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18 Depressing Photos That Show Why Sales Are Crumbling At Sears
Yahoo Finance ^ | January 9, 2014 | Ashely Lutz

Posted on 01/09/2014 2:09:59 PM PST by Hojczyk

Sears, once America's golden retailer, is a company in crisis.

The company has shuttered hundreds of stores in recent years. The embattled company has been selling some its most profitable stores to raise money.

And now, shares are tumbling after Sears lowered guidance for the quarter and announced that comparable sales in the fourth quarter have slid more than 7%.

Brian Sozzi, chief equities strategist at Belus Capital Advisors, took poignant photos inside of New Jersey and New York Sears locations in October.

"To understand why Sears is in a 'sell stores mode' one must look no further than the stores themselves, where the truth is to be found," Sozzi writes.

His photos show the sad reality of what Sears is today.

(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: bhoeconomy; economy; retail; sears
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To: Alas Babylon!
I blame Cheryl Tiegs. It all started with her...

I dunno, she looks rather innocent in that 1981 video. Certainly, she doesn't look like the slayer of American retail giants. Besides, that was early in Reagan's first term - the "good old days" by any current measure.

I'd forgotten all about those Laserdisc Tele-Shop catalogs. Sears was this close >< to becoming the modern retail sales monster that is now best exemplified by Amazon.com, but blew it. Sad, really. They obviously had some people capable of pushing innovation, but the technology learning curve outpaced them.

201 posted on 01/09/2014 5:53:12 PM PST by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: Hojczyk

Sears should reestablish their gunshops on house. Hipoint through Benelli. Bring back JCHiggins shotguns as they are well known for their quality. Expand to rifles and pistols. If they use the same level of qc that they do with other products they will have a winner.

At Christmas go full metal jacket, old fashioned AO Schwartz type toy displays with trains going, anything can move does etc. Lots of demonstrator stuff on the floor.

When I was a kid Sears was the place to go for toys for Christmas. It was mind blowing for a six year old.


202 posted on 01/09/2014 5:54:50 PM PST by buffaloguy
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To: Timber Rattler

Those *depressing* pics look like they’re from K-Mart. Haven’t set foot in a Sear’s in over two decades. My, how they’ve gone down hill.


203 posted on 01/09/2014 6:08:25 PM PST by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs assist!)
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To: ClearBlueSky

I totally agree with you - that’s why for decades I avoided Sears in Brooklyn and Long Island.

Recently, though, I was lured to Sears at the Gadsden Mall in Alabama for a sale on shoes.

Let me preface by saying I’m a cheap bastard who only goes to stores of this type for exactly what I came for.

While navigating towards the shoe section, it seemed to me that at least this Sears had very cleverly laid out and made displays of merchandise right up to the threshold of claustrophobia. I thought back to my impressions of the past, and how much Sears, at least here, had improved.

Then I got bombarded for all sorts of Sears this-and-that programs, incentives, and credit at the register, so it will be a cold day in hell before I go back there!


204 posted on 01/09/2014 6:29:41 PM PST by Refugee From NYC
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To: trisham

The main problem has been a lack of quality workers.


205 posted on 01/09/2014 6:54:32 PM PST by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I’ve had one kenmore dishwasher at my house here for about 20+ years. i bought it after using one in my last apt. it scrubs the s**t out of everything. thot it was dying recently but it is still running.


206 posted on 01/09/2014 7:10:19 PM PST by kvanbrunt2 (i don't believe any court in this country is operating lawfully anyway)
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To: pgkdan

We almost always went to Sears for car batteries, up until this happened. All my family had Craftsman tools too. It is a cryin’ shame what has happened to Sears.


207 posted on 01/09/2014 7:12:19 PM PST by TheConservativeParty
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To: Disambiguator
There were more employees lurking around than customers.

You found employees? Dewd.

The last few times I've gone tool shopping it's been hard to find anyone to man the register. I've also broken more Craftsman hand tools in the last three years than in the previous 30.

208 posted on 01/09/2014 7:15:11 PM PST by Professional Engineer (I am not cynical. /s)
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To: henkster

14 months on a water heater is horrible. And the mess of all that water too. The last 20 years all we got at Sears was tools,some of our batteries,and maybe an appliance or 2. Now it seems they don’t honor the traditional craftsman tool replacement or battery warranties. We can all toast to their demise someday.


209 posted on 01/09/2014 7:16:46 PM PST by TheConservativeParty
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To: All
OK, I can not seem to find any agreement here. Is there truly any one brand that someone can recommend for a new purchase? I recently was fortunate to acquire an abandoned GE SpaceSaver washing machine and after ordering and installing a few replacement parts got it somewhat working.

Perhaps it is more damaged than I thought, but so far I am not impressed. It seems to have trouble discharging the water even with a brand new pump installed, and while it technically "washes", the motor on it seems to only be operating in some sort of half-agitate mode. It also seems to be leaving lint, pine needles, and pet fur on the 'washed' items for some reason I cannot fathom. For the money I already spent just repairing it, and the price that is required to replace the main motor as well, I am thinking that I simply need to chalk it up to experience and purchase a new one and a dryer as well.

Suggestions?

210 posted on 01/09/2014 7:31:59 PM PST by Utilizer (Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)
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To: Ditter; trisham
I was in love with the escalators too

Ding, ding!

and don’t forget the popcorn machine. :)

Ah, the heavenly fragrance of Sears hot buttered popcorn! The closest I've come to that flavor is the "buttered popcorn" Jelly Belly candy.

211 posted on 01/09/2014 7:32:37 PM PST by thecodont
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To: a fool in paradise

Indoor plumbing did away with their catalog business.


212 posted on 01/09/2014 7:42:05 PM PST by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: Hojczyk

I could fix Sears. I would sell Kmart and with the $$$, I would have Sears focus on hardware, appliances, clothing and sporting goods.


213 posted on 01/09/2014 7:56:17 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (2014theyearofdeadRINOs)
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To: Professional Engineer

Maybe they all like to hang out in the tool section, since that seemed to be where all the other shoppers were, too.

:^)


214 posted on 01/09/2014 8:46:20 PM PST by Disambiguator
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To: A_Tradition_Continues

Interesting that most of the locations Kmart didn’t close were either in the Valley or in El Paso. Guess they are going for the Hispanic trade, which is fine but none of those Kmarts listed is in a particularly prosperous town. Kmart used to have some fairly decent stuff some years ago but they deteriorated in a hurry.


215 posted on 01/09/2014 8:49:40 PM PST by wayoverthehill
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To: trisham

Those homes are very much cherished by many. They’re considered to be of very good quality, and many are still in existence.

****************************************************

There is a whole neighborhood in an older part of Dallas that has bunches of the Sears homes, all in very good condition and selling for lots of money. I have some original Sears catalogues from 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946 and one of them has a whole section of the pre-cut houses. IIRC, the prices ranged from about $2795 to $7995 for a nice 2 story house.


216 posted on 01/09/2014 9:08:08 PM PST by wayoverthehill
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To: Gay State Conservative

I’m with you there! I’m old and glad of it. I hope I die before the final collapse. I feel bad for my grandchildren but as my husband pointed out, they will not have known any different way of life than what exists today so they may have lower expectations. It’s not like those of us who lived in and came to maturity in the 40’s, 50’s, and even the 60’s when America was a completely different place.


217 posted on 01/09/2014 9:15:35 PM PST by wayoverthehill
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To: Segovia
I raised my boys in Sears clothing...

Who had hand-me-down Toughskin jeans? THIS GUY!

218 posted on 01/09/2014 9:25:03 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: NEMDF

It’s due to the rise of internet shopping. The Fry’s store in Palo Alto recently cut their floor-to-ceiling shelving to about shoulder-height. The shelves used to be packed with merchandise…now the much shorter shelves are often not even full.


219 posted on 01/09/2014 9:26:56 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Rodamala

“I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips! “


220 posted on 01/09/2014 9:27:07 PM PST by dfwgator
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