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Sears moves inside KMart to spark sales
United Press International ^ | June 29, 2007

Posted on 07/01/2007 3:19:55 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

CHICAGO, June 29 (UPI) -- In a bold move to jump-start years of declining sales, Sears is reportedly placing some free-standing stores inside some K-Mart facilities. The discount chain is renting about 7,000 square feet inside existing Kmarts to Sears dealers in four towns -- Claremont, N.H.; Freedom, Calif.; Pell City, Ala.; and Zephyrhills, Fla. The dealers sell hardware, appliances, lawn equipment and some consumer electronics, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Some observers see it as another step toward an expected merger.

During the past year, Sears Holdings Corp. has been moving its best Sears brands into Kmart in an effort to reach more shoppers and rekindle sales.

Craftsman tools and DieHard batteries are on Kmart shelves and one out of every 10 Kmart stores now sell Kenmore appliances.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: kmart; merger; retail; retailing; sears
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To: norwaypinesavage

I suspect they mean merger of the brands, with a single identity as the result. The question is what will show on the store, Sears or K-Mart?


21 posted on 07/01/2007 5:56:06 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (Brian J. Marotta, 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub, (1948-2007) Rest In Peace, our FRiend)
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To: norwaypinesavage
Huh? Kmart and Sears have been merged for several years.

If by several you mean a couple then you're right.

22 posted on 07/01/2007 6:00:27 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: Tribune7

Thanks for the laugh. I never could watch the whole movie.


23 posted on 07/01/2007 6:01:36 AM PDT by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote.)
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To: montag813

Google Sears and Jim Cramer. Sears is run as a semi-hedge fund these days by a very capable fellow


24 posted on 07/01/2007 6:01:41 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: AmericaUnited
The last time I went into Sears it was to buy a shop vac filter. $16.99 GOUGING SUGGESTED LIST PRICE (which I hate paying) vs $10.99 regular price in Walmart.

Ha! That's nothing. A month or so ago I went to Office Depot to get one of those weird-size-hard-to-find halogen light bulbs. It cost me something like $11.49 + tax. But since these things last just about forever I bit the bullet and bought it.

Then, on my way home I stopped in at Wal-Mart. There I saw the same bulb -- same brand, same model number, since packaging, same everything -- for $5.25!! You bet I bought it, and returned the first one back to Office Depot.

25 posted on 07/01/2007 6:13:23 AM PDT by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: raybbr

LOL! O, thanks goodness! For a minute there I thought I needed to clean my glasses. :o)


26 posted on 07/01/2007 6:15:09 AM PDT by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: dennisw

“Google Sears and Jim Cramer. Sears is run as a semi-hedge fund these days by a very capable fellow” Look again.

http://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/?p=3516

Raul Yzaguirre former president of La Raza is on the Sears board. He is also Hillary’s campaign manager.

http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/2196/

Sears pandered to the hispanic group which didn’t have the money to support them. Now they are looking elsewhere.


27 posted on 07/01/2007 6:16:34 AM PDT by texastoo ((((((USA)))))((((((, USA))))))((((((. USA))))))))
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To: raybbr
I never could watch the whole movie.

I don't think I did either.

But that is a great scene.

28 posted on 07/01/2007 6:25:56 AM PDT by Tribune7 (More Americans die each day than watch Chris Matthews)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Sears was always known as a conservative Co., similar to IBM.
Around the mid 70's, during the gasoline 'crisis' they went off the deep end, on a downward spiral.

However, buy from Target, Walmart, Lowe's, esp. Best Buys if you want.
But none of them can give you the service or satisfaction you can get from Sears.

Try to return something at Target or Best Buys. They stick to the mfg warranty, period.
Try to get service, it's farmed out.

I worked for Sears for 20+ yrs. I rarely shop there for most things, but often used tools and especially appliances, absolutely.

They will match prices and you can be assured they will stand behind and service what they sell.

29 posted on 07/01/2007 6:39:42 AM PDT by Vinnie (You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Jihads You)
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To: OKIEDOC

I agree. I still buy my appliances from them....always great service. You can’t beat the tools either. Also, for the past few years they’ve been selling “Land’s End” clothing for men, women, and children. Great brand.


30 posted on 07/01/2007 6:46:43 AM PDT by toldyou
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Sears lost my biz whey the quit carrying a $20 Craftsman 100’ steel tape. I went through $600 worth of replacements over the years before they wised up and stopped stocking it.


31 posted on 07/01/2007 6:46:44 AM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0 (The Republican party of today is the Whig party of the 1850's.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Sears is a “discount chain”?


32 posted on 07/01/2007 6:50:34 AM PDT by Clara Lou (Fred Thompson, '08-- imwithfred.com. Please note: Hillary is a hag.)
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To: television is just wrong

Craftsmen and Sears’s Kitchenaid appliances.


33 posted on 07/01/2007 6:56:32 AM PDT by Clara Lou (Fred Thompson, '08-- imwithfred.com. Please note: Hillary is a hag.)
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To: OKIEDOC
"Their appliances used to be the best on the market."

Sears and Montgomery Wards. We have a Wards "lay down" freezer that we bought in the early 70's (72) and it still works like a dream - looks like he!! but works fine.

34 posted on 07/01/2007 7:11:06 AM PDT by gopheraj
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To: Wilhelm Tell

Don’t go to Lowe’s looking for American made hand tools. There prize offering is the Komrad Kobalt line of Chineses made hand tools.
Lowe’s even sponsored a NASCAR cup race with the Kobalt brand as the sponsoring name.


35 posted on 07/01/2007 7:17:47 AM PDT by em2vn
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To: toldyou

Sears owns Land’s End.


36 posted on 07/01/2007 7:19:04 AM PDT by em2vn
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To: texastoo

Cramer is a flaming liberal so you might be cautious when taking his advice.


37 posted on 07/01/2007 7:21:34 AM PDT by em2vn
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To: peyton randolph
Sears’ strength in the modern era is its profits from credit card financing.

Sears sold its credit operation to Citibank. Sears no longer owns the Sears Charge division.

38 posted on 07/01/2007 7:32:10 AM PDT by Guyin4Os (My name says Guyin40s but now I have an exotic, daring, new nickname..... Guyin50s)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

In recent years, I’ve grown to like Sear.

Shopping at Sears even 10 years ago was a pretty awful experience.

But about five or six years ago, I was looking for some lawn furniture. I went this place and that, and found either really good stuff that was really expensive, or stuff that was beyond cr@ppy, but at reasonably priced.

I was googling, and Sears popped up. So I looked. Decent-looking stuff for reasonable prices. Went down to the local Sears, found someone on the floor very knowledgeable who spent about a half hour helping us figure out what suited us best. Spent less than a grand, got it delivered to the house. Six years later, it’s still all like-new, and quite attractive.

When we wanted a grill, we went back, someone else gave us very good assistance. It’s given great service to date.

Then I needed a new riding mower. The fellow who sold us the lawn furniture was there, and very knowledgeably helped us select one that met our needs. I’ve been very happy with it, AND very happy with the fact that for a reasonable price, Sears comes out every spring, changes out the blade, changes the spark plug and the oil, and generally tightens up anything that needs tightening, replaces anything that needs replacing, and making it good for another year of mowing the lawn.

To these, I’ve added a pressure washer, a shop vac, a table saw, a freezer, and a few other odds and ends.

All were reasonably priced, all have given excellent service, all are still in great condition, and Sears has also done a good job of providing both warranty service as well as routine maintenance.


39 posted on 07/01/2007 7:33:06 AM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: em2vn

And Sears ruined Lands’ End.

The dropoff in quality and style is shocking. They might as well sell burlap sacks to wear. It was inevitable, but it was rather quick.


40 posted on 07/01/2007 7:36:10 AM PDT by relictele
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