Sears had all the infrastructure in place with their huge catalog operations to be Amazon, but just didn’t capitalize.
Spot on analysis. They could have had it all, but had dumb management with no fresh thinking. Dumb leaders will sink a company every time. Likewise if a dumb female politician is elected to the presidency, the U.S.A. shutdown will be imminent. But that's another story...
My #5, GMTA!
Recall the mega Sears distribution warehouse facility on Lawndale Ave? I lived one block from it and used to cruise the “returns” retail bins often. Great prices on their goods that had minor defects.
Some folks were caught flat footed when it came to the internet.
From my first knowledge of it, I saw the possibilities.
Man is certainly an inventive creature.
I'm reminded of Kodak which invented the digital camera in 1975.
Sears had all the infrastructure in place with their huge catalog operations to be Amazon, but just didn’t capitalize.
Tech-wise, Sears never advanced much past Prodigy.
Isn't that the truth.
By 1900 Sears was what Amazon would become, just with catalogs and the mail instead of the internet.
You could even buy a house. The sections were delivered to your lot and assembled on site:
Sears WAS the pre-Internet Amazon with their catalog sales. In the 70’s and 80’s we’d order Christmas gifts, and either get them delivered or pick them up at local store.
“Not Invented Here” 90’s management killed them, imho.
Sears couldn’t compete with Amazon because Sears had to charge state sales tax.