Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sears to Close Up to 120 Kmart and Sears Stores
CNBC ^ | 12/27/2011

Posted on 12/27/2011 6:46:43 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores will be closed, Sears Holdings said Tuesday, after terrible holiday sales during what is the most crucial time of the year for retailers.

Sears has yet to determine which stores will be closed, but there has been a clear shift in where the retailer will devote its resources.

The company is moving away from its practice of propping up "marginally performing" stores in hopes of improving their performance. Sears said it will now concentrate on cash-generating stores.

"Given our performance and the difficult economic environment, especially for big-ticket items, we intend to implement a series of actions to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model," said CEO Louis D'Ambrosio. "These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers."

Sears would not discuss how many, if any, jobs would be cut.

Sears Holdings, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., said that the store closings will generate $140 to $170 million in cash from inventory sales. The retailer anticipates additional proceeds from the sale or sublease of real estate holdings.

The company, which operates Kmart stores, Sears, Roebuck and Land's End, has seen rival department stores like Macy's and discounters like Target steal customers away. But the economy put a sustained financial squeeze on its most loyal customers, those in the middle-income bracket.

The retailer had announced numerous closings this year, but this is the largest group of closings to date. Hoped for holiday sales did not materialize.

Same-store revenue fell 5.2% to date for the quarter at both Sears and Kmart, the company said Tuesday. That includes the critical holiday shopping period, a time that most retailers depend on for a sales surge that will put them in the black.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: again; kmart; sears

1 posted on 12/27/2011 6:46:52 AM PST by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Wait this can’t be. The MSM said this was the most profitable Christmas for Retailers since Sanatie Klaus was invented. . . .


2 posted on 12/27/2011 6:52:38 AM PST by DeaconRed (Hound Dog Howling . . . Bull Frog Croaking -- Everything is broken--Thanks to ZERO)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Voter#537
You gotta believe my FRiend !!

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

3 posted on 12/27/2011 6:56:53 AM PST by expatguy (Donate to "An American Expat in SE Asia" By Paypal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
I've used the same Sears exterior paint on my houses for the last 40 years.
Went to buy some this past summer and was told - "no paint for you."
Salesman told me that the three stores in my area would stay open, but would be closing their paint departments.

4 posted on 12/27/2011 6:57:02 AM PST by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Voter#537

As a small retailer, I can affirm that this year’s Christmas was a non-event. Foot traffic and sales were considerably higher in October. Fortunately for us, Christmas has never been our big season, anyway - but the other stores in our shopping center (aside from a few of the very biggest name specialty stores) got crushed.


5 posted on 12/27/2011 6:57:35 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Jeeves
I noticed that too. Either retailers are getting better at running cash registers, or the media is lying about sales figures. I only had one significant wait in line and the parking lots were never full, not even on the day after Thanksgiving.
6 posted on 12/27/2011 7:14:31 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Herman Cain: possibly the escapee most dangerous to the Democrats since Frederick Douglass.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio

One of my daughters works in a fortune 100 retailer in N.E. and said she looked at the numbers and they were down a lot from last year nationwide. She had no idea why the media was spouting the tail of the biggest black Friday event ever. The employees outnumbered the customers most of that day.


7 posted on 12/27/2011 7:23:51 AM PST by USCG SimTech (Honored to serve since '71)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio

Part of that may be that the left wing media is shilling for Obama to promote the myth of a “recovery”, but I think there is also the factor of online sales. Brick and mortar stores will be dinosaurs in another 10 or 20 years. All of my shopping was online this year. Less aggravation. No parking hassles.


8 posted on 12/27/2011 7:49:09 AM PST by Astronaut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Astronaut
I fell in love with FatWood fire starter. I checked at Walmart for some yesterday, but they were sold out.

I came home and checked Amazon for FatWood and it blew me away. I found it cheaper and in much greater selection. I couldn't believe all the products for such a simple thing. I had thought that Walmart would be cheapest. Hmmm,.... BTW, I was shocked at at the cashiers just standing around at registers designated for returns.

9 posted on 12/27/2011 8:56:15 AM PST by FreeAtlanta (Coffee for your TEA party (www.dougsmugs.com))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’m not much of a shopper, so I haven’t much to compare. But I rarely ran into any lines, parking, or traffic all season. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.

I know it’s always faulty to generalize from anecdotes, but it would not be a stretch to believe the media is bending the truth (again).


10 posted on 12/27/2011 9:03:29 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson