Modern Retailing

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Today I went to my local big box (huge) Sears store to check out a shop vac and pick up some bags for the regular Kenmore home vac.

 

No Kenmore bags to be found except the really expensive ones that cost $5.00 apiece. Wandered over to the Craftsman section where I found a vac, but had some questions about it. The senior sales guy and his apprentice couldn't answer any of my questions. Didn't even bother to look at the printing on the box. I asked about an optional filter for it as I want something to capture drywall dust. They pointed to the empty space on the shelf where they used to be. Thanks, guys.

 

I went home without making a purchase and then went to Sears.com. There I found the same vac -- for $10 less than the store -- and the bags/ilters I wanted. FREE shipping. They'll be here Friday.

 

WTH? Every time I go to this store the aisles get bigger as they reduce their inventory. Why is Sears undercutting its own retailers? What kind of business model is this?

 

No need for me to set foot in that place again.

[Charlie Whiskers]

We had a Sears here for decades. They closed the doors just before Christmas in 2013. About the only department that stayed busy was the auto dept. The rest of the store you could pretty much shoot a cannon down any aisle and be sure you wouldn't hit anyone including the workers. It got to the point when I went in looking for something it was like you said...empty spots on the wall. And their hand tools use to all be American made, now it's China unless you're willing to spend more and get a better grade tool.

[Boulder Canyon Bob# 32052L]

The kind of business model where they just have pickup locations for internet sales, cuts down on locations, employees and floor space. I think Sears isn't long for this new retail world. A year ago I got a nice Dremel Tool for Christmas, used it a few times and then it sat for 5 or 6 months, the next time I tried to use it was dead. Took to my Sears store and explained the deal, out of warranty (90 days) , but they could send it to their repair center and give me a quote. A month later I get a call and it's ready, no quote was ever given. They wanted $129 for the repair . when I complained and showed them they had the same one with a bunch of accessories on sale for $49 they got upset. I let them keep it.

[Blastmaster]

One huge warehouse with automated product handling,,,, fewer $15/hr labor people, fewer stores,,,,someone else handling the shipping,,,,,reduced inventory ($$$$ tied up),serving a customer base that is computer savy,,,, serving costumers over the whole country,,,,,,,,

 

I just don;t understand it either.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Been a long time coming.

 

Customer service has been declining for many years...

 

There was a time when Sears was THE place to buy tools. Their products were of excellent quality, had lifetime guarantees, and the guys staffing the tool department pretty much knew their stuff. Then, as the knowledgeable oldsters retired or died off, they were replaced by people who literally hadn't a clue... and, at the risk of sounding like a misogynist, all too often by cute young girls who didn't know a ball pein hammer from a croquet mallet.

 

Walked in to a Sears tool department one afternoon, and was immediately "accosted" by a very cute, supposedly well-meaning young lady with a majorly inflated opinion of her knowledge.

 

"May I help you?"

 

Didn't need help, but I replied "Sure.... I need a 10" sanding disc for my radial arm saw."

 

She gave me a superior look with a condescending smile and declared that such a thing did not exist, and if it did, Sears certainly wouldn't carry it.

 

I thanked her, moseyed over to the saw accessories aisle, picked up a 10" sanding disc for my radial arm saw, and carried it to the checkout.

 

She looked at it with some astonishment... quietly rang up my purchase... then asked "Uh... will there be anything else...?"

 

I pondered a moment, then said "Sure! Can you tell me where your mortise bits are?"

 

Blank stare... then... "Uh... what's a 'mortise bit?'"

 

"Oh... it's a special drill accessory for drilling square holes."

 

I thought she was gonna cry!

[Sedalia Dave]

If you look closely at what is offered on Sears.com you will find that most of it is actually sold by someone other than Sears.

 

I did a quick search on Wet Dry Vacuums. 358 results but only 15 were Sears only. The rest were actually sold by another vendor. Same is true of WalMart.com

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Other big box stores make a point of customer service. I have almost always gotten excellent service at Home Depot and Lowes. Though there was one time at HD, I got a half baked answer from a young guy and then he said "what I'd try is ..." I interrupted and said "I'd try asking someone who knows the answer and turned around and asked a woman.

[Tom Bullweed]

I live in a town beside of Greensboro, NC. Greensboro had the Sears distribution center for the southeast until about 2000. It is amazing how many I have met that used to work at that facility. I have a number of Craftsman items that I am fond of, including a lawnmower that is holding up very well, but after my last couple of trips to the store Inexpect that I will move onto other brands when I need to replace these items. What once a vibrant, full and large Sears store now is a store of about a third of the space and the remaining 2/3 is a Whole Foods grocery store.

[Calamity Kris]

I've watched the decline of Sears for a while. I literally cried when they purchased Lands End clothing. They ran that outfit into the ground and is now selling it off. My last visit to the Lands End department was so disappointing I have vowed to never shop there again. Their quality is horrendous. The fit is designed for skinny little teeny bopers and not real adults. I asked the Lands End department person if they would be making any changes to their merchandise or supply chain operations, in light of the spin off. She said, sadly no. I won't go back. I still have a couple of pre-Sears items but only one post. Very sad.

[JudgeBagodonuts]

The local Sears store closed. What remains open is the Sears Hardware store, which has been merged with the Sears Outlet store. So, for me, one stop shopping.

 

That said, I rarely go to the Hardware side. I signed up with the "Craftsman Club" online, and get announcements of special pricing available "online only". If they want to charge me for shipping, I'll have them send it to the store, because shipping to the store is free. The store prices always are higher. So, unless I need something immediately, I rarely shop there.

 

I've gotten some great buys on the Outlet side, which is pretty much all scratch and dent or last year's models.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

When I saw that some Craftsman hand tools(ratchets)are now made in China-That was the last straw-Will never enter a Sears again.

OLG

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Sears is going the way of the do-do bird, and so is their tool brand, Craftsman. I don't bother with them anymore, and a lot of folks feel the same way. Dealt, Milwaukee, Makita, Porter-Cable, Delta, and a few others get the job done for me now.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

When I saw that some Craftsman hand tools(ratchets)are now made in China-That was the last straw-Will never enter a Sears again.

OLG

 

Yup. That left a taste of bile in my throat.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

I am willing to bet the guys and gals in the Board room and Top Managment think everything is just rosy.

I had serious doubts when I went into the auto department some years ago, looking for some wire to

rewire my trailer. Yep, they had the wire, only problem is that each size was all the same color. I guess

some young manager told his even younger clerk, to order some wire for the display. The person probably

thought that it would be neat to only have one color for each size.

 

I figured well, mistakes happen, but after that I was wary about anything they had.

This summer I had to work on my tractor and I needed a new part. Only place I

could get it was on line. So, I took my manual, looked up the part number and serial number/model number,

which was so important to them, and ordered the part. A few hours later I determined I needed the same part

for the other side of the tractor. So, back to the computer. Now the oddthing about it was, the parts that I ordered

were obsolete, but they had another catalog number for another drop shipping outfit. When the first cam in, I had

ordered a bracket and they sent me an air filter. I was concerned about the second item. It came as advertised.

Go figure. Apparently Sears had assigned that same replacement number to several other parts.

No more Sears for me.

[Shawnee McGrutt]

Doesn't Sears own K-Mart as well?

I quit doing business with Sears when they closed down the catalog store in town. It was mainly tools, auto and appliances. Was a good store. What I did not understand, it was one of the most profitable stores in Northern New England.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Sears big downfall came when they lost that lawsuit to the guy that came up with the quick-release ratchet wrench.

IIRC: It was like a $20 mil. 'hit' against Sears, plus the plaintiffs legal fees. The case took years to finish--

OLG

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

I am willing to bet the guys and gals in the Board room and Top Managment think everything is just rosy.

I had serious doubts when I went into the auto department some years ago, looking for some wire to

rewire my trailer. Yep, they had the wire, only problem is that each size was all the same color. I guess

some young manager told his even younger clerk, to order some wire for the display. The person probably

thought that it would be neat to only have one color for each size.

 

I figured well, mistakes happen, but after that I was wary about anything they had.

This summer I had to work on my tractor and I needed a new part. Only place I

could get it was on line. So, I took my manual, looked up the part number and serial number/model number,

which was so important to them, and ordered the part. A few hours later I determined I needed the same part

for the other side of the tractor. So, back to the computer. Now the oddthing about it was, the parts that I ordered

were obsolete, but they had another catalog number for another drop shipping outfit. When the first cam in, I had

ordered a bracket and they sent me an air filter. I was concerned about the second item. It came as advertised.

Go figure. Apparently Sears had assigned that same replacement number to several other parts.

No more Sears for me.

BMC, I've had great luck with a place called "Steiner Tractor." Their motto is "new parts for old tractors." I have a 1946 John Deere B that is restored, and I like to tinker with it. My father-in-law just finished rebuilding his father's old Farmall M by using those guys.

[Blastmaster]

The demise of the old downtown stores was the malls and box stores.

 

The demise of Sears, Target, Kmart, Montgomery Wards is Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, JCPenney and the internet.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

BMC, I've had great luck with a place called "Steiner Tractor." Their motto is "new parts for old tractors." I have a 1946 John Deere B that is restored, and I like to tinker with it. My father-in-law just finished rebuilding his father's old Farmall M by using those guys.

Thanks. My tractor is a Sears Craftsman that I bought years ago. It is the 18 HP model and has been a good investrment.

I will give them a try on my next requirement.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Thanks. My tractor is a Sears Craftsman that I bought years ago. It is the 18 HP model and has been a good investrment.

I will give them a try on my next requirement.

Ah, I was thinking bigger tractors. You're talking lawn tractors. I don't know if they have any parts for those, but it's worth a try. On the other hand, if the engine was made by Briggs&Stratton (some Craftsman engines are, some are not), you can get engine parts just about anywhere. The other parts, though, you'll still have to get through Sears.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Sears is toast. They have been on life support for years due to their inability to figure out that the market and consumers change.

As a business model, they just aren't.

[Yul Lose]

The last time that I shopped at Sears out at the local mall was to buy a $9.00 wrench. The sales lady relentlessly tried to get me to get a Sears charge card while she was ringing up my cash sale. She probably made four attempts to get me to sign up for a charge card, very annoying.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Sears is done!! I've had two bad experiences in the last couple years with buying major appliances, I cancelled my credit card with them and swear I will never but another thing from Sears! Total incompetence not only in store but online also!!! Too bad Craftsmen tools have always been my favorite!!! No more, I'll buy Stanley from now on!