How can sears or kmart buy any product in bulk enough to compete with target or walmart, with so few stores to buy for now ? With the cost of product starting out higher for kmart than for the competitors i can see no way to compete. Maybe the solution is to not compete on like product and just switch to dollar store type items.
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@3jdm Yep, this. Most areas of the country no longer have a Kmart nearby (there are only 48 locations in 19 states). And even in the states that have several locations, look at Florida for example: all 4 stores are in Miami or the Keys. Nothing north of Miami in Florida. Look at NY. It has 6 stores, of which 4 are in NYC, one like 7 miles north of NYC (White Plains), and one east of the city, on Long Island (Bridgehampton). Absolutely zero Kmarts in upstate NY whatsoever. PA has 5 stores, but only in the eastern part of the state. Same deal with NJ. Most regions of the country aren't anywhere near a Kmart.
This belongs here. It seems like, yes, as someone posted, they are throwing darts at a map, as to the remaining locations. Anyway, (I'm going to post this in a few different threads, because it seems relevant), but, I think the problem, for Kmart, anyway, is going to be brand identity. Kmart is absent in 31 states. And in 10 more states, they have 1 location each. Further, in 4 more states, there are 2 locations each. Soooooooo, in 45 states out of 50, in our great country, there are either zero, one, or two Kmarts. Most kids growing up now, will have likely never heard of this silly company. So running random stores, in far flung locations, is logistically wasteful, plus, in most zip codes, people have no connection to Kmart, and would have no reason to seek one out. If ever there was a Dead store walking, it is this.
Sears, on the other hand, will not survive in terms of full line stores, but their name will have some cache, as it lives on, with their small format stores, or whatever. But Kmart is done on the mainland. It may linger in Guam, or USVI, I guess, but that's not in the US 50 states. Further, the name will of course linger, in Australia, but Kmart Australia is a completely unrelated company.
@cft ROFL, at someone throwing darts at a map to decide which Kmarts to keep open. Looking at that map of remaining stores, someone posted earlier, I see exactly what you mean!
It's pathetic that everyone at every level has to come here because they can't get a single word of truth from management about the company failing at the most fundamental levels, exposing all of the company's dirty laundry. At this point the inner circle is down to Eddie and three.
Sears will still have over 100 stores, so I guess that's SOMETHING. But Kmart, with only 48 on the mainland US, in 19 states (BTW, thanks to that dude who keeps putting up that Kmart list....their website is extremely out of Date), is an absolute joke. More like a parody of a joke. 10 or so states with 1 store each, another 4 states with 2 stores each. WTH is that? 1 random store in Burlington Washington, then 600 mile east, there's a tiny random store in Montana, then nothing within about 800 miles east of it, then, going east from Montana, you find 1 in that huge shopping town (LOL) of Minot North Dakota, then about 600 miles east, there is 1 store in Minneapolis, then another about 500 miles east of that, they have 1 in Illinois. Then go a few more states east, you'll find 1 random store left in Marshall, Michigan, then you need to go another 600 or so miles east to find a few decrepit, derelict, Pennsylvania stores left, then east another 150 miles, to a few random NJ stores, then the NYC stores east of that. Did someone throw darts at a map and decide where to keep the open Kmarts? Are they trolling us at this point? What is this? I mean, if they were going to keep a few stores open, at least have them Geographically coherent in some way.
Then on the other extreme, there are 2 stores, Kearney & Belleville NJ, which are like 2 miles apart. Which for me, is a brisk walk. They HAVE to be taking business away from each other. How does this make sense? Some Kmarts are almost 1000 miles from the nearest other Kmart while others are walkable to each other. SMDH.
@128y4Kfp-xaz That's why people come here. The higher-ups can't stop us from exposing the truth about Sears and Kmart.
That's the character of Eddie. Strong arm people to keep them quiet. Sorry, he's not going to get any yes men, yes women here.
The feds really need to investigate him.
Most of the buyers were let go so there will be no more new product in the stores
They were allowed to buy a little bit of spring merchandise and then everything was shut down for buying
Means they are not planning on having any stores left by the summer
Having been to Sears/Kmart across the country, there is very little new stock flowing to most stores.