Have not been impressed as of late buy there stores. Was reading in some financial books that they are in there 3rd year of red ink!!!! They have spun off other interests for cash. (Lands End) Some go as far as to say the end is in sight. To me they were an icon once but don't appeal to the consumer now. What do you guys think caused there mess and how will it end?? For the record I am very disappointed buy there tools poor selection and made in another country!!!!
- Thread starter JOCCO
- Start date
mjsnodgrass
Member
sears was king 100 yrs ago. you could buy a house, a car or a tractor from them if you wanted. how the management has ruined the company over the years is a crime. I remember years ago,in my local store they refused my credit card. it wasn't that my card wasn't good. they didn't accept anything other than a sears card. how arrogant is that? why would a company in the business selling things make it hard for the buyer to give them money? in my opinion they deserve everything they have.
Yup.
You can go quality products and a smaller market share, or fight it out with the cheapest imported goods.
You can go with small stores in mid sized communities, but mail order now on the Internet will kill you. Or you can go with a jumbo corner anchor store in the mega city but have problems in that mode too.
Really hard to be a mass retailer these days. Who else is doing ok really, Target, Best Buy, JC Penny, they all are in tough shape.
Kmart/ Sears have hung on longer than expected maybe, as they tried to be everything in all markets......
Someday the Craftsman name will be sold off to a Harbor Freight type of place, cash out the real estate owned, and Sears/ Kmart will be history like Wards, Pinks, Gambles, etc.
Paul
You can go quality products and a smaller market share, or fight it out with the cheapest imported goods.
You can go with small stores in mid sized communities, but mail order now on the Internet will kill you. Or you can go with a jumbo corner anchor store in the mega city but have problems in that mode too.
Really hard to be a mass retailer these days. Who else is doing ok really, Target, Best Buy, JC Penny, they all are in tough shape.
Kmart/ Sears have hung on longer than expected maybe, as they tried to be everything in all markets......
Someday the Craftsman name will be sold off to a Harbor Freight type of place, cash out the real estate owned, and Sears/ Kmart will be history like Wards, Pinks, Gambles, etc.
Paul
Aaron Hyneman
Member
I know this isn't quite what jocco is asking, but for the last year every time you read something on sears it is like the end is near for them. I am more worried about what will happen to craftsman's hand tool warranty if something bad happens. Will it be like sk with new owners no lifetime warranty or will craftsman just die along with sears. I have been actually trying to buy some snap on just because of the warranty or at least find some used.
jon f mn
Well-known Member
I think walmart and walmart think is what brought them down. Sears always sold quality goodsat a fair price, but stores like walmartcame in and started selling cheap goods at liwer prices and peopke fall for that. Now you are stuck with inferior products that you have to buy over and over because thevast majority of foljs buy only on price. Walmart forces manufacturers to make poorer quality goods so theycan sell cheaper knowing that you will have to come back more often to buy again. Walmart makes as or more on the poor quality goods as other stores make on good stuff, but they get you back more often, thereby getting more of your money. This has forced other retailers to buy lower quality goods to sell to compete. When sears sold better quality stuff noone would buy it, when they loweredthe qualityto compete on price everyone was po'd.
DUKEOFCOMAL
New User
SEARS is Going Down The Same Way That Wards Went A Few Years Ago In San Antonio.Poor Service.
They Only Hired So Called Minorties.Same Thing With Sears Now,
Customers Like to Be Treated Friendly And Expect Courtesy Help If Needed.
They Seem To Throw The Merchandise Out There,Buy What You See Or Leave It.
They Only Hired So Called Minorties.Same Thing With Sears Now,
Customers Like to Be Treated Friendly And Expect Courtesy Help If Needed.
They Seem To Throw The Merchandise Out There,Buy What You See Or Leave It.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
It seems like it's inevitable, like others said, just like Wards. 40 years ago when I lived in a small town it was where we bought tools, appliances, and clothing, spent some money there. And I still have most of my 40 year old tools, and they are better than what you can buy now days! The paper mill I retired from used to make most of their catalog paper, it was a big order!
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
Sears has been on a long road down hill ever since hurricane Andrew. They at the time where also Allstate insurance and when Andrew hit they had to pay out lots of $$$ which they had invested in there stores so from then on they where having to sell out and down size to be able to pay up
Winchester1
Member
- Location
- Vincennes, In
My guess is one of the mega buck-high dollar stores will buy Sears and run them as their second tier chain. Unprofitable stores will be closed, etc.
Sears seem to have lost direction, they do a little of most everything but are not the leader in anything.
Their stores (for the most part) are worth a lot of money.
My 2 cents worth.
Sears seem to have lost direction, they do a little of most everything but are not the leader in anything.
Their stores (for the most part) are worth a lot of money.
My 2 cents worth.
Bad management, poor service, dropping quality. I always thought their appliances were very good and a good buy, not so anymore. We all know about their tools. Could go on and on. My own bad experience with them was their mail order system which was once really good. I tried to use their internet site several years ago. Because I have a post office box number in my address, they refused to sell to me, even though I had a sears card. They had my PO box # as well as my physical address & I'm in one of those areas that doesn't get at the door mail delivery, I HAVE to go to the post office for my mail. They couldn't deal with that, couldn't get them to change that or help me at all. Their 'call center' was moved 'offshore' too - another nail in the coffin. Personally haven't bought much from them in several years. That PO box thing isn't just Sears either, I'm having trouble with an insurance co. right now over the same issue !!
BINGO Tom. Selling groceries and being open 24 hours has a big benefit in a rural area where nothing else is open at night. Walmart is handy, not good. And Walmart is set up very well to take Bridge Card transactions all day and here in mid Michigan that seems to be the currency that's the most popular. I would bet at LEAST 50% of the transactions in the St.Johns store are single mothers with bridge cards. Sears don't get to benefit from those millions in revenue every year.
TractormanNC
Member
Sears made more money off their credit card interest than they did selling goods.
Fergienewbee
Well-known Member
I remember going to Sears and Roebuck as a kid. They had great tools. I think what started their slide was they tried to compete with the cheap outlets rather than sticking with quality. I haven't been in a Sears in several years. Too bad; it was an icon of the 50s.
Larry
Larry
Good thoughts but I differ slightly 1. They have closed some stores already. 2. Seems like many stores are rented in a mall so don't know what there is to buy??? Even employees say they have "lost there direction" No real thoughts on K mart, but I am more inclined to think BANKRUPT.
Over 4o years ago there was a big Sears store in a mall 10 miles south of here. I bought a lot of tools and my wife shopped there a lot. They moved out probably in the middle 80s to be replaced a few years later with a little store in a different mall, was only in the new place a few times and don't think I ever bought anything, started buying Snap On and Mac. The end for me was I striped the gear in a long 1/2 ratchet, replaced it with a gear from a short ratchet to finish the job. Few days later took long ratchet and broken gear to Sears, explained, was denied by 2 young girls because if they could turn it there was nothing wrong. Screw Sears, don't have any intention of a return visit.
There are a lot of reasons why Sears failed and a lot of them are listed here. I would add that they were one of many that let the internet draw away from their business. Once WalMart went national in the 1990's it was a race to the bottom in terms of the quality of products and employees.
You guys are all right on. The start was when they stop putting out a Sear's Catalog. Just down the tubes since.
J C Penny also stop catalogs and they will go out before Sear's I think.
They are closing the Sear's store and Auto store in Rutland, Vt. this week. 90 worker's gone just before Christmas. I think Vermont now has just one store in Burlington, Vt. left.
J C Penny also stop catalogs and they will go out before Sear's I think.
They are closing the Sear's store and Auto store in Rutland, Vt. this week. 90 worker's gone just before Christmas. I think Vermont now has just one store in Burlington, Vt. left.
Sears, like most other large US commercial entities, is under attack both by unions and the federal goernment.
Ultimately, none will survive (excepting those few favored and subsizided by the federales).
Those of you who do not understand my highly distilled response have not done your homework.
Dean
Ultimately, none will survive (excepting those few favored and subsizided by the federales).
Those of you who do not understand my highly distilled response have not done your homework.
Dean
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Did you ever try using the sears catalog in the privy? If so you know what this is about. If not, it's a waste of time. The glossy prints may make their products look good but for other things..............well forget it.
Mark
Mark
When in college, I worked for Sears at one of their telemarketing centers where folks called into to place their orders. I can't recall a time when you set waiting on a call and this was when they were discontinuing the mail order catalogs. IMHO - that was the beginning of the end. None of my family as I recall shopped at a Sears store, but many $$$’s were spent on catalog merchandise.
Bill
Bill
Strike one. The daughter,son in law and grandkids were home from Arizona and wanted a family portrait. They made an appointment at Sears photo studio for 3pm,an hour and a half from home. I needed to get it done with so I could get home and milk. The service sucked. We sat there until 4:30,they were taking walk-ins ahead of us. One girl behind the counter said she was on break every time we asked her anything. I finally had to loose my temper with them.
Strike two,had a Kenmore dryer. Heating element went out. Local service guys wouldn't even look at it,said they had no idea who made it,Sears just bought from whoever gave them the lowest price. Called Sears,made an appointment for between 1 and 3pm on a certain day. I was across the road in the field when an unmarked old white van drove in the yard. Some long hair ran to the door,after about ten seconds he ran back to his van and left. I waited until 4:30,nobody showed up. I called them,they said the longhaired guy in the unmarked van was the service man,was a sub contractor and since he was here,even though he was way early,I owed them for a service call. I told them to try to get the money out of me,I'd see them in h3ll first. They finally sent the greasy longhaired guy back a few days later and he came when they said he would. They guy was a real d1ck,but he fixed the dryer.
Strike three,I was planning to put new siding on the house anyway when Sears called and wanted to side one in "my area" at a reduced price for a model. They didn't show up when they said they would. They called and wanted to try again. I told them to be here by 10am so I wasn't waiting all day. They showed up at noon. I told the guy if this was how they did business,he might as well stay in his car. He got out,gave me an estimate,over $18,000. I said I thought there was some special offer? He said he didn't know anything about it. I got two local prices. One was $6000,the other was $6500. I took the one at $6000 since he wasn't only the lowest price,but he'd done some work on the bathroom and kitchen and I knew his work. When he finished up,the final bill was $5600. A huge difference between $5600 and $18,000.
Strike two,had a Kenmore dryer. Heating element went out. Local service guys wouldn't even look at it,said they had no idea who made it,Sears just bought from whoever gave them the lowest price. Called Sears,made an appointment for between 1 and 3pm on a certain day. I was across the road in the field when an unmarked old white van drove in the yard. Some long hair ran to the door,after about ten seconds he ran back to his van and left. I waited until 4:30,nobody showed up. I called them,they said the longhaired guy in the unmarked van was the service man,was a sub contractor and since he was here,even though he was way early,I owed them for a service call. I told them to try to get the money out of me,I'd see them in h3ll first. They finally sent the greasy longhaired guy back a few days later and he came when they said he would. They guy was a real d1ck,but he fixed the dryer.
Strike three,I was planning to put new siding on the house anyway when Sears called and wanted to side one in "my area" at a reduced price for a model. They didn't show up when they said they would. They called and wanted to try again. I told them to be here by 10am so I wasn't waiting all day. They showed up at noon. I told the guy if this was how they did business,he might as well stay in his car. He got out,gave me an estimate,over $18,000. I said I thought there was some special offer? He said he didn't know anything about it. I got two local prices. One was $6000,the other was $6500. I took the one at $6000 since he wasn't only the lowest price,but he'd done some work on the bathroom and kitchen and I knew his work. When he finished up,the final bill was $5600. A huge difference between $5600 and $18,000.
Pair-a-dice farm
Well-known Member
In addition to what everyone else has said I'll add tight wad customers. It seems like people will buy just any old junk if it's a buck cheaper. In order to compete quality was sacrificed.
Personally I still think that their tools are pretty good. I don't use them like a professional does but they do get used and I've had pretty good luck. Even the lawnmowers I usually get at least 10 years and I mow a couple of acres.
Personally I still think that their tools are pretty good. I don't use them like a professional does but they do get used and I've had pretty good luck. Even the lawnmowers I usually get at least 10 years and I mow a couple of acres.
Eldon (WA)
Well-known Member
I think it was when they stopped sending the Christmas toy catalog....I remember spending endless hours looking through those as a kid....Sears just never seemed as exciting since
Janicholson
Well-known Member
Tools now are in two grades, Pro level and Imported. Most often found are the imported. Craftsman does not mean at all the same as it did. Jim
Nebraska Cowman
Well-known Member
Sears got their start as a mail order house and did great business in rural areas where there were few retail outlets. It worked great. But Sears did not keep up with the times. They tried to be a retailer and made it work for a while. They could have morphed into an Amazon but they didn't.
Show me quality from any store.It doesn't exist.You go to Lowes you get junk.You go to Home Depot you get junk.Best Buy.The list goes on and on.Sears survived on there credit for a lot of years.I have several friends that were Sears families.They came from big families and mom and dad couldn't get credit anywhere else.Today if you can breath you can get credit.Lets see where Best Buy is in 20 years.
Years ago had a Sears card. We decided to pay it off. We sent in what we thought was the final payment got a letter back saying we owed 33 cents. So I sent them their 33 cents.
Now that was in the mid 90's. Between postage, printing the letter, accounting and handling a 33 cent check they most likely spent about a buck and a half. The closest full Sears to me is 90 miles. Just don't do business with them anymore. Don't do business with Wal Mart either.
Rick
Now that was in the mid 90's. Between postage, printing the letter, accounting and handling a 33 cent check they most likely spent about a buck and a half. The closest full Sears to me is 90 miles. Just don't do business with them anymore. Don't do business with Wal Mart either.
Rick
tractorguy2
Well-known Member
I think the big box stores and the internet.
There was a big (at least big to me) Sears store in down town kearney. Then Walmart came in. That really hurt there business. The sears store moved into a small store on the out skirts of town.
Every town of any size had a sears catalog store where you could have your catalog ordered shipped to for free. Sears did away with the catalog and the stores that really hurt because most of the older generation that bought from sears didn't know how to order off the internet.
There was a big (at least big to me) Sears store in down town kearney. Then Walmart came in. That really hurt there business. The sears store moved into a small store on the out skirts of town.
Every town of any size had a sears catalog store where you could have your catalog ordered shipped to for free. Sears did away with the catalog and the stores that really hurt because most of the older generation that bought from sears didn't know how to order off the internet.
onefarmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- 6735 S Lowell Rd, St Johns, Mi 48879
I worked for Kmart 1994-2000 and my observations were of all the ceo's they had were there to get their cut. They didn't help the company at all but got MEGA bonuses even if the company lost millions. They would stay for a few years and retire, then on to the next ceo to rape the company again.
Sears, an interesting concept, they built a business with brands. Some of their brands had excellent reputation, funny thing is they never made a darn thing. Their precious brands (Craftsmen, Diehard, Kenmore to name a few) were all outsourced. The value they added was the service. Retail changed with America, they morphed into a brick & mortar retailer and were successful for a while. Things changed and they decided to go to a financial services concept, bought brokerages and insurance companies and started to move away from their core business. Found out it wasn't all roses and unicorns in the financial services sector, sold stuff and retreated. Meanwhile they had been neglecting their retail operations, didn't find and exploit new markets or niches. Didn't see the upstarts from Arkansas coming up either. Sears used to be "Where America Shops" they took the business different ways, none successful, missed market opportunities like home centers, national used car sales, mega office stores, super centers. They just flat out missed to many opportunities to keep them on top. They cheapened their brands to try to compete in the process reducing the value of one of their greatest assets, sold off some of the brands letting others sell them. They got out of mail order just before it blossomed and totally missed the coming of online sales- something they had the logistical structure to support.
In short incompetent upper management didn't see opportunities in their sector they should of pounced on. They didn't fight to keep the employee contracts and leases in line and competitive with their competitors. They built a bureaucracy, the problem is bureaucracies are not conducive to customer service, they made financial decisions not to support hard line products and didn't transition well into the big box model their competition did.
In short incompetent upper management didn't see opportunities in their sector they should of pounced on. They didn't fight to keep the employee contracts and leases in line and competitive with their competitors. They built a bureaucracy, the problem is bureaucracies are not conducive to customer service, they made financial decisions not to support hard line products and didn't transition well into the big box model their competition did.
CenTex Farmall
Well-known Member
Bingo
I saw the same process happening in the airline industry. In fact, it's still happening.
Anyone flown lately? How was the service?
I saw the same process happening in the airline industry. In fact, it's still happening.
Anyone flown lately? How was the service?
Chris Jones
Member
They were an icon. They were quality. I predict they will go under and this isn't new. They were un-cool in the early 90's even. Nobody in my office dared say they got their shirts, ties etc at Sears. But times have gotten a lot worse. Sears and KMart merged or something and the KMart side is almost gone.
Why? There are a lot of reasons. People are fickle about where they want to shop. If you have money you go to a higher end retailer to say look at me or at least Target. If you don't you go to ehm, Sprallmart and Harbor Freight 'cause they're cheap.
I think Sears fell victim in part to what a lot of mature companies do--the feeling we are on top because we are right and there is no need to do things differently. But then it's hard to see the future. Sears never really got into internet sales which as we all know is taking a bite out of all brick and mortar stores and has basically killed catalog sales which Sears helped pioneer. Sears either didn't try or completely failed to foster a cool image with youth who are now middle aged. Nor did Sears strive to bring low prices like Walmart. Walmart is really pushing online presence even selling other merchants stuff on their site (I don't like it but it seems like the way things are moving).
What could Sears do to come back? What does the name mean to you?
Words that pop in my head when I hear Sears are history, catalogs, common. I do still think durable and quality when I think of their tools though I'm not sure they live up to it any more.
Somehow they need to re-brand themselves in such a way that peoples perceptions of them show them in a desirable light. None of the qualities I mentioned are necessarily bad. I think I would break it into separate stores (department stores are out). Craftsman tools needs to be a separate store for serious craftsman. An image that's a cut above Lowes and Home Depot. A brick and Mortar version of Snap-on with a focus on tools that are pricy but darn worth it. Perhaps power equipment could be in the same store. Clothing should be another store and find a niche that will profit from the history in the name Sears--perhaps "made in America". You go to sears to know your clothing is made in the USA--get it Sears=America=tradition. Appliances another store and again I'd focus on quality even with a higher price.
Why? There are a lot of reasons. People are fickle about where they want to shop. If you have money you go to a higher end retailer to say look at me or at least Target. If you don't you go to ehm, Sprallmart and Harbor Freight 'cause they're cheap.
I think Sears fell victim in part to what a lot of mature companies do--the feeling we are on top because we are right and there is no need to do things differently. But then it's hard to see the future. Sears never really got into internet sales which as we all know is taking a bite out of all brick and mortar stores and has basically killed catalog sales which Sears helped pioneer. Sears either didn't try or completely failed to foster a cool image with youth who are now middle aged. Nor did Sears strive to bring low prices like Walmart. Walmart is really pushing online presence even selling other merchants stuff on their site (I don't like it but it seems like the way things are moving).
What could Sears do to come back? What does the name mean to you?
Words that pop in my head when I hear Sears are history, catalogs, common. I do still think durable and quality when I think of their tools though I'm not sure they live up to it any more.
Somehow they need to re-brand themselves in such a way that peoples perceptions of them show them in a desirable light. None of the qualities I mentioned are necessarily bad. I think I would break it into separate stores (department stores are out). Craftsman tools needs to be a separate store for serious craftsman. An image that's a cut above Lowes and Home Depot. A brick and Mortar version of Snap-on with a focus on tools that are pricy but darn worth it. Perhaps power equipment could be in the same store. Clothing should be another store and find a niche that will profit from the history in the name Sears--perhaps "made in America". You go to sears to know your clothing is made in the USA--get it Sears=America=tradition. Appliances another store and again I'd focus on quality even with a higher price.
J.Wondergem
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rockford, Mi.
I quit doing business with them when Kmart bought them out. I never did like Kmart to start with. They said then that they were going to cater to minorities.
ShadetreeRet
Well-known Member
jocco, I believe you are on the right track. I do not see Sears/KMart being on the scene in the future. Much of this is due to poor management, being largely the inability of management to accurately anticipate change in customer preference, as well as change in general. For many years companies such as S.H.Kress, F.W.Woolworth, Montgomery Ward and Sears, Roebuck & Co. were icons of the business world, and the working class of this country depended on them for their needs. Over the years Sears offered just about everything under the sun in their catalog, accurately anticipating change by adding items and dropping others. I think one will find that during the rise and fall of any major business this will be the case. Eventually, someone will take control who has insufficient business savvy, and the downhill slide begins. I began my career with Sears Mail Order in mid 1958, the first five years I was there they had two stock splits, each a two for one split. The existing management in Chicago was brilliant. But later, (in the seventies, probably) we were attending a meeting one day and someone asked the general manager of our facility what he thought about K-Mart and WalMart. His reply? "They will NEVER catch us!" I might add here that one must keep in mind that when you are king of the hill, there is always someone climbing said hill with the intention of knocking you off! But by this time attitudes were changing and Sears was expanding into unknown waters too fast and they lost their u-know-what by doing so. In 1984 a man named Edward Brennan was appointed CEO of Sears. Coincidentally, in 1988, his brother, Bernard Brennan, was named to head Montgomery Ward. And we know what happened to both companies. Sears is now controlled by one man, Edward Lampert, who although has been successful with other endeavors seems to be having difficulties getting a grip with Sears. I have questioned his "logic" concerning selling the major brand names of Sears in other stores. His logic is that the name, (such as Craftsman, Die Hard, etc.) will sell itself) and it may, BUT, if a customer goes to a Sears store for one of these names, they are likely to purchase something else while there, adding to Sears profits, while if said customer goes to "Fast Eddies Hardware" for a Craftsman wrench and buys something else while there, Sears only gets a commission from the sale of the Craftsman wrench. How much sense does that make? Lampert is a hedge fund operator, and seems to have in mind breaking up and selling off Sears by bits and pieces, and anything that is left will go into the dumpster.
Mark - IN.
Well-known Member
I quit shopping at Sears in about the mid-'80's. One day back then I was in to purchase some new Craftsman tools, and I said something to the lady at the cash register, and I forget what it was, but whatever it was, she corrected me that Sears no longer had full time employees except upper level management, possibly some mid-level management to cut out benefits, and that's their business, not mine. They can do that and did. I never shopped there again, never will. There's nothing that I need bad enough to spend my money there.
Mark
Mark
I read an article on KMart about 15 years ago. They said that KMarts means of competing with Wal Mart was to make Kmats much more accessible to the shopper. By that they meant a lot more stores closer together. But that drove up operating cost cutting into profits. The answer? Sell cheaper products. By the time Sam Walton died and Wal Mart took a nose dive Kmart had already destroyed itself with items so cheap young people in the 90's were calling them Kame-apart. I'd almost forgotten about both the article and the kick name.
Last time I was in a Kmart was a long time ago, right after the merger in fact. The store was dirty. You can't keep your store looking decent I don't need to shop there.
Rick
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
Sears failed to adapt to a changing marketplace. First thing to understand about Sears is that by the mid-seventies its primary business was no longer retail but rather finance. They still understood they needed to sell products their customers wanted at reasonable prices, but what really brought in customers was that Sears would extend credit to almost anyone at a time when credit was difficult to get. The first credit card I ever had was from Sears. Your could buy major appliances, get your car fixed or buy a tool you desperately needed, which could be a lifesaver for someone starting out. That built up a huge brand loyalty which the company's management later squandered.
By 1990, anybody could get as many credit cards as they wanted, which meant Sears needed to come up with a different business model than relying on the finance business. They were in a position to be the first retail company to take advantage of the internet, but they totally missed the boat. Even today, their website is a joke. So they lost market share to cheaper rivals (like Walmart) and online merchants like Amazon who understand how business is done in the 21st century.
It's likely Sears will not be in business one year from now. I'd like to say I will miss Sears, but the company American consumers once loved is already gone.
By 1990, anybody could get as many credit cards as they wanted, which meant Sears needed to come up with a different business model than relying on the finance business. They were in a position to be the first retail company to take advantage of the internet, but they totally missed the boat. Even today, their website is a joke. So they lost market share to cheaper rivals (like Walmart) and online merchants like Amazon who understand how business is done in the 21st century.
It's likely Sears will not be in business one year from now. I'd like to say I will miss Sears, but the company American consumers once loved is already gone.
Hay hay hay
Well-known Member
A very thoughtful reply. Glad to see some depth in the discussions.
I do think (for some reason) it is more difficult today to resurrect and re-image an old brand than to start fresh and build a new brand...ie: Kia
People seem very ready and willing to try a new brand.
This has a huge impact on the market value of old brands.
I do think (for some reason) it is more difficult today to resurrect and re-image an old brand than to start fresh and build a new brand...ie: Kia
People seem very ready and willing to try a new brand.
This has a huge impact on the market value of old brands.
Hay hay hay
Well-known Member
Changing an established model is very difficult.
First someone very high up must fully embrace the need for change (hard to do when the profits are good).
Second, someone needs a clear vision of the change needed to get to the future. And very few people really have vision (despite what they think).
Third, the internal organizational bureaucracy will fight every step, they will make the life of the change agent totally miserable. Remember, the bureaucracy thrives in the old system, but the new future is an unknown, how will "I" fit in the new system???????? Will I lose "MY" power base????
Change is tough, that is why new companies often eclipse old established organizations...change is more difficult (in my opinion) than starting fresh.
First someone very high up must fully embrace the need for change (hard to do when the profits are good).
Second, someone needs a clear vision of the change needed to get to the future. And very few people really have vision (despite what they think).
Third, the internal organizational bureaucracy will fight every step, they will make the life of the change agent totally miserable. Remember, the bureaucracy thrives in the old system, but the new future is an unknown, how will "I" fit in the new system???????? Will I lose "MY" power base????
Change is tough, that is why new companies often eclipse old established organizations...change is more difficult (in my opinion) than starting fresh.
Chris Jones
Member
Thank you. You could be right. My statements shows I have a memory of a good Sears--20 somethings don't. They'd have to be introduced to Sears as a "new" store and shown what Sears stands for. The name at least lets Sears claim connection to the past which of course needs to be portrayed as a good thing.
Chris Jones
Member
We had a KMart nearby for years. Last time I was in it, it was more like a discount store, dirty, cluttered, junky. They just closed, maybe a month ago.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Your opinion, not fact and slanderous.
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