https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/10/15/business/sears-bankruptcy/index.html. Some are saying Sears was the Amazon in its day, but many note that they haven’t been in, or bought from a Sears in many years. The last thing we bought was a washer/dryer set (made by LG but sold by Sears) about 5-6 years ago. When was the last time you shopped at Sears? What did you buy?
Their tire and auto service work great for us. I hope they find a way to keep that part of the business.
Sears is like one of those celebrities that you didn’t even realize is still alive until some news story comments about their ill health. There is a Sears near us and it is an abysmal, depressing place to shop. Its not well kept and really looks grim. Other retailers, like Best Buy, understood that they need to put money into making the shopping experience pleasant if they want to lure customers. They were able to turn themselves around in a big way. Sears and KMart have never understood this.
We bought our washer from Sears after a lot of struggling a few years ago. The online price was MUCH better than the instire price. The sales guy in store had to work to change the order so I could get the item delivered and installed at thebonline proce but eventually we were able to get it as promised and it works fine. It was quite frustrating to try to get them to honor the online price.
The nearby Sears closed years ago and the further away store is very small and not particularly attractive. I haven’t been in it since I last went there in January to return Lands End items I bought my mom online that didn’t fit. We bought my sister a water filter for her fridge there a year ago as well. Those are about the he only times we’ve been to that store in the past 5 or so years.
I quit shopping at Sears when I went in, found some clothes I liked, got in line, and tried to pay with my Sears Card. It was declined. WTH? The cashier didn’t know. It was embarrassing to be holding up the line. I paid with another cc. When I got home I called and was told it had been cancelled because I hadn’t used it in a long time. They possibly could have sent notification - I’m not sure. I don’t shop for clothing often so usually just toss all sorts of “advertisement” from stores without looking at them in detail.
We used to get the vast majority of our appliances there, but stopped that some years ago when one had to order replacement parts and couldn’t just pick them up at that store.
There are other places to shop. I don’t miss them at all. I can reminisce as a lass eagerly flipping through their catalog, esp at Christmas, but they aren’t the same store now. They may have the same name as the formerly good place, but they aren’t the same store.
My H shops at Sears for tools and tires, etc. I told him to go to the one near us and stock up on filters for our Shopvacs and the like. I have two gift cards that I guess I should use soon. A year or so ago, I bought some clothing there. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on the pink flowered skirt and how many shocked expressions I got when I said it came from Sears. There’s a K-Mart in Penn Station that I shop at often. I buy things like socks and underwear there and I picked up a bunch of clothing for my trip to Europe. I received many compliments, including from my boss, on some of the non sock and underwear items. Either Sears and K-Mart have better clothing than most would think or I used to really dress horribly!
Seriously, I remember the days when getting a Sears credit card was a sign that you had arrived financially. One of my friend’s dads worked at Sears for years and he didn’t even qualify to get a card. When I got my Sears card, I was as proud as when I got my first Amex.
@creekland - Macys did that to me several years ago: cancelled the card b/c I hadn’t used it in 2 years (it was like 2 years and a week when I tied to use it). They couldn’t just reopen it, so they claim, and wanted me to reapply (um, nope- my credit is frozen anyway ant it would be a pain) AND they wanted me to get a macy’s visa/MC card (I forget which). Double nope.
Yes, when the kids were younger, they were handy to get packs of underwear and clothing in the kids department. They had packs of men’s underwear at reasonable prices too.
We used to get oil changes there but they would always recommend big servicing jobs. I’d have them write it up and then take it in to my mechanic who would always say or wasn’t needed. There was a lawsuit that Sears settled showing that they did recommend lots of work that wasn’t needed, so my experience wasn’t unique. We stopped getting cars serviced there after awhile—too frustrating.
Macy’s closed our CCard that H has had there for many decades with no notice to us as well, though they kept sending us coupons. Their clerks kept begging us to sign up for a CCard there, so we have and were declined TWICE (because our credit is frozen and they never bothered to ask us to unfreeze and bureau—our scores are 800+)! We rarely ever shop there any more and the stores seem pretty empty.
Sears had the dumpiest, dingiest stores with the most unfashionable women’s clothing… If a store doesn’t have women coming in to browse and then see other things, they aren’t going to make it. Men bought tools at Sears and homeowners would buy appliances, but that’s not enough business to keep going. The Sears at our mall has been closed for years.
I had like 25-30 lbs to lose after the birth of my oldest. It was hard to get off (was always jealous of women who lose it quickly ore easily). I was nursing and watching what I ate but still struggled. So, to help my motivation, I decided to go to Sears and buy clothes that (a) were easy to nurse in (b) looked ok for work and/or casual wear and © I would donate and get out of my closet as soon as I lost the weight. Worked like a charm 
We bought our fridge from Sears (not a Kenmore) almost 3 years ago. DH bought some Lands End polos last winter. Prior to that we hadn’t bought something at Sears in over 8 years (a Kenmore vacuum).
We had a Sears card ages ago that also got cancelled for lack of use. It was never worthwhile to get it reinstated or reapply since we bought things at Sears so rarely.
DH shops there for tools. A couple weeks ago we ordered a table saw for his mom’s birthday. Sears gave us $75 in bonus Shop Your Way points with the order which we’re supposed to get in three installments. So for the first $25 he ordered saw blades which after points and the $10 coupon they also gave us, cost $1.26 delivered to our house. Our next $25 starts 10/20 and the next 11/20. We’ll see if we get to use them!
We still like Lands End for my mom—quality slacks st good price.
@bjscheel - I love that a table saw is an appropriate gift for your MIL!
My first tools were Craftsman. When I was a teenager my father gave me a box of broken screwdrivers and wrenches for my birthday. Sears honored the lifetime warranty and replaced them without any hassle.
I used to shop the Lands End sales racks regularly for my kids when they were young. On those rare occasions I am in a mall now I will still wander through the Lands End section, though I rarely buy anything.
The only reason I’ve been to Sears in recent years is to return Lands End clothes I bought online, and then to shop for more Lands End clothes. I think the last non-clothing item I bought there was a microwave, but that was several years ago.
Sears is the closest shopping to my house but I rarely go in. It is a old building and they haven’t kept the inside up. Same mall also has a sad shopping experience Macy’s. Our KMart just closed or is in the process of closing. With both Sears and KMart closed it will be a real loss for lower income families in our area.
I buy my trash compactor bags from them. I used to go in and pick them up but the last few times I’ve just ordered online. I bought 4 packages last order but I think I’ll buy more. We bought my D a bbq grill this summer. I also bought a Lands End tankini top before a sailing trip last spring. We also bought my other D a refrigerator last year online.
The surprise isn’t that Sears filed for bankruptcy. The surprise is that it took this long to finally die. I worked part time at Sears during the '80s and even then it was obvious that it was a dead man walking. Unappealing clothing and poorly maintained stores. No idea if they had remained focused on tools and appliances if they would have had a chance to survive, but at least by the 80s, it was painfully clear they weren’t competitive as a department store.
A couple of months ago when we were at Home Depot, we learned that HD will soon carry Craftsman tools.
I actually like some of the clothing I’ve found at Sears. The reason I have rarely shopped at the two mall stores near me is that they are kept at a weirdly warm temperature. Year round. I can only stand it for about ten minutes, especially if I’m wearing a coat.
Tires, Kenmore appliances, and Craftsman tools. The rest of the stuff was either crap or could be easily found elsewhere.