Amazon and Sears, Full Circle? (sales, profit, stock, acquisition)
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Obviously you can't really compare the two from a viability perspective. But, I did have to laugh a little when I looked through the mail and saw an Amazon toy catalog. It made me think.
Sears was a mail order company that went heavily into retail, and didn't adjust well to the e-commerce revolution (among other mis-steps.) It started with watches; inexpensive to store and ship. They soon sold everything under the sun. Then they went into retail.
Amazon started as an online retailer of books, because they were inexpensive to store and ship. They now sell everything under the sun. Amazon is now opening retail stores.
In some ways, there really is nothing new under the sun.
Obviously you can't really compare the two from a viability perspective. But, I did have to laugh a little when I looked through the mail and saw an Amazon toy catalog. It made me think.
Sears was a mail order company that went heavily into retail, and didn't adjust well to the e-commerce revolution (among other mis-steps.) It started with watches; inexpensive to store and ship. They soon sold everything under the sun. Then they went into retail.
Amazon started as an online retailer of books, because they were inexpensive to store and ship. They now sell everything under the sun. Amazon is now opening retail stores.
In some ways, there really is nothing new under the sun.
I have not heard nor seen of Amazon's brick and mortar storefronts.
I have not heard nor seen of Amazon's brick and mortar storefronts.
There are many (current and coming soon). Amazon 4-Star is in several states including California, Texas, Colorado and Connecticut. There's also Amazon Go in San Francisco (FiDi), Chicago, New York, and Seattle as well as Amazon bookstores (and devices, kindle trade-ins, etc) which are in about thirteen states. There's also Presented By Amazon in California, Nevada and Illinois.
Yeah - an almost $14B acquisition; but it's not quite the same as the Amazon-specific storefronts (in name and various merchandise) as it already was (and still is) a grocery chain. That said, it has helped to expand its grocery delivery service dramatically.
Yeah - an almost $14B acquisition; but it's not quite the same as the Amazon-specific storefronts (in name and various merchandise) as it already was (and still is) a grocery chain. That said, it has helped to expand its grocery delivery service dramatically.
Quality at Whole Foods has noticeably declined since the acquisition. Customer service seems a bit more strained (my local one has mostly the same people but they all seem like they're having to do more with less). The bulletin board where you could post comments has been done away with.
Quality at Whole Foods has noticeably declined since the acquisition. Customer service seems a bit more strained (my local one has mostly the same people but they all seem like they're having to do more with less). The bulletin board where you could post comments has been done away with.
well, my experience has been just the opposite. the employees have been helpful in showing how to use the amazon app for discounts and the prices have been lowered also. i actually like the store more now than before.
At 59 I have seen so many retailers come and go and I realize and fully understand the ramifications of those businesses that fail to reinvent themselves or take stock in new upcoming competion in their market.
With that being said, my feelings towards the systematic and surgically disassembling of Sears has really been hard for me to watch. I cringe each time Lampert makes an announcement that he is closing more stores or selling a part of Sears off to help bring profitability back to Sears.
There is no denying that before Eddie Lampert touched Sears it was a symbol of success in the retail world.
Long before the Internet they had catalog sales in which a simple phone call into Sears could get that item delivered to your house or picked up at the store. Sears had a means in place to beat Amazon even before Amazon was a household name.
Craftsman, Kenmore, and Diehard were all product lines that were well respected.
There is a story to be told of all of what has transpired and I truly believe Lampert went into the Sears deal as a raider looking to sell off or should I say pluck the fruit.
Some will say Sears and Kmart had it coming but I believe they were never given a chance.
I did not mean to get off topic a bit but I truly believe with the right person at the top Sears could have been a force to reckon with against Amazon.
On a side note I am not quite sure what they are teaching at business schools, but technology, innovation and studying consumer trends is the future of retail. Businesses can win or lose in just a matter of months if they don't look ahead.
As an example, it is hard to believe that not one executive at Blockbuster saw Netflix as fierce competition. Netflix was a David that brought a Golith to its knees!
Amazon could very well suffer the same fate as Sears because I think Sears got out of the catalogue/mail order business because it was too expensive to handle returns and exchanges with their satisfaction warranty. Same for the stores.
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