Sears possibly selling off Kenmore, Craftsman, Diehard brands

[Deleted member 995608]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sears-puts-kenmore-craftsman-grabs-161300519.html

Excerpt:

"Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD), which booked another loss in the second quarter, has received interest from a variety of companies eyeing the floundering retailer’s familiar appliance, tool and auto brands."

"Sears is considering “potential partnerships or other transactions that could expand distribution of our brands and service offerings to realize significant growth.”

I have stopped buying Craftsman tools long ago, and the only [FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Kenmore appliances we have are the wall A/C units that I use at our motel business. Those will eventually get replaced with mini split units of a different brand. [/FONT]

 

[FOXY005]

Yeah, It's a shame you used to go to Sears for quality products. I have a lot of their Hand and Power Tools that when purchased were guaranteed for life. If you break it bring it back and we will replace it free of charge, and they did. Now a days I see Craftsman tools being sold in various hardware stores like my local Ace Hardware store. don't know if the warranty or quality is still good or not. Also Kenmore used to be top notch in the appliance line, but that was a lot of years ago. Bought my first Kenmore appliance in 1970 so I am older than dirt, that's probably why I remember the quality products that were made to last not like today's throw-aways.

 

[Wayne M.]

Treading water and going down fast. My store is fading before my eyes.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

About 5 years ago, I bought a Craftsman Pro 1/2" ratchet. The gears broke after a month of use, so I trucked myself 40 minutes down to the local Sears for a replacement. She reached underneath the counter and handed me a 1/2" ratchet that someone had used as a hammer. I explained I wanted a new ratchet, and she politely told me that they no longer takes tools off the shelf for warranty's and that they only rebuild the tools at the cash register. Really? I grabbed my broken ratchet and told her that I have a new hammer to use. Pretty sure that was the last Craps-man I've bought.

 

[Wayne M.]

I've been using http://www.tooltopia.com and http://landmessertools.com for mechanics tools.

 

[Regcabguy]

Our Kenmore stove,microwave and fridge are 15+ years old. I'm gonna milk them.
I worked for Sears Distribution Center here from 1973-1979. We really had quality products and service then.
The stove is a GE even back then.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Our Kenmore stove,microwave and fridge are 15+ years old. I'm gonna milk them.

I think Kenmore has become a throw away appliance nowadays. Too bad though, I'd gladly pay good money for a product that will last 15 years with minimal mtce.

 

[Wayne M.]

IMHO, nowadays Kenmore = LG.
Been doing homework on kitchen and laundry appliances over the last few years until recently, and that's what I saw.
I wound up buying American whenever possible. This meant GE Cafe for the kit, Whirlpool for laundry. Now I read GE consumer has been bought by Chinese Haier

 

[TFucili]

I've been using http://www.tooltopia.com and http://landmessertools.com for mechanics tools.

I have bought some items from Tooltopia. Thanks for the link for Landmesser.

 

[Regcabguy]

I think China may own Ram pretty soon.

 

[JR]

I saw on the news a while back Sears was working on a new tire line with the Die Hard name. No idea on quality.

I can get Williams (Snap On) through the tool guy at work and have been going that route for close to 10 years. Williams is supposed to be a step down from Snap On but the quality is more than good enough for my box. I've really abused my ratchets (think 2-3 ft cheaters). Still good as new. The 1/2" ratchets are rebuildable should they ever need it.

I've also got some Proto stuff (Stanley). Stanley bought out Proto from Ingersoll Rand. They are supposedly still American made and seem to be a good value for the price.

 

[Bill Lins]

About 5 years ago, I bought a Craftsman Pro 1/2" ratchet. The gears broke after a month of use, so I trucked myself 40 minutes down to the local Sears for a replacement. She reached underneath the counter and handed me a 1/2" ratchet that someone had used as a hammer. I explained I wanted a new ratchet, and she politely told me that they no longer takes tools off the shelf for warranty's and that they only rebuild the tools at the cash register.

I'd have told her to go ahead & rebuild my ratchet right there!

 

[MartyK]

It is too bad, but Sears did it to themselves. They had a good thing going with the made in American Craftsman tools, once they chose to ship it overseas I stopped buying their stuff. I was a loyal Craftsman purchaser, but no more. I feel like they betrayed the American tool buying public by putting the Craftsman name on chinese made tools.

Marty

 

[Wayne M.]

Yes, Marty, you're right. A little reading here tells the story.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craftsman_(tools)
I remember back in the late '90's at a NHRA race, there was an Armstrong tent on the midway, and I was very interested to see what was going on. After all I LOVE TOOLS! So the man there was actually a rep from Danaher Corp, and he gave my friend and I a complete lecture about the tool industry to that time.
I was amazed and had no idea. Craftsman tools made during the Danaher era seem to have a rosy, almost a copper nickel sheen to them. I have a bunch, and they stand apart from the others. Quality was fantastic.
The trouble seems to have started when Apex got involved.
So typical- corporate greed wins again!

 

[Jim W]

Gentlemen,
As I see the issue with Sears and the rest of the American industry is Wall Street!

Why; the marketing analyst, stoke brokers and fund managers want to see corporate profits for six (6) months only, no long range plans for the future. I have seen this trend in the heavy equipment, automotive and the retail industry over my fifty years that I have worked. The pressure on top tier management to preform by bring in short term profits is tremendous now a days. How often do you hear on the news about closures and or layoffs now a days to improve profitability of an industry or retail outlet. All in the name to insure short term profitability. No one is worried about the future only what will happen in the next 6 months. That is why industry/retailing is selling off corporate America to earn a 6 month profit, in my humble opinion.

I am so glad that I am out of the rat race now!

 

[Wayne M.]

Jim, I didn't want to go here, but it's inevitable. I firmly believe that this is the grand plot of the NWO/ globalization and the plan to destroy America.
We can't even rebuild and create a new bulldozer or tool company in the US because the government has outlawed all the process needed to make a whole factory, from ore to shine.

What a way to celebrate Labor Day!

 

[Wayne M.]

Jim, didn't Cat just spin off Terex or one of the recent buys?

 

[mweiman]

Gentlemen,
As I see the issue with Sears and the rest of the American industry is Wall Street!

Why; the marketing analyst, stoke brokers and fund managers want to see corporate profits for six (6) months only, no long range plans for the future. I have seen this trend in the heavy equipment, automotive and the retail industry over my fifty years that I have worked. The pressure on top tier management to preform by bring in short term profits is tremendous now a days. How often do you hear on the news about closures and or layoffs now a days to improve profitability of an industry or retail outlet. All in the name to insure short term profitability. No one is worried about the future only what will happen in the next 6 months. That is why industry/retailing is selling off corporate America to earn a 6 month profit, in my humble opinion.

I am so glad that I am out of the rat race now![/QUOTE
I just left a large corporation this spring to open my own shop. Every 3-6 months there would be a big push to cut all spending and overtime and everything that was supposed to be our core business, all because we weren't going to meet our expected stock earnings forecast. In the meantime customers were neglected and getting turned away. Then at the end of the quarter everything would turn around and the push would be on to catch everything back up. Made no sense and couldn't understand how a large company could operate in such a manner.

 

[fest3er]

... Made no sense and couldn't understand how a large company could operate in such a manner.

Upper management chose to forget why the corporation was in business in the first place:

• to make a quality product
• at a reasonable price, and
• that satisfies the customers;
• to gruntle the employees; and
• to earn a fair profit.

Foremost, upper management forgot that they, too, are employees

I left Motorola 16.5 years ago. I miss neither Motorola nor the Great Telephone Experiment. I've been involved in two failed startups since and, for almost three years now, have been shepherding an open source software project (Smoothwall Express). I am broke, expect to die that way, still drive the '98 2500 I took delivery of 10/97, and have not been this content in many years.

Too big to fail? Let them fail. Heck, I'll help pull the plug!

 

[Wayne M.]

And when corporate and politics combine- watch out! You'll have the modern democratic playbook.