Hi Rob,
When I worked at K-Mart, about 20 years ago one of the most frustrating things for me was that we never had the items (or a very limited amount) that ran in the weekly circular. Sundays, were a horrible day if you worked at K-Mart; customers would get so mad as they would come early just to be told we did not have in stock what we advertised. Sadly it is still the same today.
Now, in Fayette County WV we have one K-Mart; and it is in sad shape. There are some really great people that work there, and then there are some who seem to have no training what so ever in customer service. Usually at K-Mart there are very few customers, one register open and one person at the door who looks at your receipt and looks through your buggy. I feel like a criminal every time I shop there. Bottom line is if you guys want to compete with Wal-Mart prices on every day items are going to have to be lowered. I know Wal-Mart gets all of their cheap stuff from China, heck they own the factories and I hate Wal-Mart; we here in Fayette County (a lot of us) would never shop at Wal-Mart if there was an alternative. Sadly they are always cheaper on most everyday purchases so people in this state have no choice but to shop Wal-Mart. I am really afraid that one day they will be the only store left and then just wait and see how their prices go up.
Sears has done great things through the years and our local K-Mart is a contributor to our local charities, even though we aren't quite sure how they can be. You need to figure out a way to make your employees happy and proud again, I was proud of my job when I worked at K-Mart, and at least in this part of the country there is no pride in retail work anywhere anymore. Have a great day, Pam

The best ways to improve Sears and Kmart are by implementing improved systems for inventory management and price leadership. If Sears or Kmart are going to offer to sell a product then the product must be provided to the customer who makes the purchase within an acceptable time frame. Customers who do not receive products in an acceptable or offered time frame are offended and become disenchanted with the store. You have to know how much inventory you have, where it is and how long it will take to get it. I recommend spending the money to upgrade inventory systems. It will save you both money and customers in the long run. With regards to pricing, I believe that Sears needs to be especially aggressive in pricing clothing and household goods. The Sears stores offer great appliance and tool products, but the  stores need more traffic. The stores always seem to be empty. If the store is empty except for the one or two customers in the appliance section and you are not selling any clothing anyway because the average customer has to go to Walmart where they can afford to pick up socks, shoes and underwear for their kids, then why not drop the prices on these items. Put some value out there, give the customer a larger pack of socks or underwear with a price that makes them come to your store. Drop the prices on kids shoes. Why not draw a crowd to your stores, increase the enthusiasm. Customers get up everyday and get excited about going to Walmart because they feel that they are going to get something. You have to generate that excitement in your customers and since you do not have the same products as Walmart you have got to draw the crowds with the apparel and for the home items. I realize that Sears and Kmart are very large stores and incur tremendous operating expenses but the public perception is based on value and value in a customers mind is a deal that benefits them or their family. If you provide the products at the correct price the customers will support you. One other idea, Sears needs more off mall locations. You can not be afraid to grow. Just be determined to succeed.

My greatest dislike of all department stores is the amount of time it takes at checkout, and Sears and Kmart are as bad as any.  Once I have my items, I want fast checkout.  No store manager should ever allow someone to stand in  the checkout line over 45 seconds before being waited on.  Even a "pay extra" line where you are charged a 10% fee for rush service would be helpful.  I do not go from store to store to see who has prices that may save me 20 or 30 cents, but I have frequently left product on the counter and walked out when I had to wait.  There was even one K-Mart store in Pineville NC where I waited at the counter in the gardening section for 5 minutes and never saw an employee.  I could have easily walked out with my item and no one would have known the difference.  Instead I went back to the main checkout only to see lines.  I went back to the gardening area, and still no one.  I left the product on the counter and walked out got in my car and drove over to Target.  Why can't stores grasp the idea that checkout is the one area that everyone who buys must use?  This is your #1 impression area for every buyer.

in the store i work the moral is so low everyone is looking for new jobs no1 is making money theres no customers and we keep changing rules and coming up with clean and bright and forcing assc to be apart of friends and family night fashion show . i walk around and i can see that no1 wants to be there unhappy assc make unhappy customer as shown in our c-sats we need to raise commisson rates instead of dropping them its very hard to live off what we make in sears even as a lead i barley make it . sears is a sinking ship with men and suits at the wheel  

Kmart needs to update!!!!  They are old and outdated.  To compete they need a large grocery dept to go along with other expansion

checkoutis1 said…
My greatest dislike of all department stores is the amount of time it takes at checkout, and Sears and Kmart are as bad as any.  Once I have my items, I want fast checkout.  No store manager should ever allow someone to stand in  the checkout line over 45 seconds before being waited on. 

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yea theres a 5 min guarantee and a cupon if you pick something big up from thier warehouse but nothing if your stuck in line while 5 people ahead of you have to hear about a credit card with a way to high intrest rate and asking if they want spam from sears by giving them thier email

The sears and kmart by our house in Vegas are always like a ghost town, more Sears. It's like there are so many things wrong with these stores I don't even know where to begin. And what really gets me is someone in a suit is making big bucks and putting these two stores out of business with their horrible ideas. I'm shocked the Sears by us is still open. I can't imagine how they can pay their employees.

Here's my list of random things that come to mind that I would change (and you don't have to pay me $100,000 a year for my input!!)

1. Get registers that have a screen that shows the the price of things as the cashier is ringing it up, and a subtotal too.

2. Put some color in the store, sterile white is for hospitals (which they don't even do that anymore usually) Shopping is supposed to be FUN paint some fun colors and do something with the floor.

3. It's too open feeling. I like to get lost in aisles and racks of clothes. Lower the ceiling a little. Make it more "homey" feeling.

4. Don't make the shelves too high and too close together, it's weird and I can't wait to get out of there.

5. Don't make people wait to check out or have an clueless customer service person who has to keep pulling the cashier from the check out making people wait longer.

6. Don't play moldly old people music, this makes me nuts and it's depressing! Shopping should be fun and happy!!!!

7. Don't make people push the exit doors open, this is maddening when you have bags and a little kid!

8. Don't face your store toward the setting sun! Hello?! This is Vegas it's hot as hell and a store that has a shaded entrance is a blessing, especially when the store shades the parking lot, both kmart and sears face the sun most of the day!!

9. Don't put candy in the check out lane!! Having to tell my kids "NO you can't have candy" ten times doesn't help being paitent with waiting in line.

10. Put random trash cans and benches in main aisles.

11. Have a bathroom in the front of the store and in the back by the childrens clothes/toys, there is nothing worse than walking around with a kid who has to pee and the restroom is way at the front of the store!!!!!

12. Make enough room in the check out lane to get around the cart, and put up a door or wall or something so kids can't get into the next cashiers area while mom is trying to pay.

13. Have the cashier ask if you want the hangers or not. I HATE hangers in the bag, and then they fill up my trash at home.

14. Have a decent snack bar. Have normal food that doesn't make customers sick. I remember when I was a kid my mom and I ALWAYS ate lunch at kmart when we went shopping. They had good food! There wasn't a lot of variety but what they did have was good, the seating area was nice and it was cheap to eat lunch! We would go to kmart specifically because we knew we could get lunch there too.

15. Give the customers nice big wide parking stalls, when you got bags and kids it's nice to be able to actually open your door without bashing the next guy.

16. You don't have to have a HUGE plant section but at least sell some flowers or houseplants, you do have a garden section after all.

Well that's all I can think of off the top of my head but when I think of more I will post it. Good Luck with the stores, I am rooting for you guys!!

Great suggestions...hope they get elevated to upper management who are removed from reality.

sears has to be the most unefficient store ive ever been in  kmart not ro far behind youll try to check out and they be four registers with one person and a line of people and there will be associates standing around or walking buy ive even seen managers stop and call for help then walk away instead of helping themselves better yet k mart has 8 t0 10 registers whith 2 cashiers but usually they will open another line quickly some basic ease of shopping needs to be addressed imediately one time i asked some one to check me out and they said i cant use that register and had to walk me half way across the store and i have a disability dont know who is running the show but lets use some common sense business 101 if i cant get checked out by someone eveything else price quality and variety dont matter hope things change (doubt it) guess ill have to shop at lowes or wall mart or target                                          

When an item is advertised in the local sales flyer, I expect to find it in the store- especially on the first day of the sale! 

My husband loves the light brown Fireside moccasins and our local store hasn't had them in stock for a very longtime (except for boys sizes). So when I saw them in todays paper, I immediately went to the local Kmart and they still don't have them. The last ones we bought were from Walmart but now they only have dark brown and he doesn't like those.

Also our Kmart is like a ghost town.  Last holiday season I was shopping in the toy department and although I don't like associates to jump down my throat, it seemed the few I noticed purposely walked the other way if it appeared someone was going to ask them a question.

Kmart needs to remodel their bathroom. All the other discount stores have much better ones.

I know you'll hate to hear this, but I only shop at Sears during the Christmas shopping season or when I want tools. The store is kept up well but again items are not kept in stock. I've had mixed experiences with the associates- most are friendly and helpful; a few are very cranky and downright rude. It may be seasonal help or the hectic pace but that's no excuse (I've worked at service jobs and whatever the beef is with the employer, it shouldn't be taken out on the customer).

Although the question is about the stores I have a comment about Kmart's website. The variety is disappointing - the purpose seems to be to direct the shopper to the more expensive Sears site. Also there should be a direct way to e-mail from the site.

I really don't shop at Sears, but I can give some suggestions based on the K-Marts that I shop at:

 1. Have more than 1 cashier. One of the MAIN reasons that I dislike shopping at the K-Marts around me is that there is never more than one cashier working and there is usually about 5 or more people waiting in line to be checked out. Never once have I witnessed anyone opening another line to speed things along or the people at the Customer Service desk ask to check people out up there.

2. Make the restrooms nicer and cleaner. The woman's restroom at the K-Mart by me always has a nasty smell and is dirty.

3. Have people water the plants that are for sale at the front of the store. Nothing looks more trashier than a bunch of crispy, withered, brown plants in front of a store. Plus I feel sorry for the dieing plants: it's not their fault the salespeople are too lazy to water them a couple times a week....

4. Have a snack bar. I miss the old days when there was snack bars in stores. Plus, my kids would be more happy to shop at K-Mart since I would buy them a snack to keep them busy while I shop.

5. Accept EBT cards for food purchases. Kmart is one of the few discount stores in the area that doesn't accept it.

6. Put the self check-out lanes back in!!!!! Shopping was way more efficient and pleasent back when the K-Mart by me had them!!!

7. Keep products better stocked - many times I had to go to another store like Dollar General or Walgreens because the product brand that I wanted was out of stock. 

when a person register for the 2- $5 coupons make sure you email them.

louella said…
when a person register for the 2- $5 coupons make sure you email them.

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it doesn't matter I've seen the coupons and if you read all the exclusions you'll see that they are only good for a pair of mens socks on the 3rd full moon in may

As a customer, I have a certain preconceived notion of what I get from Sears. I expect there to be properly attired employees nearby, not hovering, but available, in case I have questions or can't find what I want. I expect those employees to be friendly, engaging, informative and willing to assist. When I shop at Sears, I expect quality. When I think of Sears, Singer, Kenmore and Craftsman come to mind, and the years of quality that used to be attached to those names. Sears used to be the hallmark of middleclass quality, not quite Bloomingdales or Tiffany, but good, wholesome products at reasonable prices. What happened?

I also have a preconceived notion of Kmart. I used to shop Kmart like I shop Walmart now -- at least once a week, for cheap, disposable items that I know won't last long. Occasionally, I might find a golden nugget amongst the crap, but I do extensive research before I buy anything of value from anyone. I don't even trust Target -- they LOOK nice, but they charge too much for the same things I can get from Walmart and the quality is virtually the same. The last time I went into a Kmart, I felt like I was in a deserted second hand shop, or perhaps a deserted dollar store without the dollar prices. It was eery. I never went back. Of course, Kmart is 70 miles away, but if it was worth the drive, I'd go back. It's not.

Distance is not a factor here, even in the midst of an energy crisis. If I need electronic devices, I usually go the 70 miles to BestBuy because I know their employees are knowledgable, friendly, and can get me what I want at a reasonable price. If I find an item there that is carried by another store, I get reviews of the item, then, regardless of the store, if the review nets a worthwhile response, I'll buy it cheap. But I do my homework. I can get quality electronics from BestBuy... shopping there is a great experience! Sears is only 5 miles from my home, but I won't buy electronics there, because the price (both tangible and anecdotal) is too high. I end up leaving Sears with a headache. I leave Best Buy thrilled with my new purchase and can't wait to get it home to try it out! There's the difference, even with the 140 mile round trip.

I only shopped at Sears a handful of times because the customer service is HORRIBLE!!! I live in Hawaii and NOW  I will only shop at Windward Mall Sears because I had too many bad experiences at Ala Moana & Pearl Ridge. 

 One night when it was really HOT we were fed up and went out to buy a A/C. Sears had a sale to we deceided to go there but because sears was about to close in 45 minutes we could not get any help! They kept avoiding us when we attenpted to walk towards them, then finally we got someone but he was not helpful at all. We had the cash in hand but no on was willing to help us. Looks like they just wanted to go home! We ended up going to Circuit City right after and even though they were closing in 15minutes they were so helpful and so we went home with our A/C  =0)

I had another bad experience today at sears but thats another story. I need to stop shopping there, the employees look so unhappy!!! 

They could improve service by greeting customers and ask them how they could assist them.  They seem like most of the Associates are hiding and you have to go looking for help, to get help.  They need to be more positive and assertive in offering help to their customers.  Make the customers feel they are glad they came to shop in our store!

Everytime I go into our local K-mart, there seems to be hardly any employees in the store.  I had a question about a carpet that was on sale and waited over 15 minutes before I left and went to the competitor.  It would be great if they had more and better trained employees.  The ones that are there are young and not experienced in customer service.  Although when I was leaving I did see 2 managers (recognized them by the pictures above the customer service desk) sitting in the pizza shop that is in the store?  I think the best thing that K-Mart could do is work on customer service and training thier employees from the ground up!

AMEN TO THIS POST. Are you listening corporate Kmart ( sears) add my previous comments and you've got your new begining.
great post.



sugarbeetp said…

Hi, I'm Pam, a 25 year loyal Kmart associate. I want to see us succeed, really succeed! I see good things coming from this website!

One of my fellow associates recently had a wonderful checkout experience at a competing retailer and related her story to our team. The cashier was absolutely wonderful, bubbly and VERY interactive. This fellow associate walked into the store at the end of a long day at work, with a plethora of to-dos on her mind, feeling quite overwhelmed and tired. She left the competing store at 9pm feeling energized, happy, smiling and feeling like there was a perfect end to a less than perfect day. This feeling will be stored in her subconscious, and without her knowing it, it will determine where she chooses to shop in the future. Customers all over the world are making those same subconscious choices multiple times a day.

We need to step back and stop putting the highest priority on the numbers and commit to putting emphasis on people and technology.

• We can clean up the store, stock the shelves, have the right merchandise at the right price - but NONE of that will make a difference if the customer doesn't leave the store having had a truly positive experience.
• We need to be "ambassadors" for our company and our stores. All associates need to live, breath, move and feel as a unit
• We need to give associates proper compensation, respect, feedback and focused and frequent training. Associates are a precious asset second only to the customer
• Do not view the one-time cost of technology without truly calculating the life-time efficiency and customer gains. Don't settle for using legacy systems and processes.
• When looking at what our competitors do, don't say what can I do to implement that, say what can I do to improve on that?
• Be best in class and set the industry standard in people and technology, lead, don't follow

We need to strive to make-the-customer's-day. Whomever your customer is. Whether you directly touch the customers in the store or whether your direct customers are other associates. We all assume that every associate comes to the table everyday with basic things like being polite, helpful, hardworking, time sensitive, efficient and productive. But the fact is we don't, we're human, we have good days, we have bad days, and some of us just don't know any different, and some of us care very deeply but feel powerless to change the machine. No matter how good someone is, there is always room for improvement. Culture training needs a major overhaul. It shouldn't be something we do every once in awhile; it's something Sears and Kmart must invest in every minute of every day. 24/7/365. It shouldn't be "training"; it must be a way of life, instinctual and uncompromising in the pursuit of service and doing what's right for our customer each and every time.

• There needs to be an enterprise-wide commitment to setting aside specific time for each and every associate to frequently spend quality time on customer service/culture-driven tasks or initiatives
• Invest in technology NOW that increases any and all efficiencies. Every minute we save in efficiency now, is exponential over the life of our organization.
• All associate labor must be reviewed to determine if it's an efficient and cost effective use of company assets. Labor is not a bottomless pit, it's a precious resource that must not be wasted on tasks that are poorly planned. Labor hours MUST be part of every ROI analysis.
• Every day as part of our tradition there needs to be attractive, fun, engaging and meaningful opportunities for associates and customers to be tuning in to things like:
  • web casts
  • pod casts
  • store video news
  • chat
  • discussion boards
  • town halls
    • the real kind where there is no agenda and no numbers; consisting of candid dialog between the audience and a speaker in the center of the room not up on a stage
  • workshops
  • lab experiments
  • daily voting/polling
    • on things like product, ideas, marketing, hot topics, question of the day, pain points

Goals from the top on down need to be redirected away from the financial numbers and towards issues that deal directly with people and technology. The people we serve and the people who serve and the systems and tools that help us do that. You can set all the financial goals you want, but if the customer and the people and tools they use are not the top priority, the numbers will fail - every time. Numbers don't shop our stores, numbers don't touch the customer, numbers don't stock the shelves and numbers don't ring the merchandise. People do. If the customer is 100% satisfied, the numbers will be there.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for providing this outlet!

Pam

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Kmart. better vendor relations. better employee relations. better but possibly less of a product mix. new carts ( want a better cart coral, do what aldis does, quarters to get a cart thats returned at end of shop) hawk the brands you are famous for and better them, stop with the sears products, dump lines where they are selling marginally,
better organize your grocery areas, merchandise your stores, have the store mystery shopped, redo do the K cafe or get rid of it ( aredo would be better as stated in my previous posts)
better the basics editions line or dump it - it is truly a disposable line of unsure
quality. theres so much more than I have gone over and over in my previous posts...take a look.....

With the way products are built in this day and age to break down to help make businesses money they need a company thats going to come out and fix or stand behind the crap they are selling. Sears sells junk products so they need to stand behind them. I cant wait a month for you to send a service tech out to my house to wait another month after the parts are ordered and then find out there is still a problem. Fixing things right the first time and providing Quality Products to build trust back into people is the way to go! When having something delivered make sure the delivery teams dont mess up the product like a washer that was delivered to a family members home 4 times before they finally got one that was not damaged from the team either dropping it or scratching it! How about calling a store and talking to an associate in a office or something. A customer service center with in the store that handles my returns, Vrs waiting for an associate to stop talking or selling a product. Credit card problems, even part ordering. Id love to walk into s store and have it have a part center in it. Get rid of the parts in your lawn and garden department. Bring in other products i can use and what would make me wanna shop there like pools again and outdoor equipment and send all your parts back to a part center. And if you dont have it an employee can order it and have it come to the store from your parts website!  I hate having to drive 40 miles to my local parts center when i have 4 sears stores within 20 miles of me. Think of the service there with a parts center at each location! It makes it more personal and i feel the store is there to support me with anything i needed!

Sorry to hear that you've had these experiences. I agree that you should expect a better level of service and I'd like to understand what happened in your situation.

Was there a particular appliance that needed service and/or parts? Was there any explanation about the delay, etc.? If you'd like, we can talk about this in more detail outside of this forum.

Can you tell me more about the washer that was delivered 4 times? Was there something about home's layout that would make this delivery challenging?

If you can tell me more, I'll look into how we can work more diligently improve this. We hear different opinions about what kind of services and parts to make available in the stores vs. ordering online and as you mention, location plays a role in this, too. Thanks for your comments!

I have a suggestion that K Mart do a couple of things to bring back some consumer excitement, especially for this upcoming holiday season in this tough economic market.

 First, bring back the blue light specials. You don't have to have a strobing blue light rolling around the store, but maybe a movable lighted sign with the blue light character that can be brought out and turned on or something would be appropriate. Let the stores do store level markdowns on clearance or closeout stuff, announce it over the loudspeaker, and give everyone a chance to pick up some great bargains. This doesn't cheapen or lessen your image...it brings volume, traffic, and excitement. Nobody does this any longer. It is what shopping used to be about.

 Second, create excitement for the day after Thanksgiving by offering a coupon book or instant win card to the first 1,000 shoppers or something at each store. There used to be little giveaways, samples, free coffee/donuts, whatever at many stores on that Friday morning, but in recent years the "buzz" is gone. About the only retailer that does anything other than the early morning sale prices is JC Penney. They offer a free Disney snow globe each year to the first so many shoppers. Give us a little "perk" for getting up so early, besides spending our money.

 

 

I love Sears and the products. My house is full of Sears products from dishwasher to bedding and my husband 's tools are craftsman. I  have found one problem with them ,if you do have a problem with large items trying to get it resolved can be time consuming. You can spend days playing phone tag or being passed from one person onto the next until you want to scream. Then you have to have service come confirm it is broken then it can still take several weeks (still playing phone tag)before it is replaced. Also want to comment on K-mart. K-Mart is where I go when I am looking for something I can't find anywhere else even the other mart store. Example: One granddaughter loves Dora still even though she is older only store I could find Dora clothes in sizes over size 5.Please keep up good work just work it out so it keeps my phone time down.

Welcome to the community! Thanks for your positive feedback, but please feel comfortable adding your ideas to other places in this forum, including writing reviews of products you use everyday and your local Sears or Kmart stores.

 

Sears has always been a trusted name within our family for years.  With my experiences, Customer Service (in Wisconsin) has always been reliable and friendly, with no "pressure sales".  The stores appear to be neat, clean and well stocked.  It's the only store I buy my Levis Jeans at, because they're reasonably priced and there's many styles/sizes to choose from.

K-mart was always a good store to shop at too, although there isn't very many of them left in this area anymore.  Whenever the other stores were out of product, it seemed K-mart always had plenty available - especially during the Holidays.  Prices were always reasonable and again - "no pressure sales" from the associates.  But unfortunately it seems that since K-marts State-wide "disappearance", the stores that (do) remain, aren't very appealing.  Not very much product availability as before, and their overall appearance looks (sorry to say) cheap and run-down.  They're not very clean, look very disorganized, there's alot of product that doesn't have a price tag, and customer service is very slow.  Would be very nice to see improvements and have it regain its dependability it used to have.

 

I like kmart but go to Walmart for alot of things because they charge less.

This is an interesting forum. I am in management at a Sears store and I happened on this while taking a break. There is alot of interesting feedback here and I have read several suggestions in a short time that can give perspective on how we need to be and sometimes not be in the store I work at. I appreciate what I have read here.

I have been a loyal  Kmart customer for 27 year and really miss having one close to me to shop, I do have 2 Sears grand close by but its not the same. When you switched to the Grand the prices went up and the great dollar day add went away. I was excited to see the add this week where the pantry items were back in the add and made me want to go back and check out the store again. I walked out spending over 75.00  I hope to see more adds like that not only did i go in for the add items but purchased other items not on sale. Lets start looking at what the customers can afford and try to get back to what Kmart was all about and that was great products at an affordable price.

I agree 100% with wxbear73--bring some excitement back to the Kmart experience!

I'll admit that the main reason I still shop at Kmart and Sears is because I was practically raised in these stores--essentially, it's all about nostalgia. Unfortunately, sometime over the past 20 years or so, Kmart has been stripped of all the personality that once made it a fun place to shop. Take a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDKVLyRt0jQ and some of the associated comments. Apparently there are a lot of people with a similar sense of nostalgia who wish that Kmart were still such a place. Remember walking into a store and immediately seeing the deli counter where you could buy yourself some popcorn and an Icee? The frequent roving Blue Light Specials that an employee would excitedly announce over the PA system, which were only in effect for about 10 minutes? Regular prices that were among the lowest anywhere, allowing you to leave the store feeling like you really got a bargain? Sitting with mom (or whoever)in the large cafeteria at the back of the store enjoying a fresh-fried hamburger or a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream? Several busy checkout lanes actually open simultaneously? Commercial jingles that were cheerful and memorable (especially during the Kmart is your saving store era)--and being happy to hear extended versions of these jingles in-store?  I'm sure that these and other things are really what made Kmart so successful in those days. [People truly think I'm nuts when I wander the Kmart shoe department singing a 25-year-old commercial for Texas Steer boots, or singing about "Kmart Fresh Look interior latex, a premium paint at a Kmart price" whenever I'm doing any kind of painting work!]

But now....it seems like memories are all that's left in these stores. All the fun has been removed, replaced by white floors, white walls, boring merchandise displays, comparatively high prices, employees who often appear underappreciated and underpaid [I am not an employee and do not know anyone who is or ever was], and sometimes even a silent PA system. The only tangible reminder of the Glory Days is the original tan & brown tile in the men's room!

Of course "progress" dictates that the Kmart experience of yesteryear will never return, but it would seem that one way to draw shoppers back into the remaining stores is to somehow recapture the attraction and excitement of the old stores for today's customers. At least try to bring some kind of life back to the stores (and to the employees--possibly by treating them as if they're valued, so that they'll treat customers the same way)!

My favorite Kmart store on Plainfield Rd in Willowbrook, IL is directly across the street from a large new shopping center, is nearly always empty, and I fully expect it to close at any time; this will be a sad day. A much busier store on 79th St. in Bridgeview, IL isn't nearly as depressing, but unless something changes soon, I'm afraid that it, too, will disappear when the rest of the chain is closed. As noted in other comments, Wal-Mart has become widely despised, but is still a shopping destination due to its prices (which, incidentally, are also likely responsible for the current "Made in China" epidemic). I sincerely hope that Kmart can figure out how to capitalize on this anti-Wal-Mart sentiment before it's too late.  

As far as Sears, I do my best to support it because it's the only true department store still in existence. Sure, they've dropped a few lines over the years (such as toys and books), but at least they sell more than just clothes and housewares. I sure will miss it if it goes the way of Montgomery Ward.

I'll give a few suggestions, they would require significant investment, but it would be worth it.

1. MODERNIZE/INTEGRATE
- Replace every register with with new equipment.  Flat screens that both the associate and the customer can see the itemized list of everything rung up.  When I worked at Kohl's years ago, I used the old-school IBM registers that Sears still uses (and those frequently broke down, just like they break down at Sears).  Kohl's has since modernized and their systems are what I would model new Sears registers after.
- Not only keep amazing systems integrations between stores (such as transfer sales), but build upon them.  Make it so that the associate can actually check the stock of other stores.  Many times, especially during the holidays, associates calling other stores cannot get a hold of anybody to see if a transfer sale is possible.  This would save the associate and customer a lot of time and give the customer a great experience.  Sometimes a certain store will be out of stock on an item (due to the demographic or other factor) and the next closest store has a whole warehouse of the item they couldn't sell to save their lives.  The "out of stock" store will try and try to call that certain department in the "in stock" store and be tossed around from call centers to MODs to the back office to the answering machine etc etc.  If Sears just integrated their stock to where an associate could check other stores' stock on the register, we could do so much more inter-store business and save a lot of time on our side and for the customer.

2. RETURN POLICY - Make a strict, no exceptions policy about returns.  Not to be cold-hearted, but Sears honestly loses millions of dollars every year due to fradulent returens because we cannot tell people that, "No, we cannot take this back without a receipt."  I can honestly say that I have witnessed my fair share of "customers" who take merchandise off of the shelf or rack and head straight to the register to "return" the merchandise.  About 7 times out of 10 they'll demand cash.  After they are told that they can only get store credit for the merchandise, most of them accept it.  Then (I have also witnessed) they wander the store and try to sell their new gift card for cash (i.e. they'll accept a $50 gift card for $30 cash or something similar).  Sears needs to have a strict, Walmart/Target like policy with returns.  Sears needs to put their foot down and say NO RETURNS WITHOUT RECEIPT.  If you want to save a lot of money and not be taken advantage of, this is one easy way to do it.  This would help prevent all false returns and save millions of dollars in store credits.

3. DO MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE)
Let's face it, Sears does amazing fundraisers for the likes of St. Jude's Hospital and Hero's at Home, but the local communities around 99% of Sears stores do not feel the impact of those programs.  Here's what Sears needs to do.  First off, give a $500 credit to a special account at each FLS Sears store in the nation EVERY MONTH.  That'll equal $6000 a year for every FLS Sears store in the nation that we'll give away.  (Yes, give away) That may seem a bit much to swallow in the stretch every dollar mood the nation is in right now, but let me tell you how the benefits will roll in.  Each store will then select a local charity/organization/sponsorship every month to give that $500 to.  Can you imagine how many customer's that would bring in through this good will?  There is no way that you can tell me each Sears wouldn't sell at least more that $500 more dollars in margin every month because of this program.
Examples: Local little league team going to an out of state tourney?  Send them $500.  Who comes to Sears after that?  The parents, the coaches, the fans who hear of it, the teachers of the kids, etc.  See my point?
Police hurting for cash?  Firemen need a new truck?  School need a new playground?  Send out the money.  Be a true part of the community.  No, the $500 will not pay for all or even most of these projects.  BUT, every dime helps, and when people see how much Sears cares, they will come to shop at Sears.

4. Official Sears Youtube Channel
- You could put all of Sears' commercials on this channel, from the newest ones to the vintage ones.
- Put actual product tests on there.  Show the world what a product can do instead of making people trust what the packaging said only to be dissapointed.  Push Sears products to the limits and impress the public with what we sell.  Make product demos/safety videos (chainsaws/welding/table saws/etc), product walkthroughs, safety videos, how to clinics ... basically the possibilities are endless, especially when you take in customer requests for videos.
- Showcase all of the new technology on there.  New tools, new appliances, new lawn/garden equipment, etc.
- Show people what a Protection agreement really means.  Have a separate video for each protection agreement.  A video for a range PA, treadmill PA, etc showing the yearly preventative maintenance and the potential cost savings for the customer in each situation.  Perhaps with the new technology in the stores associates will be able to show these videos to customers to help their sales and solve any questions the customers have with the purchase, not only with the PA but with the video on the product itself.
- Most of all, have fun with the videos.  Make them fun and engaging as well as informative.  Give people a realistic view of the products they will buy and you will find happier customers and fewer returns (and not to mention higher sales).

5. CHANGE THE TUNES
If there is one thing that makes shopping at Sears drab, it's the music.  I know that Sears loves it's constantly returning older demographic, but Sears needs to make and retain new, younger customers.  I'm not saying Sears needs to have a Hollister type of musical environment, but the musical background of shopping at Sears is honestly horrible.  Songs from the 50's and quirky elevator music does not make a fun shopping environment.  Put on songs that make shopping at Sears a lot more fun.
For example, there a few songs that would be liked by many and would make for a more fun shopping environment.  Songs like ...
1. The Beatles - Hey Jude
2. Blue Swede - Hooked on a Feeling
3. Modest Mouse - Float On
4. CCR - Fortunate Son
5. 311 - Amber  or Love Song
6. Barenaked Ladies - One Week or It's All Been Done
7. Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
8. Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
9. Linkin Park - Shadow of the Day
10. Lynard Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama
11. Cake - The Distance

So on and so forth.  Of course, there are tons of other songs that can be chosen, I just thought those would be some entertaining/non-controversial songs.  This is one shopping environment change that could be changed Sears-wide without spending millions on payroll.

6. DO AWAY WITH CERTAIN REBATES
I'm serious.  I know a lot of money is saved, but a lot of money is lost also with those customers who have bad experiences with the rebate programs or forget to send their rebates out in time.  They remember things like that.  Keep mail-in rebates like manufacturer rebates (Electrolux, GE, etc) but do away with Sears rebates like delivery and Kenmore rebates.  Well, don't exactly "do away" with them but instead make them "instant rebates"  This would be very exciting to the customers and it would help make the market share of Kenmore increase.

That is my rant for right now.