Thread regarding Sears layoffs

@SPrShdx-2xdf If you look closely ? Look closely at what? It’s an anonymous website and other than his two posts where he identifies himself as shos owner what post on here is remotely supportive of shos ownership?

Here’s a question, why are YOU trying to discredit this guy with false comments?

I call BS

The profit margin on Smart Sense is pisspoor, leading to Kmart having outside replenishment links with third party distribution at a cheaper cost to increase the margin. Private label is not lucrative, and the most recent promotions on the private label is a result of overstock (excess from closings) and discontinued merchandise (UPC's dropped). Do your research before you inheirit the mindset

If you look closely you will see that the OP has written a number of posts pretending to be other people responding to the OP’s original post. Not sure what the motivation is or why I care but worth highlighting.

No skin in the game with Hometown stores one way or the other. What I want to know is how tied to Sears is a Hometown store? If Kenmore is sold does this mean that Hometown stores have to compete with a HD or Lowes who can now sell Kenmore. Just like Craftsman is now sold in Ace hardware and other places.

Also, if ESL buys these assets it is the end for the vendors because part of the assets that SHC has put up to show vendors they can pay their bills is Kenmore, Home Services and Parts Direct. With those assets gone the vendors have nothing to rely on but declining sales and closing stores as something to have faith in when they ship merchandise to SHC.

Good luck to you OP. You are exactly correct....a dedicated and involved hands on owner is a huge plus. It makes the difference between success and failure in many situations. I just hope that as the rest of Sears goes down the toilet you are not s---ed in as well. As a Sears Hometown store are you able to bring in other brands? For example if Kenmore goes away do you have the option to become a retailer for other appliance brands? Same with Craftsman or Diehard? In essence Sears is on the sign, but you can offer other options like other independent retailers. Our local Sears Hometown is "ok" but the owner of that franchise leaves a lot to be desired and it seems like it's going downhill.

Beware of anybody claiming things are going well with their Hometown Store and they are making tons of money. Next thing you know, they'll be trying to sell it to you. SHOS is going down the drain right along with the mother ship. There are plenty of owners who are stuck in this disaster. But admitting the truth won't help them unload it.

I dont think they are crown jewels but what he wants is the bulk of the remaining assets. HomeTown is in a effort to let everyone know they are not SEARS and that they have nothing to do with them. Even though you are tied to there supply chain and it is affecting you. Your stock took a 47% decline because of it this month. Eddies deal is worth about 2 billion to SHLD that would leave a company that still can not make a operational profit with little to no assets and 10 billion in debt if they actually did use that money to pay it down. Oh and still a cash burn of about 2.8 million a day if they did. The reality is the cat is out of the bag as far as what the remaining assets are worth and that no one is interested. I do believe its a good move for Home Town to distance its self but if you do not find a complete separate supply chain it will get worse.

@SPrShdx-1fig You are correct. Some hometown stores are very successful. We dealt with one of the most successful ones in the whole company here in California. The couple that own it are very hands on. They are so successful they have their own warehouse and delivery team. They are delivering 5 to 6 times a week. Very customer service oriented and helpful.

OP here, none of you has ever entered or understand the concept of the hometown store.

If in fact you had, those of you who could afford it would open one. I am about to open my fourth.

Like any franchise you need to be involved, most who fail believe they can be complete “absentee owners” and never set foot in one or look at their own financials, who they’ve hired etc.

I’ve looked around this board the last month, most of the people here are disgruntled former employees, anxiety ridden current employees, and stock traders- and one or two raving Kmart boosters. A curious mix.

SHO’s stores have great margins in areas Walmart, HD, Lowes don’t care about. And amazon can only ship smalls to. We carry kenmore, diehard and craftsman and sell a ton of all of them. We offer delivery and install and the locals love us. Yes you have to be involved true if any business if you want to succeed.

If I could get the Kmart smart sense brand in my store I could really kill it on margins but unfortunately that’s not open to us - yet. But I believe it will be.

I’ll let you guys get back to day trading and running down sears while I get back to making money. Cheers.

@1sut- Kenmore is just a name. He can license the name to anyone and everyone for a price. Kenmore was never its own brand just a name put on other brands, like Whirlpool.

If Lowes, Home Depot, or JCP wanted a low-end house brand of appliances they would just contract the same Chinese factories Sears has.

I'm sorry you wound up with a hometown store, but you just can't b.s. those of us who have a history with Sears. We know. I'm sorry, but these just sound like desperate ramblings from someone going down...

Seems to me that this would be a disaster for the Hometown people. If Eddie buys Kenmore then he could license the brand to anyone and sell the brand in any store he wanted. So now you could have Kenmore in Home Depot, Lowes, JCP, or even Walmart. I would think this would dilute the brand for Hometown but expand the brand for the new owner, Eddie.

Technically, Eddie could buy Kenmore and open one of the new appliance/mattress/tool stores right next door to a Hometown store and be your competition.

75% of kmarts loose money

Must be seriously delusional to want to inherit a Kmart property. Dont get me started.

If he doesn't make a play for other division(s) of the company(Kenmore , Parts Direct , Home Services )

then it looks like a straight property play,.

This is nothing more than slow motion liquidation.

Playa bout to get PAID

Yeah that’s why so many have closed in the last couple years. Owners got so obnoxiously rich they didn’t care and walked away.

Obviously none of you have ever been to a “hometown store” they’re usually nice... and very profitable for the owner.

Congrats OP, keep laughing at the wage slaves on here!

Don't say Shi... Chinese, technically their American products being manufactured in China, America asked, and paid China to made those products. America loves to pass the buck, face it American sold it's people out a long time ago. Long live the Rich Americans. Next they'll be outsourcing you poor people.

Franchising isn't going to save either store. Granted, franchised stored are better managed and run than corporate stores, but there are a lot of factors that determine retail success. Among them are vendors willing to sell to Sears/Kmart, market competitiveness, perception of the public, and a whole host of general business operatioal concerns (keeping the lights turned on).

I feel bad for you. You invested in the final chapter of a long saga. I hope you didn't invest everything you have.

Rallying and positive attitude only gets you so far. Kmart will die first, then Sears will go. The company has not reduced costs or increased revenue. Today's announcement is the equivalent of selling the barn, the tractor, the house, and the clothes on your back in a last ditch effort to buy seed. The company needs to make it now, because there is nothing left after this. There is nothing left to absorb future losses. The company is out of credit.

Sh--ty Chinese appliances sold by a mom and pop hiding behind a big corporate label. I'm sure that's what America wants.

Good luck with that!