Signs of the end.... - Page 8

GRACIE · ‎04-14-2010

While I don't shop at Sears. 95.9 % of my shopping is at the B/M stores. Their is nothing online I can't get from B/M stores. From my favorites, Tjmaxx, Ross, Macy's, NM last call, Homegoods, Dillards, Publix,etc. Also local jewelry stores,local crafting,artistic events. Love the exercise, and touching and feeling what I am buying.I do check on line for products reviews.Waiting on deliveries is not my cup of tea anymore. Looking online and in local furniture stores for some new furniture before retirement . What my ford F150 will not carry then it will be delivery at my convince not theirs. Have not had a problem with my local stores on either front, I can order online and pick up locally.Best of both worlds.

alicedee · ‎07-25-2010

It's sad to see businesses go under....especially those tied in with so many memories. Sears, Montgomery Wards, Hudsons, the Yankee Store.....lots of good memories of fun shopping trips in years past. I, too, am now a mostly online shopper.....time marches on. So happy the internet provides us a place to go back and enjoy images of those good times on various sites like Pinterest.

AuntMame · ‎10-16-2010

@Cakers3 wrote:
@Bridgegal wrote:
@Cakers3 wrote:
@Bridgegal wrote:
@DiAnne wrote:
The malls around me are very busy. No empty stores - in fact they just put on a large addition to one. I like to shop on-line but I often take returns to the stores to avoid return shipping.

We have a new Whole Foods under construction. It will be interesting what happens with that.
We have a new, beautiful and huge Whole Foods by us that has yet to open. It looks like it's finished and has for several months. No one knows why it hasn't opened but rumors are flying.
@Bridgegal A regular Whole Foods or their 365 Whole Foods stores? I wonder if the Amazon buy-out is a reason.
I believe it is a regular one; it's huge!!. They haven't even put a sign up yet. The Amazon purchase is one of the rumors we've heard and another is the shelving they use is backlogged and they can't get it until fall??????? I'm going with the Amazon buyout. We will see if it ever opens.
@BridgegalI agree about Amazon. We've noticed a subtle yet growing difference in our local Whole Foods the past few months and the light bulb, so to speak, went on when we learned about Amazon.

One of our favorite cashiers (we get in her line even if it's longer than others lol) said that the employees are still up in the air in terms of what will happen to them when this buy-out is complete.

Our local WF markets were offering curb-side pick-up and very briefly started to offer home delivery but both were dropped.

We also noticed lately that many of the produce stations were sorely lacking in quantity and often in quality.

So far meat has been ok.

Whole Foods has been having financial problems for years. They started building a WF super-store near our house a few years back then abruptly abandoned it. I've read that's not uncommon for WF as the company has been weathering so many financial calamities, including declining sales. Bezos and Amazon have the money to get WF back on its feet, and can probably straighten out the company's years of chaotic mismanagement, hence the purchase.

AuntMame · ‎10-16-2010

@CareBears wrote:
@AuntMame Thank you, fortunately we were lucky and my husband was able to find another job immediately, but not at the same rate of pay and no benefits, he had to take on another job that offered benefits as we had a child and because of my health issues we had no choice, we had to have insurance.

I just remember some of the men and women who were ushered out the door that day, they had 30+ years working at K-Mart and many were of retirement age, they were left with nothing for their retirement and were at an age where they could not start over, it was just so sad for everyone involved!

I'm so glad your husband was able to find another job with benefits. Still that must have been tough. And frightening for all of you.

My heart aches for those who lost their jobs after 30+ years. When one is nearing retirement life becomes so much more precarious, both emotionally and financially. That's when job loss is the most cruel blow.

Cakers3 · ‎06-17-2015

@AuntMame I agree that WF didn't keep up when other grocery chains began to sell organic items-and that trend started 2 decades ago. WF was really the first full-out organic market way back when. The "hipster" environment really helped WF explode on the scene.

However, turning WF around may entail quality issues. If the stores themselves close, and I don't see that happening right now, then Bezos will really need to juggle between continuing WF brand with other vendors (which WF does now anyway).

The job loss with the acquistion bothers me the most. Right now it doesn't seem too great a deal but as I mentioned earlier employees are up in the air with little information being given to them at this time.

The 365 Brand stores of WF are failing from what I have seen so that is why I asked another poster about the store that hasn't opened.

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

@truffle wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
@Snoopp wrote:
I would never go to a mall that had a ton of arcade games. Hope that isn't the wave of the future.

I think the wave of the future is to encourage those under 30 to shop, and those with children. That is the future; over 50s are not. To me, that's just logic. Baby boomers have been told they are "the" important demographic for so long they can't conceive of business/society catering to any other demographic. It's happening and it will continue.
Makes sense. Let's just hope that demographic have jobs, stable jobs.

To me, arcades attract a young crowd, more in the tween and teen category. I can't see that being tremendously helpful in attracting shoppers with money to burn. I don't think the young college grads I know would be interested in arcade games but I can see families dropping teens off to play while they shop.

Malls I frequent have added restaurants which have pulled potential customers in. Food courts have been downsized.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

@CareBears wrote:
The greed of the higher ups within Sears deserve everything they are getting, they chose money over loyal employees & quality, now they can watch their empire fall down around them, karma has once again shown that greed never wins!

This is normal in big business now and won't change as long as society allows it and politicians reward huge businesses for it. Those who work for large employers and don't see it may not be in positions to see it or they're gullible.

I retired from a Fortune 500 company with 10,000 employees worldwide. There were 2400 employees there when I started in 1979 and the entire city was jealous of those who worked there. But they lost their integrity as they grew. Now, they gladly mistreat and discriminate against employees (especially older and long-term) to make a buck. I was never as happy as when I reached retirement age.

blackhole99 · ‎08-22-2013

The Sears store that opened 40 years ago when the mall opened in our area just closed in May. My husband and I shopped there for appliances for years, but for the last 10 years or so the store was never full of people. I mentioned more than once that I didn't know how they stayed open with such little business going on. Let's face it, things change and it's just less hassle to shop online. The Millennials shop very little and when they do shop, it's online. The young people in our area don't even hang out in the mall anymore.