The jokes for the late nighters just kind of start writing themselves.
Sears has really turned into a high quality customer focused store. They have been bits of both over the years but have improved in both areas of late IMO.
I was looking - well, actually drooling - over a 52 flat screen TV the past Saturday at Sears. The salesman walked up and offered without my asking: "You bring me the best price you can find on that TV (new) anywhere from any source and I will beat the price by 10%."
I had the exact same experience. Last year for Christmas, (before I worked for Sears) I went shopping for a big screen TV. I went to all the electronic stores with not very success. The "toddlers" who were on the sales room supposed to be helping me understand what my options were to make a decision I was comfortable with were your typical snot faced geek that didn't care a bit.
I was actually shopping in Sears for my wife and walked past their T.V. dept.
I was very surprised. Not only was their selection far superior and pricing very competitive, the sales person actually had a functioning brain.
Needless to say, I bought Sears.
Sears is refocusing on service, which is good, but also, far from being a failed business model, Sears is a force to be reconned with. What people fail to understand about sears is they are not a murchandizing company... not any more. THey are a CREDIT company, with some merchandize out front. They have made more money on credit for a long long time now than they have on retail margins.
Sell products, primarily on your own brand of credit card at 18 to 25% interest, with very low payments on the balance per month and it really doesn't matter how much margin you make on the product, and you make a lot of $$ in the process.
They bring their brand of credit to Kmart stores.... they will be rolling in even more $$$. Overall good move for Sears, and one I didn't see coming.