Walmart is in trouble also.
The problem is not Sears nor Walmart, but the internet has replaced shopping like this.
Walmart is on the same path, but has a strong online presence that is slowing the decline.
People impulse buy in a store. Regular purchases are done online. If the item is wrong (doesn’t fit) you can return it to a store rather than shipping it back.
Brick and mortar stores will get smaller. They will be mostly dedicated to returning/exchanging online purchases.
This is good capitalism. The “waste” of a store is no longer needed and must be swept away.
If this is true, why is Amazon getting into brick and mortar?
Walmart has the lowest prices on basic foods (store brand), far less than Amazon, and does better on household goods (like 91% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, 32 fl oz, $2.58), major appliances, tools and auto and , garden supplies, and clothes but often lacks variety, esp. from Walmart itself, and with many Walmart items not available for shipping.
And its web pages lack descriptions and wastes space (requiring more scrolling) and is slow to fix teach issues (items in cart disappeared, etc.). But its help is easy to reach but not as good as Amazon.
Amazon has a greater variety and web page layout (if still wasting space, Ebay being better), but hinders comparison by restricting the number of items to about 30 (versus 200 for Ebay)..
Both offer free shipping for many items over 35.00 total, but besides Prime, Amazon offers many add ons for orders over 25.00. Walmart shipping is only 5.99 for orders under 35.00, but many many items are from 3rd part sellers, like "UnbeatableSales" (which wants 31.71 for a 35yd roll of Gorilla tape, vs. 8.47 from Walmart yet shipping is not available, and currently 7.99 from Amazon) which have their own shipping charges. Yet as with Home Depot, Walmart offers free ship to store pick up.
Ebay is the cheapest for many basic mass produced Chinese items that Amazon also sells, like bicycle patches, watches eyeglasses, and old car parts, used clothing etc., but other than that then usually Walmart and Amazon are better.
Home Depot has some good online prices but free shipping is only for orders over 45.00, though this applies to most items.
Thank God we are blessed with such variety of items, and funds to (prayerfully) buy them. May they be used to make a positive difference is peoples lives for time and for eternity, to the glory of the God of all grace and truth.