Sears, Kmart closing up to 120 stores

There's a Kmart about two miles away and a Walmart about seven miles away, and I go to Walmart nearly every time. Quality may only be slightly better at the Walmart, but not only does it seem like there's about five workers in the checkout area at Kmart doing absolutely nothing, one can get terminal claustrophobia while waiting to put your purchases on the counter. Then half the coversation with the clerk is "No I don't want a member's card. No I don't want to buy a warranty that's more expensive than the cheap electronics that my nieces are going to break anyway. Just check my things and set me free!"

 

That's the experience at every Kmart now.

 

Very few KMarts I have ever been in seemed clean.

 

That's been the experience since the 1980s.

Don't forget, K-Mart started closing stores in 1994. They went bankrupt in 2002. Kind of amazing they've lasted this long.

 

To heck with you guys. I love K-Mart and would NEVER set foot in a Wal-Mart. When I am in a town that has a K-Mart, it's generally the first store I go to. The second is JCP ;D

 

Have you had better luck than the above folks have had, regarding lines?

 

Maybe I live in a shithole, but I have never seen a Wal-Mart that was cleaner, nicer or that I wanted to visit over a K-Mart.

Every Wal-Mart I have ever seen is the epitome of www.peopleofwalmart.com. I wish so often that I still had a K-Mart close to me so that I wasn't always forced to go to Target. I refuse to go to Wal-Mart.

 

Sears can no longer live and die by the malls, which are more urban things anyway. No middle-aged man wants to go into the mall for their tools and supplies in the middle of a bunch of mall-going assholes, even if it's in the corners where you walk in.

What Sears needs to do is look into mid-size areas, find the strongest blue-collar sales area, and plant stores there - the rent would probably be cheaper and you're more likely to have people who are comfortable staying around and willing to buy things. And, if something isn't available, you refer them to the online store or can have it delivered there.

Have unlimited supplies online and hit the local communities - everybody wins

 

If you're from Texas like the name suggests (Maybe I'm just reading it wrong?), then I completely understand your Wal-Mart vision.

I've lived in two Texas small towns and the college I went to wasn't in a much larger town. I've never been in a Wal-Mart where I said "Damn, I'm so glad I shopped there!" It's always like the shopping equivalent of Jack in the Box - it does just enough to not make you cry in shame. Literally just enough.

 

You are correct on all accounts.

 

I must have the greatest K-Marts/Wal-Marts/Sears stores wherever I live. Or everyone else just exaggerates their experiences.

Bought a washer/dryer for our new home in October at Sears. Friendly sales person. Good prices. Delivery/installation on time. Great machines.

Went to K-Mart last week for a plastic container. 10 people in line? There may not have been 10 in the store. In and out in 5 minutes.

Stopped at Wal-Mart on the way to work last week to get stocking stuffer. Had my 32B flash drive and was out of the store in 10 minutes.