The essential deal was not thought out well. They need to either keep the stores
distinct or meld them maybe S&K for name...they may just as well keep them
separate with a slight intermix of brands like they both carry joe boxer but not the same items...intermixing brands but not carrying the same items may also bring customers to the other stores....Kmart at this point has more potential than Sears because of the new awakening in thrift and the economy being the way it is.

WE NEED TO TAKE SEARS BACK TO WHEN OUR GRANDPARENTS SHOP THERE . TO MANY GUYS SITTING AROUND THINK HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THAT SET US ON THE WRONG COURSE . GET BACK TO BASIC  

I had been a manager 12 years with Kmart. I now work in a different industry. My family was brought up on Kmart in its heyday in the 70's and 80's. I personally worked in the area of store development and openings. As great as Eddie is in keeping kmart alive....he missed the boat on 3 things..

1-IDENTITY-the kmart idea was based on value at a low price. Before Walmart got huge..kmart was the leader. For 20 years the kmart slogan was 'the saving' place'. I remember when that used to even be on the building next to the kmart sign. Go on you tube and see the old commercials! 

 Once Walmart passed them up..they gave up on the saving place.,...they have an identity issue. So many things in life have gone 'retro'..why doesnt kmart bring back their slogan, back in the day of where's the beef.....and the others....people still know this slogan 20-30 years later.

Since the mid nineties..kmart has no image..let people know its the saving place. again...value at a low price..this can still be done with martha, jaclyn, sesame street, joe boxer, and the others...

kmart does not have to be the biggest.....they need to just go back to there roots..the way SS Kresge started it...

2-STORE REMODEL-Eddie is wrong to say he will only invest in a store remodel if he has a return on his investment....there are so many stores out there that need a facelift, inside and out.... 

he has lost market share...part economy, part walmart. But the biggest part is he has negelected the stores appearance...people wont go in them. Some communities have such a run down kmart in them....that people feel kmart does not care about them at all. First we closed stores...leaving bitterensss...then we neglect the stores still open , and people feel like kmart does not want to be a part of its community. Its not the staff...they are great..its the decison to take years and years to renovate stores. example..Sheboygan Wisc..Janesville, Wisc...both with brand new super walmart centers..the store is so run down, so bad....appearance wise.....its a black eye on the company. It should close only if they wont fix it up. I challenge eddy to go there on a surpirise visit...he will see what his stores all over the country look like that have not gotten the makeover. People want to know kmart cares about their community...and it seems they dont care when a store like that is neglected year after year.

3-SEARS--a few years back..Kmart bought Sears, changed the company name to Sears Holdings. After 3 years or so...they still struggle. they said they were stopping sears essentials...converting to Grand.....then why are there still Sears essentials out there? We have Sears, Sears Essentials, Sears Grand, kmart, super kmart. Why 5 different store types. The conversion ot sears didnt work..why not go back to kmart as the foothold..not sears?

maybe they should have sears....kmart.....and SK.....which is both.....and lose the essentials stores, the Grand Stores, and the super kmart stores.

have 3 store divisions:

1-Sears-a sears store with mild cross branding merchandise of kmart.

2-kmart-a kmart store with mild cross branding merchandise of sears.

3-SK--larger buildings that house all sears and kmart products..

essentials didnt work

grand didnt work

dont be so quick to give up on kmart!! use it

 

All this talk about converting some kmarts to sears....

 why not convert some sears to kmart? 1 SK store in a mall, with pharmacy,, grocery, auto care, etc....would have to be a huge hit in a mall...since malls are slowly dieing.....I have to wonder what a SK store..a sears/kmart full mix..would do for a mall..and for Sears holdings...

 example..madison wisconsin closed all 3 kmart stores. yet they have 2 sears. east side and west side. Why not omne kmart, and one sears?

If kmart went back to their roots..i have to believe so much that people will remember, and return.

 

 

 

I like the selection at Kmart but I like the clothes at sears, I would like to see all the stores be combined as S&K, I'm sick of Walmart and Target is a good store but I really want to boycott them for various reasons. I'd love a S&K store, with lots of colors!! Everyone loves a colorful store =)

Boy this is easy: Permit stores to order their own merchandise and stop shipping merchandise that doesn't go out on layouts! Such would result in less merchandise arriving on trucks while that merchandise which Is delivered will actually be needed by the store. Also, stores should be able to refuse merchandise shipments.

Anyone else sick of "late payment fees" when you make the payment on the due date?

This has happened several times! I paid it off and don't plan on ever using Sear card again.

People go to Sears for two reasons:  tools and appliances.  Anything else is an after-thought or an accident.  Until Sears wake sup and realizes that they have these two gold mines (Kenmore applianes and Craftsman tools) they are going to continue circling the drain.

Hi again..Ok...SHC is closing more stores....some poor kmart locations..and Sears Essentials and Sears Grand stores...its been proven, Eddie.....Sears Essentials and Sears Grand did not work...It was wise to stop that program. Why are their essentials and grand stores out there if the program was halted..slap a kmart sign on them, or an SK sign....there is no way a Sears Grand will take on walmart..the name alone tells people it wont save them money....and whoever came up with Essentials needs to resign.....and the team of experts who approved it!....just for stupidity.....In todays economy.....kmart is more relevant than Sears. Take some of your Sears mall stores..offer kmarts merchandise mix....at the end of the day...make kmart relevant in this  economy..and clean up the stores...they need paint jobs, inside and out.....if SHC went retro....and put kmart back on the map with what they did in the 1970s...and started doing circulars in sunday papers again..it would work..why not try a test market with  the old kmart?    signage......wars on prices......wars on value....with its competition..what have you go to lose?... kmart is not target..its stores should go after budget shoppers....not cheap chique!

 I get an email from kmart customer service..asking why kmart does not open 1 to 5 stores a year..just to let the nation know it is stil strong..no new stores in years?.....losing market share everywhere>..solely because kmart has no new stores to roll out,.....not hundreds...a couple a year.....maybe some Sears stores can be converted. It obviously did nto work converitng some kmarts to sears.

Customer servicce rpelied and said they are opening new stores, and referenced Prattville, Alabama. HELLO!!..NOt A NEW STORE!!!...the old one was ripped apart by a tornado. By fixing the walls and re opening a store form a tornado does not qualify as new stores!

ugh!

 Look, the economy is horrible right now..all retailers are hurting..but SHC has been hurting for years. how many CEOS does it take before they realize the stores need an overhaul, stores need to open, ..right now the stores are sittting ducks! Eddie, write a check!..lose grand and essentials......clean up kmart now, and convert some sears stores in malls.. 

 Not angry, .just disappointed watching this chain get flushed.

If you don't like the charge card date changes, go picket Citibank.

They're the ones who OWN the cards.

Sounds like great ideas, hopefully somebody in HQ reads your stuff.

I don't know if Kmart can ever compete on price though...from what I understand with any price changes...Wal-Mart can just start a price war. Still they should remodel at least.

Sears has, according to societal convention, been a catalog store.

Remove the limits on Sears Appliance's inability to order things like Craftsman Tools and the like.

You may see a revenue increase.

In addition, try bringing the tech in the stores up to speed.  Eddie takes a nice fat cut of a paycheck for himself, but doesn't want to put money into stores.

Who wants to shop in a dimly lit, old, filthy, dirty, low tech store, no matter the price of the items in question?

I would love to see Kmart flourish and dominate like they did in theh 70's and early 80's, but sadly, I just dont see it happening anymore. For one thing, my city doesnt even have a Kmart anymore. We have a Sears, but no Kmart. The original Kmart came to my city around 73, and lasted until he early 90's, then they built a SUPER K just down the road from the original one after they closed it. That stayed open for 2-3 years, then closed down, because of poor management, and also them getting ripped off all the time. Then a little later, it reopened, and stayed open fo rmayby a year, then closed for good after that, never to reopen again. as a matter of fact, the old building is in bad shape from neglect. I have very fond memories of shopping at Kmart with my parents and grandparents back in the 70's. I got my school supplies, my toys, and almost everything else at Kmart back then. It was THE store. Sad to say, but Kmart is just a great memory to me now. It will never ever be the same as it once was. So, what is, nothing stays the same. Its not 1975 anymore....But, I still have those great memories of what Kmart once was....R.I.P Kmart.....