Sears Canada

[Skywatcher]

Greetings All

Is Sears in the US still going strong? Up here in Canada, Sears has filed for bankruptcy, closed all their service centers and are liquidating all remaining stock from their retail outlets. A few of my customers who own Sears branded machines are in panic mode as they don't know where to go for parts. I've assured them that if they still have the owner's manual with the parts break down, I can probably cross reference the Sears part numbers to EHP or HOPC numbers. Is anyone else getting calls from worried customers? All the best,

Sky

[bgsengine]

They are closing more retail stores here in the USA, and they seem to still be struggling to figure out how to stop the red ink... they sold off the craftsman tools brand, they stopped selling Kenmore appliances (I think) and seems nobody even thinks about them much any more, or kmart - Between walmart, amazon, and home depot they're just getting hammered from all sides... they need some management to re-invent the company but I think they are running out of time and eventually Sears Holdings will go the way of the DoDo Bird.

[KE4AVB]

Actually it is Whirlpool and Maytag appliances which they have sold for over 100 years that they quit carrying. If I remember correctly they couldn't get the price breaks they need to be competitive with the other retailers.

They are nearly gone here, they just closed the last K-Mart in North Alabama. There is outlet type Sears store in Fayetteville, TN that has a Husqvarna ZTR that has been sitting outdoor for six month with awaiting service tag on it. I think this Christmas season will be the make it or break it point for Sears.

With all that is happening to Sears I too am wondering if they will provide someone with part look-ups at that we all depend on for servicing their equipment. This is because most customers here usually file the owner manuals in File 13 as soon as they get it and I then depend on SearsPartDirect to look-up those items.

As for retail stores closing there will be more in the future as customers move over to the internet shops. Even myself do about half of my buying off the net mainly because I am by myself and need to be at my shop during the day. It doesn't help much either that every store bigger than the Mom and Pop convenience store is over 30 miles away. Takes an hour to make the round trip just to find out they don't have what I needing even when I go to multiple shops.

Recently I was needing bearings to rebuild a deck I ended up going to three different auto parts stores in Fayetteville just to get the 6 bearings. I ended up ordering the 25 stock bearings out of Memphis,TN which is enough to do 4 decks.

[Walt 2002]

It is amazing, for most of my nearly 85 years Sears was the Worlds best store and suddenly it is failing, considering 85 years. We built 3 new houses using Sears for plumbing, electrical, heating/air conditioning, flooring and tools. Order before 11 am and item was here the next day most of the time. Return, no problem. Source of reference for many, many things, rough openings, sizes.

Walt Conner

[Luffydog]

From what I understand the main had bought up some islands and living the high dream and it had costed him the whole business and also he's mad because they won't give him the bail out for the 2nd or 3rd time from what I have read. When he was bailed out he bought a island and some other stuff with his money and ran. We have had one to close here but the other is independent so who knows what they going to do. Might be a good time to buy somethings and put up for a good ole profit when they don't make them anymore. Kinda like all the original Star Wars items. Some things we will all forget about as time goes by and others that r growing up won't even heard of to forget.

[creia]

It is amazing, for most of my nearly 85 years Sears was the Worlds best store and suddenly it is failing, considering 85 years. We built 3 new houses using Sears for plumbing, electrical, heating/air conditioning, flooring and tools. Order before 11 am and item was here the next day most of the time. Return, no problem. Source of reference for many, many things, rough openings, sizes.
Walt Conner

Walt,
Sears is not "SUDDENLY failing" (emphasis added to stress point). They have been in trouble (and closing stores) for MANY years. Every year they make the list of stores most likely to go out of business.
Michael

[KE4AVB]

It looks to causality of the personal computer and the internet like many other brick and mortar stores. It sorta like the full service gas station of the pass. I haven't seen one in many years.

I am guilty of shopping on the internet for many years myself; mostly due lack of products I need locally.

[Luffydog]

This would be a good place to open up like a small branch of a parts store and have a part in both worlds selling and fixing.

[Luffydog]

Thinking we are all guilty of that sometime or another if your not u will be soon enough like u said lack of.

[Walt 2002]

" Walt,
Sears is not "SUDDENLY failing" (emphasis added to stress point). "

That is relative, at my age it is suddenly.

Walt