Yes they do, thanks for asking. As we grow the Community, more of these comments are being used to help senior management shape new programs and experiences for our customers.

We are also going to start showcasing some of the changes that we are making that had their origins in the Community. So keep the ideas coming, we really value your thoughts.

Hello rob I was hoping I get a reply from you. I have been very vocal on these boards
hoping to use the fact that for some reason I love kmart and my varied retail background to help and expose ideas for Kmarts brass..I sent I direct letter to Ed
Lampert as well....Thats great I hope they see the suggestions mine included, have they ever contacted a posted or commenter directly before or on the these boards??? I know I don;t hold the purse here but there is so much that can be done.

P.S where Can I find the posts or annoucements showing the changes made
from direct Sk-you postings?

The brass need a walk around Kmart [Mayaguez PR]  I went in yesterday and the cart stall had a display of bath towels. Not a cart in sight. We went to Wal mart. syl

Hi Everyone! I'm part of the team here on the site so if I can answer any questions let me know and I will be happy to answer them or forward it along to someone who can!

Really, please forward all the retail man suggestions...I have some motives because
I really like tons of  things about Kmart and want them to be around in some form. Also
trying to form my ideas from my experience in the field of retail/retail management/
shoes sales and merchandising...

I just wanted to comment how nice it is to actually get answers when posting here.  I am new here (today is first day).  I post on a number of forums and although there are moderators, they are not people who actually work there or give much if any real answers.  I think this makes us (posters) feel much more important.  Like we are truly helping to shape the community.  I know I agree with retailman.  For whatever reason I like Kmart, and would like to keep them around.  I just wish there was one a little bit closer to me......

Thanks Strawberry glad to know my ideas are appreciated. Kmart has a lot of
growth potential maybe not in new stores as yet but in redesign, updating the
shopping experience and the stores, better product choice, less stores but more
quality maybe one of thre best things Kmart can do at this point. I hope to help them
with this as best I can.

That's good to hear Rob.  I've always been a fan of Sears,  My family has been involved with Sears at various levels of management from the 1940's to the 1970's. 

After the 70's we became just consumers. lol.


Damon.

Will the brass ever contact people on these boards for further discussion of ideas and suggestions?..........

That is the intention. It looks like the boards are filling up and I do know that people on this end are reading them and reaching out to customers individually. Hope you don't mind being stuck with me for the time being (I guess I am part of the "brass" that you mention). As we are connecting this community to other areas of the company, my hope is to get the dialog going across the organization. I do feel pretty strongly that there needs to be direct dialog not just with the top managers but with the our associates who interact with customers day to day. We will be posting some of the changes as well, but I hope our customers will start to see the actual changes in the store, on service calls and on-line. It may take a little time, but everyone is behind this. Thanks!

 Rob

Thanks for your kind note. I am glad that we are getting a good mix of both customers and associates in these discussions. Our goal is to get everyone talking openly. That is not always easy (especially in corporate America), but we want to keep serving our customers, and listening is an important part of building real relationships. We aren't always going to get it right, but hopefully by having these forums we can make sure we are headed in the right direction.

Thats great becuase I would love to be involved.

Hi Rob

My freinds and I spearheaded a campaign of 25, 000 signtures a year ago to Mr. Alwyn Lewis. He is gone, what about our petition? A petition to bring kmart back to Madison Wisconsin, Wausau, Wisconsin, and renovate existing stores in the rest of Wisconsin? 

We understand the shutting of several hundred stores a few years back. Our hopes were kmart would grow again someday.

But it has been 3 years or more. No new sears, no new kmarts. We CLEARLY heard Mr. Lampert say that before we can grow, we have to start from the roots and know what we have before we grow it. We agee.

The problem we have is this...I am a cheesehead, born and raised..and am loyal to kmart., ..and so many stores were closed here in Wisconsin.  I see on kmart.com the list of so many stores that have beeen renovated. NONE in Wisconsn. the SHC construction department has no renovations on schedule for Wisconsin last time I spoke to them. This is why we got over 25, 000 signatures in Madison, WI.

Madison, WI-There were 3 kmart stores there. ALL 3 have been closed. One was tore down, and walmart has opened there on the old kmart site..its the largest 24 hour supercenter in the country.  The other 2 were redeveloped inot other retailers.

Wausau, WI..had 2 stores..one was shut during bankruptcy. the other left open. then the government has kmat close its only store in wausau for a freeway expansion..why didnt kmart re-open?

Now wausau, a town of almost 100,000 has no kmart at all. If that kmart store in wausau survived the bankruptcy, why wouldnt they rebuild when they had to bulldoze it for a freeway? Have you been to northern Wisconsin?

there are no kmarts at all from wausau north to upper michigan...there are none until you get into Michigan. Our petition of 25, 000 wa sot get a kmart back in Madison, and back in Wausau.

So that leaves Stevens Point, Wi to have the only kmart in nort central Wisconsin. a remodel is 10 years past due.

Sheboygan, WI...this store is so run down, inside and out, its an embarrassment to your compnay. It should be closed, on its appearance alone...or in a new building all together.

there are 2 Sears stores in Madison. Why not make 1 a kmart, and one a Sears?

Madison is a town of almost 200, 000 people..and the nearest kmarts are all half hour or more away.

Janesville, Platteville, Fort Atkinson, and Portage. All 4 of these stores are run down...if you include all the surrounding area...almost 400, 000 people have these 4 old, outdated kmart stores to shop at.

Mr. Lampert says he wil not invest in a store remodel nless he has a return. how wil lhe know this unless he approves a remodel?

How can SHC igore and make so many stores wait for a remodel? The communites wnat to see their kmart re done!!!

Overwhelmingly most people i talk to have this problem with kmart:

You closed al lot of stores, yes. You had to so the compancan stay alive. Those people who lost their kmart had no choice but to go to competition, or drive further to a kmart.

Then the bitterness, --the people loyal to kmart feel disrespected because SHC has neglected the upkeep of their stores. how can a company serving the madison area, have 4 kmart stores outside the metro area, that are in despearte need of a remodel? If you need to clsoe stores to stay alive.,...then ok...but its like SHC doesnt care about the communities where it has a store. if it cared, the stores would be beautiful, bright, and fresh.

All i want to say is we love kmart. Show you care by sweeping through the state of Wisconsin, and remodel and paint these stores, take down the old signage..get the communities talking, buzzing, that kmart is back.

then we hear kmart is in a 5 year plan to re invent itself. Great, its going on 2 years now, and not even a third of the stores are renovated.

here is my question--kmart bought sears..changed name to Sears Holdings. 3-4 years later..the company stil struggles. So, having sears the parent company did not work, why not make kmart the parent to sears?

Sears Grand--did not work

Sears Essentials-did not work

kmart, super-k, big k, sears, sears essentials, sears grand--why so many brands?

Now, SHC talked of converting kmarts ot sears..thats not working....why not convert some sears to kmarts? 

if kmart has a 5 year plan..when is small topwn USA gonna see it?

suggestion:

have 3 stores

1-kmart....with some sears product lines

2-sears--a traditional sears, with some kmart lines

3-S/K--a sears-kmart hybrd in larger buildings with all of kmart and sears products. some possiblt 24 horus.

have you seen a  grocery department in sears grand..its a joke...NO one will evr choose a sears grand over a walmart or target..but We have to belive kmart is more poised to take on walmart and target..not sears.

 

please go to you-tube---look at the 1970's kmart commercials....go back to 'the saving place' as a motto. you will never beat walmart..but you can be with the bigboys..ist like kmart is fadinsg into the sunset, and non oen at SHC cares.

All i ask today, is if I may get a reply, with a time frame on when kmart stores in Wisconsin will be renovated, inside and out.....

and if they will ever open a kmart store in Wausau..and Madison, which desperatly need kmart to come back.

thank you for your time.

PS--notice the passion in this email...25, 000 people cant be wrong.

 

 

 

 

I think it's important to point out that Sears doesn't even necessarily fit into the same category as Target/Wal-Mart. Granted, the Sears Grande concept went in that direction a bit, but generally speaking, Sears is a bit more upscale. With that said, I believe the Sears brand has more strength than the Kmart brand. Kmart's stores have not received real investment in literally decades and it has taken a toll. Generally, there's space for three major competitors in a segment, and Kmart still has the opportunity to play successfully in the discount space should they invest appropriately in the stores. Still, I think it'll be a little easier to revive the Sears brand right now. In both cases, there has to be a willingness to invest in the stores (and employees) and make the shopping experience pleasurable.

Great - if the brass reads this information perhaps they will consider the fact the pay for all field personnel isn't even in line with the competition.  When SHC is willing to pay for quality management and quality associates, the customer service will be there.  Morale - low in most stores in my area, low because management receives unattainable expectations from upper management via email, store visits, action planners, etc., and the stuff rolls downhill.  To have great morale in the stores it is imperative the field team from SGC on down to the lowest-paid employee feel as if they are winning more often than losing but when they are bombarded constantly with new POGS and resets after cutting payroll down to the bone, then the Hoffmanites come in for a visit and tear the stores apart, you are left with an unattainable list of to-dos to be added to the truckload of other to-dos and no wonder management are always moody and way too direct to their employees.  Cost of doing biz?  Ghost towns doomed to have horrible CSATS and lower floor traffic because the few employees on the floor are overworked and underpaid and somewhat understandably grouchy and unhelpful with the customers.

Last but not least, corporate needs to take comments such as these and stop dismissing it as disgruntled whining when all the ASMs in my area would and do agree with all of the above but dont ask them to verify, they're terrified of corporate catching any wind of it out of fear of retribution and a destroyed career.  I'm glad Hoffman has established this website to find their missing links - if they're sincere about fixing what has become terribly broken.  Six years ago, Sears was the best company I had ever worked for.  Now it's become a hostile working environment for most.  Get that old culture back and SHC will be on its way to a slow recovery.

Customer Service and the web-site could also use some assistance.  We signed up for the two $5 coupons.  When you get the email, you are prompted to enter a log-in and password.  The catch is, when you sign up, you are not required to create a PW.  When I contacted customer service, via email, they blew me off (twice).  So, either they have poorly trained CSRs or they simply don't care.

"Do Kmart (sear hldg) Brass read these pages???"

Of course they do.... Simply because I have a strong suspicion that atleast half the members here are cronies from Hoffman Estates who pose as "customers" to make the company look more positive then it is. I have been sifting through the postings here and too many of them look fake. As far as im concerned this site has little to no credibility.

So do they implement ideas brought up here repeatly by a poster who wants to help only to not acknowledge the idea/technique etc came from somewhere else other than "corporate." I scan the circulars everyweek and the sec in fo on the Kmart company and learn about there products, the purchase of footstar proporties etc.. I see whats going on but i digress, great Idea thanks alot!

Perfect CSATS are expected...