Do you have a Sears in your town?

[Dave Lehnert]

The last Sears store in Cincinnati ( and all of southwest Ohio )is getting ready to close.
The Sears Eastgate happens to be the one I shopped since it opened in 1979 or 1980.

Just wondering how many of you still have a Sears close enough to shop?

[Jim Becker]

There is a Sears remaining in a mall that's a bit of a drive (and a severely downsized version, too), but nothing 'local' anymore, not that I've shopped with them for many years. The local K-Mart is also shutting down any day now. End of an era!

[Mike Wilkins]

We still have one here in Eastern NC but each time I am in there, I tell the wife that it seems a matter of time before they close down. Few cars in the parking lot, ever-shrinking inventory looks like writing is on the wall. Seems the internet shopping world is passing them by.

[Dave Lehnert]

There is a Sears remaining in a mall that's a bit of a drive (and a severely downsized version, too), but nothing 'local' anymore, not that I've shopped with them for many years. The local K-Mart is also shutting down any day now. End of an era!



Our local Kmart closed maybe 12-15 years ago. We would take a Sunday drive to the next closest store about 45 min away. 1) because they had great deals 2) it was located in a smaller farming town and our way of supporting jobs there. But about two years ago it also closed. Rural King is getting ready to move in.

This past spring we were on a little trip and stopped in a Kmart to kill time as we were running ahead of time to get in our room.
I got to talking shop with an employee ( I use to work retail for over 20 years) The clerk had worked there for over 30 years and said their store was safe and told it would not close etc.... I had my doubts as the move theater next door, in the same parking lot, had been torn town and condos going up. Stopping at the Kamart lot. Long story short I see that store is closing.

[Doug Garson]

Sears Canada went bankrupt in I think 2017, so no.

[Dave Lehnert]

We still have one here in Eastern NC but each time I am in there, I tell the wife that it seems a matter of time before they close down. Few cars in the parking lot, ever-shrinking inventory looks like writing is on the wall. Seems the internet shopping world is passing them by.



The sad part is Sears already had the business. All they had to do was convert from paper catalog to internet. But somehow got left behind.
Who would ever guess they would be in the shape they are now.

[Bruce Page]

Ours closed a year or so ago. They had just completed an extensive remodel & downsizing a few months earlier.

I dropped a lot of money there over the years. The last time I shopped there the cashier was doing everything on an ipad like device, it was painfully slow.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

While in the US Navy, I worked for a period part time for a time at a Sears store on the loading docks unloading boxcars, loading delivery trucks and assembling some merchandise. We bought furniture, appliances and Sears Road Handler steel belted radials at Sears because should a warrantee issue arise, there was a Sears store near any place the US Navy might send me. When I was discharged, my new career required me to wear suits and I spent a lot of time on traveling away from home. I bought my suits at Sears as I could mix and match different color pants, jackets and vests to vary my dress at a hospital. Should a piece get damaged, I could buy a replacement any where the company might have me placed. Once Sears began moving outside the retail market they once mastered, bad management decisions destroyed the company IMO. Our local Sears store closed over a year ago.

[Jim Koepke]

We had a Sears in one of the malls here. It closed years ago. Now we have a Sears Hometown which is not much bigger than a convenience mart.

Sears on line by my recollection was terrible. If you were looking for wrenches, as an example, all the wrenches were accompanied by a photo of the same wrench. They must have figured that would save money on the pixels or something.

At one time stores like Sears had workers with pride in knowing their store and products. Over time it seemed these 'hangers on' were getting paid too much and since they are all just little interchangeable cogs, replacing them with lower paid employees would be just fine.

jtk

[Frank Pratt]

In Canada, Sears & Kmart are among at least 6 major nationwide department stores that have, well, departed since I was a kid. Makes me sound like I'm old, but it is a different world.

[Brian Elfert]

All Sears stores are gone in the Minneapolis metro area. Hard to understand how a chain like Sears expects to survive without stores in metro areas with several million people.

There are two Kmart stores left in the Minneapolis area. One of them is supposedly the most profitable Kmart in the entire chain. The store was built in the middle of a major street back in the 1970s. The city of Minneapolis bought the land under the store recently so the city can potentially reopen the street if/when the Kmart store closes.

[Jon Grider]

Our Sears in Portage, Mi is in the midst of shutting down. They've had "closeout" and "store closing" signs around town for several weeks now. Kind of sad, they've been a brick and mortar icon for my entire life but they failed to keep up with consumer demands and the quality of their tools went south. I don't plan on going there to try to find any store closing deals.

[Stan Calow]

We had a giant Sears distribution center and their credit office in KC in the '60s, so just about everyone I grew up with had one or more family members who worked for Sears at one time or another. Until recently, we had a store about 2 miles from my house that was actually doing pretty well but lost their lease in a shopping center when the mall owner sold out. One traditional store left in the whole metropolitan area.

[lowell holmes]

We do have one, but it is a mere shadow of itself.
https://www.sears.com/stores/texas/texas-city/0002197.html

http://www.searshomeapplianceshowroom.com/home/tx/league-city/1857

[Rollie Meyers]

Sears closed during one of their bloodletting rounds a few years ago, the empty store was used by FEMA for a few months after the Camp Fire destroyed Paradise, CA almost a year ago, noticed temporary signage for a Halloween store there recently. The K Mart store is still open.

[Lee DeRaud]

The closest one to me (Orange, CA) is still (barely) open, but it's in a mall that is pretty much on its last legs. There's a Walmart at the other end that's doing well, but it's in its own (semi-)separate building...not sure what the future holds for the complex as a whole.

[Jim Allen]

We have a Sears Hometown store in a small mall in a small community on the coast in Oregon. These stores are not owned by Sears/K-Mart, Hometown stores broke away from K-mart several years ago.

[Mike Cutler]

No, I'm pretty sure that the stores near me, have closed, or are slated to close soon.
I never really shopped at Sears through the years, but it is sad to see them go down the tubes. They just never caught onto the online sales business model,a nd they should have.:confused:

[Bill Dufour]

I read that U-haul is buying the Sears and K-mart stores cheap and turning them into a U-haul rental store and mini storage. They will build more mini storage in the parking lot area as need expands.
Bil lD

[Jason Roehl]

I couldn't even tell you if our Sears is still open. I don't think it is, but it's part of the mall, and I don't go to the mall...

[Curt Harms]

I couldn't even tell you if our Sears is still open. I don't think it is, but it's part of the mall, and I don't go to the mall...

You are far from alone there, and I imagine that's part of Sears and other B & M retailers problem. We have 2 large malls within 20 miles, I can't recall the last time I was in either.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Our local sears store closed a few years ago. The only thing I ever shopped for there was tools and infrequently, appliances. There is still one in the next county, but I can beat their tool prices on line so I never go there. Our K marts are all gone. Went the way of Montgomery Wards, Zayers, Ames, and others. To me, Target is pretty much the same as a Kmart. The only store chains moving in are grocery stores. Whole Foods, Wegman's, Lidl's and others moving in from out of the area. Our Local independent grocery stores are all closing and selling out to the large regional stores. My wife orders everything but food on line. Laundry soap, pet food, dish washer stuff, close, furnace and water filters. Her coats, even her shoes. There is a work shirt (RIGGS) that I like that is not carried anywhere nearby, so I order those on-line.

Not only can't brick and mortar stores compete with on-line sources, brick and mortar stores cannot carry everything. So they order what they feel is the coming style, in an array of sizes, that only fit average people. Specialty clothes, like heavy wool flannel shirts (Pendelton) were almost never encountered in east coast stores. My Mrs. works on her feet and requires a special size shoe. Easier to get on line with next day delivery at no extra charge. In the past we had to call specialty shoe stores all over the region to find out if they had her size in stock. I miss brick and mortar stores for the browsing through other items that may interest me. But for items I want, it is generally faster and cheaper to order on-line.

[Clint Baxter]

Our local Kmart closed maybe 12-15 years ago. We would take a Sunday drive to the next closest store about 45 min away. 1) because they had great deals 2) it was located in a smaller farming town and our way of supporting jobs there. But about two years ago it also closed. Rural King is getting ready to move in.

This past spring we were on a little trip and stopped in a Kmart to kill time as we were running ahead of time to get in our room.
I got to talking shop with an employee ( I use to work retail for over 20 years) The clerk had worked there for over 30 years and said their store was safe and told it would not close etc.... I had my doubts as the move theater next door, in the same parking lot, had been torn town and condos going up. Stopping at the Kamart lot. Long story short I see that store is closing.

Sears closed several years ago but K-Mart is still currently hanging on. Kind of surprises me as it's been many, many years since I've seen their parking lot very full.

Clint

[Charles Taylor]

Ours closed a couple years ago, and the mall to which it was attached has since been razed to make way for new development.

[Mike Kreinhop]

None near me. :D

[Günter VögelBerg]

There is one here that has been vacant for a few years. The building has been a hub for drug dealing, homeless encampments, vandalism and general urban decay. I saw a fence around it the other day, which makes me hopeful it is being demolished and there will be something built there that contributes to the community.

[Roger Feeley]

I live in Falls Church VA. That's inside the DC Beltway. We have a Sears nearby that I'm told used to be a Lord and Taylor. It's depressing to go into now. There's not much merchandise and few employees. The employees they do have seem annoyed to have to deal with a customer. I've read that Sears is dealing with the timing of a bankruptcy and is waiting for the best time to sell off their real estate. Looking at what's going on at our local Sears, that makes sense. It's pretty clear that no one is investing in the store.

Attitude is the thing I don't understand about Brick and Mortar stores. The one real advantage they will always have over online sellers is the opportunity to provide expertise and a great customer experience. But in the case of Sears (and others), management just seems to grind the employees down to the point that they don't care. I waited 10 minutes at the checkout at a Best Buy for someone to show up to check me out. One guy came by and said he was on break. After a few minutes, I wanted to see how long it would go on. After 10 minutes I had had enough and left.

I get a much better vibe at my local Woodcraft and other specialty stores. Another standout is my local small town hardware store. Shout out to Browns Hardware in Falls Church! When Hugh Brown died, he left the store in trust to the employees and, in a sense, to the town. Another plus for Browns is that when I moved here three years ago, the people that worked at Browns are the people that work there today.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Dave, Sears Canada closed in 2018 laying off all 11,240 employees, so not only don't I have a Sears store near me, I no longer have one in my country.

I don't know what happened to Sears, I always thought that since they already had a catalogue sales division they would be a natural to bridge the transition to online sales.

Shows what I know about retail..................Regards, Rod.

[Curt Harms]

Hi Dave, Sears Canada closed in 2018 laying off all 11,240 employees, so not only don't I have a Sears store near me, I no longer have one in my country.

I don't know what happened to Sears, I always thought that since they already had a catalogue sales division they would be a natural to bridge the transition to online sales.

Shows what I know about retail..................Regards, Rod.

One oopsie I recall from years ago is Sears decision to de-emphasize their solid items like tools and appliances in favor of womens fashions. True, womens fashions have way better margins than hardware but little or no company expertise and an inability to find some. Remember the "softer side of Sears" campaign?

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

There was a Lord and Taylor along Rt 7 near 7 corners just west of the intersection with Patrick Henry Drive. Is that where Sears moved to? 20 years ago, I lived a few blocks down Patrick Henry Drive. The Sears was up in Arlington 20 years ago. I remember the Lord and Taylor ran a liquidation sale. Never knew what moved into the building. Home Depot had just opened at 7 corners a year or so before I moved away.

[Kevin Beitz]

It's sad... But Sears is history. At one time it was my go to store.
Today even if we had one I would stay away. Sure went down hill.

[Andrew Gibson]

I still have one near me. I bought a center 4 drawer tool box about 4 years ago. I actually purchased online and picked up in store. I was told the sale price was not available in store and I had to purchase online and pick up. So I did. When I arrived to pick up the box it took over an hour for someone to pull it and bring it to the pickup counter by the back door. There were three of them on the sales floor but I was not able to pick it up at the register and had to drive around back to the pickup counter. I am certain the one I got was pulled from the floor because there is only a very small stock room at the location... I learned my lesson and have not been back. I have no idea how they are still open, you need to be extremely motivated to actually buy something.

[Jim Koepke]

I learned my lesson and have not been back. I have no idea how they are still open, you need to be extremely motivated to actually buy something.

This seems to be the case in more and more retail establishments. Could it be that half a century ago many kids grew up around their parents in a mom & pop establishment and learned the value of being attentive to customers. Today's kids do not have the same 'values' training kids from the 1950s & '60s obtained.

Recently in a nationally advertised sandwich shop my wife wanted to order a sandwich which was being promoted in their commercials. The shop was empty. We could hear a couple of people in the back giggling. We called out a few times and finally started to leave. My wife was half way out the door when someone came out and greeted us. My wife turned around and said, "you snooze, you lose."

She ordered the sandwich at another location on a later date. It wasn't as impressive as the commercial made it out to be.

jtk

[Lee DeRaud]

It wasn't as impressive as the commercial made it out to be.Words to live by.

[Myk Rian]

We had a Sears Home Store until last year. It served the entire county.

[Jason Roehl]

Recently in a nationally advertised sandwich shop my wife wanted to order a sandwich which was being promoted in their commercials. The shop was empty. We could hear a couple of people in the back giggling. We called out a few times and finally started to leave. My wife was half way out the door when someone came out and greeted us. My wife turned around and said, "you snooze, you lose."

She ordered the sandwich at another location on a later date. It wasn't as impressive as the commercial made it out to be.

jtk

Sadly, I see this attitude almost universally. Most employees, of any sort, I encounter, have the attitude of "getting through their shift." When did we, as a society, quit teaching the work ethic of doing what is best for our employers while we're on the job?

[Curt Harms]

Sadly, I see this attitude almost universally. Most employees, of any sort, I encounter, have the attitude of "getting through their shift." When did we, as a society, quit teaching the work ethic of doing what is best for our employers while we're on the job?

I imagine a few things go into the "payday and quittin' time" mentality. One is workers feeling like a replaceable cog in a machine rather than a valuable individual. If Those That Matter (who I seldom if ever see) show little concern about me, why should I give a hoot about them? This is probably less of an issue in small business where Boss/Owner and employees interact frequently.

Another might be someone 'stuck' in a job the employee perceives as beneath them. Become qualified for a better job? "Nah, that's hard! It might cut into my social life!"

[Jason Roehl]

That's why I called it a work ethic. Doesn't matter if your higher-ups value you or not. Work hard and do a good job. Somebody will notice eventually, perhaps even a competitor willing to offer a higher wage or salary. And, even if nobody notices, you'll sleep well. My one caveat, is that I reserve the right to go "above and beyond" when I see fit.

[Tom Stenzel]

We have TWO Sears stores in Livonia. A few hundred yards from my house is a Sears Outlet store where they sell the scratch and dent appliances.

The one time we tried to buy a washer it just didn't happen. Turns out they wanted to take $50 off the price for the damaged one but had a $50 delivery fee. Buying the undented one at a "normal" Sears was $50 more for the washer but the delivery was free.
:confused:

They carried other stuff too but the last time I was in there it looked like a flea market. I wanted a replacement water filter for the refrigerator. They didn't have it. The employee said, "You can get those online."

Good thing they have the store.

-Tom

[Jim Koepke]

They carried other stuff too but the last time I was in there it looked like a flea market. I wanted a replacement water filter for the refrigerator. They didn't have it. The employee said, "You can get those online."

This is one thing that is missed since the local ACE hardware closed. If something wasn't on the shelf they would almost always offer to get it shipped in.

For some people it is just too much trouble for them to take the time to 'special order' an item.

jtk

[Myk Rian]

When did we, as a society, quit teaching the work ethic of doing what is best for our employers while we're on the job?

When the X-gen had kids.

[Brian Elfert]

This is one thing that is missed since the local ACE hardware closed. If something wasn't on the shelf they would almost always offer to get it shipped in.

For some people it is just too much trouble for them to take the time to 'special order' an item.


For most people it is easier to just order it online and have it delivered to them. If a store could special order an item most likely it is delivered to the store so I have to make a special trip to get it. Most of the time I can get it cheaper and faster online than a store ordering it for me.

The only time I have a store order anything for me is NAPA if the warehouse has it as they usually get the item the same day or next day at latest. Although, the last two times I ordered from NAPA the warehouse forgot to put my item in the store order.

[Michael Yadfar]

There’s a large one near me that’s still open, but it’s a dump and nobody works there. The inside and outside of it are completely run down, and there’s been times where I had to walk out because I couldn’t find a single cashier or worker in the entire store to check me out. I wonder if they have large theft problems because you can literally walk out the door without passing a single person. I used to shop there a lot because I liked Craftsman, but their tools are becoming more Harbor Freight quality and you can buy them elsewhere anyway.

[Wade Lippman]

My town doesn't have a gas station, so a Sears!? Nearest one is 45 miles away.

[Ed Gibbons]

Sears closed down in State College, PA. Thus is the power of Amazon.

[Rob Luter]

We did until yesterday when it closed.

[Gary Ragatz]

They just announced on Friday that ours will close by February - closing sale starting right after Thanksgiving. There's an Ace Hardware in the same shopping center, so it's been a while since I've been in the Sears.

[Lee DeRaud]

Sears closed down in State College, PA. Thus is the power of Amazon.Back in the day, Sears was just Amazon with 1950's tech:
there was way more stuff in the catalog then ever appeared in the stores.

[Delwyn Ching]

All K-marts have shut down ut we still have 2 Sears left. One at Windward Mall in Kaneohe and the other at Pearlridge Mall in Aiea (overlooking Pearl Harbor). Both been there around the early to late 70's and still popular.