Thread regarding Sears layoffs

O.P-- Maybe the problem is, is that you have been working for Eddie, or Sears or Kmart instead of working for yourself and your family. If everyone would get it out of their head that they work for someone or some company and just work for themselves then maybe you would be happy in your job or you would find another job.

I wouldn't give eddie support anytime. He is a leech. Why would anyone and any retail chief in the world abandon stores with moldly ceilings, hazardous floor filled with asbestos, old computers from the 80s and 90s, way too high prices on merchandise etc. Like customers dont notice it. Why shop here when walmart and target are up the road and actually get it. If u don't spend money then u don't make money eddie. In his head any expense is too much even for tp for the stores or an actual cleaning crew. It is a death sentence. If the retail world is in such shambles why do other successful brick and mortars companies like walmart and target make it work for them. Our target and walmart stores are always filled with cars on the weekends and even weekdays. Our kmart store maybe has 10 to 12 cars on s given day. He should have rebranded this company and it probably would have made it. But i dont know. Kmart was dead when he bought it. But why do nothing. It was his master plan. Cut cut cut you ignorant hedge fun manager. Can't wait to see u in hell.

My total empathy. Our store is just as shocked. Granted, I suppose none of us can be entirely surprised with the company not doing well and expected to go under eventually anyhow... But for us, this was not expected. Not this soon. We're one of the better ones in our district, frequently best, and staffed with a ton of great people (who I feel fortunate to have worked with and will miss that part of the job), but we're closing for the same reason... the damn lease. As a 54-year-old store I had really hoped it was owned, but I guess it's not. :\ Really thought ours would at least make it another year.

HI OP,

I am sorry for you, I understand that it is hard to lose your job when your store is closing.

However Sears has been losing money since 2011.Billions of dollars and now the market cap is under 400 millions.

There is no other way than to close underperforming stores and transforming the company to a more asset light business with fewer stores.

Lampert is caring about employees, he could have closed all stores years ago and made billions of profit but he chose to preserve more than 130.000 jobs.You can see the stock price at an all-time low so it doesn't make any sense to blame Lampert.He is trying his best to close the less amount of stores but now the company absolutely needs to stop the cash burn this year.

There is no way to compete in the same area as Amazon, Costco or Wal-Mart without changing the business model and it requires a lot of money.

Sears is slowly transforming.Let's just hope that it works and do our best.

A company focused on growth and success would recognize that PEOPLE are the key, can the lousy manager and transfer your good leader over to the company-owned location. She could then drive out the deadwood and bring the proven performers to the new location. The leased store would go bye-bye, the company-owned site would thrive and profits would follow.

So sorry to hear your story. But this pretty much proves that the real goal is to "transform" SHC from a retail organization into...I dunno...something else.

First of all OP sorry to hear that, but once again this is where Eddie basically says screw you and as you work your butt as instructed by the managers and trying to save the company and at the end with all your hard work your store is closing. This is why I can't stand the company don't go beyond what they tell you just do your basic job needs nothing more nothing less.

OP says their was another Sears store all close yet they don't get touched its like come on man like honestly this is where you know Eddie doesn't know what he is doing. Why do I say that? OP has been in the green the other store in the red. Why would you close a store that is actually making you money (and he is leased as he mentioned) yet the other store is owned and not profitable. You close the one that is owned because its not making you money and you have an asset to sell and try to use that money for all the damn debt that is owed.

Last, but not least give me a break for people that still think Eddie is doing it all for Sears/Kmart. Eddie is here for himself and probably his cronies. Eddie isn't giving Sears money, hes lending money to them at the terms that if the company goes under he gets all his money back plus probably more.

If Eddie truly cared OPs store would still be opened he said they been making money. Why close a profitable leased store when the store 50 miles away is owned and not making money. Its a good way to make some $$$ by selling the property that isnt producing revenue and once again focus on the profiting stores.

That is awful your store is closing. Don't feel sorry for the upper executives who had to face Eddie. The money they make covers any yelling he might or might not do. He pays them very well. At any time any of them can use some of that money and filter it down into store contests etc. That is the right thing to do.....give back to your associates that work for you when you are paid well. And believe it or not some do.....obviously not all.

It’s not personal, it’s business. The company has been in trouble and has been a sinking ship for a long time. It is past the point where closing has anything to do with profitability or store atmosphere. If the property can be sold or the lease is ending or bought out, you’re gone regardless of sales. Take pride in the work your team has done, mourn a little, and then move on to something that will undoubtedly be better.

Remember, Eddie saved Kmart from the ashes of bankruptcy the first time. Darn good chance they would have been gone like so many other dysfunctional discount retailers around that time. And Sears has been headed for the dumpster for a long, long time. Could he have done more? Maybe. Did he have some duty or responsibility to? Its his money, his assets to do with as he pleases. People have had more than 10 years to move on if they don't like how the company is run. You act like he bought the company on Thursday and fired everyone on Friday.

Don't blame eddie??? You're kidding, right. There is no one else responsible. Since leaving Sears holdings, I have been reminded that all companies don't treat their employees like garbage. Some actually appreciate them, and actually pay a living wage. In retail, no less. Eddie was never our "daddy". He was our curse.

Jcp actually has a good shot at making it. They have shut down a couple of hundred stores. There employees minimum wage. OK what's new. But they have been investing in appliances, salon, makeup toys etc. They are at least trying. I worked in a sears store a few years ago and have jumped ship. Sears does nothing.

"Amazon has no stores."

False. A couple years ago they started opening physical bookstores in major cities (IIRC they have a dozen or so), they recently acquired the entire Whole Foods chain of grocery stores, and they've been testing concepts for convenience-type stores.

Like eddie cares about his employees. I have a friend that worked at Hoffman estates in upper executive areas. He told me to get out 8 years ago and I thank him for it and he left too thank god. Eddie doesn't care about his associates. That friend used to tell me how eddie would conduct his meetings. He would yell and scream at people who challenged his ideas from a video live screen. They called him the wizard of Oz and laughed at his out touch reality afterwards. They also called it going to the principals office to get their beating. He was out of touch with anything that was actually going on in the company that would work. Like he actually would fight like hell to save this company. It was all smoke and mirrors.

Shld is a big ponzi scheme. No retail company in the world including walmart would sacrifice a store making big profit. It doesn't make sense and ruins the bottom line. Our kmart store was up in sales and profit for 5 years before eddie pulled the plug. His friend mr reits told the community that we were closing due to lack of sales. Pure bs. It was about the real estate under our store. Now a lovely aldi. He must have made a killing on that one.

Eddie is a good person. He too is suffering. He has poured money out of his own pocket into the company to try to keep it afloat.

Now, others here will say they should have put more money into the stores, why?

Amazon has no stores.

JCP, Sears Canada, Macy's have all squandered Billion s remodeling the stores. No one cares what a store looks like. Remember Amazon has NO stores.

Others will say he's stealing the assets, really? All the assets he's bought or sold the money went to the company.

Don't blame Eddie, he's the reason this didn't happen ten years ago. He's been your "daddy" all that time. It can't go on forever like this. He did the best he could., now go get some rest.

The answer is simple. Closing your store provides more of a benefit than keeping it open. It's nothing personal. Well...decision wasn't personal. There will obviously be consequences that occur at the personal level. Your company has been eating itself alive just to exist for years.

Eddie subscribes to the old adage "there's a s---er born every minute". Unfortunately, you and your store's staff are viewed that way. As unfair as it is, you really need to get over it and move on. I saw the light 3 years ago after making very good money in appliances for 30 years and actually found a much better job with even better money. There is life after Sears.