Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The solid metal tools like wrenches, sockets, etc. are still good but the power equipment is no better than the stuff you can find at Lowes or Home Depot. As far as those devices are concerned, Craftsman no longer stands out.
My Craftsman mower lasted two years after i got it in 2015. Had it fixed and it was even worse. Got a EGO mower and it has been perfect with no gas to fool with.
Sears and Kmart were kings in their days, but there days have come and gone.
Lots of terrrible business decisions over time, is what led to their demise.
(You can currently see the same thing happening with Wal-mart today).
OP should start a poll. How many people here have ever physically seen and touched a Sears catalog, or something like that. It was what made them dominant back in the day.
It has been quite a while since I have seen one. I wonder how well the decline of Sears correlates with the decline of their catalog business.
Anyone think JCP is in line to go the same route?
How many windows did I dress from the JCP catalog? My children made copious Santa lists from the Christmas catalog, as well. Fond memories from decades ago......
I find it's easier to go to Amazon even for that stuff.
I agree but since Lowes is now carrying Craftsman I can just go down the street for that. We do have a Prime membership so pretty much everything else is Amazon for us.
Craftsman tools is now owned by Stanley, Black and Decker, and can be purchased in many different stores, including recently Lowes.
And they are junk compared to the old tools. Unless you are a mechanic, you might not know the difference, but the good 6 point sockets are now 12 point sockets. It makes a difference when using them daily. I recently exchanged an old worn out Craftsman ratchet for a new one. The new one lasted two weeks, the old one had lasted 20 years.
Sears decline got worse when they bought the old Western Auto chain and ruined it. Then did the same with K Mart. Last time I was in a Sears, the men's room had been "out of order" for three weeks according to the sales person.
I can't purchase a single thing at my local Sears store without getting hounded by the clerk with all of the stupid upselling. No, I don't want to take 5 minutes filling out a form to get a Sears credit card, nor do I want your company to give me a free home improvement estimate. All I want is to buy the thing I came here for and leave. Quick, simple, and easy as that.
This is why I do most of my shopping online. I know it's not the clerks fault, as his stupid management instructs him to ask all of that nonsense, but I prefer buying without the hassle.
It feels like the slowest death in modern retail history.
Sears had a lot of assets. Allstate, Sears Tower, Kenmore, Craftsman, etc. etc. It’s just been a long process of selling those profitable assets to help prop up its retail operations. Of course they’ve finally burned through most of them.
Here’s a very interesting timeline of the Sears company. A 133 years is one helluva run:
Yeah, the 1990s really marked a noticeable decline in the stores themselves and you're right about the prices being uncompetitive. The other thing I noticed, especially in the last few years, is that so much merchandise was out of stock in the stores. The associates mentioned being able to order off the Sears website, but if I was going to order something online, I'm not sure that Sears would be my go-to place.
I walked in the day after Christmas at the Arrowhead Mall location. I noticed a lot of stock out in various sections, on a day people use up gift cards and make exchanges that is not a way to keep any remaining customers. My father noticed three or four displays for tools all with different prices. The crazy part was when I was in Bath and Body Works, there were more customers in that small footprint than a two-level Sears location.
As for buying online, if you bought tools from them, they were competitive to most outlets. My father would do this numerous times and pick-up at the store to save money on the shipping and use that for a Costco trip (as one of the local Costco is across the street from the mall.) I think my last purchase at Sears was about last year. Often it would be priced out by Walmart or others, if I found something I liked there. I think I found Pitbull Cuba Man cologne there but it was $40 while Walmart had it for $30 for the same size mind you.
And they are junk compared to the old tools. Unless you are a mechanic, you might not know the difference, but the good 6 point sockets are now 12 point sockets. It makes a difference when using them daily. I recently exchanged an old worn out Craftsman ratchet for a new one. The new one lasted two weeks, the old one had lasted 20 years.
Sometimes at yard sales, you can find the old Craftsman tools. I agree the new tools are not the same.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
