Would you miss Sears?

Continuing my “would you care” series while I am on vacation in Belgium …

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Does Sears provide such a unique product and customer experience that we would be saddened if it didn’t exist? Does Sears treat its employees so astonishingly well that those workers would not be able to find another employer to treat them as well? Does Sears forge such unfailing emotional connections with its customers that they would fail to find another retailer that could forge just as strong an emotional bond?

What say you?

Post inspiration | Mavericks at Work

Comments

[Bill]

I would miss the Craftsman sub-brand, which is the backbone of an American handyman sub-culture. In fact, I think most Craftsmanites wouldn't even notice if the rest of the store vaporized.

[Paul W. Swansen]

Miss Sears? I can't remember the last time I was in one of their stores. Sears was a regular stop for my parents while I was growing up in the 60's.

[Tom]

Going to Sears is like take a trip to the museum. You get to experience the past permanently.

[Mike Brewer]

I worked at Sears back in the 90's while I attended college and loved the experience. That being said, I would not miss Sears in the least.
I wonder though if this is one of those stores that you could tag, "you don't know what got, till it's gone."

[Matt Steele in the Hour of Chaos]

I would. I agree with Bill: the Craftsman brand is top of the line. Also, their Kenmore products are very good.

[greg]

I really like going to the Sears hardware store not far from my house. Bazillions of great tools and replacement parts. The department store down at the mall is pretty disposable. It was recently "remodeled" and looks like nothing more than a glorified K-Mart now. Can't recall the last time I bought anything there. Sears seems to be yet another company that simply doesn't know who to market itself to... or how. Severe identify crisis. It seems to still be marketing itself to my parents, who are in their 90s.

[Zane]

Who's Sears?

[Kristasphere]

Yes. Sears is like one of the presidents on the Mt. Rushmore of retailing. Certain things I only buy there ex. washer and dryer, tools, the Lands End retail products (key!).

[nathan]

I would miss the Craftsman brand. Great hand tools at a very reasonable price.
Although i wouldn't consider Craftsman top-of-the line. Maybe top of homeowner lines, but i don't think there is much comparison to professional brands like Snap On.

[ed]

Call me old fashioned, but I would miss Sears. We find them to be competitive on decent kids' clothing, and great for making Lands End returns and picking up end-of-season Lands End stuff for pennies on the dollar (no Lands End Outlet near us). Also, we have had very good experiences buying appliances from Sears and getting warranty service work done through them.

[Susan Martin]

Would I miss Sears? Only for old times sake, rumor has it that when the houses in my neighborhood were being built in the 1890's that the buyers selected paneling, fireplace mantels and other now sought after details from the catalogue, and yes the craftsman line of tools...otherwise it's just another plain vanilla brand.

[scott]

The question of whether we would "care" is interesting. Referring to a previous post, the Americana aspect of Sears would certainly be missed. I live in Chicago, so if the Sears Tower itself were to disappear, I think more than a few people would care about that one...

[Corey Smith]

Losing the Craftsman brand is not the same as losing Sears. I have never been impressed with the service at Sears and I have a number of Crafstman tools. If Sears went out of business, I'd be just fine. If the Craftsman brand went out, I'd just buy Porter Cable or Delta... no problem.

[Meek Speaks]

Couple thoughts. Firstly, I don't think that if Sears actually disappeared (or pulled a chapter 9), that whomever took ownership of the Sears Tower would change the name. That would be sacrilege. Like changing the name of Candlestick Park to Monster (Cable) Park...errrrr, forget that.

Second, I remember growing up in the 70's and the most incredible fun my sisters and I had was devouring the Sears Christmas Wish Book (genius naming of their catalog) to determine what toys we wanted. I grew up in a small town in Canada and because we didn't have the population mass to host a major department store, the Sears Christmas Wish Book was THE must-have item every Fall. Some nostalgia for me, I suppose.

Finally, my real-world perspective on Sears is that old school department stores are dead. I know that you can sometimes go to Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdales, etc, but honestly, I notice consumers are tired of the traditional department store and that's why Target has done well...and Wal-Mart too. Heck, even Safeway is being forced to reinvent itself to compete with Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

~Meek Speaks
http://meekspeaks.wordpress.com/

[Anthony]

Hmm, I agree with some earlier comments. I'd be much sadder to see Sear's in house brands like Craftsman or Kenmore disappear than the store itself.

[Mike]

i WOULDMISS THE dIEHARD bATTERIES. mINE IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD IN MY 65 MUSTANG AND STARTS EVERYTIME. tHEIR TIRE DEPARTMENT IS GREAT TOO WITH SUPER SERVICE AND GREAT SPECIALS PLUS THEY HAVE OVER 850 AUTO CENTERS AND THE WARRANTY IS GOOD EVERYWHERE.

[lindseyQuinn]

Did anyone miss Roebuck all that much?

[Joe Wikert]

I gave up on Sears years ago. Their quality took a nosedive in the 80's or 90's, can't remember exactly when. My last straw was with a garage door opener I had installed awhile back. It had the Craftsman name on it but only lasted 2 months past the manufacturer's warranty period. When I asked them if they were really going to abandon me and offer zero support they said "yes." I'm pretty sure the Sears of the 1970's would have stood behind the product long after this point, but the people that run that company today, and the store managers they've so effectively trained could care less. It's a shame because Sears used to be a trustworthy brand for the middle class. Now they've been completely obliterated by the competition, to the point where the Sears name no longer means anything to anyone, other than being a relic from yesteryear.

[Stephen Denny]

Miss Sears? Absolutely. I have a family.

A lot of you, above, seem to be judging Sears based on things that aren't core to their brand (odd for a marketing blog readership); look at what they choose to do, and *if you're someone who needs what they do*, they're great.

Craftsman? Right on. Great products, very innovative, very affordable, high quality.

Ever buy a refrigerator? A washing machine or dryer? Compare Sears to Home Depot. Sears owns this category in retailing for good reason -- their service trucks appear out of nowhere (and actually fixed my Viking range when Viking wouldn't -- so much for "high and to the right" beauty contest brands).

They also sell clothes for kids that are better, cheaper, and in a larger selection than Target.

In short, these guys are still pretty good retailers. They don't win many beauty contests, and you can't get much less sexy, but they're great at what they do.

[Alvaro Rattinger]

I guess in all fairness I agree with Stephen there are so many different shops out there that sell the same stuff that we forget the ones that do it consistently well. We have all shifted to price driven decisions and forgotten that there are brands out there focused on other values. I would probably not miss Sears upfront, but I'm sure someday I would regret not having them around.

[Tom B]

Since Sears is no longer a retail establishment but merely a receptacle and cash cow for a hedge fund designed to make large sums of money for institutional shareholders through cost cutting and mistreatment of its employees, no I wouldn't miss it all, mainly because the Sears I MIGHT have missed no longer exists anyway.

[underpaid]

I work there and wouldn't miss it.

[BOOKMARK]

Sears Holdings Corporation, the publicly traded (NASDAQ: SHLD ) parent of Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and Co., is the nation's third largest broadline retailer, with approximately $55 billion in annual revenues, and with approximately 3,800 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has Martha Stewart Everyday products, which are offered exclusively in the U.S. by Kmart and in Canada by Sears Canada. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually

Please disregard Tom Bales. He is in no way associated with Sears, and actually works for Home Depot, spreading false vicious rumors about Sears in an attempt to steal market share from Sears. His tactics are worthless, and its a matter of time before his ignorance catches up with himself.

[Jonn]

Growing up Sears was a part of my life. J. C. Penny and Sears was the source of all my cloths. My father only used Craftsman tools and our house was 100 per cent Kenmore. I do not believe I have been in a Sears store for years though there is one near my home. I shop Target and Men's Wearhouse for cloths today. I understand the tools are still high quality, but Home Depot has tools and carries more of the other products I need such as lawn care (fertilizer & such) and I can always find everything I need. I just picked up some items to repair my gutters, merchandise I doubt if Sears carries. While there I picked up an electric drill, which Sears may carry but I was already at Home Depot. If you went to Sears they never carried all of my needs and by habit other stores replaced them for my shopping needs. As far as I know Kenmore is still a fine product but once again Home Depot is one stop shopping and I like that. So, no I do not shop any longer at Sears and I guess I would not miss them.

[DonPato]

I worked for Sears a year and a half ago. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my life.

After K-Mart sucked up the pension plan all the really experienced workers ages 30 to 40 jumped ship the only ones left are lifers and very miserable lifers with just a few years to go before they can retire praying Sears doesn't go under before they leave .

Sears one time ace in the hole lifetime product guarantees was tossed out the window as with many customer satisfaction rules that Sears has worked under for the last 100 years.

It isn't Sears anymore its just a dead carcass being eaten from the inside out by voracious teams of corporate raiders and professional corporate parasites.

DonPato
http://customershelper.com/

[tntornadox]

I currently work for Sears, and am a minor (under 18). I have had nothing but great experiences working for Sears- they allow young people to have REAL jobs within the store- not just the cart boy, they deserve respect- just for that.

Within my 2 years of service, I have discovered several things about Sears and the customers it serves.

1) Some Customers whine about our product selection, yet never shop with us, so, therefore, we don't carry everything- it's a vicious cycle, isn't it?

2) Alot of people don't realize that Sears carries almost everything you would need for your home.

Example: The poster 1 post above brought up feritilizer, and for reference, yes, Sears carries it and all kinds of other lawn treatments in our lawn & garden department.

As a matter of fact- Sears is more of a one-stop shop than any other store format out there. Why? We carry it all:

-Need a pair of jeans? Check. Good quality at low prices.

-Need a pair of shoes for Church? Check. What kinds do you like? We carry them all. Very competitive pricing, get the same thing here for twenty bucks cheaper than JCPenney.

-Need baby clothes for that baby shower next week? Sure thing. Sears has (IMO) a very good selection of baby and children's clothing. We used to shop there all the time when I was younger. Not to mention that Sears warranties the clothes with the KidVantage Wear-Out Warranty. You probably didn't know about that one, did you?

-Need a lamp, table, mattress? Sure, you can get the first two at several stores in the marketplace- but where else sells all of this plus top of the line, name brand mattresses all at very good pricing with free delivery, not to mention 0% financing for 12 months?

-Need some tools? Sears Craftsman tools have been around for 80 years, longer than Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot COMBINED. All of our hand tools are Lifetime Guaranteed- no hassles, no waiting for the "tool truck"- just stop by on your way home!

-How about a drill/power tool? Sears offers many different power tools under its Craftsman brands as well as other notables such as Milwaukee, and DeWalt. Each come with a one year warranty, plus, we will offer you an extended warranty as well. If it breaks, let us handle it. Sears services its merchandise- no contractors here people.

-My lawn needs mowing! Get moving! Our tractors and mowers are top of the line, and priced well.

-Need to work out? Sears carries an abundance of fitness equipment.

- Appliances. BLAM. What other store offers all of this AND appliances? Kenmore quality is unparalled and is a best buy for consumers. We also offer several other brands for your convenience.

-Electronics. Sears is making strides in this area. What other store offers everything from $80 tube TVs to $5000 plasmas? With everything in between?

Throw in video games, consoles, iPods, car stereos, home theater equipment, DVDs, CDs, DVD players, digital cameras, and camcorders- Wow. Makes Target's eletronics department look obsolete, dosen't it?

NOTE: As of last Saturday, Sears now offers the low cost VIZIO brand of televisions, previously offered only at Sam's Club. 50 in plasma for $500 (regular price)...!

Sorry to ramble, but it was neccessary for my point. Sears carries EVERYTHING, in ONE location. They invented it years ago, and carry it on today.

Problem is, people don't know what One-Stop means. Sears dosen't carry lumber- and I wouldn't want them to- I prefer to work without the allergy problems associated with it. Point is- some things SHOULD BE by themselves in specialty stores.

So before you post another comment, think about it- Would you miss Sears?

The oldest modern day retailer, founded in 1886 that helped entire generations of Americans afford the essential products of high quality at the lowest prices- would you miss it?

If it weren't for Sears, I am certain, our lives would not be as nice and carefree as they are today...

"Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money back" Sears stands behind its products and its people. But we do have policies of our own- you WILL leave satisfied- if you are not trying to rip us a new one. We do everything possible to please our customers...there is just some people out there that can't be pleased...

Thank You.

[Rob O.]

Certainly, I would miss the Kenmoore brand. Nearly all of our kitchen & laundry appliances are of that brand. We've bought into the Kenmoore brand because of high Consumer Reports ratings and their service reputation - although I've never actually had to have any of our Kenmoore appliances serviced...

And to an extent, I'd miss the Craftsman brand. Although I don't own that many tools period, what few power tools I have - and my lawnmower - are Craftsman.

Sears could re-establish itself by promoting the service angle. Sure, I love Target and (grudgingly) shop at Wal-Mart on occassion, but I'm still a little bit of a Sears loyalist.

[tntornadox]

I think Sears should really push BOTH the Service angle AND the quality angle.

About the only quote from Sears' Ex-CEO Alan Lacy that I favored and liked was when he said this, at the opening of a Sears Grand store: "Sears sells better product than the discount stores. You won't find Dockers, Lands' End, Levi's, Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard altogether under any other roof. Our customers shop with us because they are looking for GREAT VALUE- meaning they aren't neccessarily looking for the LOWEST PRICE, but enjoy the VALUE for their money they receive by shopping with us- Good products, at good prices, with amazing quality."

[K]

I work for the company and I am on my out by choice. I have access to financials and Eddie twists the truth about comany earnings. He inflates earnings and creates earnings by cutting benefits, turning off lighting and air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. They Push new ideology on employees to make them believe the comany is on their side while cutting away the incentives that keep quality and career minded employees. It really is sad to see what Mr. Lampert is doing to the company. He is trying to turn it into a hedge fund with no real focus on turning it into the number one retailer in the nation. This loss of focus will be the company's demise.

[Kevin M]

Quote: "Posted by: DonPato | March 26, 2007 at 06:47 PM"

About this kid's comment, I appreciate him taking a part of this, but he does not have to disguise himself for doing that.

"Within my 2 years of experiences" LOL

You should tell every store in the district to make sure if every manager does not fully understand what covers under PA and MRA, and what terms that follows, they will be fired immediately because replacement of unexperienced management today makes things so stupid that they are forced to do PA meeting every week but the truth is that some can't even fully list everything of what we offer because all they do is to tell salesmen how to sell PA without knowing what to offer first because they are still in traiing. I am glad that this kid at least understands what Sears offers but it is very unrealistic to find that a 17 years-old would know better than the average level of management who is supposed to train them. The answer is that he aint' what he says he is, and that is a fucking lame. You shouldn't be expecting this kind of role-model example from a low-wage, (6$/hr) 17 years-old because the management should know better already and it is shameful that you really expect that is how the reality is if you truly understand the benefit of Sears. I know who you are, and I am disppointed to hear this non-sense.

Btw, in what department do you still work for? LOL. Why don't you at least clean your department first before making another non-sense comment like, "I am still under 18 and have worked at Sears for 2 years," eh?

The statement about Sears is still right that I agree but you are fucking wrong for being here.

[tntornadox]

You do not know who I am, and for your information, I am 18 and am a Hardware Sales Associate for an FLS "A" store..

Not a manager by a long shot, trust me. I actually plan on going to college and majoring in Business and entering Corporate Sears to try to do something there, that is if it isn't dead by then...

Anything else you wanna know? How can I prove how old I am to you?

I can understand your not wanting to believe me, but it is true..

[Ted Brooks]

Our views (those of me and my wife) are based not on the complexities noted above, but on the general lousiness of shopping at Sears. We are both old enough to remember the Sears-Roebuck Catalog, and to consider that to be the fount of all stuff. But these days to go into a Sears is to find merchandise misplaced, and not reliably pricemarked. Take it to the cashier to discover its price, and you get a disdainful "Well, do you want to buy it or not?" We like to buy things of Sears' quality, but only in non-hostile surroudings. Home Depot, and most modern retailers, handle that better.
As a result, we don't go to Sears anymore.

[Lin Arceneaux]

Hell no, I wouldn't miss Sears . . anymore than I'd miss misery, frustration, disrespect and the feeling of being screwed. I too, bought a garage door opener, paid for installation and it was improperly installed which caused damage to opener. I called every number available and was put on hold -forever-, or someone would-never-call back and got nowhere for 3 months. I wrote a CERTIFIED letter,signed by a Jim Donelan, to Sears Credit card to put account in dispute, but "they didn't receive it". I faxed the same letter to credit card but the "last page didn't come in clear". Sears either hires from the Bozo College of Stupity or they are the biggest bunch of thieves around . . . you decide. I, and a "few" other people, will never buy anything from Sears again. . . I realize that I now have the insurmountable task of finding another retailer to take my money and show a reasonable facsimile of respect.LOL

[Holly]

I would certainly miss Sears. Regardless of whatever problems are associated with it, Sears has been a constant in American retail. The Craftsman brand continues to be outstanding, and Land's End is the main reason I shop there. If you want to talk nostalgia, Sears was the original corporate sponsor of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and I for one would like to see it stick around.

[current employee]

If you have had lousy customer service in the past, did you complain to the store manager? Did you write a letter to the district manager if you were not given a satisfactory answer?

If you see a store you loved to buy from going down the drain, then part of the solution is telling management that you are unhappy and demand that it be corrected.

What's frustrating is seeing well-meaning employees (those who care about giving great customer service) being lumped in with the bad seeds (they are everywhere). We see what's wrong, but feel powerless to get our opionions heard by upper management. Because we are providing customer service every day we hear what people say about the merchandise. Sometimes they're right; the type of clothes the Sear's buyers are trying to sell to certain demographics is all wrong. You don't sell "inner-city, hip" clothes to "suburban, vanilla" hayseeds. Or presenting "grandmother" color and style and expecting business women (administrative assistants & accountants, etc) to buy it. It won't happen.

So, forgive my rambling, but until Sears buyers listen to who's buying which styles in what section of the country; it won't sell.

[Barry A. Smith]

I would miss the memory of Sears, because the Sears brand was held in high esteem in my family. However the reality is the fact that I am surprised they are still breathing.

Sears was the first brand that I ever noticed, and that ever mattered to me. When I thought of Sears, I thought of my dad. He was and still is a man I admire, and I watched him be treated very well, very often beyond expectation, by Sears as a whole. Every communication and touch-point with the company was favorable. As a result, Sears was the recipient of a lions-share of my families expenditures. This had quite an impression on me.

My father bought nearly every product in our house from Sears. He bought their long term service contracts as well. He did so because the company treated him as if he was their only customer. As a young boy I would go with my dad to Sears, and after time when I was beginning to buy products for my 1st apartment and subsequent homes, I always considered Sears a first choice.

But over the last 10-15 years, with one bad experience after another, Sears lost this position in my mind. In fact it came to a head (with many similar stories in between) after a rather unpleasant experience at a Service Center where the employee ordered all the wrong parts for my grill. When I called to discuss this, they suggested that in some way I had fault in the matter, then charged me a second time for shipping these parts again. To add insult to injury, this also happened a third time. All that said, after speaking with an executive in IL, it became rather apparent that this experience was not important to the company. Had this happened once or twice, I would have understood, but since I was so dedicated to the brand, and gave the company the benefit of the doubt, I began to experience a pattern, and witnessed as the company stop caring about the customer.

Though I was patient over a series of years, and continued to purchase small and rather large items, they ultimately lost a generation customer over what amounted to 21 dollars in shipping and handling.

Several weeks ago a conversation was overheard in an IL Sears between two employees who were not aware of the customer (my boss) as they were discussing how they would be able to fill out job applications in another store in the mall without being caught during their shift. They were discussing how they needed to quit as soon as possible before Sears went out of business based on information they had heard internally. This while my boss stood behind them at the sales counter.

Now if I were an average manager, I would search and fire those two employees. But if I were an outstanding manager, I would see this as a symptom, not the cause. I would identify these two employees and I would apologize. Apologize for damaging a brand, and for the result this has caused. I would use this incident as a spark to rebuild the brand. And I would find my boss and myself and apologize to us..

The reality is this will not happen. Sears has slowly committed the equivalent of suicide by forgetting that they were never really successful as a result of their products, but because how they viewed the importance of satisfying their customers.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

nice riff Barry!

[Barry A. Smith]

I feel so much better now. :^)

Actually, for the reasons Sears has made such an impression on me, originally and then now, something has to be said about the strength of the brand, if it ever could ellicit such passion. All that said, I wonder how that might play into a rebrand if they were ever to be organized to carry it of (probbly not). All it might take is some transparency replacing the excuses or lack of communication. I bet people might be willing to try to like them again.

I never felt as strongly about JC Penny, and find that interesting.

[matt]

Just like the vanishing act of Montgomery Wards, Sears is fading away. Their customer service is the worst in retail. Their selling practices are shadey and their products are not the best quality any longer. I can't even find an English speaking associate in the store to help me.

[winsome11]

Would not miss Sears in the least.

"Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money back" What a joke.

I purchased a Kenmore Elite Oasis washer and dryer in 2006 along with ther very expensive "Master Protection Agreement" (very poor decision on my part)a total of $2,500. The washer started leaking water in February 2008. When the technician came out to diagnose the problem he opened the washer and found major corrosion inside due to a faulty bleach dispenser. Anyway, it is the end of March and I'm still waiting for the washer to be repaired. To top it all off, I recieved a call today from Sears telling me that they will not replace all the corroded parts, only the bleach dispenser.

[728huey]

I would miss Sears as an American icon and as one of the greatest names in retail, but having said that, I'm surprised that they are still standing today.

We all know about the founding of the Sears, Robebuck and Co., the creation of the first mail order warehouse, the Sears gift book, and how they became the first great department store in the United States. They were the epitome of the department store shopping experience, having anything you wanted under one roof and carrying great quality items. But by the late 1970's, the foundation of their strength began to crack, as Walmart came into existence and started offering a massive amount of items at heavily discounted prices. Then the specialty retailers began chipping into core brands, first in apparel and then in appliances and electronics. Sears tried to counter by creating their own specialty stores like Sears Hardware and Brand Central, but they couldn't compete with Ace Hardware or Tru-Value Hardware, and later big box stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, and Best Buy.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm surprised that they are still around. They can't compete on price like Walmart or Target because they can't keep as much volume and it would cheapen the brand. They can't go upscale either and compete with the Macy's Bloomingdales, Nordstrom's or Neiman Marcuses of the world because the brand is so associated with middle America. They tried competing with specialty stores and had their heads handed to them, and they obviously can't compete online because Amazon would stomp them.

So what does Sears do? They have very valuable brands in Craftsman tools, Kenmore appliances, Lands End clothing, and Die Hard batteries, plus they own the land that most of their stores are built on. My personal opinion is that they exit the physical retail store space and focus on marketing their brand name products to other retailers. They could market their Craftsman tools to Home Depot or Lowe's, their Die Hard batteries and tires to Pep Boys or Carquest, and their Kenmore appliances to Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe's. Their other brands (Lands End, Joe Boxer, Martha Stewart Everyday) could easily be marketed out to specialty retailers like Bed, Bath and Beyond or Target, and they could partner with Amazon to market all of their products online. It would be sad to see all of their stores disappear, but since they are heading that way anyway, they should do the brave but unpopular step of cutting their losses and focusing on strengthening their brand name.

[tas]

I'd miss Sears. Its an icon with many great name brands.

Also are you aware of their policy for their employees that fgwet called into military duty?

They hold your job for you when you return, and I believe they still pay some sort of your wages and benefits. Not many companies are doing that these days.

Im all for the new and exciting, however we also need to keep some traditions around. Sears would be one of them.

[bitmask]

The only Sears store I've been to recently (last 15 years) is in Vancouver, and they have -- of all things and all places -- a really fantastic paper section. They sell all kinds of funky single sheet wrapping paper, blank cards of the sort you'd send as invitations or nice thank you letters, and such, at a reasonable price. I'd miss their selection when twice a year I want to send someone a physical letter. The rest of the store, meh.

[Sixtopia]

When Eaton's died here in Canada, there was a big fuss, but now no-one misses them. I think the same would happen if Sears disappeared. It's stuffy, boring and there really isn't anything I need from there other than filters for our fridge's ice/water dispenser.

If you want cheap stuff there is Walmart. If you want the best quality, there's plenty of smaller chains and niche store where you can get what you want. There's nothing that makes Sears stand out or be a "must shop" store.

[ANTHONY MOSCHELLA]

MY PARENTS MET WHILE WORKING AT SEARS IN THE 40'S. TWO AUNTS WORKED AT SEARS. MY OLDER BROTHER AND SISTER WORKED AT SEARS. I WORKED AT SEARS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THEY WERE ONCE THE SYMBOL OF WHAT WAS GREAT IN AMERICA. IN THE 70'S, SEARS BEGAN TO TO TOTALLY DISREGARD THEIR SATISFACTION GUARANTEED MOTTO. THEY GET CONTINUALLY WORSE BY THE DAY.

I WOULD NOT MISS SEARS THE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN RECENTLY AND HAVE REACHED THE POINT NOW WHERE I THINK THEY DESRVE TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

[byrdman]

I work at sears now. They dont care about customers. just protection agreements and credit cards. They would rather not sell something if you dont buy the pa. We constantly are pressured and threatened to sell pas and get credit. If we dont meet quotas then we get fired. Tactics to keep customers from buying products withou pas include telling them we dont have that item in stock. Managers bonuses are gave out based on warranty sells not sells. They manage with intimidation and sarcasm in my store.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Sears employee, and sadly, I have to agree with byrdman's comment. Sears as my parents knew it no longer exists. And for those of you who don't know, while kenmore and craftsman are low priced, they are merely rebranded items built by major manufacturers. Sears holdings has become a company of micromanagers.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Sears employee, and sadly, I have to agree with byrdman's comment. Sears as my parents knew it no longer exists. And for those of you who don't know, while kenmore and craftsman are low priced, they are merely rebranded items built by major manufacturers. Sears holdings has become a company of micromanagers.

[Mike]

Would I miss Sears? I thought they had already closed shop.

[Lauren]

I own several Sears appliances and they work wonderfully, thank you very much.