Sears predicted to go bankrupt

[Taken Aback]

This is not altogether surprising to me, considering how willing they are to liquidate their stock to salvage companies. There's so much Covington and Arrow clothes at closeout stores you'd think they went under already.

Originally Posted by masqueofhastur

This is something I was wondering too. I don't really care about Sears, but Land's End I am worried about.

x2. What would happen to LE? Would their guarantee survive this? It would be criminal if they folded while Eddie Bauer remained.

For the hell of it, what would happen to KMart too?

 

[mt_spiffy]

Sears is great for tools and Kennmore brand appliances. Do people buy anything else there?

I do know some elderly folk who buy EVERYTHING there . . .

 

[CYstyle]

Originally Posted by mt_spiffy

Sears is great for tools and Kennmore brand appliances. Do people buy anything else there?

I do know some elderly folk who buy EVERYTHING there . . .

I found a couple deals for plasma tv's last year, other than that...changing tires since they are across the street from my house, too lazy to go elsewhere. it's also Air conditioned so makes it nice walking through.

 

[Valproate]

I've made money owning Sears stock (well, I owned Kmart post-bankruptcy, right before Lampert announced the merger with Sears), and I've made money shorting the stock. Currently, I have no positions in it, but I expect it to go into a long, slow decline.

Lampert is smart, but Sears is in the wrong places (malls, not bigboxes) and has boring products and boring clothes. The last time I stepped foot in a Sears was 3 years ago, and I was going from the parking lot into another part of a mall.

 

[sho'nuff]

Originally Posted by Valproate

I've made money owning Sears stock (well, I owned Kmart post-bankruptcy, right before Lampert announced the merger with Sears), and I've made money shorting the stock. Currently, I have no positions in it, but I expect it to go into a long, slow decline.

Lampert is smart, but Sears is in the wrong places (malls, not bigboxes) and has boring products and boring clothes. The last time I stepped foot in a Sears was 3 years ago, and I was going from the parking lot into another part of a mall.

hehe. exactly. that is all Sears is good for in my opinion.

 

[Artisan Fan]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

hehe. exactly. that is all Sears is good for in my opinion.

I've been enjoying some LE clothing I have bought there recently. I hope we don't lose that option. It's not the fanciest of course but very good value for money for casual attire.

 

[DocHolliday]

Yeah, I like having LE available in a bricks-and-mortar store. I'd hate to see it gone.

 

[JLibourel]

Assuming Sears goes belly up, I'll miss the Craftsman tools and little else besides.

If Land's End goes down with them, I'd consider that a definite loss. I have bought a number of shirts and few pairs of pants in from them in the past couple of years. In general, I think LE offers very good value for the dollar.

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

Assuming Sears goes belly up, I'll miss the Craftsman tools and little else besides.

If Land's End goes down with them, I'd consider that a definite loss. I have bought a number of shirts and few pairs of pants in from them in the past couple of years. In general, I think LE offers very good value for the dollar.

That's very unlikely, LE would be one of the first pieces to be spun off if it came down to it, and would go at a good price. Nobody in their right mind would ever wind it down.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by MrG

I'm surprised at the contempt for their tools. I've always liked Craftsman, at least for hand tools. As far as the stuff available in stores, I've always found theirs to be the best.

anyone who works in an industry which heavily relies on there tools will steer clear of Craftsman. I've used Craftsman, Mac, Matco, Snap-on hand tools. Mac Matco and Snap-on are light years ahead of Craftsman in quality.

Craftsman is like Kennith Cole, Mac and Matco are Alden and Snap-On are Lobb.

Dont get my wrong, Craftsman works well around the house/garage but no one in a hand-tool oriented industry would use them for high-stress applications.

They really should do something to change that, any increase in quality would improve sales simply because they're priced well.

There stores are horrendous, they're on the end of the mall I wont park my car at, I wont even walk through. I hate to sound like i have my head up ****** (though i'm sure i just did), but they need a vast improvement in their image.

Lampert is a smart investor, I think he will make a smart move with the company, but i dont believe this enough to buy SHLD at $64+

 

[Big Pun]

Hey guys guess who was recently hired by KMart?

(owned by Sears)

 

[meister]

Originally Posted by IBJanky

I like Sears, only for Craftsman tools though.

myke



My builder still thanks me for the Craftsman nail bag/tool belt I bought him in 1989 that is so tough it has not torn or deteriorated in that time. But then maybe that's the problem!

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by meister

My builder still thanks me for the Craftsman nail bag/tool belt I bought him in 1989 that is so tough it has not torn or deteriorated in that time. But then maybe that's the problem!

The Craftsman stuff might not be ideal for intensive purposes but it's great for the average home handyman. Break a piece, get a new one free, forever. I know people who will buy well-worn old Craftsman tools second hand, knowing if they ever break, they can get a new one, no receipt required.

 

[Artisan Fan]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Yeah, I like having LE available in a bricks-and-mortar store. I'd hate to see it gone.

+1.

Originally Posted by JLibourel

Assuming Sears goes belly up, I'll miss the Craftsman tools and little else besides.

If Land's End goes down with them, I'd consider that a definite loss. I have bought a number of shirts and few pairs of pants in from them in the past couple of years. In general, I think LE offers very good value for the dollar.

Very good value for dollar. $15 (sale price) for a quality pique polo? Not too shabby. The only thing I don't like are those elastic waistband pants they sell.

 

[saint]

LE also makes nice all-cotton turtlenecks and mocks in long sizes. LE is good for what it is, the rest of Sears sucks.

Lampert also had UBS managing a good chunk of Sear's pension fund, not surprisingly
they lost a large part of it.