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Is Sears Dying a Slow Death?
Fox Business ^ | DECEMBER 9, 2016

Posted on 12/09/2016 1:17:01 PM PST by Hojczyk

Sears (SHLD), the 130-year-old American icon, can’t find a way to stop the bleeding.

The floundering retailer has closed hundreds of Sears and Kmart stores, cut costs and borrowed millions of dollars from CEO Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund to keep the business going. Sears invested in its online store and a loyalty program, Shop Your Way, in hopes of regaining its footing, but customers have yet to return in droves.

On Thursday, Sears reported its fifth quarterly loss in a row, and sales continued their downward trend. Sears also revealed that it will accelerate plans to shutter underperforming stores. Jason Hollar, Sears’ chief financial officer, said there’s no guarantee when the company can return to profitability.

Sears, which is based in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Ill., traces its history back to 1886. Sears, Roebuck & Co. grew to become the largest retailer in America, competing with retail heavyweights of the day like Macy’s (M) and J.C. Penney (JCP).

The retailer was widely known for its catalogs, but that business fell out of favor by the 1990s. With the brick-and-mortar business also struggling, Kmart—controlled by Lampert’s firm, ESL Investments—acquired Sears in a $12 billion merger in 2005. Sears Holdings is now the 20th-largest retailer in the U.S., according to the National Retail Federation Opens a New Window. .

(Excerpt) Read more at foxbusiness.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: chicago; ecommerce; retail; sears; trends
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To: Grams A

Kenmore appliances are fine. Most, of them are still made by major manufacturers like Whirlpool and Electrolux.


81 posted on 12/09/2016 4:02:57 PM PST by riverdawg
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To: Organic Panic

That ‘high end scanner’ costs $30 or less these days and what you see when you take the acoustic and styling covers off the engine usually looks a lot like the last 25 years of multi port fuel injected motors. Only if you’re used to carbs or GM TBI should it look completely alien to you.


82 posted on 12/09/2016 4:03:05 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.d)
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To: Hojczyk

There was another article a few months ago that said that the slow death of Sears is an intentional strategy by the current CEO. He is not investing anything in maintaining their stores even when it seems like this would increase sales. Why he is trying to drag the process out was not clear.


83 posted on 12/09/2016 4:04:02 PM PST by wideminded
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To: Wonder Warthog

I’ve bought several Kenmore appliances in the past few years, and none was made in China. Whirlpool made the dishwasher, Electrolux made the oven/range, neither in China.


84 posted on 12/09/2016 4:07:35 PM PST by riverdawg
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To: Hojczyk
Sears could have been what Amazon is now.

Man, I remember those catalogs like it was yesterday. Especially the lingerie section...

85 posted on 12/09/2016 4:12:43 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Democracy is the backup QB to a dictatorship)
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To: riverdawg
"I’ve bought several Kenmore appliances in the past few years, and none was made in China."

Well, mine certainly was....says so right on the riveted on nameplate with model and serial numbers. Maybe the answer is to check the nameplates when you buy and choose ones NOT "Made in China". But one cannot any longer with certainty "buy Kenmore" and expect quality throughout the brand.

86 posted on 12/09/2016 4:14:57 PM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
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To: Right Wing Assault

When both my kids served in Iraqi Freedom, they gave gift cards to military folks serving overseas. I thought that was very Patriotic thing to do. I feel bad that they are going down hill. They need new fashion buyers. I know when I go there, it is slow process to check out, either price check, or asking if you want a CC, can I have your email, your zipcode, you sure you don’t want a CC and save 20% off today? Then they fold your items (clothes) and take forever. They were great once.....


87 posted on 12/09/2016 4:15:03 PM PST by Engedi
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To: Spktyr

Problem it was an electronics issue with the fuel system. Rather than a linkage on the gas pedal they used a, my guess, is an encoder. Fuel pump worked, spark worked, compression worked. BUT there was no feedback to the encoder on the gas pedal. So no manner of spanner would have helped with that issue. Then again. I use to have a scanner but someone borrowed it and never brought it back.

That reminds me... I remember my POS Ford when I had to use an analogue OHM meter to sweep the codes. God I hated that car. Worst POS ever created.


88 posted on 12/09/2016 4:16:20 PM PST by Organic Panic (Rich White Man Evicts Poor Black Family From Public Housing - MSNBCPBSCNNNYTABC)
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To: Wonder Warthog

You can use the model and serial numbers to determine which company made your Kenmore appliance and where. There are internet sites that decode the numbers.

We have a couple of LG appliances (dryer and microwave) that were made in South Korea. They have worked perfectly. Sears sells LG appliances and a few other brands besides Kenmore.


89 posted on 12/09/2016 4:21:51 PM PST by riverdawg
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To: Organic Panic

Actually, Ford EEC-IV turned out to be one of the better options in the early EFI arena. I actually like it and like using it for diagnosis.

As for the Jeep, is it that it wouldn’t crank, wouldn’t start or was it that it would start and idle but not go anywhere?


90 posted on 12/09/2016 4:28:02 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.d)
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To: faithhopecharity

From the article. “The bleeding retailer is down 91% from its all- time high of $142.51 reached in April 2007.”

Brutal.

From Faith. “Those 100 million suffering unemployment don’t shop much at all.”

True.

I walked into Sears 4x this year and noticed the prices on Amazon are the same or better. I walked into Kmart 2x this year and walked out with two boxes of shoes for the price of one. Almost feels like stealing,

Walmart, Target, Sears and Kmart use the same factories in China. Walmart keeps growing. Target keeps offending Christians. Sears continues to struggle and Kmart feels like a Greyhound bus station and grim


91 posted on 12/09/2016 4:28:51 PM PST by Falconspeed ("Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94))
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To: Hojczyk

When i was a kid we used the catalog as toilet paper in the little house out behind the big house.


92 posted on 12/09/2016 4:38:49 PM PST by batterycommander (Surrounded? Stay clammed and call for artillery. USNA 65)
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To: Spktyr

Would start and idle. No feedback from the pedal.

The ford I had. I think an 85 taurus. Worst POS ever created. hated that car. Abandoned it on the way back from college one night. Don’t know where that POS ended up.


93 posted on 12/09/2016 4:38:50 PM PST by Organic Panic (Rich White Man Evicts Poor Black Family From Public Housing - MSNBCPBSCNNNYTABC)
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To: Organic Panic

Tauruses were disposable. EEC-IV was good even if not everything they put it on was.

A lot of those throttle by wire systems use a variable potentiometer instead of an optical or magnetic encoder to detect throttle pedal position. Once it was started, would the transmission shift out of park at all?


94 posted on 12/09/2016 4:48:47 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.d)
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To: Hojczyk

America is alive and Sears is dead! /s

A few comments \ questions
My dad gave me a Craftsman metric ratchet set in 81 still have and use it though I did lose a few pieces over the years
Zappa sang long ago “Is that a real poncho or a Sears poncho?”
That might hold true today but back then I didn’t think that rang true-when did things start to slip exactly?
Just bought a “made in USA” screwdriver set just plastic wrapped-looks good but is it us or Chinese steel?
Sears saw the end long ago and tried a lot of things to stay afloat -
Real Estate, IT partnerships with IBM Advantis, Prodigy) you’d think in urban areas they still have lots of owned real estate more valuable than the business
You can still get help but it’s spotty unlike days of yore
Kenmore is rebranded Whirlpool GE-”elite” is higher quality

This exemplifies their issues ;
Just bought a GE branded Taiwanese xmas tree a very fine item there in Yonkers. I went to my local store 1st and not only did they not have it in stock but they couldn’t tell me if Yonkers had it in stock! I had to go to the Yonkers store to find out, they had it bought it with points and Sears card and I took it home. however the very next day the price went down $45 online and I called IL customer service for a Price adjustment they wouldn’t give it! I have to go back to the store to haggle for an adjustment -unacceptable in my view


95 posted on 12/09/2016 5:02:24 PM PST by Phil DiBasquette
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To: Spktyr

My POS was the ford. I abandoned that thing.

The last post referred to a 2015 jeep. No response to the fuel system from the peddle to ? Was it a pot to a controller in the ignition system? A pot to the injector system??? Who knows, unless you have the Chrysler codes. Either way, you don’t need a set of sockets and spanners to repair such an issue. You need the computer to diagnose and a new module to repair.


96 posted on 12/09/2016 5:04:52 PM PST by Organic Panic (Rich White Man Evicts Poor Black Family From Public Housing - MSNBCPBSCNNNYTABC)
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To: Falconspeed

Someone mentioned Hudson’s before Tar-jay is a successor co.


97 posted on 12/09/2016 5:05:47 PM PST by Phil DiBasquette
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To: Organic Panic

Not necessarily. On a lot of the new Fiat-made Jeeps the problem is the sensor came unplugged because it was not properly assembled. A $45 Bluetooth or Wifi OBD2 interface box and the common smartphone is all the gear you need to diagnose the throttle pedal sensor on that if the sensor is plugged in. If it isn’t plugged in, you need a couple of hands and one working eyeball. :)

However, that Jeep might not have revved with the brake pedal depressed anyway due to recent mandated interlocks after the Toyota runaway incidents. For me the question would be if it would go into gear - if it won’t, go into gear while idling, it is often the brake switch.


98 posted on 12/09/2016 5:12:24 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.d)
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To: Hojczyk

I hope so.
Don’t buy a car battery from them. Their warranty is only good for toilet paper.

They SUCK.


99 posted on 12/09/2016 5:29:11 PM PST by TheConservativeParty (TRUMP 45 Meet the new boss, not the same as any old boss.)
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To: Hojczyk

When I was a kid in the ‘40s and ‘50s there was no Sears. At that time it was Sears and Roebucks. We shopped often at the store in D.C. on Bladensburg Road, and the big attraction for us kids was that going into the store from the back parking lot there was a donut-making concession just inside the doors. I can still smell those freshly made donuts covered with delicious pink icing. Those were the good old days.


100 posted on 12/09/2016 6:07:21 PM PST by fortes fortuna juvat (Make nice with your enemies and you will live to regret it.)
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