Sears stores in Houston avoid the axe (120 elsewhere in the nation to be shuttered) (Mart: appliances, closing)

[Zhang Fei]

From the Chron:

Sears Holding Corp. released on Thursday a list of 79 of the 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores it will close, and none in the first round are in Texas.

In Texas, there are 20 Kmarts; 59 full-line Sears stores, one Sears Essential store; and 109 specialty stores focused on hardware and/or appliances.


In the Houston area, there are roughly 30 Sears stores, consisting of full-line stores, specialty and outlet stores. Houston has no Kmarts.

[Topaz]

Sears and K-Mart feel like stores caught in a time warp. I am not surprised they are struggling to survive.

[DejaBlue]

Why do we still have Kmart commercials though?

I still see them and I know we have none in Houston. Yet there they are.

[NYer75]

Sears needs a total revamp. No Sears closings shows the economy in Houston is strong enough to support them here. But that's all just a matter of time. Kmart? God..the bottom of the discount retailer chain. One word comes to mind when I hear Kmart : Ghetto.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by NYer75

Sears needs a total revamp. No Sears closings shows the economy in Houston is strong enough to support them here. But that's all just a matter of time. Kmart? God..the bottom of the discount retailer chain. One word comes to mind when I hear Kmart : Ghetto.

That's what I think about when I heard the word Sears. Knowing that, it's no wonder they actually survive here.

[wheretogo]

Sears or Officedepot are two stores where I could find more employees than customers any given time I visit there. Having said that, I do not want any of them going out of business

[feufoma]

Sears is still around (seriously)? No wonder the remaining stores are on the block...

[Zhang Fei]

Originally Posted by wheretogo

Sears or Officedepot are two stores where I could find more employees than customers any given time I visit there. Having said that, I do not want any of them going out of business

My sense is that Sears has more employees per square foot of retail space than JC Penney, despite the fact that JC Penney charges higher prices for the things that they carry in common (some cookware items). IMO, Sears is way overstaffed and that's what's causing them to simultaneously lose money and not be price-competitive with Target and Walmart.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by tstone

That's what I think about when I heard the word Sears. Knowing that, it's no wonder they actually survive here.

So true.

Thank goodness the Kardashian clothing line is there to save them Because we all know those spoiled Kardashian brats have been shopping there for years before they started their own line.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by Zhang Fei

My sense is that Sears has more employees per square foot of retail space than JC Penney, despite the fact that JC Penney charges higher prices for the things that they carry in common (some cookware items). IMO, Sears is way overstaffed and that's what's causing them to simultaneously lose money and not be price-competitive with Target and Walmart.

I don't know about that - went into the Baybrook Sears to try and get pricing on tires and couldn't find an employee anywhere. We stood around a bit and gave up and left.