Retail Watchers

Sears has a new concept. Could this work?

https://www.chainstoreage.com/store-spa ... fe-stores/

marshd1000 wrote: ↑May 28th, 2019, 3:18 am Sears has a new concept. Could this work?

https://www.chainstoreage.com/store-spa ... fe-stores/

This seems like a copycat of the Sears Hometown format. These stores could end up pushing the Hometown stores out of business. If anything it is going to lead to some brand confusion, something the Hometown stores are already dealing with because Sears is part of their name, even though they are locally owned. Some Hometown stores have been seeing drops in sales as major closing waves have been announced.

Anything like this is a little too late. Sears is beyond salvaging.

However, if they really wanted Sears could go the dollar store route and open up dollar stores and then rent out the extra space in their stores. Might as well try anything absurd or far fetched.

They tried the dollar store route a few years back. We had one in Albuquerque--KDollar. It was a hybrid of a closeout store and dollar store with portions of the store curtained off. It operated for a while and then liquidated completely.

Reminds me of what some Scotty's Hardware stores did in FL - rent the space out for a flea market.

The Home & Life stores look similar to what I had thought up a few years ago, where they open a more showroom like place with only appliances and furniture. The store looks nice, but I agree, it's too late at this point. Too bad. It would be nice to see more competition than just Lowes and Home Depot mostly.

I went to a strong performing Kmart last weekend. It was terrible. This store even still has a pharmacy and it was very busy. Yet the checkout area with 5-6 cashiers open did not have steady traffic. It seemed though there was good foot traffic in the place, people were struggling to find anything to buy. The consumables areas (drug, food) are filled with dollar store goods and look awful, especially grocery. Pet area was pretty well stocked. More Supervalu items in grocery to go along with the Pampa dollar store type items that they want more than one dollar for. Clothing area was full as expected. Auto area has only giant 5 quart oil still no standard size quarts and lots of aisles filled with totes in that part of the store. Other general merchandise areas were full but it just seems like stuff not many people will want to buy.

Paid for my items and the pinpad froze when it asked for a donation to St. Jude. Cashier was agitated, hit it, became angry. Eventually he reset it (special signoff/sign back on to register reset it not a big deal...) and was complaining that nothing works right around here.

Kmart's condition just gets worse and worse.

Sears Hometown and Outlet stores to be reunited with parent company:

https://www.chainstoreage.com/finance-0 ... -hometown/

Another full-line Sears closing:

http://westchester.news12.com/story/405 ... r-to-close

This seems to be following the pattern of the last few years with a few individual closures sprinkled in between major closure lists. I do not have confidence that the chain will be able to survive much longer. I think many are surprised that it is still even open at all at this point.

Go into a Kmart and you'll be even more surprised the chain is still operating...

I was in a Sears north of Baltimore last month that didn't look awful, but not healthy by any stretch.