bunch of temporary liquidation-ish job postings have gone up on the Sears Job board.
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Re: Is 2021 finally the end for Sears/Kmart?

Post by J-Man »

Alpha8472 wrote: June 21st, 2021, 3:42 pm The Kmart in South Lake Tahoe, California is closing August 22 and the Watsonville Kmart is closing in August. There will only be 1 Kmart left in California in Grass Valley.
I don't know how accurate it is, but their website shows that the Ramona and McKinleyville stores are still open.
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