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Old 01-05-2017, 11:22 AM   #21
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Craftsman has been made in China now for I don't know how many years. Craftsman and the in-store brands of Home Depot and Lowes are all under some mega Chinese manufacturer. Some Stanley I think is under them too. The quality of all have been absolute pit. I mean, a word that rhymes with pit anyway.
Craftsman quality isn't what it used to be (though that's certainly not all Sears fault), the first glaring example I saw was ratchet handles - nowhere near as good as the ones I have. I am just glad I still have all the Craftsman tools my Dad wisely gave me when I was a 20-something (and some I bought myself), most from 40 years ago. Fortunately they will last my lifetime at least if I take care of them, and I do. They're one of my prized possessions!
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:29 AM   #22
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The smart retailers in our area are moving to smaller footprints and fewer locations. They are beefing up their on line shopping and they use the stores as a one of the ship to options and as a place to return on line purchases.

It makes people more comfortable with on line buys, makes returns much easier, and gets more traffic into the store. I shop on line. DW prefers the store. However, since her favorite store started doing this she is buying more product on line, picks it up at the store and tries it on etc. And while there, she invariably buys something in the store itself.

The Sears stores where I live are terrible. We don't even bother going in. Sears lost the plot a long time ago IMHO.
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:30 AM   #23
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Craftsman has been made in China now for I don't know how many years. Craftsman and the in-store brands of Home Depot and Lowes are all under some mega Chinese manufacturer. Some Stanley I think is under them too. The quality of all have been
absolute pit. I mean, a word that rhymes with pit anyway.

I don't see a need to go to retailers for much of anything, with few worthwhile exceptions. I'll go to a place that sells quality shoes at premium prices for great fitting and service. A decade ago that was Red Wing. Not sure who to go to now, but it's time to get some new walking shoes. Same with bicycles. Same with hobby equipment.

I've grown to hate manufacturers making special whatever just for a retailer, often at what I've found to be poorer quality. Read a SKU and it'll have -HD or -WM or -KH on the end to denote Levi or Milwaukee or whoever made a cheaper version of clothes/shoes/tools to sell at a retailer. I'll pay more for better quality at the manufacturer's site, or Amazon, or a specialty store. I'll pay even more at a store for fantastic service and very knowledgeable staff.

Around here, the malls are only crazy packed around major holidays. Meanwhile Ross, Marshalls, Best Buy, outlet malls, TJ Maxx, liquor stores, food courts, electronics and game stores, not to mention Target and Walmart and the big box membership stores, hobby and craft stores, those are the ones with full parking lots.

There are only two retail bookstores in the whole county now. One Sears in a dead mall. Two giant strip malls that are always packed, both in nicer areas of the county, only one of which has any boutique shops.
I could be wrong, but I thought Western Forge in Colorado Springs, Colorado made a lot of the Craftsman hand tools. They used to be one of the biggest OSHA offenders in the state because of injury issues related to the forging of the metal tools.

Edit: just found this link about Western Forge. Not sure about the China manufacturing. http://gazette.com/layoffs-likely-at...rticle/1559839
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:31 AM   #24
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When I was a teenager the gathering place on Saturday afternoon was "downtown". Later, it became "the mall". While I gravitated to the bookstores, my friends would focus on fashion. Shopping was a social activity. I'm sure that having gone to where the stores were, there was a lot of impulse buying. With online purchases, the social aspect of retail has diminished. I'm not sure how impulse buying has been affected. Specialty stores with bespoke and locally made products will always have a place, I think.

Things best purchased in person IMHO:
Wedding dresses
Organic produce
Shoes

What else?
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:33 AM   #25
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I look at things I want in mall stores like Macy's and try on clothes. Then I go home and look for the same item for a (typically) lower price online. I don't think I'm alone. The closing of Macy's is a big deal here as at one time it "anchored" main street.
You're not alone, but you realize your showrooming is hastening the demise of "mall stores like Macy's?"
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:43 AM   #26
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I am always amused when I go to a store for something, they don't have it, and the clerk tells me 'I can order one and have it here next Tuesday.' I can order it myself, and have it deliver to my house, why even go to a retail store?
This just happened to us yesterday. DW wanted a specific type of hanging file folder to set up the 2016 file system (she's meticulously organized) and since we were driving past an OfficeMax store anyway we stopped there. They didn't have it, so I ordered it off their web site, foolishly not shopping elsewhere first. When later I looked at the same product on Amazon, it was almost half the price and free shipping.

Lesson learned. It'll be snowing in Hades before we go back to that OfficeMax store.

The Sears store nearest here closed up ~four years ago and the last time we were in the local mall I wondered how they made enough to keep the lights and heat on, let alone pay employees. I don't expect it to be there much longer.
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:47 AM   #27
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Retail Store Closings

Where would old people go for a walk in bad weather if we didn't have big malls? :-)


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Old 01-05-2017, 11:55 AM   #28
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Craftsman quality isn't what it used to be (though that's certainly not all Sears fault), the first glaring example I saw was ratchet handles - nowhere near as good as the ones I have. I am just glad I still have all the Craftsman tools my Dad wisely gave me when I was a 20-something (and some I bought myself), most from 40 years ago. Fortunately they will last my lifetime at least if I take care of them, and I do. They're one of my prized possessions!
Oh I'm jealous! I've been scouring swap meets and thrift stores trying to find quality Stanley or Craftsman tools. Most that I've found need some major TLC, which makes me think if I start stripping away rust on screwdrivers and wrenches the tolerances won't be much better than the current made in China stuff. Oh well. I guess in the long run a nice set of German-made tools or Snap Ons wouldn't break the bank.

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Originally Posted by COcheesehead View Post
I could be wrong, but I thought Western Forge in Colorado Springs, Colorado made a lot of the Craftsman hand tools. They used to be one of the biggest OSHA offenders in the state because of injury issues related to the forging of the metal tools.

Edit: just found this link about Western Forge. Not sure about the China manufacturing. Layoffs likely at Western Forge tool manufacturing plant in Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs Gazette, News
Seems like it's some tools are made in China by Danaher/Apex, some by Western Forge. Seems like Stanley does something of the same depending on what kind of tool you get and where you get it from.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craftsman_(tools).

I was thinking of Danaher that makes the Home Depot, Lowes, and Sears tools. Though apparently Craftsman was sold off again in some kind of merger/split to another company.
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:26 PM   #29
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This story about Sears stores is quite moving imo. A reflection of the times as well as the store, but sweet. Sears and me: A debt that's impossible to repay - Chicago Tribune

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I grew up in New England in abject poverty, with an older brother and a younger sister. ... Even when we were living in what passed for a home, we often had no electricity, no phone and, worst of all in the frigid New England winters, no heat. But many times what we could count on in whatever town we found ourselves living in was a Sears....

At age 10, I was forced into becoming the unofficial head of our family. Soon after that, I remember leading my siblings from our dark and heatless home on a Saturday to the local Sears.

There, it is no exaggeration to say, we found heat, friendly smiles from the staff and a mental and physical lifeline.
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Old 01-05-2017, 12:45 PM   #30
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I only go to malls a few times a year with DW, never to buy something for myself. I have most of the tools that Sears sells, so I have no reason to go there. I do go to big box home improvement stores about 3 times a week.
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Old 01-07-2017, 10:49 AM   #31
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Craftsmen lifetime warranty tools and Craftsman one year warranty tools are separate manufacturers with the latter made in China. Or so I've been told, haven't researched it myself.
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Old 01-07-2017, 11:01 AM   #32
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I really like online shopping for the best deals. Mostly on Amazon & EBay. If the trend continues with major brand brink-and-mortar stores closing we could potentially see higher prices for online purchases with less competition. If the these major band stores can make the transition to online to compete with the Amazon's then maybe we can still get the great deals. Lets hope this is the case.
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Old 01-07-2017, 11:03 AM   #33
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Add The Limited to the list:

The Limited is closing all remaining stores by Sunday; all online sales are final | cleveland.com
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Old 01-07-2017, 11:56 AM   #34
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I can't remember the last time I went into a mall, it might be been to see a movie? It seems the mall closest to me (a few towns south, 15 miles or so) are trying to re-invent themselves with adding restaurants, off shoot buildings that have business tenants in the bottom and condo's above (this type of setup is relatively new to our area), etc. etc.

One of my biggest concerns is how is this going to affect my REIT?
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Old 01-07-2017, 12:06 PM   #35
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We rarely go to malls anymore, we don't "shop" anymore, and if we can't get something online, there are better brick-n-mortar choices than malls near us.

At least where we are, they've become hangouts for teens, many with no spending money. Not a place I want to spend my time. And the mall stores near us have gotten pretty junky IME, Spencer's Gifts, junk food, teen clothes and also ran department stores. YMMV

The only department store we still go to occasionally is Nordstrom. They seem to actually know their merchandise, so if I want/need help - I will pay the premium at Nordstom (no showrooming here).
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Old 01-07-2017, 12:16 PM   #36
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Regarding Sears (old brick and mortar) and Amazon(point and click)....

Take a look on eBay at Sears Catalogs for a little trip down memory lane......Before point and click, glossy pages by the hundreds in a catalog 2-3" thick, all kinds of items...

Check out the "sold" listings!!!! It appears those Sears items are still selling well!!!!

I remember not TOO long ago, still getting the smaller Sears or Penney's catalogs in the mail...of course that's over now too....

I knew someone who used to hold on to catalogs and magazines that he thought "would be valuable" some day....I was wise and ridiculed him....Wonder if he's on Ebay??
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Old 01-07-2017, 12:26 PM   #37
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I remember not TOO long ago, still getting the smaller Sears or Penney's catalogs in the mail...of course that's over now too....
Indeed, I remember drooling over the Sears tool catalog, wishing I had the wherewithal to buy "one of everything".

Not sure what I would have actually done with all that stuff, but I wanted it!
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Old 01-07-2017, 12:35 PM   #38
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Indeed, I remember drooling over the Sears tool catalog, wishing I had the wherewithal to buy "one of everything".

Not sure what I would have actually done with all that stuff, but I wanted it!
Yep, brings back good old memories of marking the pages in the toy section for Santa Claus when we were kids
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Old 01-07-2017, 03:25 PM   #39
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Just went to Sears looking for a garage wall cabinet. Hardly anyone there. And it looked like merchandise had been cleared out. Kinda like the store had been closed but they didn't tell anyone. I found the cabinet I wanted cheaper on amazon, so I ordered it from them. It's a shame because I like Sears.
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Old 01-07-2017, 04:00 PM   #40
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I rarely go into a store. I know what size/style/brand of shoes I wear so buy those online. That is by necessity as I need to drive 3 hours to find my size in a store. It is so easy to compare prices online and get the best deal. I even buy most my clothes online. If they don't fit I return them to the store. I only buy clothes from a business that has a physical store in our town to make returns easy. I don't buy many clothes anymore. My sister who is 70 only shops in person.
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