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Sears is closing 66 more Kmart & Sears locations, including a Kmart on Oahu. Sears in Hilo will remain open.
The announcement also included the news that their Craftsman line of tools is being sold to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/201...102563986/
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Sears was taken over by a hedge fund 10 years ago that is bleeding the company of it's most valuable assets (mainly real estate) while purporting to turn it into a "tech company". I don't think the CEO has any intention of keeping ANY Sears or Kmart stores open, it's a shell game of asset and debt swaps until its the "right time" to close each store. In the end the only thing left of Sears will be the brand name. There are a lot of good articles on the hedge fund transforming Sears from an American icon store to a corporate resource for plundering. This one is not a bad start:
http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-fai...ces-2017-1
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IMO, They should just close all the stores and get it over with. Craftsman was the last quality product Sears carried. Not a fan.
Am I the only one who remembers the days when there was a Sears Catalogue in every home? Before every school year and at every Christmas we'd lug the heavy catalogue out and pick out school clothes and gifts. The stores carried everything we needed, down to my Dad's garage full of Craftsman tools.
Sometimes we'd go downtown to the real store and hang out at the "nut counter" while my Dad chose Filberts and Cashews and Brazil Nuts to snack on on the way home. We loved Sears in those days.
The last 20-30 years, the only things we got from Sears failed, from seams in clothes to motors in appliances. Warrenty doesn't help because it has to fail 4 times in 12 months to qualify for replacement, and that's with extended Warranty!
Adios Sears... It was fun while it lasted.
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Friend on mainland informed me he got an Ace Hardware flyer in the mail and they now carry the Craftsman line of tools.
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Ace has an ad in today's Hilo newspaper promoting Craftsman Tools. Sears is only one of a dozen or more brick and mortar retail stores in deep trouble, and it isn't just because of hedge fund shenanigans. The last time I went into the Hilo Sears store, it was a disorganized mess.
The way people obtain material goods is fundamentally and profoundly changing, and only the most adroit traditional retailers will survive. Even the ubiquitous WalMart has been the object of "change or die" articles by financial analysts.
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Ace here in Na'alehu has had Craftsman tools for quite a long time now. I've gotten plenty of mix/max sockets from there.
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quote:
Originally posted by Kenney
Warrenty doesn't help because it has to fail 4 times in 12 months to qualify for replacement, and that's with extended Warranty!
Didn't know that. "Sears and Send back".
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I actually like the old school Craftsman tools, newer stuff not as much(circa 1990 or later). Kmart on Maui closed this week also
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quote:
Originally posted by Wailua Boy
I actually like the old school Craftsman tools, newer stuff not as much(circa 1990 or later). Kmart on Maui closed this week also
I worked for 24 years at a truck repair shop in south Seattle. WE worked on the big rig, like Kenworths, Freightliners, IH/Nava Star, Peterbilt etc, etc. When I started out I couldn't afford Snap-On, Mac, so bought a starter set of Crafstman tools. I soon learned that there open end wrenches were not be trusted. Lucky I didn't break any knuckles. I replaced the Craftsman with Snap-On and Mac as I could afford it. Snap-On is as good as it gets. Craftsman ratchets, box end wrenches, and a few other tools were adequate.
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Jon in Keaau/HPP
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Sears catalog- and for those of us in a rural environment the old catalog outdated was appreciated page by page.
Recently got a set of tires here in Hilo store. NOT the best experience. Have bought many tires from Sears over the years. 9Am appointment, arrived 20 minutes early. Install took 3 hours. I also "scheduled" a safety check, but was informed that would be another hour after the install. As I settled up, the sales tech again asked if I wanted the lifetime insurance. I declined, told I likely wouldn't be back. Sad.
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