As you may have heard, GreatStar bought
S-K giving them a powerhouse name amongst a long list of venerable US Tool manufacturers. If - and it’s a big if, they bought Sears.com along with the rights to make the old Sears-Craftsman line they could dominate the tool market in the US prosumer market pretty quickly amd knock SBD back on their heels with their junk Craftsman line they’ve rolled out.
What’s everyone think ?
What about stealing tool designs from others? Can they still do that?
@1jgg Cool story about your brother and Craftsman.
Sears has the rights to make any craftsman tool that they have sold in the last 100 years, they just can’t design a new tool.
Once the BK is over OP I would guess there’s a good chance they do exactly that. Expect a bidding war with Sears Mexico tho as Carlos Slim has always wanted to rebuild Sears in the border states, my bro works for the border patrol and everyone they catch has a craftsman ratchet and the right sockets to dismantle sections of the wall!
Your neighbor is right, Lowe’s honors the craftsman warranty on Sears stuff -
https://youtu.be/w-1-B1V2QG8
I would suspect the ordinary consumer does not know they are buying a lower grade Craftsman product at Lowe’s or Costco than existed in the Sears stores many years ago. One of my neighbors was under the impression you can still exchange Craftsman hand tools at Lowe’s like you could at Sears many years ago. As time goes by the lower quality will become apparent and sales will begin to decline.
Craftsman is the #1 selling tool brand at Lowes. There's no way in he-l Stanley/Black & Decker (the new owners of the Craftsman name) would be willing to sell. Many people won't even set foot in a Home Depot anymore since Lowes niw has Craftsman.
Anything associated with Sears that was good is a faded memory to consumers. Most consumers don't remember Sears as good at anything
Great Star is a successful tool manufacturer that purchases other tool manufacturers and brands to grow it's portfolio.
Sears.com is a non-performing asset of no strategic value to Great Star.
Craftsman brand is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker not Sears.
Why would anyone want to buy anything with the Craftsman name on it when it’s now junk? Many Craftsman tools are made in China and are of lower quality than the Craftsman tools that were made in the USA and of higher quality. You can buy higher grade tools at Home Depot (Husky Brand) or at Lowe’s (Kobalt Brand) . I always thought it was strange Lowe’s sells Kobalt and Craftsman.
Please speak English
Infinitesimal probability
I bet buried deep in that contract there's protections to prevent Transformco from transferring their rights to use the name to a successor.
Also the SBD Craftsman stuff is consumer grade for sure, but leaps and bounds ahead of the sh-t Sears was selling for the last 10-15 years. Craftsman hasn't been a relevant tool for serious users for a generation.
I thought the Craftsman brand was now owned by Black & Decker so why would this "Great Star" company even consider buying Sears.com?????
Why?
wtf is s-k. Never heard of what ever that is. 🙄