Sears and Kmart closings

[JD4570]

It's no surprise about the closure of more Sears and K-marts. They started cutting corners long ago and just keep repeating the same vicious cycle. What's sad is that Wal-Mart has now started doing the same stupid mistakes, cutting hours, only hiring part timers and stopped merchandising. It's only a matter of time before they are in the same mess. Sad, too sad.

 

[rancher hicks]

Wegmans, one of our leading grocery stores doesn't even have "sales" anymore. Their ads just tout what is in the store at the regular prices. Watch your ads they no long say something is discounted. They might say "Compare at" but never say where the "at" is.

I bought jeans at TSC for cheaper than in K-mart. Even cheaper than the Rescue Mission if you take into account I'm buying "new" and not "used". At my age you don't want to see me in "skin tight" jeans. Skin sagging is more like it.

I used to wear "Bell bottoms". With the stomach I've got I need "Bell tops". I need suspenders to hold my belt up.

Old age don't look good, just take a look at Dolly. Can she stretch her skin any tighter? Any tighter and she'll look like she's from China.

Rancher

 

[rufus]

If you come from a part of society that is accustomed to living on welfare, food stamps, WIC and all of the other social welfare programs, then maybe it does look like things are getting better. That is the world of the community organizer.

But if you come from a working class background and you can't get a job, well then your opinion of the situation will be a lot different.

Have you noticed that certain politicians will not use the term "working class" but instead use the term "middle class." By definition, most people are not middle class, but are working class. It seems the term "working class" offends their non working, social parasite constituency.

Eventually, it will all come to a head. No matter how much more money the government prints, inflation will set in and the shelves of grocery stores will be bare. The government cannot force companies to sell valuable goods for bad money. In Venezuela Chavez had factories and stores seized because they wouldn't do that.

But guess what? Stores themselves don't produce food. Factories do not produce products if they cannot buy raw materials.

I dread the day that the government cannot or will not load those food stamp cards. Those people will not be denied.

Rufus

 

[Spookwriter]

I wouldn't go to Sears on a dare. Wouldn't have their product if
it was free. Even though I posted in another thread that I bought
a scratch and dent tool box there for $50.00, that's exactly what it
is and all it's worth. Lightduty at best.

As a shopper I am not satisfied with the quality of their product. And
I'm not willing to settle. I WILL buy elsewhere.

Bought my wife a new riding mower from Sears some several years ago.
It didn't last a season. Spent more time in the shop than in my yead. The
answer? I pushed in into the scrap pile and left it. A lawn mower that couldn't
cut grass isn't much good to me.

Tools? I own good tools. Craftsman used to be a good tool. Not these days.
Maybe for light duty homeowner use. Not a good commercial use tool.

The quality of Sears no longer meets my needs.

K-Mart is different. Local K-Mart is a dirty store with poor help. Sure, you can park
right at the front door. Even in the Christmas season rush. Because you're one of
the very few customers willing to put up with their incompetence.

That doesn't make me a Wal-Mart fan, but I rank Wal-Mart as above Sears and K-Mart.
I gladly pay the price at the few stores around who still have decent products and
care about customer service. But they're getting harder and harder to find.

Will I miss Sears and K-Mart? Maybe a little bit. But they both forced me to shop
elsewhere if I expected a decent product for a reasonable price in a clean store.

 

[rufus]

Well, I went to the mall last week, and about half of the stores are empty. The mall management has displays from the still open stores in the windows of the closed shops. When the big stores closed, the little shops lost their draw.

On the bright side, today we went shopping in the barrio, and business was brisk. But most of what was being sold is previously owned stuff. Well, at least that is not more money going to China.

Rufus

 

[Cetawin]

Personally I'll be glad to see them leave. I hate going into Kmart. It looks and feels gross. Sears pricing is ludicrous and their staff is always unfriendly.

If you had any idea what those employees have been going through for years it might make better sense to you. Sears is a horrid employer. As they began as a mail order company way back when, they will most likely return to that platform.

 

[EweSheep]

If you had any idea what those employees have been going through for years it might make better sense to you. Sears is a horrid employer. As they began as a mail order company way back when, they will most likely return to that platform.

You got that right! Hubby enjoyed working in there but its the managements and poor communication made it go downhill. Even a female clerk got hubby fired simply because she accused him (and others later down the line, that worked there for years!) of sexual harassment. He simply was letting her know at the stop light that her back brake lights was out.

 

[EweSheep]

Sears at the mall last week was kind of "dead". Skeleton crew you might say. However never a shortage of "How may I help you?" I would politely inform them I am just browsing. Then pop up another clerk saying the same thing......ugh! What did they do, take turns in giving out greetings? I was at my wit's end of those greetings that I wanted simply yell at them " LEAVE THE **** ME ALONE!" Yeah, I'm going to get nasty but common sense prevails!

They really marked down their items so cheaply and makes me wonder if they are "house cleaning" the items. They are also cutting back on the numbers of TV's because across the street was their competitor, Best Buy, is taking their customers away for better bargains. Wally World is another competitor which it is across the highway from Sears.

Kmart is struggling around her lately. Christmas stuff was marked down to 80 to 90 percent off. Only three ladies working at the register in the whole hour I was there. Never a busy time yet.

 

[rufus]

Walmart did away with the door greeters. Security is now in charge of checking exiting customers. The door greeters were sent out to the departments to say "May I help you?" and other scripted things. I suspect the clientele will resent this constant annoyance.

Unfortunately, I foresee a lot of pink slips for Walmart employees.

Working in the retail trade has never been a real good job, but losing the only job you have is worse.

Rufus

 

[rufus]

This issue of alleged "sexual harassment" is a real problem. I am sure there are plenty of cases of actual real harassment out there, but there are a ton of fabricated and imagined cases also.

I once had an employee just sitting at her desk crying. I asked what was wrong, what happened? She said she was raped on the bus coming to work. Now I know that line she rides on is real crowded with people working in the county court house, people like sheriff department employees. The likely hood of such a thing happening was nil.

But then she said some guy raped her with his eyes. I instantly knew I was dealing with a nut case. I never looked right at her after that, but I had her transferred to my worst enemy's department. He had to deal with her.

Rufus