Is the end near at Sears?

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
rwsandiego
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by rwsandiego »

storewanderer wrote: October 14th, 2019, 12:01 am...Also cashier continues to take a tally sheet (on receipt paper) of how many customers use Shop your Way, Sears Card, etc. when paying. What a joke.
One would think the IT department could run a report on that.

Oh, wait - they were laid off last month.

Was the cashier using a pen at least?
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by Super S »

rwsandiego wrote: October 14th, 2019, 11:05 pm
storewanderer wrote: October 14th, 2019, 12:01 am...Also cashier continues to take a tally sheet (on receipt paper) of how many customers use Shop your Way, Sears Card, etc. when paying. What a joke.
One would think the IT department could run a report on that.

Oh, wait - they were laid off last month.

Was the cashier using a pen at least?
Shop Your Way is a contributing factor in the downfall of Sears and Kmart. Many people have realized that you can go elsewhere and get the same and/or lower prices without resorting to gimmicks. As for Kmart in particular, a discount store should not require gimmicks to save money.

Kmart and Sears are already dead chains to much of America at this point, so I am not sure any of this matters now.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by SamSpade »

Super S wrote: October 15th, 2019, 8:36 am Kmart and Sears are already dead chains to much of America at this point, so I am not sure any of this matters now.
My s.o. was shocked when I mentioned them the other day; all the stores here have now exited (except that odd far-flung The Dalles, Or KMart).

To the last post on the previous page, I agree, why go somewhere where you can only obtain *some* of what you need and not at particularly great values. It sounds like the stores are selling the equivalent of a Dollar General or a Family Dollar in a much larger space. :lol:
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by reymann »

sears is closing 100 more stores mostly kmarts. i suspect kmart will be no more after the holidays.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by Brian Lutz »

I saw that the Everett Mall Sears store is closing. I don't think I saw it on any previous closure lists, but I think that would leave only Southcenter around here.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by Alpha8472 »

I have noticed dollar store brands and items being sold for much higher at Kmart.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by Super S »

Brian Lutz wrote: October 15th, 2019, 10:47 am I saw that the Everett Mall Sears store is closing. I don't think I saw it on any previous closure lists, but I think that would leave only Southcenter around here.
It made the list around the same time as Aberdeen.
There is also the Sears still hanging on at the South Sound Center in Lacey.
As for Southcenter, that store has some issues, among them registers on the upper level that are nowhere near the mall entrance, and a persistent, very strong mold/mildew smell throughout the store that likely means a failing heating/AC system. I don't know how they keep it open with that smell. It was strong enough on my last visit that I had to leave after only a few minutes.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by Alpha8472 »

Years ago, the Kmart in Pleasant Hill, California lost its air conditioning. The conditions were so bad I thought I was going to pass out due to the heat. I had to flee after just a few minutes. They lost so many potential customers. The conditions were so bad I do not know how the employees could have tolerated it. Perhaps this was the reason that it closed.

It later became a Spirit Halloween store and they needed to bring in portable air conditioning units otherwise there would not have been enough air. This was in October and it was still hot and stuffy. They had to run tubes to vent the exhausted air into the ceiling. The abandoned Kmart theme was a nice touch.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: October 15th, 2019, 10:01 pm Years ago, the Kmart in Pleasant Hill, California lost its air conditioning. The conditions were so bad I thought I was going to pass out due to the heat. I had to flee after just a few minutes. They lost so many potential customers. The conditions were so bad I do not know how the employees could have tolerated it. Perhaps this was the reason that it closed.

It later became a Spirit Halloween store and they needed to bring in portable air conditioning units otherwise there would not have been enough air. This was in October and it was still hot and stuffy. They had to run tubes to vent the exhausted air into the ceiling. The abandoned Kmart theme was a nice touch.
Kmart was criticized for its store conditions even in the 90's and here we are today 20 years later and the stores still open have seen virtually no capex and little upkeep since then. Who knows if Kmart owned that building or it was a landlord issue. But when it is hindering the operation of the store it is a tenant issue because as you point out it is uncomfortable for employees and turns away customers.
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Re: Is the end near at Sears?

Post by cjd »

storewanderer wrote: October 16th, 2019, 10:55 pm
Alpha8472 wrote: October 15th, 2019, 10:01 pm Years ago, the Kmart in Pleasant Hill, California lost its air conditioning. The conditions were so bad I thought I was going to pass out due to the heat. I had to flee after just a few minutes. They lost so many potential customers. The conditions were so bad I do not know how the employees could have tolerated it. Perhaps this was the reason that it closed.

It later became a Spirit Halloween store and they needed to bring in portable air conditioning units otherwise there would not have been enough air. This was in October and it was still hot and stuffy. They had to run tubes to vent the exhausted air into the ceiling. The abandoned Kmart theme was a nice touch.
Kmart was criticized for its store conditions even in the 90's and here we are today 20 years later and the stores still open have seen virtually no capex and little upkeep since then. Who knows if Kmart owned that building or it was a landlord issue. But when it is hindering the operation of the store it is a tenant issue because as you point out it is uncomfortable for employees and turns away customers.
It's funny to think how some Kmarts were back then. The one here was built in 1992 and always kept up. I remember my aunt visited back in the late 90s and we went to it and she was just amazed how nice it was. She said the ones in NC were terrible. I don't think I"ve ever been to a Kmart older than the 90s but I've only been to a couple.
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