Thread regarding Sears layoffs

I am actively looking for another job and considered the employee discount to be not only a great perk, but a thank you for enduring the crap you have to endure to work for us. Now they insult my intelligence by announcing that they are replacing the discount with points that expires in 60 days. My question to them is how is it to my advantage to shop Sears or Kmart? Store managers at my site have even started to use the morning rally to sell the associates stuff on clearance that is not moving. They also push for us to be authentic. Not easy to do when my preferred places to shop are Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy and Amazon. Occasionally something goes on sale or clearance and I get it. This plan makes the Shop Your Way feel less like a way to get a bit back in exchange for having to deal with junk mail, spam and telemarketers and more like company script.

The associate discount WAS the only incentive for the majority of the employees!!!

I loved the 25% off discount at the co-located Little Caesar's restaurant under the old program. Now, I won't order a single item from the pizzeria. It's a shame - like Kmart, Little Caesar's locations are being reduced to nothing.

Won't buy anything from Sears again except for the free syw points I get every week!

Back in December, there was a promotion where members could get back $15 in points for every $50 spent in pantry, cleaning, hba and stationery.

We were told in our store huddle that this $15 was free stuff for our members. Well, not entirely so. You see, in reality the member paid $50 for $65 of stuff. That is how associates and management need to look at how the program works. We are really not giving free stuff to shoppers when they redeem their points.

The corporate speak of "whatdja get free with points" is misleading. Every member has to spend something to get those points to start with. Nothing is free.

And regarding those crazy surprise points offers that have matching spend amounts to the offer amount (e.g. $15 in surprise points toward a $15 or more purchase), very, very few members just come in to redeem the $15 offer and not spend anything more with us. Data shows that these offers result in a larger basket either with the initial offer redemption or at a later time. I have seen this reality in my store over and over.

@zow - No, I believe it's an euphemism for t(_)rd, because just like Sears, you can't polish it up!

dookie log, dirt pickle, floating snickers bar, chocolate rocket, black banana, brown bomb. All things you can get with your new shop your way points

"dookie log" is that a euphemism for schitt -- :-)

If the associates are this upset over getting scammed with this SYWR nonsense, then just think how our customers must feel about the SYWR program!

Before if you want a $2000 tv you would get $200 bucks off, under the new way you get nothing off, pay full price and then if you happen to need to purchase an additional item of 200 or more within 60 days you can use your points.

also if you buy an item for 10 dollars you get a dollar in points to use later but if you cant find an item for exactly a dollar then you have to spend more..

I love the positive bs spin they putting on this. Not only do they tell you the dookie log doesn't taste that bad, they tell you its delicous and that people would prefer it rather than a t-bone steak. folks the dookie log is a dookie log and it taste like a dookie log

Thanks to the OP for posting this shameful and incompetent attempt by SHC management to squeeze a few more dollars profit out of employees. I'm an ex-Sears manager with a lot of training in accounting. The basic accounting principle here is pretty simple: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A current cash discount is more valuable than "reward points" in the future, especially when they expire in 60 days. If they really had the interests of employees at heart, why would they make the points expire so quickly? They know a certain percentage of employees will for one reason or another never get around to using the points. And even if the points get used, SHC gets to book another sale. The company can't lose.

But like the SYWR program overall, this is foolish strategy. They underestimate the intelligence of customers and employees. They thought they could get SYWR "members" to start buying more profitable and expensive items. It sure hasn't worked out that way, as SHC gross margins have dropped like a rock during the Lampert era. And employees obviously are not falling for this ridiculous new discount program. SHC will end up losing sales as a result.

But it's not going to matter for long. SHC has maybe a year to go before bankruptcy. And that's being optimistic. It could end any day.

This is fake. It is a grab for your personal data so it can be sold and they can add subscribers to the shop eddies way program and say it grew. It also forces you to shop again to get a discount otherwise your just paying full price.

And the $20 I saved before could have gone to put gas in the car to get me to work. Now it will expire useless because as a Sears employee I can't afford to shop again within 30 days to use the points that expire. Sears benefits - 401k match "temporarily" suspended 7 years ago, $1500 a month to insure you and your spouse with a decent insurance plan, salaried (at least in CA.) just lost their sick days - now using the state required 3 sick days that they took vacation from us to put into effect, no associate discount, no raises, do the work of 3 or more people because you're lucky to work for such a great company.....

I'll buy my appliances from Lowes where I get a better price even with their old discount program in place. I buy my batteries at Walmart. Johnson Control makes theirs and Die Hard's so you get the same battery for $50-75 less and I'll use all my free time to actively look for a job that treats their employees like assets not liabilities.

This is a part-time position that I have held for almost 3 years and liked working here mostly for the discounts. One year I did all my Christmas shopping, using discounts and points...I will not purchase anything here after January 29th - It makes no sense when other retailers offers employees comparable discounts.

It is a way to control you and your money. Because they now expire in 60 days you have to use them or lose them and end up paying more. Under the old system you got your discount, plus points, plus surprise points that had a year (I think) expiration. It is just a way to get cash flow to a company that treats its employees as commodities to be used and thrown away. Don't be fooled. There is no company that is in the debt that SHC is in that is going to give you more of anything or can even afford to. They have lost almost everyone at my store, we are boycotting buying anything. We are not fools SHC so don't treat us as such.

As a former employee who worked many years with Sears, I left and kept my employee discount. I stop at the store occasionally to chat up former coworkers but seldom buy anything. But sometimes I can't resist handling a product and damaging it or the packaging to get back at Eddy for ruining what was a fine company. It's the little things that count....

The brainchildren behind this program must believe that the super-majority of people are as dumb as rocks when it comes to math

"Under the new system you would pay $450.00 with $33.30 leftover in points. But you have to use them and buy something else within 60 days or you've overpaid. Also don't forget you would have earned points and surprise points by purchasing those items anyway which Leena did not account for."

And most employees are not spending $500 plus more within 2 months of employment.

Here is a more usual purchase I may make at Sears:

$20 blouse

$40 pair of sneakers

with my discount I would pay $60 minus 20% which would be about $48. I would usually have surprise points of about $5.00 and some earned points of about $2.00 bringing my total to about $41 plus tax.

Under the new system I would pay $60.00 and earn $12 back in pints to use on something else within 60 days. So let's say I but another $20 blouse which I probably don't need but will because I don't want to waste the "free money" in points. I use the $12 off in points and pay $8.00. So now I have spent $68 in Sears instead of the $41. I did get an extra blouse though (that I didn't need) but the real cost of the blouse was $27 not $8.00 because $68-$41= $27.

Really Sears???? You think your employees are so stupid and you take advantage of them and try to trick them into believing that this is in their best interest because you value you them and want a better relationship with them.

Go stick it.

"Our own associates are our most important ambassadors of the company and we need them actively engaging our members to win. For that reason, we have recently made an enhancement to our existing Associate Discount Program that will enable us to build a stronger relationship with our associates as members of Shop Your Way,"

Make no mistake Leena, Sears has no positive relationship at all with its employees. You treat them like crap. Here is a lesson for you, treat your employees well and they in turn will treat your customers well

"Since it is unlikely that all purchases are made at the same time, an associate who purchased $333 in hardlines (the same as before) would earn $50 in points. Then, the associate could use the $50 in points to purchase $167 in softlines. Their overall cash out of pocket would be $333 + $117 = $450 and they would still have $33.30 left in points for additional purchases."

Here is where she is wrong:

Under current discount system

Purchase $333 in hardlines and you would save 10% off and pay $299.70. Then purchase $167 in softlines and save 20% off and you would pay $133.60 for a total of $433.30.

Under the new system you would pay $450.00 with $33.30 leftover in points. But you have to use them and buy something else within 60 days or you've overpaid. Also don't forget you would have earned points and surprise points by purchasing those items anyway which Leena did not account for.

So basically Sears will keep you always buying their stuff for this system to work to your advantage. It is circular. For you to see the savings you must always buy at Sears. Since their prices can be higher the small difference would probably be eaten away by higher prices.

I believe her corporate title is Minister of Propaganda.

I made my last purchase ever a week ago. I threw away the discount card and cut up the Sears credit card. I'll stick with Amazon for most purchases.

Leena , Leena, Leena, here is a dollar in SYW points, go buy yourself a clue.

She forgets to mention that HR website confirms that points expire 60 days after "earning" them. And it takes 24 hours for the points to appear after purchasing. So you can't accumulate.