The end of Sears is 'very near'

[MichaelWinicki]

Mike, share a picture of your railroad with us sometime, i'm sure many would like to see it.

OK...

Here's a taste...

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

But there are many that are comfortable with the Kenmore name and will gladly pay a few dollars more for that.

Apparently not.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Apparently not.

I don't think anyone can make that statement unless they had complete insider knowledge of the sales/profits for all the products a Sears/Kmart handles and the breakdown of sales/profits per square foot of retail selling space.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I don't think anyone can make that statement unless they had complete insider knowledge of the sales/profits for all the products a Sears/Kmart handles and the breakdown of sales/profits per square foot of retail selling space.

Well..... Lol

It's the same fate that many companies have suffered.
I'm in the marketing/Internet industry since early/mid 90s.

I follow these patterns.
Others in the know have called the demise of said company and others ... Long ago... In a galaxy..... Oh never mind lol


More will fall... Failing to adapt and failing to become competitive price-wise.
People have "Windows" to many other options. It's not like before. You deal with a car salesman-type person doing you a favor.

 

[dreghorn2]

OK...

Here's a taste...

Love the foliage, and that's a Canadian National rail car, is this rail line based in Canada?

 

[dreghorn2]

dola.

Trains are cool.

 

[Dallas_Cowboys50]

I will always prefer brick and mortar over online shopping......when I spend money on somethin, I want it now, not 3-5 business days or whatever....

when it comes to Sears though, couldnt care less....never spent a dime at a Sears my whole life....

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Well..... Lol

It's the same fate that many companies have suffered.
I'm in the marketing/Internet industry since early/mid 90s.

I follow these patterns.
Others in the know have called the demise of said company and others ... Long ago... In a galaxy..... Oh never mind lol


More will fall... Failing to adapt and failing to become competitive price-wise.
People have "Windows" to many other options. It's not like before. You deal with a car salesman-type person doing you a favor.

Red let me say that you could be right... the appliance end of the Sears business could be sucking wind... Unless we see the numbers, no one knows.

I think Sears has a heck of mess on its hands in that you've got two totally different types of stores with the Kmart, big-box stores and then the Sears stores that one would typically find anchoring a mall. And then to make it worse you've a big difference in the types of products (with a limited amount of crossover) the two types of stores carry. Ugh, what a mess.

The one thing that makes me think the appliance end of things is holding its own is that you've got hundreds of these privately owned Sears stores out that carry appliances, tools and power equipment– and that's about it. And from what I hear, those stores are doing OK, especially in more rural areas.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Love the foliage, and that's a Canadian National rail car, is this rail line based in Canada?

Thanks!

The layout is based in the year 1970... the month is August, and its "location" is western New York and northwester PA.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

lol...
I haven't seen a sears in ages...

 

[Fletch]

Sears appliances are not competitively priced. Never have been. PC Richard is always cheaper.

Just another case of a brick and mortar failing to adapt to the changes (interwebs).

Newspapers have been losing money since 2000. They are carried $$$ to exist. Also, failures to adapt. Interwebs)

I prefer to get all my stuff from Mega Lo Mart.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

Mike, share a picture of your railroad with us sometime, i'm sure many would like to see it.

MichaelWinick,
yes.....your set up looks just great, very impressive. I could easily see myself getting lost in wonder in the middle of it. For the interested zone-gang, there's this crazy exhibition done every holiday season in the Bronx, NY. http://www.nybg.org/hts15/ it is absolutely incredible and back story is much more than I could write here. Check it out and if maybe in town, I highly recommend.

would love to see pictures of your set including the Craftsman Bungalows!!!

 

[dreghorn2]

Thanks!

The layout is based in the year 1970... the month is August, and its "location" is western New York and northwester PA.

I like the street discoloration and the weathering on the fencing.

Really like that second picture, you get the winding through the hills vibe, great coal cars, and what is with that skyline in the background, dark grey skies over a tree line, is that part of the display? Looks awesome if it is.

Only one critique, those engines and rail cars look too sweet, not enough graffiti and dirt xD.

Seriously man, nice set.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I like the street discoloration and the weathering on the fencing.

Really like that second picture, you get the winding through the hills vibe, great coal cars, and what is with that skyline in the background, dark grey skies over a tree line, is that part of the display? Looks awesome if it is.

Only one critique, those engines and rail cars look too sweet, not enough graffiti and dirt xD.

Seriously man, nice set.

Thank you!

And yes your critique is accurate... Everything needs a massive dose of weathering at this point.

As I found out while building the thing, a lot of the scenery elements can be done very quickly, but now I'm way past that stage and instead of taking a small amount of time to create big change on the layout, I'm taking a lot of time to create a small impact. Signage, weathering, small building details... All have to be done.

 

[Sasquatch]

Sear's has some inherent strength in the market... appliances, tools.

The entire concept of what works for brick & mortar retail has been turned on its head. Certainly the Internet has caused a great deal of that, but folks shopping patterns have changed too.

We're going back to more specialized brick & mortar retail... More like what we had prior to 1962.

Why that date?

'62 was the year all 3 major mass-merchandisers started: Walmart, Kmart and Target.

Folks had more time to shop and found wondering through a 100,000 square-foot store as being entertainment.

Now with all the time constraints we have, it's looked at as a PITA.

Target seems to do better because it's focusing on more upscale products. While Kmart/Sears and Walmart are left to duke it out with the proliferation of Dollar Generals and similar ilk out there.

I didn't know that Target has been around that long ... or that it is considered upscale relative to the other two mentioned. I suppose that explains the nickname tar-zhay.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I didn't know that Target has been around that long ... or that it is considered upscale relative to the other two mentioned. I suppose that explains the nickname tar-zhay.

Oprah brags about it

Lol

Pronounces it like a French word - Target becomes "Tarrjay"

 

[RS12]

What is the average of a Sears customer? I bet it is north of 50. No appeal to young consumers at all. Means certain death.

 

[Dallas_Cowboys50]

I prefer to get all my stuff from Mega Lo Mart.

HA!!!!

 

[MichaelWinicki]

What is the average of a Sears customer? I bet it is north of 50. No appeal to young consumers at all. Means certain death.

To a certain extent you're right. Sear's is an older person's store...

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I didn't know that Target has been around that long ... or that it is considered upscale relative to the other two mentioned. I suppose that explains the nickname tar-zhay.

Well... I admit I'm a retail "nerd".

I spent several years owning and managing some retail businesses. Today I do a lot of consulting to brick & mortar retailers.