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legacy0367 K-MART vs SEARS
January 16th, 2007 12:48 PM
anyone not like the fact k-mart is carring craftsman products ? like with joe boxer, first they were in the big department stores everyone wanted joe boxer, k-mart took over and there went joe boxer, i fear craftsman will go down that road also, alot of changes with the warrenty's is whats bothering me,
Adam Companion Tools
January 17th, 2007 05:12 PM
To simplify K-Mart's tool warranty issues, they might want to consider carrying the full selection of Companion tools and a modest selection of Craftsman tools.

Say... Craftsman Mechanics Tool Sets and Screwdrivers.

In concert with the Sears stores carrying MORE Craftsman tools; With selections from Catalog/Internet only categories included.

Then Sears could carry a modest selection of Companion tools.

The net effect would be more targeted Customer offerings and greater, formerly Catalog only, Craftsman tool sales.

I'll bet if some of the gold and charcoal titanium sets were available in the Sears stores, "impulse tool drive" would take over many Customers.
kythri Woodworking tips?
January 18th, 2007 06:36 AM
:)

On a lark, a buddy of mine and I stopped into the local K-Mart (Albany, OR), since we hadn't been into the store for at least a year or two.

Walked back to the back corner where they hide the Craftsman stuff (along with whatever other tool stuff) and was disgusted.

The entire store is a dive, like most every K-Mart I can remember, but the so-called "hardware department" was unbelievably horrid.

Stuff was strewn everywhere, like it hadn't been stocked/faced for a few weeks (and this was at 10am in the morning).

Sears didn't even look this bad on Black Friday.

How is it that K-Mart was able to buy Sears, and not the other way around?

It's a shame that the Craftsman brand is now associated with the gutter-filth that is K-Mart.
Gary7 Merger
January 18th, 2007 10:48 AM
Kythri - To simplify a longer story and I only know what I read in the papers: The stockholder that constructed the K-mart and Sears "merger", whose name I've forgotten and who also owns interests on other stores, had a majority (controlling) interest in K-mart but only a plurality (the largest but not a majority) interest in Sears. He could more easily build a deal(with approvals) for K-mart to "buy" Sears but not the other way.
kythri Ugh.
January 18th, 2007 04:13 PM
Well, with any luck, history will repeat itself.

K-Mart, prior to the bankruptcy, established their record of buying successful businesses, and then a few years later, selling them off.

They used to own:

Waldenbooks, bought Borders, merged the two, and the sold the company.

OfficeMax, bought and then sold.

PACE, which they sold to Wal-Mart, who turned them into the Sam's Club chain.

PayLess Drug, which they sold, and ended up becoming Rite Aid.

The Sports Authority, bought, held for a few years, and then tossed it.

No wonder they declared bankruptcy.

All of those businesses are still open, and still thriving.

The future bodes well for Sears becoming it's own entity again. :)
Joe Big K
January 19th, 2007 09:17 AM
Remember "Big K"? LOL.

I did a project on K-mart and the retail industry back in 1998-1999 when I was in graduate school. They were in BIG trouble back then.

It was a long, detailed project which I got an "A" on. It was one of my last MBA school projects.

One of the things I DISTINCTLY remember highlighting as a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for K-mart was that Sears, as a competitor had strong brand recognition, and I mentioned Craftsman and Kenmore as two examples.

It's eroded a bit since then, but Craftsman and Kenmore years ago meant:

USA made
Good value
Good quality
Long lasting
Easy to repair

A win-win for all involved. What happened Sears????
Adam Rotating Sales
February 19th, 2007 02:15 AM
February 18, 2007 Rotating Sales


I already have had several years experience with the local hardware chain, named Orchard Supply Hardware, carrying Craftsman tools.

You are correct in the observation that Craftsman tools, sold outside of Sears, seem a bit surrealistic.

But, the duplication in inventory does allow shorter trips for Craftsman new tool purchases and provides TWO sources of regular Craftsman tool sales.

So, I guess them being in K-Mart is OK with me.

K-Mart, like OSH, will probably never be the one stop place of tool exchange.

I think the Sears stores will continue with this overhead cost, with the opportunity for additional sales.

A cashier just happened to mention being out of 3/8 inch drive, standard-finish, flex ratchets for exchange today, and within ten minutes I was back with five ratchets (keep clean and dried blanks at the ready in the PMT shop for fast turn-around time rebuilding).
Joe Savings
February 19th, 2007 07:14 PM
This is a savings for Sears as you are saving them money in inventory. Bravo!
Adam Big Savings
February 20th, 2007 01:57 AM
February 19, 2007 Big Savings


PMTs, like me, save Sears big time money, when not only the cost of exchanging a rebuilt ratchet is weighed against that of a brand new ratchet, but when you consider the PMT shop being able to carry a tremendous variety of rebuildable teardrop ratchet blanks, with a smaller number of actual rebuild kits.

I have more cleaned and dried flex-teardrops than the store's authorized saleable BOH count probably has.

One 3/8 inch teardrop rebuild kit is capable of rebuilding any one of TEN Craftsman teardrop ratchets.

Granted, finding a black-oxide or golden 75th Anniversary ratchet (got'm both at home) at the store is doubtful.
Joe Not to mention
February 20th, 2007 09:15 AM
Saving resources,
Saving the enviornment,
keeping our nation strong,
reducing dependence on foreign oil.

All these things are important for our country.
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