Between tools and clothing, our family did its part for Sears this year. I’d really hate to see Sears vanish from the landscape. We have a lot of Craftsman tools out in the garage and workshop, and with two teenage sons just getting started on their own cars and tool collections, we’re not done with Sears yet! I was surprised to see that they attribute much of the sales sag on electronics. When I think of electronics, Sears really doesn’t come to mind. Appliances, tools, kids’ clothing and Lands End - yes; electronics - not really.
I also have a lot of Craftsman tools.
It’s possible that Craftsman will be preserved even if Sears goes under. Summit Racing is now selling them and I’m sure there will be other retailers doing so.
I suspect that Craftsman will be sold off and spun off as an independent entity or part of another company as the Sears ship sinks.
But whether or not that new Craftsman will honor the replacement warranties and provide parts support on the old tools is an interesting question.
Personally, I could see a lot of benefit if Craftsman went independent or became part of a company that cared about the brand. IMHO, Sears has been milking the brand for years, cheapening the tools, making it harder to get replacements when the cheaper tools break, and generally focusing on gadgetry rather than the bread and butter of solid tools at decent prices.
Just MHO...
Sears stores aren't closing. Sears ownes K-Mart, those are the stores that are closing.
They sell electronics, lots of TV’s, but the problem is price.. they aren’t really offering much you cant find elsewhere. So in tough economic times, do you go with SONY, or do you go with Off Brand at 60% of price?
A lot of folks are choosing off brands that may have at one time settled for nothing less than name brand, and Sears doesn’t really have much to offer there.
I think Sears will be around for a while yet, they are making money, though not as much, which is better than Kmart/Sears were doing not all that long ago. They’ll evolve and adapt, but I don’t think you are going to see them disappear just yet.
They sell electronics, lots of TV’s, but the problem is price.. they aren’t really offering much you cant find elsewhere. So in tough economic times, do you go with SONY, or do you go with Off Brand at 60% of price?
A lot of folks are choosing off brands that may have at one time settled for nothing less than name brand, and Sears doesn’t really have much to offer there.
I think Sears will be around for a while yet, they are making money, though not as much, which is better than Kmart/Sears were doing not all that long ago. They’ll evolve and adapt, but I don’t think you are going to see them disappear just yet.
I think you can now get Craftsman tools at Ace Hardware.