Where TH am I going to get Kenmore and Craftsman?

[Wilbur]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/sears-closures-impact-small-communities-1.4353011

This is sad news.  We didn't shop there often but I always liked Sears Canada. I guess I am part of the problem.   

[team scooter]

Last week I was kinda surprised to see Craftsman tools, mowers, etc on sale at Ace Hardware. 

[Road Runner]

We went to Sears for almost every department store-type purchase when I was a kid.  But then came K-Mart, then Wal-Mart, Sam's and BJ's, Circuit City and Best Buy, Lowes and Home Depot.  The internet was the final blow, I guess.  

[groupw]

1 hour ago, team scooter said:

Last week I was kinda surprised to see Craftsman tools, mowers, etc on sale at Ace Hardware. 

They have been doing that for a while. I think the Craftsman division is very aware of the corporate situation and is looking for life after Sears. 

[sheep_herder]

1 hour ago, team scooter said:

Last week I was kinda surprised to see Craftsman tools, mowers, etc on sale at Ace Hardware. 

Yep, our Ace Hardware has been selling Craftsman tools for at least 2 years.

[groupw]

That whole Sears/Kmart merger was toxic! Instead of helping Kmart, it dragged Sears down. The Sears stores in our area went through a big remodel shortly before the merger. They looked fresh and inviting. Their buyers we’re finding clothes both WoW and I liked. Almost immediately after the merger, Signage, racks and merchandise started looking more like Kmart. In the words of Rainman, “Kmart sucks!”  

[maddmaxx]

I've noticed that Craftsman tools aren't the first choice of professional auto mechanics anymore.

[Longjohn]

35 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I've noticed that Craftsman tools aren't the first choice of professional auto mechanics anymore.

They never were, they were crap with an outstanding warranty. We had one mechanic that stuck by them. He was always going through his toolbox and finding tools he didn't like and returning them to Sears for a free replacement.

[Ralphie]

3 hours ago, groupw said:

In the words of Rainman, “Kmart sucks!”  

Rainman was a pretty smart guy. Jeopardy - 7:00!

[MickinMD]

Sears sold the rights to the "Craftsman" name somewhere in the past year or so.  I remember thinking that if they wanted to get more people coming into their stores that was a poor way to start.

[LoneWolf]

1 hour ago, MickinMD said:

Sears sold the rights to the "Craftsman" name somewhere in the past year or so.  I remember thinking that if they wanted to get more people coming into their stores that was a poor way to start.

It's called an act of desperation.

Not that it was the death blow, but buying K-Mart was an absolutely stupid decision.  Nobody was shopping there any more by the time Sears bought them, Wal-Mart already had that market.

I think Sears still has trade with Kenmore appliances and grills, and Craftsman tools.  But other departments (clothes, jewelry, electronics), they're no longer a go-to, and haven't been for some time now.

[maddmaxx]

It's as if big box store chains have to continue to expand into everything for everybody.  Maybe they should just concentrate on doing what they do well better that other big box stores.  The Sears Target merger was not good for either.  I blame management and the pressure to outperform last quarters stock price instead of maintaining a solid healthy company.

[Slow_Guy_On_Bike]

Sears is still in business? Huh, who knew. 

Last time I was in a Sears was probably about two years ago when I needed a dress shirt and tie in a hurry and they were the closest store that carried each. They were also on sale, so that helped.

[Rattlecan]

3 hours ago, Slow_Guy_On_Bike said:

Sears is still in business? Huh, who knew. 

Last time I was in a Sears was probably about two years ago when I needed a dress shirt and tie in a hurry and they were the closest store that carried each. They were also on sale, so that helped.

I don't know what their status in the US is, but Sears Canada is officially defunct.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3801730/sears-canada-closing/

[Wilbur]

2 minutes ago, Rattlecan said:

I don't know what their status in the US is, but Sears Canada is officially defunct.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3801730/sears-canada-closing/

It surprises me that Canada can't support two department stores.  Go to malls in the US and you see Macey's, JC Penney, Dillard's, Bon Marche, Walmart, Target, Sears... this list goes on.

We had Woodwards, Eaton, The Bay, Sears, Zellers etc. Now we are down to The Bay and Walmart.  Big box retail has died in Canada.  Maybe we have just embraced online shopping faster.  

We had to go to the mall yesterday and Sears was packed.  I don't know if people wanted one last walk through or if they were just there to pick the meat off the bones. 

[Rattlecan]

You would think that with their fingers in so many pies, Sears would have endured forever. Their home services department alone was fricken huge. You could call them to replace your roof, install new curtains, a furnace, whatever.

Home appliances, furniture, lawn and garden, auto service, whatever you needed, it was a one stop store.

 They even had a trucking division. SLH (Sears Line Haul) started life servicing their stores but acquired an operating authority and became a common carrier. 

 It was bought up by another carrier a couple of weeks ago as an operating entity, so those people won't be on the street looking for work at least.

[LoneWolf]

On 10/15/2017 at 9:29 AM, Wilbur said:

It surprises me that Canada can't support two department stores.  Go to malls in the US and you see Macey's, JC Penney, Dillard's, Bon Marche, Walmart, Target, Sears... this list goes on.

Of course they can support it.  They just don't like ours.