I was thinking the now hiring sign is a visual explanation for nobody working the floor or a desperate attempt to lure mothers back with their unemployed kids.
My Dad worked in the shoe department there in the 1980s. We went back to Fiesta last week and he was astounded by how something so massive and popular back when he was in high school is now abandoned.
They don't sell video games at Kmart or Sears anymore do they? I remember when both stores in the 90s had full sections with giant kiosks dedicated to video games. I remember going to Sears and playing Dreamcast demos.
I remember my local SEARS being one of the only places in the 90's that had Nintendo Virtual Boy, Philips CD-I, and 3DO demo stations setup outside of EB which at the time was in the mall in a very small location that if more then 4 people, and the 2 employees where in the store you would be bumping elbows with someone, and the K-Mart in my area also had the big selection of games as well along with Rose's stores. it's Sad how times have changed to where even the stock in my local Wal-Mart, and Target stores almost always look like the day after a Black Friday sale far as stock goes, and 1/2 the time trying to find someone one to unlock a case to get something out is more trouble then it's worth if you go shopping in the evening hours after work.
atomicpuppet Yep check out Retail Archaeology's other video on vintage Sears video games. It's quite an interesting find for a millennial like me who never saw Sears in its glory days.
the sign is probably their way of saying ...yes were open...without actually saying that....because that would come off desperate...and sears would never stoop to that level ha ha
My sears is also hiring but they arent busy either. The electronics section has no more electronics. They took out the photo studio and hearing aid section. It is sad because I have so many memories of going to sears. I still use their salon to get my hair done every month. I will miss it when eventually its gone.
I feel like the era of the "big mall anchors" (Sears, JCPenny, Macy's, Dillard's) is coming to an end or will soon. You got stuff like Von Maur, Forever 21, and even Dick's Sporting Goods taking over now
I don't know, there is a non mall anchor JCPenny's near me and it seems to be doing fine. They probably got smart and bought the land and built their own building so they wouldn't have to pay rent anymore (just property taxes).
Eddie Lampert should be put on trial for "retail homicide" after all he has killed Sears. Thanks for the upload ! You should have a live stream so we can chat about the situation at Sears and other B&M stores. Solutions, ect.
+Mister Hat Of course he is, he could have resigned from his position and actually allowed the company to hire a QUALIFIED retail expert to manage and become CEO of Sears Holdings if he cared. But he's aiding in the murder of Sears/K Mart. An accessory to murder is just as guilty as the murderer I would say Eddie hasn't just "killed" Sears and K Mart, he's murdered them.
Actually he's not "making" money. He's converting the assets of Sears and Kmart into money for himself. Essentially it's moving money from one account to another. That's not making money.
+PorygonFanatics It's doubtful this is true. But if it was I could see the independent franchises doing better than the company owned stores because the local management with more power might actually care about running a successful operation.
You should do Staples or office depot/max. I know office depot and office max are really struggling after the merger with Staples fell though and Staples is struggling too. They are not nearly as bad as Sears but they are not as profitable as they were in the 90's.
Gander Mountain wasnt doing well. The Kenosha, WI location was there less than 6 years. another one that ate the bullet was MC Sports, the just closed of all em in April, they were around since the 1940's :(
NKNYM15 I never heard anything about a merger between Office Depot and Staples. I'm not sure that would even be legal because of anti-trust/monopoly laws. That would leave just one major office supply retailer. I was surprised that they didn't put a stop to Office Depot's absorption of Office Max.
+504RoadTrips The fact is that Office Depot and OfficeMax are so weak that I believe that they allowed the merger because if it didn't happen BOTH stores would have gone out of business. It's bad for the economy and for employees. At this point the fed gov't wants to do anything it can to keep people working if possible.
When I was a kid, we went to Sears if we were in town; usually clothes since kids grow fast and trying things on is the one way to be sure it fits. But what I also remember is we ordered through the catalog at the mail order office Sears ran - and we would pick up stuff there. It was really convenient for a town that was more than an hour from any big retail outlets. I order from Amazon now for the same reasons my parents used Sears - its easier on my time and wallet to not drive into the city, and there's a bigger selection for me to choose from.
The Sears in Chandler Fashion Center is actually doing okay compared to a lot of other Sears locations. The last time I went there were a few employees near the parking lot entrance and it looked somewhat cleaner. Anyways I love your work, keep up the great content 😊
Ashleigh Erwin I transferred to that store back in 2002, not long after opening. Left in 2005. We were usually busy on weekends. I worked in home fashions and the more expensive bedding like the microsuede were hot sellers.
Honestly, I think this is just the sign of bigger times. While Sears is failing due to some internal problems, it's also failing because of a bigger systemic problem that includes Amazon. In the 70s, 80s and 90s, Amazon wasn't a thing. It wasn't until the late 90s that Amazon appeared. Amazon is effectively doing to retail what Walmart did to mom-and-pop retailers. Even Walmart is feeling the pinch from Amazon. It basically comes down to if retail can survive the convenience of ordering online. You can go to Amazon and practically find anything and have most of it sent to you overnight or within 2 days. While that's not as convenient as walking into Sears or Walmart or Target, it also means you're guaranteed to get the item. If you head to Walmart, Target or Sears, they could be out of stock (at best) or not even carry it (at worst). The miss ratio when shopping at retail stores is so high, it's really not worth spending the gas to find out. There are basic essentials such as clothing and shoes where trying it on means heading to a retailer. How often do you really go buy clothing? On top of that, the economy is such that a lot of people today don't have a ton of disposable income. So, running to the mall Sears has become something you don't do often. In fact, there are times when you can roam through Target and Walmart and the entire store is just as bare of shoppers. They make up for those times on Saturdays and during seasonal setups, like Back-To-School (which is coming up). There have been plenty of retailers that have closed in the last 8-10 years including the likes of Mervyn's (which was owned by Target) and Loehmann's which has also recently begun closing stores. The stores that seem to do well are places like TJ Maxx and Ross where you can get last season's designer items for a fraction of the cost. What you are documenting here is just the tip of a much bigger iceberg.
Great post. Many Wal-Marts are still doing well, though. Wal-mart did close a few neighborhood markets and all of the Wal-Mart Express locations a year or so ago. The former being more common in urban areas and the latter being more common in small towns. Wal-Mart also introduced online shopping and pickup which is actually quite convenient and popular. Wal-Mart always competes on price too. Wal-Mart is changing the way they are doing things and are not being completely complacent like Sears was over the years. They see the handwriting on the wall and are evolving.
Walmart does have online ordering, yes, but takes at least 24 hours before the order an ready for pickup. Depending on the item, sometimes it takes up to two days for pickup. That's a ridiculous amount of time to wait. You can get it faster simply by going to the store and shopping or by using a service like Instacart. Walmart just doesn't _get_ the idea of online ordering. BestBuy, for example, typically has 1 hour pickup ordering. Meaning, your order is ready in 1 hour or less. Target also has online ordering which usually takes around an hour. Target's in-stock listing on its web site is also usually pretty accurate. The problems I have with ordering directly from a discounter 1) out of stock situations (happens due to bad in-stock counters) and 2) wrongly picked items. You're relying on the regular store staff to go find what you ordered. I've found that far too many times when I get there, what they picked was the wrong item. It only takes a few times of that to realize what a colossal waste of time that was. Walmart, Target and even Kmart have tried to compete with Amazon, but they seem to fail more often than they succeed because they half-baked invest in those ideas with "what they have"... instead of doing it right. Amazon spent money to do it right. Retailers can't compete unless they also choose to invest to do it right. Half-baked won't cut it here. And, here's the half baked part. Walmart, Target and BestBuy require you to stand in the customer service line, which is notoriously slow and long due to slow returns, just to get your pickup order. They make it easy to order, but horribly slow to pick it up and they just don't care about that. That leaves Walmart, Target and BestBuy with their primary source of income coming from in-store shopping rather than order-online for pickup shoppers. Who wants to wait 15-20 minutes behind someone returning a TV just to get a pickup order? Fry's really doesn't get online ordering at all. Your order on the web is just a placeholder. Even though you've given them a credit card on the web site and they act like they are charging you, they still require you pay for the items at a regular register when you come to pick up your items. Meaning, you have to stand in their insanely long regular checkout lines just to get your pickup order. Then there's the problem of whether or not the order was picked correctly. The point in ordering online is the convenience of speedy and accurate orders. When they force you to wait in long customer service lines just to get your order and then find out half of the items are wrong or missing, it defeats the purpose of ordering online. This is why Amazon is winning in this area.
+Najimabu Unfortunately, we don't have Kroger/Smiths out here in NorCal. We have Target, Walmart Neighborhood Markets, Lucky and Safeway for groceries. Lucky has no online ordering presence at all. The rest of these retailers / grocers offer limited discounts when ordering online. The prices are nearly always the same as in the store. Though, they do offer weekly deals and some online deals, but you can't rely on those for every day shopping. Safeway does offer deliveries, but after adding their delivery fee, it's more expensive than purchasing in-store. Around here, there are many app services like Instacart for delivery and for Target there was Curbside until Target shut down its trial in June 2016 with this service. Here, there are no incentives to use online ordering of groceries. The primary benefit is speed of delivery and accuracy of the order. Few retailers here are willing to deep discount their groceries for those who order online. Keep in mind that in your area, those discounts you are relying on may dry up when more people realize the cost savings. It doesn't take much for stores to realize they're being gamed and losing money. Webvan sort of ruined the market for grocery delivery in the SF Bay Area when it was practically giving away its services. Many grocery retailers are very much gunshy after Webvan's disastrous entry into grocery delivery in this area. Amazon's Prime Fresh is the most recent attempt at grocery delivery, but it's still very new and expensive. Instacart is probably the best overall delivery service in my area for groceries, hands down. Even Amazon's Prime Fresh can't compete with Instacart's service. In fact, I priced two similar carts between Instacart and Prime Fresh. Instacart won. Amazon needs to do more work on its Prime Fresh offerings. Where Amazon shines is in its Prime and Prime Now services (with non-grocery merchandise). The grocery delivery services are a completely different beast handled under Prime Fresh. Though, Instacart's model is probably the best. They have shoppers go to specific stores and pick up the items for you. Then, they deliver them to your doorstep. Instacart also handles delivery for anything the store sells, including grocery items and liquor. Prime Fresh is pretty much limited to groceries. That may change soon now that Amazon has purchased Whole Foods Market.
Do you live anywhere near a Fry's electronics store? We were at one today in Woodland Hills, CA today and it was pretty empty compared to a few years ago. There were only 2 cashiers in the checkout area that had at least 25 registers. It was quite a sight. Their website and store signs say they offer same day delivery from local stores but I'm not sure it will be enough to save them. Local tech professionals rely on Fry's for hard-to-find tools, adapters, parts, etc. But how long can Fry's afford to have such huge stores with so much merchandise in such high rent areas? It's almost as if the situation is being kept as dirty little secrets by media and government. Time will tell...
synchro505 Way back in 2002 when Fry's opened in Downer's Grove IL. It was huge. You could fit a Best buy, Circuit City, GameStop, Borders Books, Radioshack, FYE, Office Depot, a small coffee shop and have still have room left over. Now...Flash forward to 2017. It's massively scaled back and downsized. The customers aren't as much as it used to be. I wouldn't be surprised if it closes it's doors within this year or next.
There's a Fry's electronics near the mall in the video in Tempe, AZ and it is respectfully filled with people mostly on the weekend. Then again it's near Arizona Mills a hugely successful mall and probably the most packed mall in Arizona.
I stopped going to Fry's after frys security started being a shit.. Don't you dare look at stuff and compare prices. well you don't have to worry about that anymore... I buy all my stuff at amazon.com
Our Sears in the New Orleans suburbs started to decline in the early 2000s. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the mall was set on fire by looters, and even though the Sears store didn't have any fire damage, it was closed for a while. They never recovered from that. As far back as 8 years ago, you could have driven a dump truck around on the ground floor without disturbing any of the merchandise. My memory of Sears as a kid in the 70s, was a huge store that was densely packed with merchandise to a point that it was hard to walk around. And it was full of customers. The old catalog department always had a long line. Families waited to get their portraits and family photos taken. There was a busy automotive center in an outbuilding where everyone took their car for a new Die Hard battery. Clear across the expressway was the Sears Service Center where you could get your Kenmore appliances fixed or buy parts to fix them yourself (they also sold huge boxes of powdered detergent and vacuum cleaner bags). Sears Holdings actually owns most or all of their stores and the property they sit on, even when they're attached to a mall. I think the reason they continue to operate with no customers and little merchandise is because as long as they have the building and have to maintain it and pay property taxes on it, they're going to keep the store going. The one here finally closed a few months ago and it hasn't yet been announced who they sold it to, but there was definitely a contract to sell when the store closed.
Fun Fact: 2-3 story Targets have an escalator made specifically for carts, and you go down the regular escalator right next to it, and you go down with your cart, and you get your down when it reaches the end. So, Sears better have an elevator.
I hear crickets at 4:30 mark. Thx for the Sears look. Here in Jacksonville, FL, there's only one Sears left in a mall nearby that I haven't visited in a couple years. As far as their sister stores, all the KMart's are gone... closest one is 75 miles away. These stores are on life support.
I know Sears wasn't part of the sale for the redevelopment of Fiesta Mall, but I'm honestly wondering how much longer this Sears will hold on. When you have a dying company attached to a completely dead mall, things aren't looking good at all.
The only Sears store I know is busy is the Sears Hometown Store in Bogalusa,LA. The owner has worked for Sears since 1957 and she sells lots of appliances and lawn mowers. But it is the only Sears I see that is busy.
Washington Parish Now TV The little Sears outlets in the small towns may outlive all the big department stores, since the only other nearby alternative is Walmart. Picayune, MS had a similar store to the one in Bogalusa.
Eddie Lambert said they don't need more customers. I haven't noticed appliances out on the floor still in boxes but I have noticed things aren't stocked like they used to be. That is a sure sign of a retailer in trouble when they don't have stuff on the shelves to sell. They have been having trouble with their suppliers. I can't imagine why they would want to be paid upfront?
I am 77 years old. Sear, at one time, was THE store. They relaxed as many small disount chains would rise and then fall. In 1966, or therabot, I bought a pair of boots, "Lifetime gaurantee", I paid $65 at that time. I wore them out twice and they gave me a new pair. On the third attempt they refused; the reply, "How long do you expect a lifetime of a boot to last?" Too much overhead, prices became too high. Even worse, You bought something for $20 today and go back later then it is $10!
Crazy 8 and Gymboree is cutting back; we have two malls in Huntington-Charleston WV; one mall is expanding, even adding a new Field and Stream; this mall 's Sears, Crazy 8, and Gymboree (even their Kmart) is safe; the other mall has lost it Sears (a three level store), and now their Crazy 8/Gymboree. I expect Rue 21 to be gone at some point.
Great video, it's kinda sad when i saw more people in a office depot & office max than my local Sears. Also is. frys electronics Dying? because it just closed in my area.
I remember working at this one mall, before it was tore down, doing security. I had a tendancy to go into the Sears, which was an anchor store, and getting all kinds of CD's from them.
Pier 1 isnt closing anytime soon. They are moving a lot of their merchandise online but now a days who isnt. They are actually opening new smaller stores since by August 1 all of their stores will be a new concept and not so jammed packed .
The sears near my house was very busy today and kept together very well. An employee told be that It's one of the ten best performing sears in the country.
Looks like the ones here in Atlanta. All of the clothes are 40-60% off, the Craftsman section has a ton of sales (which I took advantage of) and the electronics section is barren. I tried to support them and bought some sandals a few weeks ago. Last week I went back to buy the Craftsman stuff and the clerk was pushing a Sears credit card and a store membership like his life depended on it. It was annoying when I just wanted my cheap tools. I do not relish or enjoy the death of Sears. But Target, Walmart, Costco, and other retail stores seem to be doing okay which is good. Sometimes you need something NOW and waiting for delivery isn't going to get it done.
The reason they have that sign up is because if someone passed by the mall they would think it's closed because 95% of the stores are shut down and most of the anchors are gone and this is basically the only store that is keeping Fiesta Mall on life support.
The Sears near me has been looking this way for quite a while. My family used to shop there all the time, for everything. Really I think most customers only shop for the tools, because it's really the only remotely busy area. Built in the mid 60's with the mall it anchors. Only the mall continues to boom and renovate lol.
We still have our sears, and they just opened back up the paint department, and close down the department for the 📺, it's still going 💪 here in flint, mi
Dude - Sears Retail has looked like this for 10 years. I know I worked in one of their Larger stores for 20 years, in Automotive. Automotive carried them for a long time, sadly Automotive went south too. Sears should have shut down before Eddie Lampbert bought controlling interest. He killed what little chance it had.
Retroman How? Quick and easy access to thousands of products with free 2 day shipping if you have prime. I buy almost everything off Amazon for convenience alone.
Idk, maybe Amazon sucks because of their tightening grip on the economy is stifling competition, eroding jobs and threatening communities? But, yeah free 2 day shipping makes it all worth while.
The Sears in the Natick Mall isn't doing so hot either. They actually put furniture in the electronics section. I also noticed a lot of TVs there missing.
I purchased a Kenmore dehumidifier and on a weak moment bought the extended warranty for 3 years....turns out the dehumidifier failed a month before the warranty expired....called them and was told to drop it at our nearest open Sears service center which is in Burnsville, MN At drop off, the clerk told me it was covered under warranty and I should have it back in a couple of weeks. One month later, I don't have it back. The Burnsville location is closing and I was given the runaround numerous times from their call center until last Friday when they confirmed that when it was being shipped for repairs, it was lost in transit...adding insult to injury I just received a mailing from Sears advising me the warranty was expiring and I should renew it.....
My friend works at Sears and me and my dad went to a sears today not to shop but to inspect a company trailer to have it hauled away and a guy came up to us and said what we think they might put in its place. Apparently my friend said that Sears pays him $1000 buck's every 2 weeks.
Hmmm sears in trouble? I didnt know that. The sears across the street from me in my local mall is packed and has long lines at the registers constantly. Maybe its just YOUR AREA?
Indiana Jones walks into an ancient temple and meets a woman. Indy asks " I've come seeking the treasure of the Pharo." The woman looks at Indy and says "This is Sears, sir! "
Also, I'm not sure if they have them in your area, but I think you should take a look at The Container Store. I've heard a lot of stuff saying they're dying but I love shopping there personally.
It's sad you can count the number of people seen here with one hand. Sears just doesn't care anymore. The one closest to me is moderately busy judging by the foot traffic I've seen walking in and out, haven't bought anything from there in 10 years and only been in there once since but barely went in. It's the oldest store in the mall that goes back to the late 60's. It's hasn't changed one bit my whole life and has a very 60's-70's vibe in the architecture, layout, and style of the interior which is bad for business but I dig it. I want to check it out soon. We use to get our portraits done there, bought appliances, electronics, and tools there, and went back to school shopping. Sears would be lucky if they make it out this decade. It'd be sad once they go but given how it's been run it'd be well deserved.
I went to my local Sears last week and it was just as empty as this one. I was able to get some sweet deals on some tools that were on clearance. Might as well take advantage before they shut down.
My store just started liquidating. So many memories there, especially of Back To School clothes shopping and the Christmas Catalogue. I'm doubtful anyone would take its place in the mall either. I'm really sad.
The Sears at my mall (a very busy one that expanded last year) was slightly busier than these last month. We went just to see how they were doing and we saw maybe a dozen customers but at least they were actually shopping. Then the closing was announced for July. I was surprised since I imagine most Sears are even worse off. This stuff is both fascinating and sad. I mean we were registered at Sears as recetly as 2009. I read that article about Lampert that cites conflict of interest since his fund is apparently loaning Sears money at high interest rates. Loans that any other lender likely wouldn't give..
your channel is addictively interesting is absolutely spot-on, not too much and not too little. Have you ever thought about doing a modern store that is not currently in trouble? It might be a nice contrast.
Sears is definitely in trouble. Here in Canada, they've been approved by the courts for bankruptcy protection, will be laying off 2,900 employees, and closing 54 stores of various types (Sears, Sears Home, Sears Outlet, etc.). They've been in trouble here for years; the big 2-level store at my local mall closed about 10 years ago, and the nearby outlet closed about 2-3 years ago. The mall Sears (which was a corner-lot anchor) was eventually torn down and a new semi-detatched structure was built to house 5 separate stores. Unrelated but still sort of interesting is that the Zellers at the opposite corner, which became a Target before they left Canada in 2015, was recently gutted and is being turned into 4 external stores, leaving the mall with only one piddly little anchor (Winners, a scaled-down department store) which wouldn't even be considered an anchor if it wasn't the only department store left. Anyway, it looks like Sears in the US is likely headed in the same direction as it has been here.
Have you visited Macy's? I live in Alexandria, Virginia, and our Macy's stores here are similar to Sears...The displays are even maintained, and there is literally no staff in the stores...Prices remain high, but I don't see anyone buying...
Try Kmart. There's one here in Tucson that has an electronics section about the same size as this Sears and it has maybe 20 items in it tops. I honestly think most people come into the store just to order from Little Caesars and end up wandering around the store.
Office Depots are usually off putting and recently nobody in my area are really in there. Last few times I was there, nobody was there.....and I even worked at one X.D. So totally check it out!
Looks like a clean, organized store ready for business. So which major employers in the area just moved to Mexico or China, leaving the local people with no jobs and no money to shop, even at Sears?
condew HacDC Sears' problems have nothing to do with outsourcing. They're due to CEO incompetence and the inability to adjust to a changing retail market. They got stuck in their ways and it killed them.
Kmart looked about like this for their last 20 years. Empty shelves on the sales floor means the stock room is probably shockingly empty. I remember back in the day Sears always looked over packed with stuff, specially the clothes. You could barely walk between the racks.
the sears in my area are quite busy and the whole mall is packed but its better for less customers because no long lines and you can get out quickly and its quieter
I actually went into a Sears in Florida which is one of the few stores they actually remodeled and it felt like a tired out old department store that was only a small step up from a walmart
When I worked at Wal-Mart, empty end caps were a cardinal sin. It was a good way to get yelled at. We always had to zone and condense and place new features if shelves were empty. Part of Sears' problem might be that they just don't have enough manpower to get things like that done.
This is like watching the film "Titanic" while the musicians are playing when the boat is sinking... were at that point when the stern is out of the water and its only a matter of seconds before the whole thing goes under!
There's a Sears at a very busy mall near me that recently closed. I'm surprised it closed because there were always a decent amount of people inside each time I went there. With that store closing, it's definitely a sign that Sears is struggling. It also leaves my mind boggled as to how locations like this manage to remain open.
I actually went into the one Sears that's still open in my area and I actually didn't see any of this stuff in that particular Sears. I mean, the mattress section had a very old and musty smell and the baby clothes area reeked of baby powder... but it was otherwise still surprisingly active, despite the end of the mall it was on being COMPLETELY dead.
Watching your videos made me want to go to the mall this past week. Here in Abilene, TX our mall is bustling with people, but the department store Dillards was dead. It seems that such stores as Sears and others have been planning their demise for 10 to 20 years. I don't think it's that they are just clueless.
I think Sears biggest problem is that didn't change with the times. They used to be a great one stop shop for so many things people needed. Now that's Walmart's job, and even they steer clear of some things Sears sells (like appliances). They leave that for Home Depot and Lowe's. Maybe what Sears needs to do is give some of their departments smaller specialty stores. Like a place where you can buy just tools and work clothes. Plenty of people still love their Craftsmen tools.
I work for Macy's. How much longer do you think they have left. My store's location has slowed down in sales some, but we're still decently busy. Our mall, Baybrook mall in Friendswood, TX, has actually just expanded with a bunch of outside retail stores right next to the mall. I would say that this mall isn't dying yet, but Macy's closed a bunch of stores this year so I wonder how much longer they have.
My local Sears closed not too long ago. Sad to see them go but only for nostalgia reasons as they have simply run the company into the ground and know what they did.
Do one on FYE which also owns the Suncoast and Sam Goody names. If there is a measure on how physical media has been going out of style, this is it. They have closed a lot of their stores and retooled the ones left to sell non-media products like movie merchandise.
WLS-TV and WLS-AM in Chicago stand for "Worlds Largest Store" = Sears ! One Mall in ABQ took a section of the Sears store and a Container store is opening soon ! Also a large chain sporting goods store is opening soon in Albuquerque on the West side of I-25 ! The 70,000 square foot store is Cabella's ! ! ! tjl
Will to do a video on Mervyn's? It was a lot like JC Penny/Sears, but it went bankrupt and closed in about 2009. My town actually had the last store in operation. Very sad, I recall going in that store so often as s child!
You should take a nap in one of he beds in the Sears basement. See how long it takes to get noticed. It should be very restful
Mark Innes: You made my day 😂😂😂
Mark Innes cheaper than motel 6
Well he would have gotten a real good sleep, nice and QUIET, no people making noise to keep you awake!
bet you could stay a week or two what a ghost town.
I wouldn't wake up a customer. The last thing that I would want to do is risk losing our last customer.
I think the now hiring sign is there to convince customers that they are doing better than what they really are.
I was thinking the now hiring sign is a visual explanation for nobody working the floor or a desperate attempt to lure mothers back with their unemployed kids.
Mywindow good point!
I was thinking maybe employees are jumping ship because they see the writing on the wall that it won't survive.
That too.
A more humorous possibility is that they wanted more employees to fire, so that the CEO can make the books look good.
My Dad worked in the shoe department there in the 1980s. We went back to Fiesta last week and he was astounded by how something so massive and popular back when he was in high school is now abandoned.
man, that sears is quieter than my house. i could go there to take a nap in the garden section and noone would notice lol
I always have fresh breath ikr
They don't sell video games at Kmart or Sears anymore do they? I remember when both stores in the 90s had full sections with giant kiosks dedicated to video games. I remember going to Sears and playing Dreamcast demos.
Most big stores dont, if you want games its either Target or Wallmart and they have a limited selection and limited quantities.
atomicpuppet I remeber going to a Kmart in Linden NJ around 2007 and using an original xbox demo kiosk.
I remember my local SEARS being one of the only places in the 90's that had Nintendo Virtual Boy, Philips CD-I, and 3DO demo stations setup outside of EB which at the time was in the mall in a very small location that if more then 4 people, and the 2 employees where in the store you would be bumping elbows with someone, and the K-Mart in my area also had the big selection of games as well along with Rose's stores. it's Sad how times have changed to where even the stock in my local Wal-Mart, and Target stores almost always look like the day after a Black Friday sale far as stock goes, and 1/2 the time trying to find someone one to unlock a case to get something out is more trouble then it's worth if you go shopping in the evening hours after work.
atomicpuppet Yep check out Retail Archaeology's other video on vintage Sears video games. It's quite an interesting find for a millennial like me who never saw Sears in its glory days.
Yep read the description. It says that person was extricated and transported to a local hospital with major injuries. Still alive.
the sign is probably their way of saying ...yes were open...without actually saying that....because that would come off desperate...and sears would never stoop to that level ha ha
Do Dillards! Its like being transported back to 1989.
In a fabulous way. Do they even have a furniture section any more?
Awesome video!
+Bright Sun Films Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😁
I love your videos!
My sears is also hiring but they arent busy either. The electronics section has no more electronics. They took out the photo studio and hearing aid section. It is sad because I have so many memories of going to sears. I still use their salon to get my hair done every month. I will miss it when eventually its gone.
gabelovesnfg a friend of mine works at Sears and told me and our group Sears pays him $1000 bucks every 2 weeks.
@@Victoria3232-j7o not bad .. for mostly just chilling lol.
I feel like the era of the "big mall anchors" (Sears, JCPenny, Macy's, Dillard's) is coming to an end or will soon. You got stuff like Von Maur, Forever 21, and even Dick's Sporting Goods taking over now
UncreativeUser182 The Von Maur in my mall is huge practically the same size as sears
I don't know, there is a non mall anchor JCPenny's near me and it seems to be doing fine. They probably got smart and bought the land and built their own building so they wouldn't have to pay rent anymore (just property taxes).
UncreativeUser182 H&M and Forever 21 are the new mall anchors.
Macy's will probably "The Last Man Standing". They seem to get more people in their stores compared to the other big mall anchors.
UncreativeUser182 The Dicks Sporting Goods in my area is doing shit right now.
idk why i love this channel so much. its becoming an addiction.
Eddie Lampert should be put on trial for "retail homicide" after all he has killed Sears.
Thanks for the upload ! You should have a live stream so we can chat about the situation at Sears and other B&M stores. Solutions, ect.
Lampert is simply bleeding Sears and Kmart dry as they fail. He's a hedge fund manager, not a retail management expert.
+Mister Hat
Of course he is, he could have resigned from his position and actually allowed the company to hire a QUALIFIED retail expert to manage and become CEO of Sears Holdings if he cared. But he's aiding in the murder of Sears/K Mart. An accessory to murder is just as guilty as the murderer
I would say Eddie hasn't just "killed" Sears and K Mart, he's murdered them.
Mister Hat He's making money either way.
Actually he's not "making" money. He's converting the assets of Sears and Kmart into money for himself. Essentially it's moving money from one account to another. That's not making money.
That's what they do. That why the nickname "Vulture Capitalist" has come to be a popular moniker for a good reason.
"What are they hiring for?"
Loss prevention :D
I wonder if that sign is there to increase consumer confidence that the store isn't closing. there may not be any actual job openings.
They need it. Last time I went to a Sears I was run over by two mattresses and a toaster trying to escape.
correct.
+PorygonFanatics
It's doubtful this is true. But if it was I could see the independent franchises doing better than the company owned stores because the local management with more power might actually care about running a successful operation.
If they hired a new CEO, anyone who's ever worked in retail should be able to outperform the current one.
You should do Staples or office depot/max. I know office depot and office max are really struggling after the merger with Staples fell though and Staples is struggling too. They are not nearly as bad as Sears but they are not as profitable as they were in the 90's.
Gander Mountain wasnt doing well. The Kenosha, WI location was there less than 6 years. another one that ate the bullet was MC Sports, the just closed of all em in April, they were around since the 1940's :(
Staples UK has been sold to Hilco and all rebranded as office outlet
NKNYM15 I never heard anything about a merger between Office Depot and Staples. I'm not sure that would even be legal because of anti-trust/monopoly laws. That would leave just one major office supply retailer. I was surprised that they didn't put a stop to Office Depot's absorption of Office Max.
+504RoadTrips
The fact is that Office Depot and OfficeMax are so weak that I believe that they allowed the merger because if it didn't happen BOTH stores would have gone out of business. It's bad for the economy and for employees. At this point the fed gov't wants to do anything it can to keep people working if possible.
The closest Staples to me here in TX closed about a year ago.
When I was a kid, we went to Sears if we were in town; usually clothes since kids grow fast and trying things on is the one way to be sure it fits. But what I also remember is we ordered through the catalog at the mail order office Sears ran - and we would pick up stuff there. It was really convenient for a town that was more than an hour from any big retail outlets.
I order from Amazon now for the same reasons my parents used Sears - its easier on my time and wallet to not drive into the city, and there's a bigger selection for me to choose from.
The Sears by me was replaced by Primark. The mall is always busy but the only reason anyone went to Sears was for the auto dept.
Josh A Would that be King of Prussia mall perchance?
The Sears in Chandler Fashion Center is actually doing okay compared to a lot of other Sears locations. The last time I went there were a few employees near the parking lot entrance and it looked somewhat cleaner. Anyways I love your work, keep up the great content 😊
I went to the Sears at Chandler Fashion Mall a couple months ago and I agree with what you said.
Ashleigh Erwin I think there are a few Sears stores that are doing well but not that many.
I have a Sears in my local mall and it's doing ok compared to the others but then again all the anchor stores in that mall are gone.
Ashleigh Erwin I transferred to that store back in 2002, not long after opening. Left in 2005. We were usually busy on weekends. I worked in home fashions and the more expensive bedding like the microsuede were hot sellers.
Ashleigh Erwin But it's now closing
Honestly, I think this is just the sign of bigger times. While Sears is failing due to some internal problems, it's also failing because of a bigger systemic problem that includes Amazon. In the 70s, 80s and 90s, Amazon wasn't a thing. It wasn't until the late 90s that Amazon appeared. Amazon is effectively doing to retail what Walmart did to mom-and-pop retailers. Even Walmart is feeling the pinch from Amazon. It basically comes down to if retail can survive the convenience of ordering online.
You can go to Amazon and practically find anything and have most of it sent to you overnight or within 2 days. While that's not as convenient as walking into Sears or Walmart or Target, it also means you're guaranteed to get the item. If you head to Walmart, Target or Sears, they could be out of stock (at best) or not even carry it (at worst). The miss ratio when shopping at retail stores is so high, it's really not worth spending the gas to find out. There are basic essentials such as clothing and shoes where trying it on means heading to a retailer. How often do you really go buy clothing?
On top of that, the economy is such that a lot of people today don't have a ton of disposable income. So, running to the mall Sears has become something you don't do often. In fact, there are times when you can roam through Target and Walmart and the entire store is just as bare of shoppers. They make up for those times on Saturdays and during seasonal setups, like Back-To-School (which is coming up). There have been plenty of retailers that have closed in the last 8-10 years including the likes of Mervyn's (which was owned by Target) and Loehmann's which has also recently begun closing stores. The stores that seem to do well are places like TJ Maxx and Ross where you can get last season's designer items for a fraction of the cost.
What you are documenting here is just the tip of a much bigger iceberg.
Great post. Many Wal-Marts are still doing well, though. Wal-mart did close a few neighborhood markets and all of the Wal-Mart Express locations a year or so ago. The former being more common in urban areas and the latter being more common in small towns. Wal-Mart also introduced online shopping and pickup which is actually quite convenient and popular. Wal-Mart always competes on price too. Wal-Mart is changing the way they are doing things and are not being completely complacent like Sears was over the years. They see the handwriting on the wall and are evolving.
Walmart does have online ordering, yes, but takes at least 24 hours before the order an ready for pickup. Depending on the item, sometimes it takes up to two days for pickup. That's a ridiculous amount of time to wait. You can get it faster simply by going to the store and shopping or by using a service like Instacart. Walmart just doesn't _get_ the idea of online ordering. BestBuy, for example, typically has 1 hour pickup ordering. Meaning, your order is ready in 1 hour or less. Target also has online ordering which usually takes around an hour. Target's in-stock listing on its web site is also usually pretty accurate.
The problems I have with ordering directly from a discounter 1) out of stock situations (happens due to bad in-stock counters) and 2) wrongly picked items. You're relying on the regular store staff to go find what you ordered. I've found that far too many times when I get there, what they picked was the wrong item. It only takes a few times of that to realize what a colossal waste of time that was. Walmart, Target and even Kmart have tried to compete with Amazon, but they seem to fail more often than they succeed because they half-baked invest in those ideas with "what they have"... instead of doing it right. Amazon spent money to do it right. Retailers can't compete unless they also choose to invest to do it right. Half-baked won't cut it here.
And, here's the half baked part. Walmart, Target and BestBuy require you to stand in the customer service line, which is notoriously slow and long due to slow returns, just to get your pickup order. They make it easy to order, but horribly slow to pick it up and they just don't care about that. That leaves Walmart, Target and BestBuy with their primary source of income coming from in-store shopping rather than order-online for pickup shoppers. Who wants to wait 15-20 minutes behind someone returning a TV just to get a pickup order?
Fry's really doesn't get online ordering at all. Your order on the web is just a placeholder. Even though you've given them a credit card on the web site and they act like they are charging you, they still require you pay for the items at a regular register when you come to pick up your items. Meaning, you have to stand in their insanely long regular checkout lines just to get your pickup order. Then there's the problem of whether or not the order was picked correctly.
The point in ordering online is the convenience of speedy and accurate orders. When they force you to wait in long customer service lines just to get your order and then find out half of the items are wrong or missing, it defeats the purpose of ordering online. This is why Amazon is winning in this area.
+Najimabu Unfortunately, we don't have Kroger/Smiths out here in NorCal. We have Target, Walmart Neighborhood Markets, Lucky and Safeway for groceries. Lucky has no online ordering presence at all. The rest of these retailers / grocers offer limited discounts when ordering online. The prices are nearly always the same as in the store. Though, they do offer weekly deals and some online deals, but you can't rely on those for every day shopping.
Safeway does offer deliveries, but after adding their delivery fee, it's more expensive than purchasing in-store. Around here, there are many app services like Instacart for delivery and for Target there was Curbside until Target shut down its trial in June 2016 with this service.
Here, there are no incentives to use online ordering of groceries. The primary benefit is speed of delivery and accuracy of the order. Few retailers here are willing to deep discount their groceries for those who order online. Keep in mind that in your area, those discounts you are relying on may dry up when more people realize the cost savings. It doesn't take much for stores to realize they're being gamed and losing money. Webvan sort of ruined the market for grocery delivery in the SF Bay Area when it was practically giving away its services. Many grocery retailers are very much gunshy after Webvan's disastrous entry into grocery delivery in this area. Amazon's Prime Fresh is the most recent attempt at grocery delivery, but it's still very new and expensive.
Instacart is probably the best overall delivery service in my area for groceries, hands down. Even Amazon's Prime Fresh can't compete with Instacart's service. In fact, I priced two similar carts between Instacart and Prime Fresh. Instacart won. Amazon needs to do more work on its Prime Fresh offerings. Where Amazon shines is in its Prime and Prime Now services (with non-grocery merchandise). The grocery delivery services are a completely different beast handled under Prime Fresh. Though, Instacart's model is probably the best. They have shoppers go to specific stores and pick up the items for you. Then, they deliver them to your doorstep. Instacart also handles delivery for anything the store sells, including grocery items and liquor. Prime Fresh is pretty much limited to groceries. That may change soon now that Amazon has purchased Whole Foods Market.
My God, the signs at the beginning had me DYING. Great video, love your content.
Do you live anywhere near a Fry's electronics store? We were at one today in Woodland Hills, CA today and it was pretty empty compared to a few years ago. There were only 2 cashiers in the checkout area that had at least 25 registers. It was quite a sight. Their website and store signs say they offer same day delivery from local stores but I'm not sure it will be enough to save them. Local tech professionals rely on Fry's for hard-to-find tools, adapters, parts, etc. But how long can Fry's afford to have such huge stores with so much merchandise in such high rent areas? It's almost as if the situation is being kept as dirty little secrets by media and government. Time will tell...
synchro505 Way back in 2002 when Fry's opened in Downer's Grove IL. It was huge. You could fit a Best buy, Circuit City, GameStop, Borders Books, Radioshack, FYE, Office Depot, a small coffee shop and have still have room left over. Now...Flash forward to 2017. It's massively scaled back and downsized. The customers aren't as much as it used to be.
I wouldn't be surprised if it closes it's doors within this year or next.
There's a Fry's electronics near the mall in the video in Tempe, AZ and it is respectfully filled with people mostly on the weekend. Then again it's near Arizona Mills a hugely successful mall and probably the most packed mall in Arizona.
I stopped going to Fry's after frys security started being a shit.. Don't you dare look at stuff and compare prices. well you don't have to worry about that anymore... I buy all my stuff at amazon.com
Our Sears in the New Orleans suburbs started to decline in the early 2000s. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the mall was set on fire by looters, and even though the Sears store didn't have any fire damage, it was closed for a while. They never recovered from that. As far back as 8 years ago, you could have driven a dump truck around on the ground floor without disturbing any of the merchandise.
My memory of Sears as a kid in the 70s, was a huge store that was densely packed with merchandise to a point that it was hard to walk around. And it was full of customers. The old catalog department always had a long line. Families waited to get their portraits and family photos taken. There was a busy automotive center in an outbuilding where everyone took their car for a new Die Hard battery. Clear across the expressway was the Sears Service Center where you could get your Kenmore appliances fixed or buy parts to fix them yourself (they also sold huge boxes of powdered detergent and vacuum cleaner bags).
Sears Holdings actually owns most or all of their stores and the property they sit on, even when they're attached to a mall. I think the reason they continue to operate with no customers and little merchandise is because as long as they have the building and have to maintain it and pay property taxes on it, they're going to keep the store going. The one here finally closed a few months ago and it hasn't yet been announced who they sold it to, but there was definitely a contract to sell when the store closed.
Fun Fact: 2-3 story Targets have an escalator made specifically for carts, and you go down the regular escalator right next to it, and you go down with your cart, and you get your down when it reaches the end. So, Sears better have an elevator.
I hear crickets at 4:30 mark. Thx for the Sears look. Here in Jacksonville, FL, there's only one Sears left in a mall nearby that I haven't visited in a couple years. As far as their sister stores, all the KMart's are gone... closest one is 75 miles away. These stores are on life support.
Well, they did put up more banners at the Fiesta Mall Sears about 6-7 months after you filmed this. Just not the one you photoshopped on.
Sears on Long Island, New York seems to be doing fine. always has people in it
I know Sears wasn't part of the sale for the redevelopment of Fiesta Mall, but I'm honestly wondering how much longer this Sears will hold on. When you have a dying company attached to a completely dead mall, things aren't looking good at all.
The only Sears store I know is busy is the Sears Hometown Store in Bogalusa,LA. The owner has worked for Sears since 1957 and she sells lots of appliances and lawn mowers. But it is the only Sears I see that is busy.
Washington Parish Now TV The little Sears outlets in the small towns may outlive all the big department stores, since the only other nearby alternative is Walmart. Picayune, MS had a similar store to the one in Bogalusa.
Eddie Lambert said they don't need more customers. I haven't noticed appliances out on the floor still in boxes but I have noticed things aren't stocked like they used to be. That is a sure sign of a retailer in trouble when they don't have stuff on the shelves to sell. They have been having trouble with their suppliers. I can't imagine why they would want to be paid upfront?
Means that Walmart is probably hurting as they seem to always have minimum in stock.
Bingo.
I'll have to stop in the sears when I'm at the mall this afternoon, get in on some of that superclearance swag.
You should look into the Bon-Ton department stores!
Drake Cressley Bon-Ton is an East Coast retailer. He lives in Arizona.
I am 77 years old. Sear, at one time, was THE store. They relaxed as many small disount chains would rise and then fall. In 1966, or therabot, I bought a pair of boots, "Lifetime gaurantee", I paid $65 at that time. I wore them out twice and they gave me a new pair. On the third attempt they refused; the reply, "How long do you expect a lifetime of a boot to last?" Too much overhead, prices became too high. Even worse, You bought something for $20 today and go back later then it is $10!
Now this is one beautiful piece of objective reporting... It's clear you set your bias aside before you ever walked in the door... Right
Crazy 8 and Gymboree is cutting back; we have two malls in Huntington-Charleston WV; one mall is expanding, even adding a new Field and Stream; this mall 's Sears, Crazy 8, and Gymboree (even their Kmart) is safe; the other mall has lost it Sears (a three level store), and now their Crazy 8/Gymboree.
I expect Rue 21 to be gone at some point.
both of our gymboree's one in a mall and in a lifestyle center are closing. plus our crazy 8 is closing as well.
nicholel18 Both Gymboree and Rue21 are in bankruptcy.
Stephen Hinkle I know.....Rue 21 in Logan, WV is closing; the Rue 21 stores in Huntington and Charleston are ok for right now.
Great video, it's kinda sad when i saw more people in a office depot & office max than my local Sears. Also is. frys electronics Dying? because it just closed in my area.
Pretty much all PC part sales have moved to Amazon and Newegg
I remember working at this one mall, before it was tore down, doing security. I had a tendancy to go into the Sears, which was an anchor store, and getting all kinds of CD's from them.
Great Video! Our local Sears stores in the North GA area are still open, amazingly..
What about Pier 1? There's no way they're doing well.
I only shop there once a year for tree ornaments, but they didn't have any new ones last year.
I remember going to the one here when it first opened like 10 years ago. Couldn't figure out who would buy anything they have. Still can't.
Where I live their was a Peir 1 that closed in 2010 And Pan era Bread bought it and it got turned into Panera Bread in 2013.
Pier 1 isnt closing anytime soon. They are moving a lot of their merchandise online but now a days who isnt. They are actually opening new smaller stores since by August 1 all of their stores will be a new concept and not so jammed packed .
The sears near my house was very busy today and kept together very well. An employee told be that It's one of the ten best performing sears in the country.
Looks like the ones here in Atlanta. All of the clothes are 40-60% off, the Craftsman section has a ton of sales (which I took advantage of) and the electronics section is barren. I tried to support them and bought some sandals a few weeks ago. Last week I went back to buy the Craftsman stuff and the clerk was pushing a Sears credit card and a store membership like his life depended on it. It was annoying when I just wanted my cheap tools.
I do not relish or enjoy the death of Sears. But Target, Walmart, Costco, and other retail stores seem to be doing okay which is good. Sometimes you need something NOW and waiting for delivery isn't going to get it done.
The reason they have that sign up is because if someone passed by the mall they would think it's closed because 95% of the stores are shut down and most of the anchors are gone and this is basically the only store that is keeping Fiesta Mall on life support.
The Sears near me has been looking this way for quite a while. My family used to shop there all the time, for everything. Really I think most customers only shop for the tools, because it's really the only remotely busy area. Built in the mid 60's with the mall it anchors. Only the mall continues to boom and renovate lol.
We still have our sears, and they just opened back up the paint department, and close down the department for the 📺, it's still going 💪 here in flint, mi
Dude - Sears Retail has looked like this for 10 years. I know I worked in one of their Larger stores for 20 years, in Automotive. Automotive carried them for a long time, sadly Automotive went south too. Sears should have shut down before Eddie Lampbert bought controlling interest. He killed what little chance it had.
Sad.. it's a nice store. Clean, new signage, quality products for the most part. They're trying!
A lot of the damage was done by Sears own management. Amazon came at the right place at the right time...
Amazon sucks
Retroman How? Quick and easy access to thousands of products with free 2 day shipping if you have prime. I buy almost everything off Amazon for convenience alone.
Garrett Swenson Same.
Idk, maybe Amazon sucks because of their tightening grip on the economy is stifling competition, eroding jobs and threatening communities? But, yeah free 2 day shipping makes it all worth while.
I wonder if they get a lot of shop lifters since there are few employees and no customers?
yes.
My local Sears is closing this year. I remember as a kid buying everything from Sears.
The Sears in the Natick Mall isn't doing so hot either. They actually put furniture in the electronics section. I also noticed a lot of TVs there missing.
I purchased a Kenmore dehumidifier and on a weak moment bought the extended warranty for 3 years....turns out the dehumidifier failed a month before the warranty expired....called them and was told to drop it at our nearest open Sears service center which is in Burnsville, MN
At drop off, the clerk told me it was covered under warranty and I should have it back in a couple of weeks. One month later, I don't have it back. The Burnsville location is closing and I was given the runaround numerous times from their call center until last Friday when they confirmed that when it was being shipped for repairs, it was lost in transit...adding insult to injury I just received a mailing from Sears advising me the warranty was expiring and I should renew it.....
My friend works at Sears and me and my dad went to a sears today not to shop but to inspect a company trailer to have it hauled away and a guy came up to us and said what we think they might put in its place. Apparently my friend said that Sears pays him $1000 buck's every 2 weeks.
Hmmm sears in trouble? I didnt know that. The sears across the street from me in my local mall is packed and has long lines at the registers constantly. Maybe its just YOUR AREA?
Indiana Jones walks into an ancient temple and meets a woman. Indy asks " I've come seeking the treasure of the Pharo." The woman looks at Indy and says "This is Sears, sir! "
Also, I'm not sure if they have them in your area, but I think you should take a look at The Container Store. I've heard a lot of stuff saying they're dying but I love shopping there personally.
It's sad you can count the number of people seen here with one hand. Sears just doesn't care anymore. The one closest to me is moderately busy judging by the foot traffic I've seen walking in and out, haven't bought anything from there in 10 years and only been in there once since but barely went in. It's the oldest store in the mall that goes back to the late 60's. It's hasn't changed one bit my whole life and has a very 60's-70's vibe in the architecture, layout, and style of the interior which is bad for business but I dig it. I want to check it out soon. We use to get our portraits done there, bought appliances, electronics, and tools there, and went back to school shopping. Sears would be lucky if they make it out this decade. It'd be sad once they go but given how it's been run it'd be well deserved.
I went to my local Sears last week and it was just as empty as this one. I was able to get some sweet deals on some tools that were on clearance. Might as well take advantage before they shut down.
My store just started liquidating. So many memories there, especially of Back To School clothes shopping and the Christmas Catalogue. I'm doubtful anyone would take its place in the mall either. I'm really sad.
The Sears at my mall (a very busy one that expanded last year) was slightly busier than these last month. We went just to see how they were doing and we saw maybe a dozen customers but at least they were actually shopping. Then the closing was announced for July. I was surprised since I imagine most Sears are even worse off. This stuff is both fascinating and sad. I mean we were registered at Sears as recetly as 2009. I read that article about Lampert that cites conflict of interest since his fund is apparently loaning Sears money at high interest rates. Loans that any other lender likely wouldn't give..
your channel is addictively interesting is absolutely spot-on, not too much and not too little.
Have you ever thought about doing a modern store that is not currently in trouble? It might be a nice contrast.
Sears is definitely in trouble. Here in Canada, they've been approved by the courts for bankruptcy protection, will be laying off 2,900 employees, and closing 54 stores of various types (Sears, Sears Home, Sears Outlet, etc.). They've been in trouble here for years; the big 2-level store at my local mall closed about 10 years ago, and the nearby outlet closed about 2-3 years ago. The mall Sears (which was a corner-lot anchor) was eventually torn down and a new semi-detatched structure was built to house 5 separate stores. Unrelated but still sort of interesting is that the Zellers at the opposite corner, which became a Target before they left Canada in 2015, was recently gutted and is being turned into 4 external stores, leaving the mall with only one piddly little anchor (Winners, a scaled-down department store) which wouldn't even be considered an anchor if it wasn't the only department store left. Anyway, it looks like Sears in the US is likely headed in the same direction as it has been here.
My dad just got a Sears credit card, despite knowing that Sears is dying. Goddammit...
When I go to Woodfield Sears is the best place to find parking close to the entrance. Just walk through the Sears to get to the rest of the mall.
Have you visited Macy's? I live in Alexandria, Virginia, and our Macy's stores here are similar to Sears...The displays are even maintained, and there is literally no staff in the stores...Prices remain high, but I don't see anyone buying...
this has not reached the Sears store in my town on Vancouver island yet it still packed to the brim and I hope it stays that way...
My sears went out. We're getting a shake shack and a sacks off fifth, so excited.
It was like this near me too! I took a few steps in and said.... "naw I can't do this" turned around and walked away! Liked and subbed! 👍🏼
Try Kmart. There's one here in Tucson that has an electronics section about the same size as this Sears and it has maybe 20 items in it tops. I honestly think most people come into the store just to order from Little Caesars and end up wandering around the store.
just noticed our sears put up closing signs today
Office Depots are usually off putting and recently nobody in my area are really in there. Last few times I was there, nobody was there.....and I even worked at one X.D. So totally check it out!
Looks like a clean, organized store ready for business. So which major employers in the area just moved to Mexico or China, leaving the local people with no jobs and no money to shop, even at Sears?
condew HacDC Sears' problems have nothing to do with outsourcing. They're due to CEO incompetence and the inability to adjust to a changing retail market. They got stuck in their ways and it killed them.
Kmart looked about like this for their last 20 years. Empty shelves on the sales floor means the stock room is probably shockingly empty. I remember back in the day Sears always looked over packed with stuff, specially the clothes. You could barely walk between the racks.
i'm surprised they haven't Closed the one here in corpus.
the sears in my area are quite busy and the whole mall is packed but its better for less customers because no long lines and you can get out quickly and its quieter
I actually went into a Sears in Florida which is one of the few stores they actually remodeled and it felt like a tired out old department store that was only a small step up from a walmart
When I worked at Wal-Mart, empty end caps were a cardinal sin. It was a good way to get yelled at. We always had to zone and condense and place new features if shelves were empty. Part of Sears' problem might be that they just don't have enough manpower to get things like that done.
This is like watching the film "Titanic" while the musicians are playing when the boat is sinking... were at that point when the stern is out of the water and its only a matter of seconds before the whole thing goes under!
You should come to Canada and see one of the "rebranded " sears. I think there's one in Oshawa,Ontario.
There's a Sears at a very busy mall near me that recently closed. I'm surprised it closed because there were always a decent amount of people inside each time I went there. With that store closing, it's definitely a sign that Sears is struggling. It also leaves my mind boggled as to how locations like this manage to remain open.
I actually went into the one Sears that's still open in my area and I actually didn't see any of this stuff in that particular Sears. I mean, the mattress section had a very old and musty smell and the baby clothes area reeked of baby powder... but it was otherwise still surprisingly active, despite the end of the mall it was on being COMPLETELY dead.
hey! those colored dots take a long time to put on! lol
This is the Sears at the Fiesta Mall in Mesa Arizona I was in the mall the other day there's like hardly anything left in there
Great work... were using this an a retail educational resource.
Watching your videos made me want to go to the mall this past week. Here in Abilene, TX our mall is bustling with people, but the department store Dillards was dead. It seems that such stores as Sears and others have been planning their demise for 10 to 20 years. I don't think it's that they are just clueless.
I think Sears biggest problem is that didn't change with the times. They used to be a great one stop shop for so many things people needed. Now that's Walmart's job, and even they steer clear of some things Sears sells (like appliances). They leave that for Home Depot and Lowe's.
Maybe what Sears needs to do is give some of their departments smaller specialty stores. Like a place where you can buy just tools and work clothes. Plenty of people still love their Craftsmen tools.
I work for Macy's. How much longer do you think they have left. My store's location has slowed down in sales some, but we're still decently busy. Our mall, Baybrook mall in Friendswood, TX, has actually just expanded with a bunch of outside retail stores right next to the mall. I would say that this mall isn't dying yet, but Macy's closed a bunch of stores this year so I wonder how much longer they have.
My local Sears closed not too long ago. Sad to see them go but only for nostalgia reasons as they have simply run the company into the ground and know what they did.
Anyone remember anything sold in Sears had to be under a Sears brand? Like the Sears Telegames branded Atari 2600? Wow, times have changed!
Here's a few suggestions on where you should go next. Kmart on northern and I-17 going out of businessKmart in tolleson Desert sky mall
Man I found a active sears in Charlotte nc its funny how they are leasing out huge chunks of the store to various business
What kind of hidden camera are you using?
You should do Abercrombie/Hollister
Do one on FYE which also owns the Suncoast and Sam Goody names. If there is a measure on how physical media has been going out of style, this is it. They have closed a lot of their stores and retooled the ones left to sell non-media products like movie merchandise.
compared to the electronics section in a Sears I filmed on my channel that one is pristine. The Sears I went to had a bunch of furniture in the space
Sears certainly history here where I live glad Ace is nearby.Someone's going to pick up the Kenmore brand soon since its very popular.
Over where I live the Sears in that mall is now closing in sept.
Sears seems to be going down here in Canada as well. Keep up the videos, they're very interesting.
WLS-TV and WLS-AM in Chicago stand for "Worlds Largest Store" = Sears ! One Mall in ABQ took a section of the Sears store and a Container store is opening soon ! Also a large chain sporting goods store is opening soon in Albuquerque on the West side of I-25 ! The 70,000 square foot store is Cabella's ! ! ! tjl
I still go in to buy my special cards for my special people. I like the Gold Crown store in Turlock and Merced California.
If Sears somehow makes it to Black Friday I'd love to see if it actually gets busy.
Will to do a video on Mervyn's? It was a lot like JC Penny/Sears, but it went bankrupt and closed in about 2009. My town actually had the last store in operation. Very sad, I recall going in that store so often as s child!
I wonder if they are/were hiring for the 'Back-to-School' or 'Christmas/Holiday' rushes they hoped for. :-/
That hiring sign is there to get people inside the store and hopefully buy something.