Sears is about to take its last breath --

[goodfellow]

They are closing more stores right before the Christmas season, but this time in high-earner demographic markets. That doesn't bode well for any retailer. The stock price is at $0.73/share and it's on a downward trend. SHLD will soon get delisted from the NASDAQ, and that will force the first steps in filing for bankruptcy (probably Chapter 13 so that Eddie Lampert's private holdings can raid the last pieces of the company).

We've spoken of this downward spiral for over a decade and we're finally witnessing the end. Sears may continue to exist as an on-line only company, but the brick and mortar retail side of the company is pretty much done for.

Sad to see it go because it was at one time a huge part of my family's shopping experience. Hopefully the Kenmore and Die hard brands will find new corporate homes that will appreciate what these brands mean to the American middle class.

[ken w.]

I agree. Just going into the stores and looking at the layout , you can tell everything id more spread out to make the store look full. I noticed that when you walk up to the tool section there is a big display of Craftsman work cloths blocking the view of the tool department. Not the best in marketing .

[bonneyman]

I'm split on the issue. Sure I'm sad to see a fixture of the economy disappear, but the powers that make the decisions made some pretty bad ones. Selling off the Craftsman brand was a really bad move, but it made Lampert alot of money. He'll go down as the guy who tried valiantly to "save" the company but couldn't because of blah blah blah, yet he'll walk away with millions.

Just glad I got my set of G-code sockets complete.

[Uncle Buck]

Sears in Kansas is done unless you live in Wichita (3 hrs for me) so for me they are already gone. Sadly, the other day I found a fairly new 1/4" ratchet in one of my drawers of miscellaneous extra tools that needs a gut kit. Short of buying one I guess I am just FUBAR for getting warranty for it.

[bonneyman]

Sears in Kansas is done unless you live in Wichita (3 hrs for me) so for me they are already gone. Sadly, the other day I found a fairly new 1/4" ratchet in one of my drawers of miscellaneous extra tools that needs a gut kit. Short of buying one I guess I am just FUBAR for getting warranty for it.

Depends UB. On the later models of rats kits or donor rats aren't that hard to find. Post a picture of the little buggar - maybe one of us will have the parts you need?

[Uncle Buck]

Sears in Kansas is done unless you live in Wichita (3 hrs for me) so for me they are already gone. Sadly, the other day I found a fairly new 1/4" ratchet in one of my drawers of miscellaneous extra tools that needs a gut kit. Short of buying one I guess I am just FUBAR for getting warranty for it.

Depends UB. On the later models of rats kits or donor rats aren't that hard to find. Post a picture of the little buggar - maybe one of us will have the parts you need?

I will post the ratchet number later at home. It is the last version of the flatpanel they made with the cheesy plastic selector switch. I will post the part # later.

[J.A.F.E.]

Sears was Americana. It was a fixture everywhere I've ever lived - there has always been one within a close drive. Before all the stores started closing there were at least 10 of where I live now within a half hours drive and one is just about two miles from my home. But honestly there is little to draw me in anymore. We all lament the tools and rightly so but I have bought a lot of my clothing there - especially Levis and a lot of other stuff like car batteries and kitchen stuff. Things just aren't the same.

My best friends first wife used to consider Sears the ultimate place to shop and if she could buy what she wanted there she felt like she had it made and there are (or were) huge numbers of people who felt the same.

We can blame Lampert and he has a lot of culpability but the roots of the problems go back much further.

We all knew this was coming but it doesn't make it any easier to witness.

[skfarmer]

I feel bad for the Sears hometown stores. Mostly mom and pop stores who got thrown under the bus through this. They dont and won't have much left to sell and no support for what they have sold.

A local guy had two stores. One here and one about 50 miles away in larger market. Closed it a couple years back for lack of a buyer. He did sell the one here before it got really bad. I feel bad for the sucker who ended up with it. He cant even compete with the dollar store next door.

[bonneyman]

Sears in Kansas is done unless you live in Wichita (3 hrs for me) so for me they are already gone. Sadly, the other day I found a fairly new 1/4" ratchet in one of my drawers of miscellaneous extra tools that needs a gut kit. Short of buying one I guess I am just FUBAR for getting warranty for it.

Depends UB. On the later models of rats kits or donor rats aren't that hard to find. Post a picture of the little buggar - maybe one of us will have the parts you need?

I will post the ratchet number later at home. It is the last version of the flatpanel they made with the cheesy plastic selector switch. I will post the part # later.

These are the two models I'm thinking of. The figure-8 plate with manta ray selector, or the older LLTD with baby rattle selector.

[J.A.F.E.]

I feel bad for the Sears hometown stores. Mostly mom and pop stores who got thrown under the bus through this. They dont and won't have much left to sell and no support for what they have sold.

... He cant even compete with the dollar store next door.

I feel really bad for them as well. Franchises are notoriously bad investments and while some are worse than others I suspect the Sears Hometown is not one of the better ones. And they are expensive to get into.

I looked up what it costs to open one and it is estimated to be between $60 - 85k plus operating capital.

Another interesting tidbit I picked up is guess who owns a majority holding of Sears Hometown and Outlet the franchisor of the stores.

[Uncle Buck]

Sears in Kansas is done unless you live in Wichita (3 hrs for me) so for me they are already gone. Sadly, the other day I found a fairly new 1/4" ratchet in one of my drawers of miscellaneous extra tools that needs a gut kit. Short of buying one I guess I am just FUBAR for getting warranty for it.

Depends UB. On the later models of rats kits or donor rats aren't that hard to find. Post a picture of the little buggar - maybe one of us will have the parts you need?

I will post the ratchet number later at home. It is the last version of the flatpanel they made with the cheesy plastic selector switch. I will post the part # later.

These are the two models I'm thinking of. The figure-8 plate with manta ray selector, or the older LLTD with baby rattle selector.

Yup, figure 8 model in 1/4"

[ken w.]

Here in the Buffalo area we are down to one Sears store. We used to have 6 or 7.

[muddy]

And Boscov is adding more stores ...

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[strik9]

eddie got involved with Sears when it was mismanaged into a weaker market entity and put up for sale.   Under his delicate hand and management style it was stripped of all valuable assets slowly and has been years in death throes. 

   Most just shut it out long ago and moved on.  Eddie doesn't care either. 

    its almost as shocking as the news the Titanic wasn't perfectly seaworthy when Captain Eddie got aboard......

     Just tip Sears in the hole and fill it over.  Its old news.

[DeadNutz]

I have to admit that I never visited the Sears store in Reno before it was liquidated earlier this year. I do visit the Hometown store in Carson City and bought quite a bit of tools, a 40" stack and yard implements for better prices than the Sears store offered. An example is the 40" stack I bought. Sears had it on sale for just over 20% off and I bought the same set at the Hometown store for 50% off.
Sears was a family tradition growing up and was possible to do all your Christmas shopping just at one place. Those days were long gone before the big downslide of the company. Sad to see but times change.