Computers & Electronics Discussions

Laptop and desktop systems

I would also like to see more desktops sold at Sears and Kmart. Different manufacturers.

I would like to see the K-Mart at Plattsburgh, NY stock computers and laptops.

As one who currently sales laptops, desktops, and net books one should be careful of these low gross items that go into one's store. Usually one trades dollars with the customers but has to sell the attachments such as the usb cables,extra software, mouse pads, cds/dvs, sleeves, extended warranty services,as well as tech services in order to make any money off of the total baskets. One must also have tech savey asso. to assist the customers in their purchases as well as assist the consumer with follow up questions. Just the sales of computers without accs. will destroy ones gross % and botom line profit.

well hell lets go all the way and take up the slack compusa left when they went out of busness and have em carry apple computers

do you know what kind of people buy apple computers, oh man! Lets just say i dont want to be having to exchange words or worry about getting into fights, when i shop at sears.

optiplex745 said…
do you know what kind of people buy apple computers, oh man! Lets just say i dont want to be having to exchange words or worry about getting into fights, when i shop at sears.

---

why yes I do know

Laptops and PC's are so volatile, that I don't think it would be a good idea to stock items like that.  However, I would like to see more printers and iPod accessories. 

yea given how the tucks are loaded its a wonder any thing survies id hate to think of computers being shipped that way

Haha I agree with rstinnett and goodole, they're low margin items and if they got smashed in a truck shipment (appliances, treadmills, tool boxes, take your pick, they'll find a way) it would be a lot of dollars lost on an already low-profit item.  It's not wise for a retailer like Sears Holdings to carry them in store and keep them in stock.

It is wise to keep them online though.  This way they are safely shipped and inventory can be better managed that way (in central online warehouses instead of thousands of stores).  What Sears should get an agreement with some computer retailer (like Newegg.com, my personal favorite) and sell lots of CPUs, moniters, and computer parts to the consumer.  That way Sears covers everything the customer needs while increasing their market share in the computer sector.

I would like to see Apple products introduced to the sales floor along with a number of Netbook computers

Before one gets into the computer business the really need to take a hard look at it to see if it is profitable. Computers will kill your gross unless you can sell the more profitable items with it to average your net profit out on one's total market basket.

Returns of computers to the vendors are not like other items where you swap $ per $ paid for the item. One normally has to pay the vendor an extra 20% or so to take it back or in other words you have a 20% restocking fee that the vendor receives from you. Another question is does one have knowledgable associates who can sale as well as talk the tech talk to the customer as well as service the computers after they are sold.

One is opening a big can of worms when they start  talking about carrying computers. It is a decision that needs to be looked at from all sides.

 

The net book issue needs to be looked at also as many of them do not have cd/dvd drives/burners in them. They also  have limited memory as well as harddrives. One has to load additional programs from an external dirve or load onto a thumb drive an then put into the net book through a USB port or directly download off the web.

They are  a cute and novel item for checking your email etc but not much else in my opinion. I do not push them much due to limited resources.

Before one gets into the computer business the really need to take a hard look at it to see if it is profitable. Computers will kill your gross unless you can sell the more profitable items with it to average your net profit out on one's total market basket.

Returns of computers to the vendors are not like other items where you swap $ per $ paid for the item. One normally has to pay the vendor an extra 20% or so to take it back or in other words you have a 20% restocking fee that the vendor receives from you. Another question is does one have knowledgable associates who can sale as well as talk the tech talk to the customer as well as service the computers after they are sold.

One is opening a big can of worms when they start about carrying computers. It is a decision that needs to be looked at from all sides.

 

The net book issue needs to be looked at also as many of them do not have cd/dvd drives/burners in them. They also  have limited memory as well as harddrives. One has to load additional programs from an external dirve or load onto a thumb drive an then put into the net book through a USB port.

They are  a cute and novel item for checking your email etc but not much else in my opinion. I do not push them much due to limited resources.

I think both Kmart and Sears should stock at least some computers.  I have many customers who come into my Kmart asking if we have computers and software on a daily and weekly basis.  Kmart could stock some cheaper brands like Wal-Mart does.  Sears could stock the higher priced models.  Sears and Kmart should be taking advantage of Circuit City's demise as well, espeacially the Sears side, and make sure you are stocking high quality electronic equipment.  Do not give up the market share to Best Buy!  Just make sure your buyers are up to date on the latest computers and trends in technology and are not ninty year old buyers, the same ones that buy all the bedazzled Jaclyen Smith clothing, the lime green shirts, and old fuddie duddy Martha bedding.  Kmart needs to be hip, trendy, chic, like Target w/o there high prices.  That along with clean and modern stores will bring in more younger shoppers and families. Kmart and Sears can't keep cutting their way to profitablity.  Could someone name a company who has? Eddie really needs to look at least spending some capital on the stores as they are atrocious and ugly in some areas of the country compared to their competitors stores.  We can't keep lossing 10% market share per month and expect to survive next year.  Oh well, just another ponzi type Madoff scheme to shutter the stores and line Eddie and his cronies pockets with billions and sell off the brands.  Eddie would you take a job a minumum wage to start or take only $1 dollar in salary this year?

Best Buy can have all that computer market share.  Sears Holdings does not need to invest in computers.  They're low margin, full of trouble, and they would need to invest heavily buy buying in bulk to even compete with other retailers on price.

It's just not worth it.

If computers had higher margins, more retailers would bother with them.

Sears will compete with Circuit City's former customers when it comes to TV's, gaming systems, and GPS devices, but there's no point in jumping full force into the computer business.  It would be a disaster.

I don't know where you get the "We can't keep lossing 10% market share per month and expect to survive until next year.  Oh well, just another ponzi type Madoff scheme to shutter the stores and line Eddie and his cronies pockets with billions and sell off the brands"

Market share in what?  SHLD has been the #1 fitness retailer in the nation, the #1 appliance retailer in the nation (market share has grown 6 consecutive quarters), Craftsman is the #1 brand in tools and almost all lines of lawn and garden equipment.  How is SHLD freefalling?  They have pumped millions of dollars in capital expenses trying to invigorate stores and they continue to do so.  I believe this year will be a turning point for the company both in competitive sales/margin and the perception of SHLD as a very viable contender.

I can see the tone of hating on people who make mad money off of retail/banking/stocks etc due to recent events.  Eddie Lampert is not going to just tear the company to shreds.  He's putting a lot more trust into those below him and has stepped away from micromanaging the company.  He's cleared his sheets of hundreds of millions of dollars of needless inventory and expenses and really streamlined the company while also investing in very worthwhile programs and initiatives.

Other retailers may come and go, but Sears Holdings is here to stay.

Good points.  If Sears were to fail, a lot of other companies would go down with them.  Whirpool and other appliance manufacturers depend on Sears as they are their biggest contracts. 

You also forgot to mention that Sears is also the largest home service organization in the US. 

I always thought it was a bad move by Sears to get rid of their big catalog and Christmas catalog. Now they have a Christmas catalog. I'm sure they are making it up with online sales. Now all the other stores are free falling and Sears and Kmart are starting to level off.

I don't know what was in the air today, but the Sears in Columbia, MO was packed!  The lady helping me in the shoe department said she hadn't seen it this busy in months.  The parking lot was just bumper to bumper and it seemed like appliances were just flying out the door. 

Maybe the recession is over!

na the early filers got their tax refunds back

Probably true; but at least its a good sign for Sears that people were flocking to the store to buy stuff. 

MAC computers?

Oh, those are the things those "right-brainers" use.

Give me a PC any day!

:)

carry many computer accessories in store such as mouse, keyboards, flash drives, usb cables, printers, ink and paper; but no computer

I would say we need to carry Apple computers, but even if we did I would probably still buy it directly from Apple. Soo meh don't waste the money on the overhead. Just allow for computers to be ordered online to come into all stores so they can be put on layaway.