This really makes me sad... When I was a kid (1970’s), we bought everything at Sears... And the catalog - especially the Christmas catalog - was awesome.
Sears was where my family shopped for everything and anything we could buy there. My brother-in-law was a Sears repairman with the little blue utility van. My father would only buy Craftsman tools. We had a Kenmore kitchen. Of course we had a huge Sears console TV. The catalog and Wishbook were staples in our home. I can only shake my head. This is damn sad.
I still have a fridge and stove that I bought from Sears 10 years ago still doing well. Sucks that they're going out of business as they did sell some good stuff. :(
@@Voltis-5 yes, I just don't think Lowe's is going to honor that like Sears did. It is strange to walk into Lowe's and see that red and black Craftsman display.
THANK YOU for going out there on Christmas Eve, being away from you family so you can record forever what was a massive part of a lot of people Christmas memories. Never forget!
This will sound silly but this brought tears to my eyes. I shopped there since I was kid. My mom. Everyone in my family. I loved going there. Now this. This is really sad. Seems everything I grew up with is going away.
I agree with what you said specially the end seems like everything that we used to know is all going away I yearn for the days of the 70s and 80s when I was younger, we still had our troubles of course as a society and deal with life but it just seems like we're in really dark days nowadays
I hate seeing everything fun that gets you out of your house has to go out of business Toys R US, Radioshack, Hollywood Video, Blockbuster Video (except for the lone Bend, OR location). 😭😭😭😭
For me this hits a particularly deep chord. My father was a mechanic in the Sears Auto Center for 30 years. I myself worked in the men's clothing department for five years. In the late 80s they were closing the store that I was in to move it to another Mall. It was actually the beginning of the breakdown of the empire that Sears once was. Not long after, Kmart became involved with Sears Corp. Shortly before this move they had begun to buy employees out, that's how my dad ended up in early retirement with Sears. I remember when they were clearing the store out, huge sections of floor that you never really knew existed because it was filled with clothing, furniture, jewelry, sporting goods... But as these areas began to clear out, and merchandise was sold off because they didn't want to move it to the new store, it was like literally being at the bedside of a loved one taking their last breaths. I grew up in that store actually. I suppose it was because it was the location where my father worked and it was convenient for us to go in. Heck I can even remember in the extremely early 70s when there was a restaurant inside that you could actually eat at. I can still hear the music tracks that played through each season and the ads that would come over the intercom. I can still hear the M calls which would signify a particular manager to come to a department or be met at customer service. I can still hear the closing announcement that often times was done on the phone right at my check stand. It all seems like yesterday and that was 35 years ago. Christmas time was a particularly fun time for me because people would come in with a completely different demeanor and a sort of joyous anticipation to even just be shopping during Christmas. I can still smell the overstock that was in the stockroom having been sent in anticipation of the Christmas sales. When the store was finally closing for good and the time had come for the final call and the merchandise was all gone, a coworker invited me back to take a look at the empty store. It seemed so odd to me that I could see the jewelry cases glimmering like jewels themselves from all the way across the other end of the store, where normally you would never even be able to see them. How the old tile on the floors that always look so dirty normally, in the empty store they gleamed whiter than ever almost like a last cry to be given one more chance. I can remember being there and listening to a deafening silence when they were getting ready to kick us all out for the last time. No soundtrack playing, no ventilation fans running, no registers or people clicking around. We all just sat on the old worn-out carpet in the middle of one of the departments and listened as the store took its last breaths. I looked down the aisle to one of the exits where the sun just so happened to be setting at the moment we were mourning this old friend. I remember looking through the glass that had been scratched up due to years of improper cleaning and people rubbing against it with their coats and hands. In that moment I remembered how much I hadn't appreciated coming there and quite often complained, but in that instant realized that all the opportunities I had passed up in meeting people or in being a service to someone, they were all gone. I still dream about that empty store, and for some reason they fill it back up. there are new workers that I am unfamiliar with because I've never seen them before and I stand at the registers trying to remember all the old codes so I can do my work. And then I suddenly realize that too much time has passed and I'm not ever going to remember those codes because those drawers are never going to open again. these institutions were of American Ingenuity, supporting and celebrating American workers and Craftsmen. They were a jewel to this country. They were a symbol of integrity and strength. foreign peoples from all over the world would come into these these places and it would signify to them that there was no place like America because no place in the world had shopping centres the way we did, not even in Canada at the time. I'm not saying there wasn't some form of small Center, but these Mega malls didn't exist anywhere else. There are few of them left in existence today and they're killing them off slowly one at a time. And along with that they kill off the craftsmanship and quality that once filled the belly of these merchandising monsters, though that started in the early 90s really. It was pounded into our heads as sales people that we owed it to the customer to remind them that if you buy it at Sears you're not just buying an item you're buying into a family. Nowadays all companies want to do is avoid any form of liability. We don't realize what we are losing when these giants are gone. we don't realize that we're not just losing a place to shop, we're losing a place to rub elbows with our fellow man and have chances to interact like human beings should. We're not just losing structures of brick and mortar, we are losing structure of society and this video is a symbol of that loss. even if we have to fight to stay in contact with our nearest neighbors, let's make the commitment in this new year to do that at least. Go knock on your neighbor's door say hello and ask them if you can help them just like I did when I was a salesperson. You might just be surprised what the may need that only you can help them with. God bless everyone who reads these words, I love you!
@@n9wox "Ikea"... What most people don't realize is, that is Swedish for "we just took your money and sold you junk. Good luck with your new cardboard furniture.". I grew up in a house with good furnishings and quality craftsmanship. Ikea is absolute junk! I don't knock anyone who has to buy Ikea or needs to go there because that's what their budget can afford, and my intent certainly is not to insult you personally at all, my point is that they have replaced quality with quantity which is not good. Everything nowadays is very replaceable. Places like sears, jc penny, may company, montgomery wards... they actually sold made in america quality furniture. That took a serious turn in the late eighties and early nineties with the onset of walmart. Quality was abandoned for the sake of competition. People were still suffering the real estate crash in the late eighties/early nineties and the economy was very unstable. Most people who suffered in 2008 don't even recall the crash just 20 years earlier. The late eighties tumble changed everything in American retail forever and quality became a thing of the past. Places like Ikea strip Americans of work and retailers of quality products to sell. When you go into major retailers that sell furniture today like Nebraska Furniture Mart, American Furniture, Ashley Furniture, Rooms To Go... Look at where the stuff is made. Vietnam, China and India most often. Underpaid workers being treated like animals for the sake of getting quickly and poorly made furniture out to market just to stuff the pockets of the greedy company owners that run the show. Every single time we buy this stuff and don't complain about these issues we're saying what happens to those people is okay and that we are being bamboozled into poor quality furniture for the sake of contemporary style is even more acceptable. As Americans, the majority of of us do not realize that we are being forced into becoming a third world country and the sad fact is there's a good portion of this nation that is already there. Detroit Michigan anyone? Used to be one of the most beautiful and wealthy cities in the United States.
@Tom Cartmel i love you for that! I wish i could have been there to take you to a local mom and pop joint... on me! 😀 Supporting America starts on the lower local levels, not that you don't know that,, I'm just trying to put the word out so others that read these comments get the idea how important it is. I do everything I can to try and only stay within local businesses and certainly always try to shop made in America, or Canada because we are so closely linked. We can make this country strong again, we just have to get back to our good old-fashioned ethics and standards, and I'm not talking about Republican vs Democrat, I'm talking about going all the way back to our founding fathers minus the slavery or indentured servitude. Americans who get paid a truly Fair wage for their work, are not afraid to work hard, are fair and honest to those they work with , fair and honest with those who work for them, and fair and honest with those whom they work for. Having the level of Integrity that strikes fear into our minds that we should dishonor our family name for the sake of momentary pleasure or personal gain. A country that teaches it's young the trades and craftsmanship that their fathers practiced for generations. The importance of these apprenticeships teach character, dedication and appreciation for another person's talent and effort. When we've had to put our hands too difficult, tedious work for a particular outcome that we had in mind, it gives us the ability to maintain a level of empathy for others around us who are also expressing themselves in like kind and it sets the social norm regarding a level of personal effort. We have lost that in this country, and around the world unfortunately. Have a great New Year friend!
Mark down my ass...they raised the prices 60% before they were put on clearence...the appliances at a Sears closing were more expensive than a at a store that is not closing
@Scott that has nothing to do with it. People are tired of Sears poor service and overpriced crap they won't stand by. They won't honor their warranties. Is that even legal? They sell junk. Their stores are arranged like garage sales...Their dishwashers are selling at $800 when they close. What kind of Quitting Bu siness Sale is that?
25 Million in bonuses to Sears executives 💰💰 in United States 🇺🇸 9 Million to Canadian executives Thank You Mr.Lampert No money to pay pensions for all those loyal employees for all those holidays they missed over the years,and the mechanics who made sure our cars were safe for those long holiday drives coast to coast 😢.Very sad to listening to Pandora music and hearing Sears MasterCard ads recently !!!! Yeah I want a credit card from a company that will not be here next year .......There are no Sears left around Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania now Dec.2018 No More KMarts either the last two in Pittsburgh are closing the one 10 minutes from me Shaler TWP. opened 55 years !!! Will be gone No more blue light specials ,Icee drinks and 3 for a Dollar soft pretzels 🥨 or hoagies freshly made daily 3 hoagies $5.00 Our KMart had a cafeteria to with great food.....!...... Merry Christmas Ace...✌️🎄
Lambert killed them off while buying up the properties on the cheap. Him and his fast buck executives will laugh all the way to the bank as they develope the mall stores into business rental spaces. And somehow this is legal to do?!?
Blog Shag Bankruptcy Laws and shedding Warranties are the first to go, followed by Pension Funds. In the UK we had BHS, and the loss of Warranties was bad, but for the thousands of mostly women that worked for them lost everything, and the UK’s Pensions are about to be destroyed, along with the Economy as a whole for a minimum of 10 years of staggering economic decline. Corporations are not working for their employees anymore. It’s Dog Eat Dog.
The “wishbook!” I cannot think about my childhood in the 1970’s without remembering us getting the “postcard” in the mail and taking it into our local Sears to get it. My brother and I would sit in the back seat and tear that brown outer paper off of it and start flipping trough it and doing exactly what it’s name implied, start “wishing “ for all the wonderful toys they had in it. I’m tearing up as I type this because that was a “magical” time in our lives. Goodbye my old friend. Thanks for leaving my family as well as millions of others some wonderful memories of Christmas.
This is so sad!! My mother worked at Sears for 30 years!! When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to get the Sears catalog so I could look at all the toys I wanted. We bought everything there. It’s so depressing to see another iconic American store go under!
I grew up going to the same Sears as I do now almost 50 years later. It will be closed for good in March. Very sad to see something that was with me my whole life gone.
Stocks of Sears Holdings were delisted from NASDAQ back on October 24 with a final price of 33 cents. Its still available as OTC Pink but its very unlikely to ever be listed again.
I realize that a lot of people buy stuff on line these days, but I can't see the logic of buying clothes without trying them on first. I have enough trouble finding something to fit right and be comfortable without having to keep sending it back to do so. Looks like I might just have to go back to buying my clothes at JoAnn Fabrics again and making them myself like I used to.
@@DavidSmith-sb2ix on the contrary online has a better selection than any store I have gone to and cam actually find my size. All WalMart and Targets carry are some terrible jeans. Even Sears clothes were so great in durability and expensive. Their boots were good though.
As a young man in high school, I was a first hire at Sears Washington Square Auto Center. Helped to open the store. I made more by the hour than my mother who worked full time at Tektronix. I remember my father telling me that it was a solid job and that I had my foot in the door. "If Sears ever goes out of business, you know SOMETHING'S wrong" he told me. Now look..
I've owned Craftsman tools for years and wanted to get a add on drawer set for my Craftsman tool chest. Sears are all closed around us so I called a Sears store in West Virginia 1.5 hours away. They said they had three and would tag one for me. Wife & I took the ride to get it. Pulled into the small shopping complex where Sears was. Three cars in the lot. Figuring I would have to pay for it and pick it up at receiving we parked near there. Walked into the store and it was pretty much empty. Could actually hear a echo when speaking. Very little clothing, a couple tv's and exercise equipment in electronics. Very little appliances. Once in the tool area there were very little tools stacked and a couple lawnmowers. The store was empty. We hollered for someone to help us and no one was around, LOL. We about gave up when my wife looked up the stores phone number and called on her cell phone. She told the lady who answered we were in the store, could someone help us. The lady said they'd be there in a minute. A man and woman were walking our way. I explained about them holding the tool chest for us. The guy said, all yea, it's in the back. We asked if they were closing. They said as of that date the store wasn't on the list. They both had many years with Sears and had pension time accrued. They were sticking it out as long as possible. The lady took payment. She handed me the receipt and said to pull around to package pickup. I said I was familiar with the process, scanning the receipt and all. They laughed and said they didn't do that any more. The guy said he'd bring it out. They were the only 2 working. I wished the fellow good luck. On the last list of Sears closings my wife noticed that store was closing. It' a shame people who spent their lives working for Sears now have to worry about their promised pensions and survival due to higher management making poor business decisions.
I'm in Canada near Toronto and the Sears I knew is gone. The one here in the city I live in is gone too. We had our Sears tv since 1990 and mom just got rid of it a few months back. It still worked good just a bit too small for todays standards. I remember she bought me Mortal Kombat for genesis at Sears and it cost $100 + tax lol i'll never forget that. I played the hell out of it so was worth it. Into my teens I only walked through Sears to get into the mall. You never think a store that big can fail.
100cad was equal to about 70usd in the 90s. Just so most Americans can get a baseline..... 70$ for a Genesis game in 90's was still a bit more than it would have been in the US.
That is a sad, but true statement. I know it will be Sears last Christmas this year in 2018. People are shopping at Wal-Mart for a brick and mortar store. And Amazon is ever increasing, as online shopping takes dominance in the USA. It might be just a matter of time, before Wal-Mart fails! Sears and K-Mart were the go to places to get your merchandise, as well as others in the 80's , when I was growing up. My parents got most of my clothes, shoes, and glasses at Sears, back in the 80's! I will miss Sears, as well as many other old school brick and mortar retailers I frequented growing up! I fell bad for the current generation that can only primarily shop online, and get entertainment through their pathetic little smart phones! Life is meant to be physically experienced in the very moment. Not virtually, via a stupid smart phone! Just my opinion.
Taylor Sexton, I agree with you completely, especially when you say, “Life is meant to be physically experienced.” These new generations are missing out on so much, unfortunately. It’s sad.
While the internet can literally serve whatever you want, right to your door, people use it as an excuse to avoid people completely and of course to be lazy fucks because getting off their asses once in a while and going to the store might be too much exercise for their scrawny little bodies.
When I was growing up, before my Sears moved out to the mall, we bought e everything there: all my school clothes and shoes, appliances, window air conditioners and lawn mowers. After they moved, they became more expensive and less convenient. Thanks for the memories. RIP Sears.
I'm 73 years old and I remember Sears so well it's where I got my first credit card the Sears revolving card which helped me get credit later on in the early sixties I remember going to the Sears in El Monte California Roman Gabriel the quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams made an appearance signing autographs and talking to anybody that wanted to talk to him. that's when the Rams were at their best as well as Sears. the Rams are back and they're going to be hard to beat. I still have my Craftsman tool boxes and tools they're probably over 50 years old and everything is still in excellent condition. if you ever had a problem with Craftsman tools you can take them back and they would exchange it for a brand new one
Even with the age of internet sales and competitive pricing, it’s a damn shame a department store like Sears never bothered to catch up to times and folded. They provided a good relationship with customers for decades, sold quality items, and stood behind their products for decades.
I remember every year as a kid going in to get one. My dad worked for Sears and later on in my teens I work for Sears. But the anticipation for that big thick Christmas catalog never ceased inside of me. I couldn't wait each and every year, all the way into adulthood, to see the Sears Christmas catalog. These young people today have no idea. We've been stripped of our culture and taught not to interact within one another. So sad
Lucinda Waugh they are going to miss having retail competition. Why? Well when Amazon starts raising prices, and the consumer has no other place to shop a lower price, it will be an official monopoly.
Another memory falls. I remember being a little kid and taking the bus to Southridge mall. They had a Sears and a JC Penneys. Just so I could get the Wishbook from Sears and the JC Penney Christmas Catalog. Then spending the next 8-12 weeks paging through both books. No cares, no worries, just toys and fun.
Hello folks. Just finished watching this video. Can't believe the memories that came to my mind. I'm 54 years old. Does anyone else remember the way we would look forward to the Christmas wish book as kids? Our nearest Sears was a 45 minute drive from home in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it was worth the trip. Nearly all of my hand tools are Craftsman. I bought my pool table there. The Diehard battery in my truck. Sears auto center. Our first color t.v. in 1976. Kenmore appliances for the house. Our new school clothes for the year. All gone. And for what? Online shopping, give me a break! I'm not only sad for those who have lost their jobs and pensions, but for the slice of Americana that is gone. I know change is inevitable in all things. Still, when things you viewed as a rock start to go away, that still doesn't mean it won't hurt a little. Just one man's thoughts, what do you think, folks?
Black Friday 2012 bought a TV; great deal! Store was packed! 2018 went to look at their TV deals. No electronics! Salesman was watching the lone TV in the store-said no one buys TVs at Sears anymore.
Very sad to see how terrible mismanagement killed this franchise, some of the coolest toys I got as a kid came from Sears! I remember when they had a candy store and the best tasting popcorn...
It has been reported in the news today (12/27/18) that Sears has 24 hours to receive an offer to buy the company. If the deadline passes with no bids, then the company will be forced into liquidation. Eddie Lampert has laid out plans to buy the company for $4.6 Billion in cash and stock. He hasn't yet submitted his plan, nor has he rounded up financing to proceed with his bid. I truly believe this is the end of the road for Sears. It's a sad end for a company that pioneered so much in the retail world.
So sad! The death of an American icon . So many memories shopping for tools at Sears. It didn’t have to be this way. They could have reinvented themselves.
If they had gone online in the 1990s with the capital and cash they possessed at the time, I don't think Amazon would be as big as it is now. Seriously.
This is so depressing. The very last time I ever went into a Sears store which was October 16, 2014 at the Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, CA, the entire second floor was just like this. I was the ONLY customer on the entire floor. It was heart breaking. However, the store you were at was much more orderly than the one I went to. It was very schlocky and dirty.
Sears is still the largest Pension payer in the USA. It is one of the main reason why they want to declare final bankruptcy to escape that liability. I suspect a small retailer will buy the "SEARS" name like Southwestern Bell bought AT&T for name value! But they only bought the name after Pension liability was dismissed! But besides that! It is sad as hell. I had a 4000 limit Sears Credit card. Sears was the first people to give me credit! When I bought my house New Washer Dryer, fridge and wall air conditioner. Let alone Lawn mowers, tools, and even tires and car repairs! In 1995 Sears converted my Sears Card to a Master Card! TBH the rates were very bad for Mastercard! I wanted to keep just a sears card for NEEDS not wants!!! I closed the account in 2003. I felt sick, disloyal. I quit going to Sears exclusively because now I could completive shop! I only have my 26 year old KENMORE Window Air Conditioner and Box Fan that is Kenmore left. I think Sears cut their own throat by allowing there customers to leave converting to a general Mastercard!
That’s the old auto bays. The stockroom is around the back, my friend works there they use it for fixture storage. They also park the service vans in there during bad weather, set up tractors and build smaller displays in it these days. The auto was closed mostly because it was the last in the area and there are a bunch of car dealers just down the road. The combo of being isolated from the next closest Sears with an auto center made it cost ineffective to run.
I don't remember the last time I have shopped at Sears. Spent allot of my childhood shopping at Sears though. Gonna miss Sears. Kmart killed Sears they should of never gotten in bed with Kmart.
Kmart did not kill Sears, Eddie Lampert did, he had no intentions of getting either to their former glory days, I worked at a Kmart for two years until it closed and building maintenance was not a priority
The Sears at the Berkshire Mall (PA), not a dead mall, is closing sometime in 2019. Since the Bon-Ton closed earlier this year, that leaves the mall with only a Boscov's as a permanent anchor. I hope they get a new anchor, I fear for the future of the mall.
It's sad here in Chambersburg at the Chambersburg Mall we lost Sear's, JC Penney and The Bon Ton... the only anchor store that remains is Burlington it's so sad... The nearest Sear's is at Colonial Park in Harrisburg, I'm not sure if it's still there... We lost Sear's in Hagerstown, MD and Camp Hill... The nearest Penney's store is in Hagerstown at the Valley Mall it's only 20 miles away. Belk just opened a store at the Valley Mall in Hagerstown, but Chambersburg Mall is DEAD.
@@armc11 I think Colonial Park will be the closest to me too. I live about 1-2 miles from Chambersburg's older sister, North Hanover Mall and we lost our Sears in April. The closest one was TownMall of Westminster, but it either just closed or will be because it was on the 10/15 list.
@@armc11 That mall hasn't done well in years. Too far out of Chambersburg. My favorite store was Value City but of course they joined Ames, Bon Ton, Hess and all the others in the retail graveyard.
Yes you labeled this story right on t he money. Quiet and Creepy. And on the day before Christmas think I saw two shoppers. And I like to add SAD. You said it best it's like the atmosphere at a funeral right before it is about to happen. This store looked like it was a holding a liquidation sale. My Sears in Jersey City three days before Christmas: Somewhat empty and no music. :( With Sears and KMart on their last breaths and other stores slipping will the nation only be Wally World and Target and maybe Kohls? Hate to lose choices. And yes I did cry over this video and a few of KMarts Wallie has done. Partly for all the people who are out of work who have to practically Cancel Christmas and almost everything else. And partly to cry to be losing choices of where I want to shop, to have options. Hope you and yours had a good Christmas and thanks for the gifts of your time and energy and creativity and heart doing these videos. Can't wait to see what 2019 brings.
I'm 57 years old, Sears was the place for Die Hard Batteries, Craftsmen tools, Kenmore appliances, I've bought them there for years, even exercise equipment, you needed a Lawnmower, Sears, even A/C units, microwaves, it's a shame, cause it was a great store
I worked at the Woodland Hills Mall Sears from 1990-1995. And it was a great time for me. Seeing this happen is saddening but also part of the reality of the disappearing trend of department stores. My dad worked at the other Tulsa Sears in the early 60’s. While watching the Woodland Hills store decline I feel like I have lost an old friend. I really appreciate this video and I wish I would have made my own. Hopefully I can do a FB live when our store here finally closes and I hope I get the chance because it holds a lot of memories for me. Thanks again for making this. It’s truly been an American institution.
My Sears closed a few months ago. Bought clothes there for years, my dad owned Craftsman tools, we owned Kenmore appliances...we even bought carpet at Sears. My parents shopped at Sears ever since the early 70’s. So completely sad.
One idea I've heard and read time and time again is why didn't Sears transition its catalog online and take on Amazon. Because of course, it's so easy! Some companies simply can't adapt to changing times and consumer shopping methods. I never had any attachment to Sears, although I know it meant a lot to many people. Thanks for this and all your other retail footage. :)
It wouldn't surprise me if Sears eventually does returns as a online exclusive retailer. Let's not forget several other stores also that closed their stores did return as on online exclusive store. Like Montgomery Ward, and Service Merchandise.
My husband and I visited the Sears store in Port Richey, FL (Gulf View Mall) several months ago to pick a tool he had ordered online. It was so dead inside. One of salesman was playing solitaire on the computer. It was sad to see this. I remember growing up and going to Sears to buy my back to school clothes (Manchester, NH)
I used to take my car to the shop there to get tires put on and get an alignment while we walked around the mall,I bought a camcorder there in the 80's it cost a little over a thousand dollars with a case and accessories,it is sad they are all closing.
i dont see how they could last another year. this is like the scene of titanic where rose and jack are on the railing right before the whole thing sinks.
I honestly thought last year that they had another 5-7 years left. We had a total of 4 sears stores here in San Antonio last Christmas but this year one closed down and another is currently going through liquidation..anything could happen with this company come 2019
This is sad. End of an era. My mother would shop Sears or JCP period. Good memories. Kenmore. Craftsman. Going to miss you. Rest in peace Sears. You were loved. 😭😭😭
What is so sad, is that Sears and Penney's were the phone ordering KINGS of all kinds of merchandise. You could call it in, and the next week you could pick it up at your local Sears or Penney's outlet store in your small town. This was before UPS and FEDX. It came in shipments from sears that went from store to store leaving the ordered merchandise. Too bad that the upper management messed this up when they closed down the little store instead of diving into shipping directly to homes. They went to having a store in larger towns and smaller towns had to drive to get their stuff. We had to wait and wait in line to get the things we ordered.
Bezos would have Sears running like a clock right now (some people will blame Amazon for this which is wrong). He recently stated he predicts Amazon's failure, that "If we start to focus on ourselves, instead of focusing on our customers, that will be the beginning of the end ... We have to try and delay that day for as long as possible." Opposite of what Sears did.
The downfall of Sears is a good indication that Middle Class families have disappeared. Low income families go to Walmart, higher income go to high end stores. Sears was left in no mans land, and exasperated further by competing online retailers. It’s too bad the foothold of the catalog business didn’t springboard the company into a dominant internet presence.
I went to the Stones River mall close to where I live and while it made me happy seeing it busy at Christmastime, the Sears is undergoing liquidation at the 30-60% off stage. It's tragic because my mom worked in the automotive department in the late 80s and early 90s.
I just shopped a few weeks ago at Sears in Lincoln Park, Mi.. Oh the memories, teenage shopping with friends, my sister's first job, tires, bra shopping and back to school shopping with my now departed mom. Catalog shopping. My sister and I picked one thing per page that we wanted. The little cafeteria with Saunders hot fudge cream puffs all gone. I cried and I was surprised how emotional I was. That store had been there since to 50s. 😭
SO true. My mom's washer and dryer and dishwasher were all Kenmores and they lasted wayyy over 11-12 years and we just about never had to call to repair them. I HATE the new "advanced" BS they put in current ones because you can't use regular detergent and the so-called "high efficiency" soap irritates my skin in the winter. I never had skin problems with plain old detergent on my clothes.
@@n9wox so it seems Eddie got that deal through. It's nearly impossible to buy a refrigerator online, I tried. Every website I went to only provided cubic foot, I need the depth, width, height too. I don't feel like remodeling to fit in a new fridge. So I trudged out into the icy air with my Craftsman 25' tape measure to several stores and used it. Salespeople looked at me funny. Ended up with 1 french door style for $600 that someone returned to Lowe's for whatever reason.
So so sad. Just a couple weeks before the sears in Victoria texas shutdown. They found a 10in craftsman table saw lying around in the back like lost inventory and put it out on the floor for sale. I picked it up for $210 down from the $350. Glad I got something for the last time. Thank you sears for the memories.
I believe online giants like Amazon have played a big part in the decline of former retail stores like sears, the bay, the future shop, ToysRus and more. Going to the mall to buys things and checking out the latest fashions electronics, tools etc use to be so much fun, now its a dying art form!!!!!!
No. Amazon has nothing to do with their decline like you think they do. Amazon has good service. Imagine that. Sears sells overpriced junk, gives hassles about returns , won't honor warranties
phoenixman8569 only thing that took me out was loss of job & dialysis!!! I loved shopping malls in these stores!! But last hired 1st fired in this world of hate & discrimination doesn't help either.... Shipping jobs overseas & robotics on assembly lines & other antics the rich do separates this country & kills its future of togetherness!? Strange seeing these gas prices drop right now!?!?! If gas goes higher with what's going on now .... sales will go down everywhere else... & more online shopping will happen. Less driving of the personal vehicle?! Greed is messing up the routine of normalcy!!!!
It's very likely. Especially considering that Mr. Eddie is trying to buy and spin-off the more profitable parts of Sears Holdings (especially Kenmore) as part of a new company.
Sears totally lost it when they remove the candy counter(s). If you were a good kid at Sears or the mall, mom would always take you to the Sears candy counter. They were removed in the mid 80's.
Unimaginative, unwanted, too big, too expensive .... etc etc. Seems to apply to a lot of American industry these days, not just Sears. Soon, we'll all be shopping online at Amazon, buying stuff made in China, via computer systems maintained by Indian software specialists, dressed in clothes made in Vietnam, driving cars made in Korea. Welcome to your future.
@@kitkatx6516 Yeah I agree but unfortunately the way things are going is that online shopping will become normal and physical stores won't be able to compete because of high rents, higher employee to customer ratio, and all kinds of other costs. The odds are stacked against traditional stores.
I worked at Sears in the 90's, and even back then everyone was talking about it going downhill....I worked in men's suit department when we actually had to approach customers and take suit measurements and special orders. I was in the local one here maybe a month ago, and it was a ghost town...and when I found what I was looking for I had to spend about ten minutes just looking for a cashier ( apparently these days just one cashier covers about four departments ). If this happened when I was working there I would have been fired, but this is not the fault of the employees. Sad to see this shit go down like this.
This is a sad event that Sears Kmart and other stores are closing. Sears and J.C. Penny were grat stores. People wanted to work or shop with them. Look all of the great stores from the past GONE. Grant's Woolworth's and spin off stores. So sad for all lost.
I didn’t even shop there a lot and seeing this makes me so sad. The poor employees losing their jobs, clothing getting thrown away, memories being lost forever. I hope the CEOs get what they deserve. 🖕
Deja vu. Could swear I watched this video few months ago. I miss the restaurant or think called grill, they used to have in Kmart. . Loved the patty melts. Are old Kmart had the snack bar up front by customer service. And the grill was in back between electronics and(either shoes or bedding). My memory gets that confused. Worked there in high school. But I've slept a lot since 93. But I still remember the patty melts. . And are check was already cashed for us. And two break rooms. One for women and one for men. But I often went over to the women's. It was bigger , and seemed like assistant manager was always taking a nap in ours
The one and only store here in Tulsa is open until the end of December, it's very sad.I my self would go in the as a kid shop with my family. What a great time we would have the great memories etc..
My local Sears in Portland, Oregon just closed as well. Everything was 80% off, and then an additional 80% off on top of that. I got 5 pairs of $60 pants for $2 each. At the end of my visit, I picked up a large display sign and walked out the door with it. The employees didn’t give me a second look. I have a constant reminder of my childhood in my bedroom now, in the form of a giant display sign, advertising tee shirts.
There appliances were the best quality. I still have a vacuum from the late 80s that I bought from their "bargain basement!" So sad. I also miss their hand dipped fresh corn dogs that some older locations had along with their fresh nuts and candy!
So sad to see Sears going away... It's weird to think that in my hometown (Chambersburg, PA) that there's no Sears or no JC Penney ... I never imagined that we would not have one of them let alone both. :(
I’d think it would have made more sense just to move all the fixtures out to the old auto bay instead of stuffing them in the old portrait studio. Lands End is closing most of their in store Sears locations this year regardless if the chain closes, this was one of only 159 locations that had one they were actually kind of rare. I think the store in Rochester has a “Lands end Outlet” in their store. The one tools guy told me it was actually pretty busy there this past week when I was at this location Friday night.
As a much younger man in college I worked seasonally from 1965-1967 at a Sears in Orlando, Florida. One of my most memorable evening shits was being assigned to the toy department. Using the term "mad house" is likely an understatement (the parents behaved worse than the children). What a sad and sorry change.
Last I heard, deadline to submit bids for the remaining stores is Dec. 28th with the auction being held on Jan. 14th. But even if Eddie Lampert is successful in swooping in and saving the final 400-500 stores last minute, it’s only further delaying the inevitable. It will just continue on for another year or so being this zombie retailer with no compelling reason to shop there before the plug is finally pulled once and for all.
@Dusk Raccoon depends on if the winner is a liquidator, or another company who's going to absorb them into their own (similar to what Kmart did to Grant's and Venture's).
Thanks for the nice and steady footage from inside Sears. Great editing in post, too! Toys R Us, Sears, Circuit City, Blockbuster... the trend of mismanagement continues.
I have been with Sears for 15 years between 3 stores. Just a couple days left at my current store and I think its finally hitting that it's all over. Many friends. Many great memories that outweigh the "bad" customers with negative comments and attitudes easily! Time for, as they say...the next chapter.
I dislike all brick and mortar stores. The employees act like you are bothering them and they act rude. I’m now an Amazon diehard. Sears has been closed for 10 years at least. Every one I’ve been in since the late 2000’s have been virtually abandoned with no merchandise.
My parents took us kids to Sears every year to get new clothes for school. Back then, in the 70s, the clothes would last for what seemed forever. Now, after one wash, the clothes fall apart. Products have gotten so cheap. The new CEO screwed up! So sad to see this!
Chuck, that's ALL clothes, especially jeans. I hate having to buy new jeans because they're so damn fragile. Hello to the cheapskate CEOs: jeans were designed as WORKER'S clothes originally. Now even my nautical jacket (which is SIXTEEN years old!) has outlasted more jeans than I can count! The material on jeans are so skimpy that the rivets tear a hole in them in less than two years! A long time I ago I could keep a pair of jeans 5-6 years and they would still look barely used. Those days are long gone. I seriously think that if the dumb CEOs of these clothing companies want to keep cutting quality, they need to cut the prices too. $60 for jeans? Pathetic. I wouldn't pay even $49 for such flimsy crap.
