Sears did in fact file for Chapter 11 this morning. I see that among the major creditors is the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp, "Amount of Liability Unknown"... so the retirees' fate with Sears (US) will be determined by the PBGC. Hopefully the retirees will be treated more generously than the retirees of Sears Canada.
Seems like Lands End quality declined after acquired by Sears. Then again, quality of most everything has declined since all made in China.
It's very strange, especially I think for those of us of a certain age, to see these iconic brands going belly up one after the other. I have a feeling, though, that somehow brick and mortar stores will be reinvented. Probably the bigger online retailers will start to open showrooms (which I believe is already happening in places) and people will start to value the remaining brick and mortar stores more highly lest they disappear entirely. There are some items people don't like to buy without first seeing the physical object. And perhaps abandoned malls will reinvent themselves as actual community centers as opposed to the faux community centers they are now. Suppose your town could pick up space in a half-empty mall for a song, and install a branch public library, a police substation, a rec center, etc., all centrally located with ample parking? Could be pretty attractive.
Physical clothing stores kind of seem like showrooms already now. You can get an idea what they have and it's much better than pure ordering online, but they now carry very limited colors, only one item in each size if that (so so much for buying two pairs of pants if you like them etc.). So you try on and buy as much online as off of stuff like you've tried on.
Trees don't grow on money
In the 60s and 70s, when my dad was stationed overseas, the Sears catalog was one of our lifelines back to the States. The PXs on base catered mostly to the military, so getting clothing and shoes for us kids wasn't easy. We'd mail an order to Sears and in 6-10 weeks would get a package back. It was an exciting day when that happened.
Without internet and with about 5 hours of US TV a day (only one channel), Sears kept us abreast of new styles and trends, not just in clothing, but home decor and tools. It's amazing to remember how cut off we were from the US. There was a daily military newspaper, and we got the Sunday edition of the Chicago Sun_Times about a week late--they offered a free Sunday subscription to the military. And the DOD had a radio station and TV network in each country, which had some news. The TV station aired from about 6 pm to 11 pm, longer on weekends, carrying shows from all 4 of the networks. To call my grandparents back home, Dad had to go to an office on base and arrange for a long-distance call several days ahead of time. Letters could take 2-3 weeks to arrive.
The Sears catalog was a huge part of our lives when we were overseas.
What I am reading is that malls are using their space to build needed community centres with residential sections surrounding service providers such as groceries, pharmacies, clothing, health providers, fitness centres etc., all with supplied parking and excellent road access.
That’s a great idea but hasn’t happened here yet.
We had an outdoor outlet mall turned into a ball park for tournaments.
Teams can stay on-site in bunk rooms. 5 ball fields. It's really nice.
https://www.ballparksofamerica.com/
And it's Branson, so there is plenty to do when not playing ball - it's right behind the water park for starters.
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
All of our K-Marts and the Sears closed last year. Once K-Mart bought Sears, it really went downhill. I still have my Kenmore sewing machine that I bought in 1977.
"Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart is also." Jesus
Not to say that wouldn't work but I will note that the (freestanding) Sears nearest our home has one of the busiest DMV offices in the state in leased space on its second floor. Sears announced today that this store (finally) will be closing. Maybe the foot traffic for the DMV postponed the inevitable but it wasn't enough to stop the slide. No news on where the DMV office will go. On the other hand, this will leave 14 acres of land -- right near downtown, light rail, and freeways -- available for redevelopment. This could turn out OK after all.Originally Posted by oldhat
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
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