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  • Thread starter CanadianNational
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At this point, with Sears' latest holiday e-commerce delivery hiccup, one surely must feel bad for this "shadow of its former self" retailer. Quarter after quarter, we hear their earnings decreasing, their revenue decreasing, their net losses increasing. We all figure it's only a matter of time before they shut their last door but they continue to operate, like a dead man walking. I am truly curious what the morale is at the corporate office. I know corporate employees who have jumped ship some years ago from Sears to HBC and have never looked back. I can't help but feel some sadness, watching this ship sink so slowly.
 
I can honestly say that I don't feel bad for the company. This is all self-inflicted. It would be one thing if Sears had put up a valiant effort, but was simply succumbing to fierce competition and a new retail landscape. Then I might feel bad. Or if it was a family company where the latest generation just wasn't up to the task (e.g. Eaton's). Then I might feel bad. But here the company is purposely being driven into the ground.

I do feel bad for long-time staff who are being dragged down with it. And I certainly think it's disappointing that the company is failing in the sense that there is no reason it had to be this way.
 
Given the current management practice of starving the business of all resources, I would imagine they work to maintain very low inventory levels. Of course, it becomes problematic during holiday season, when demand surges and suppliers are often unable to deliver. But when there's next-to-no business like the other 10 months of the year, it would work great.
 
Even twenty years ago, Sears had a very viable catalogue business, with a network of order/shipping points in small towns and even in suburban areas. My mother ordered lots of things from them. Catalogue shopping gave you most of the infrastructure for online shopping (apart from modern IT systems), so it should be so simple. I just don't think anyone is trying anymore.
 
Absolutely. When I lived in a small town, the Sears catalogue was the go-to place long before online shopping. They were ahead of the game and could have morphed that into a more modern business, but they didn't.
 
I was in Guelph and went to the newly remodelled Sears. What a mess! The store has that industrial discount look, with the bare concrete floor, it's so junky looking now. Who's bright idea was that? Even Walmart has gotten away from that look in their new stores.

"WTS" I think "WTF" would be more appropriate, because that's what people say when they walk in and see what a mess the store has become!

358b05z.jpg
 
gabe said:
I was in Guelph and went to the newly remodelled Sears. What a mess! The store has that industrial discount look, with the bare concrete floor, it's so junky looking now. Who's bright idea was that? Even Walmart has gotten away from that look in their new stores.
Click to expand...

Are they trying to be the new Costco?

AoD
 
When one if trying to renovate stores on a shoestring budget, one probably has no alternative but to adopt the industrial discount look and to talk it up as if it was a deliberate choice.
 
gabe said:
I was in Guelph and went to the newly remodelled Sears. What a mess! The store has that industrial discount look, with the bare concrete floor, it's so junky looking now. Who's bright idea was that? Even Walmart has gotten away from that look in their new stores.
Click to expand...

The bare-bones treatment makes it easier for the new tenant to move in!
 
Yeah, a couple of pages back, there's a link to an article in which they claim to be going for a low-cost model (good luck beating Walmart at that), making the stores flexible by having nothing permanent. Which conveniently makes it easier to sublet space to... well, anyone they can. I wonder if they'll start converting some of the floors to parking spaces?

Not that I had any doubt they were actively trying to kill the business, but choosing "What the Sears" as their new slogan is about as unambiguous as they could get. Might as well have gone with "We suck".
 
So, anyone expect to hear an announcement that Sears will be shutting down sometime in January? I have sort of expected it for the last few years.
 
donoreo said:
So, anyone expect to hear an announcement that Sears will be shutting down sometime in January? I have sort of expected it for the last few years.
Click to expand...

Eddie Lambert just effectively lent at least $200,000,000 to Sears Holdings in the U.S. to placate suppliers, which is not a good sign immediately after the holiday season when the company should be flush with cash.
 
Skeezix said:
Eddie Lambert just effectively lent at least $200,000,000 to Sears Holdings in the U.S. to placate suppliers, which is not a good sign immediately after the holiday season when the company should be flush with cash.
Click to expand...

Makes you wonder if this is more about propping up the share price than an actual survival strategy - it's a backstop to vendors, not actual cash.

AoD
 
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