On Fri, 6 Jan 2017 15:13:06 -0500, Keith Nuttle
<
Keith_...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>On 1/6/2017 12:15 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
>> On 1/5/17 11:34 PM, Puckdropper wrote:
>>>
cl...@snyder.on.ca wrote in news:ij7u6ctqak1ll96a1qjl9p96drgn4pj8jq@
>>>
4ax.com:
>>>
>>>> On 06 Jan 2017 04:03:05 GMT, Puckdropper
>>>> <puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Sears struck me as a company that didn't realize who their
>>>>> competition was. Prices/quality just aren't competitive with
>>>>> other stores, especially on common hand tools like levels.
>>>>>
>>>>> Puckdropper
>>>> You mean they didn't play the "compete on price only" game??? Sears
>>>> didn't kill sears. Nor did Walmart. Nor did the Internet. The North
>>>> American Public killed Sears. And are the poorer for it, when you
>>>> get right down to brass tacks.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Sears killed Sears. They might have gotten the North American Public
>>> to do the actual work, but they got themselves into this mess.
>>>
>>> Here's the thing: If you set yourself up just like the others playing
>>> the compete on price game, people will respond like you're playing
>>> that game. If your prices are higher for the same quality item, your
>>> value is lower and people will go where the value is higher. How
>>> does Sears make up the missing value? Well, it used to be momentum
>>> and reputation... but that's good for only a decade or two.
>>> "Guaranteed Forever" sold a ton of Craftsman tools, but they've been
>>> shying away from that as well.
>>>
>>> Are we poorer for it? Perhaps for a while, but if there's a demand
>>> someone will fill the "Walmart/Lowe's" crossover store segment.
>>> Thing is, I just don't see it with the way that Walmart & Lowe's are
>>> all over the place.
>>>
>>> Puckdropper
>>>
>>
>> Like Radio Shack, they tried to stick with an outdated model and refused
>> to move from it until the market had passed them in the dust.
>>
>> Sears was stuck in an "everything in one place" model that worked great
>> when people shopped once a week or less and had to plan a trip to do it.
>>
>> When everybody became mobile and specialty stores started to dominate
>> the market, Sears stayed with their old, outdated model and were trapped
>> in denial. People no longer wanted to go to one store for everything.
>> They wanted to go to a clothing store (or several) for clothes, they
>> wanted to go to the huge electronics store for that stuff, they wanted
>> to go to the huge hardware store for tools, etc, etc.
>>
>> What we complain about now, because we can do it all at home on Amazon,
>> was empowering and adventurous at the time. More choices, better
>> prices, price matching, all that stuff gave the consumer a sense of
>> having the upper hand. It was a game to win and you felt like you
>> accomplished something by driving around and finding the best deal.
>> Commissioned salespeople didn't help their cause either.
>>
>> Sears never "got it" and never would. Even when Sears tried to play the
>> "price match" game, it was underhanded and deceitful. If they carried a
>> certain brand of widget, they'd force the manufacturer to change the
>> model number just enough (like adding a single digit suffix) so that
>> they could refuse to price match because "it wasn't the same model."
>>
>> I would agree that the North American Public if it weren't for the fact
>> that all these other retailers were in the game, playing by the same
>> rules and they succeeded. No, Sears is just another wagon maker trying
>> to convince people they don't need a car.
>>
>>
>Sears is not alone in failing to understand the current marketing needs.
> I was in a well known store that has announced the closing of a lot of
>stores. It is a huge mall store on multiple levels.
>
>We tried to buy something and after wandering the hole floor actually
>found one person at a cash register who could make the sale. They don't
>understand that if there is no one to make the sale the sale will not
>happen.
>
>On the other side of this I don't think that the electronic store will
>ever take over the world. It is just like the death of the Desktop.
>While the PC does not have the market share they once have there still
>is a demand for them.
>
>The reason that that e shopping will never replace the store, is the
>reason that we were out shopping this morning. I bought a garment of
>clothing that was of a marked size. I have worn this size for decades.
>That garment did not fit. We had to go to the store and try on several
>different sizes to find the garment in a size that fits. You can not go
>down to the store and buy a pair of pants, with out trying them on.
The same could be said for shoes, though a *lot* of people buy shoes
online. In fact, if it weren't for online shoe stores (Amazon,
mostly), I'd be barefoot. I haven't found a local store that sells my
size for over thirty years. Wearing shoes that were too small was
getting really old. e-tailers fixed the problem.
>
>When it comes to hardware, many times the specification for the item are
>incomplete or miss leading. They only way you can get what you want is
>to see it "in the flesh" look at the item turn it around to find if the
>item has what you want.
>
>On this line I have seen some neat things on line. But when you actually
>get it, the dimensions have been miss represented and it is just two
>large/small for the purpose intended.
>
>