I like that the article calls out bad management:
"Battered by Walmart, online sellers led by Amazon, and a run of bad management, Sears has been disintegrating without much publicity. This month, Sears closed its last department store in its headquarters state of Illinois and the last one in Hawaii."
https://www.inquirer.com/business/sears-pa-nj-willow-grove-last-close-mall-20211129.html
News articles are not about reminiscing. They are about reporting NEW NEWS. Hard facts. I don't turn on CNN, FOX, ABC news, whatever to reminisce. I Watch to Learn something new that I didn't Know. These authors are supposed to teach us something new, not wax poetic about some boomer nostalgia.
And yes, any child with a computer can google the store counts in a few Seconds. My 4th grade, kid wrote a report on Sears closings, recently, and her report was more detailed/accurate than about 90% of the so-called journalistic articles I see out there these Days. That's what happens when pop teaches them well. 🤭
These comments are sarcasm right? Have you ever heard of a human interest piece?
Laughing at the idea that the general public as opposed to former Sears employees or Sears obsessives are Going to Google the Remaining Sears and Kmart store count. Or anything else about Sears. If they see an article, they may read and reminisce for a minute but then Go On With Their Day.
"We're not here to grabs some tissues and cry"
Article is NOT fine. And for those that don't obsessively follow Sears, then they should start doing so. This article provided NOTHING in terms of news. It was all maudlin schmaltz. We're not here to grabs some tissues and cry about empty shelves. We are here to discuss NEW, layoff, or closing related news. If we want to sit and cry, we can see some sad movies. This author can do that on how OWN TIME. He is getting Paid by the Philly Inquirer to report the news, not schmaltz. There is not s single shred of news in there, that is not already widely Known. He is just like that Forbes author. Long on words, short on substance. When someone has a new closing, report it. But wax poetic on your own Time, not your employer's Dime. Hey that rhymes!
The article is fine. Most readers of the Philadelphia Inquirer, or any other local newspaper, don't obsessively follow Sears and Kmart news like we do.
What is "altho"? It is spelled although. And nope, I don't buy it. The general public, if they have access to google, can easily find out how many stores are remaining and can have access to the same information that we do, in about 30 Seconds.
And articles are supposed to be about bringing us new, news. That's what journalism is. Waxing poetic, in a mile long article, that goes nowhere, is not journalism. It's just about generating clicks. Report the news. Tell us something we don't already Know, not something that any 8 Year old, with a computer can look up in a few Seconds.
Everyone here forgets that altho you know every last detail of Sears demise down to remaining store count, the general public does not.
Sears is nostalgic for many Americans and an article like this reminds them about the store they used to shop at for so many things.
This is my nearest Sears. I think the only reason it exists is because the store has been split and is mostly taken over by Primark on the 2nd and 3rd levels, which I'm guessing pays rent to Sears. The Sears has been lightly stocked with random cr-p for years now. It was downgraded to pretty much hardlines only when Primark opened, but in the past few years, Sears began filling their sales floor space with random clothing items. The partial 2nd floor of the Sears is vacant too since a separated Lands End store closed up.
What exactly do they teach in journalism school these Days? Reporters are supposed to report the news, i.e., facts. They're not supposed to wax poetic, in mile long articles, that meander all over the place (and go nowhere). Fail.
@rga+1e47RQVc Exactly. Yours is the best comment here.
True, these articles really have nothing to offer. Sears/Kmart stores being in the thousands at one time generated some intriguing news when things happened. Now with around 30 stores left combined, some neglected store without much merchandise is really of no significance to anyone......except for maybe the 8 people who still work there. Still crying about Sears demise? I wouldn't waste my tears. Plenty of real issues in the world more deserving of our grief.
@vnz+1e47RQVc I specialize in Telling people stuff they don't already Know. That's what, um, journalists do. As for your "feeding the bear" analogy, that might apply nicely, to the countless troll posts people write about fake closings. BUT..... I honestly don't think OP was trolling here, though (believe me, I'd be the first to call him out if he was). He was genuinely sharing this news article, but my criticism was against the author of the article, not the OP who posted the link here.
The Inquirer author, just posted a lot of word salad that didn't really give us any new information. We all Know the store counts around here. So, Mr. Bob Fernandez of the Inquirer, please Tell us something we don't already Know. Give us some new or insightful news about some potential, future, juicy closings, not just a rehash of the news we already Knew 8 Weeks ago. My criticism was directed to the author of the article. I don't think OP was trolling here. So the bear analogy really has nothing to do with this thread at all.
I mean, we all Know that Sears stores are empty. We all Know they are battered by Wally. We all Know people are sad and crying about Sears demise. Tons of crocodile tears everywhere! I might have shed a few myself (OK, take that with a grain of salt). I get it. I get it. I got it the first 200 Times I read such an article. But this is all stuff we Know already. Write some articles about some new closings, some delicious new blasts! This word salad article (much like this post I'm writing RIGHT NOW) is long on word, short on substance. Just like my post here, it doesn't really go anywhere. It's like a burger bun, with no meat inside (AKA, a nothing-burger). A cake with Frosting and Jimmies, but no flour. It's like going to a steakhouse and getting a plate of fries and veggies but no steak.
I am rambling lots of word salad here, on purpose......because my post here is exactly as useless as the linked article from the Inquirer. Got it? Articles should report NEW NEWS, not go over what we already Know.
@szw You just told us something we don't already know. Thank you for feeding the bear.
Another one of those articles that are long on words, short on actual news. We all Know this is the last full line Sears in PA. What we don't Know is which stores will close on the potential next list. This article is just like that Forbes guy's articles.....plenty of word salad that doesn't really go anywhere.
Tell us something we don't already Know.
This is what I suspected it was like for the renaming open stores. We all know how this goes for those of us that have worked in stores where there was not much sales. It’s a commission sales job turned minimum wage. The end is near and that 60% sale is a prelude to announcing the store closing. Ge-z looking at the picture brings up old memories. However you all will be fine and it will be a nice change to work for a company that has life.