Thread regarding Sears layoffs

Looks like the small format concept isn't completely Dead. Here are 2 small Sears still open, all be it, they are not affiliated with Transformco:

https://sears.bm/

https://www.facebook.com/Searskuwait/

3000+ stores down to less than 20. 350,000 employees down to <1800. That is the painfully, laughable part.

Thanks! I wish they would update their site, that is laughably ridiculous.

If you keep looking around the Sears Puerto Rico store locator at https://www.sears.com.pr/stores.html , and click on any state you choose, you'll find long-closed stores still listed. Even Outlet stores, Hometown stores, and Auto Centers.

Yes, the two stores that aren't in San Juan closed years ago. Sears does not do a good job of removing closed stores from any of its websites.

So, on the Sears PR site, it shows 3 locations. I'm assuming this is wrong, no? https://www.sears.com.pr/stores/puerto-rico.html

This is all wonderful, but when can we get rid of the remaining Kmarts, and large Sears?
Especially the Kmarts, 5 of them are off-Shore, I realize they won't close soon, but at least if he can get rid of the 3 stateside ones, that would be great! But it does not seem to be happening. In fact, they just went through all the trouble of modifying Miami, so I doubt that one closes any Time soon. One can only hope, LOL......

Yes, all five small Sears stores are closing. See earlier comments.

I seen another poster with a video sayin their are more. Ain't that true or what?

It's not uncommon for liquidators to bring in merchandise that wasn't initially in the closing store. They do this all the time -- you should have seen the truckloads of worthless clothes that showed up when our Bon-Ton closed.

Yes, they are small stores with not much on site. But I bet they will be overrun with cheap small appliances and other junk the liquidators bring in for the liquidation sale.

The people making the decisions about the liquidation don't really know what's going on in these stores. There are only a few headquarters staff operating this falling apart company, and they don't have much knowledge or experience. So, when the company decides to liquidate all the small stores, they hire the previously used liquidator. If it's a month-long sale to get rid of 3 washing machines, that's just the way it goes. Not making any sense is business as usual for Transformco.

To the poster below, oh OK, that makes sense then. Although, the point I was making was, that I thought they don't really sell much inventory from the actual store, since they are mostly just a place to pickup online orders. I could be wrong about that but I thought those small format stores are about the size of a tennis court and have almost zero inventory of their own, as they are just glorified online-order, pickup points.

I totally get why SB360 would be needed for a FULL LINE store because they actually have real inventory, as opposed to the small stores, which basically are just a desk where people pick up packages, like the post office.

Taking down all the fixtures cash registers and such and readying them for sale along with making sure you say all the right things about sales being final etc for Sears is something where SB360 has long experience. Someone has to train people up for the last sale, provide the signage and ensure that people with no experience in detaching fixtures ends up on workers comp

Oh I Know. Everything they do is perplexing. I have not been in one of these "small format", goofy stores, but from what I read, they were basically glorified shacks, in which to pickup online orders, and they barely had anything in the way of permanent physical inventory (other than what someone ordered to pickup, in store). That is what is making me wonder, what in the World, are they planning to liquidate? 3 washing machines? And that is supposed to take over 1 Month?

But what do I Know?

FINALLY! Some good news after a plethora of threads with nothing but cr-p to read.

"Why" is the prevailing question for about everything this company has done or is doing.

Thanks. Oh, I Know they have used them before. But my question is WHY.

They've used SB360 when liquidating small stores in the recent past (Anchorage, Honolulu, Naranjito PR). And the whole Sears Hometown liquidation used SB360 as well.

Someone help me out here. Maybe I'm confused, but why would they need a liquidator for the smaller stores? I thought these "stores" were primarily a place to place and pickup, online orders. I was under the impression that they mostly just do online retailing there, and don't carry much inventory. Their entire physical inventory consists of about like 3 washers, 3 dryers, 3 weedwackers, and 4 mowers. I could "liquidate" that stuff in 2 Hours. Why do they need a long liquidation process for what are essentially, pickup locations for online orders?

I contacted local media outlets in all 5 cities, to generate some "external" links. So far, a few have obliged me by writing articles.

Camp Hill PA: https://www.abc27.com/news/top-stories/sears-set-to-close-cumberland-county-mall-location/

LA: https://kpel965.com/sears-leaving-louisiana-as-company-to-close-lafayette-location/

KS: (While this article is ostensibly about the LA store, it also mentions the KS store closing):
https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/business/the-last-sears-store-in-louisiana-will-close-its-doors/article_bcdf8a7c-efaa-11ed-ae31-f3da1609f7c3.html

CO: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/money/business/2023/05/11/sears-appliances-is-closing-in-fort-collins/70207690007/

^ FROM THAT ARTICLE, WE KNOW THAT THE COLORADO STORE, AT LEAST, IS CLOSING JUNE 18.

I am still waiting for an article on Pharr TX, but I blasted out emails to several papers and TV stations in the area, so there should be something up in a few Hours.

You're welcome!

@1fby+1myVk7Ko Exactly. I thought the same thing a while ago, when Brooklyn closed, and they wrote that they were "redeveloping" it or some sh1t. Again, I'm more apt to believe that Drunk id1ot in your example, than anything from Sears. This "small format" concept was supposed to be their future, or so they claimed, circa 2020. And now they are all gone in 1 fell swoop. They are so full of sh!t.

Here's another example of Transformco employees making up nonsense about the future. This one is about Home Services:

"The future is more than bright; it is burning hot. Our team is laser-focused on growing our millions of home visits a year to eventually serve all US homes. We have the people and are hiring technicians in every state due to our growth. We have the focus, and we have the trust. Our unique formula gives us a distinct advantage to win where others have failed. We have the ability to offer complete solutions to the consumer both directly and on behalf of...."

Full text still available as the last item on the Transformco blog in 2021. The CEO wrote this, then bailed out not long after. In reality Home Services is going down the drain along with everything else. They can't keep people in the tech jobs, because it's a miserable position with little company support.

The countdown to nothing continues, even if it's taking an unbelievably long time.

These five stores are now officially listed by SB360 as well.

https://sb360.com/events/sears-list/

Sorry I meant alone below.

@1qmt+1myVk7Ko Like literally scroll down through the comments and the answer to your question in Camp Hill PA, is right there. Read first, THEN post.

@1axh+1myVk7Ko Exactly. Take their claims as seriously, as you would, that lonely guy, sitting aline at the Bar, at 1 AM, sitting alone, Talking to himself, spewing that he's going to be the next, best, greatest thing, while he doesn't even have $20 Bucks in his pocket. Sure, buddy, sure, whatever u Say. That's how seriously I take Sears claims of new "formats" opening. Actually, if anything, I'd be more inclined to believe the crazy guy because at least he, himself, actually believes what he Says, even if it's utter malarkey.

Any update on the Appliance and Mattress store in Camp Hill, PA?

Earlier this year it was reported to be closed, but nothing happened.

"Didn't Transformco say a few years ago they were focusing on small scale stores going forward?"

Not even a few years. January 2022, Transformco said the "go-forward" strategy was to operate a small number of large stores and a larger number of small stores. It was the last public statement made by the company on any topic, when the Fort Lauderdale store closed.

Someone might still be getting a paycheck (temporarily) as the Transformco store developer or whatever, and therefore is making nonsense claims about future large store strategy. This company couldn't successfully open and operate a new lemonade stand.

In my best Urkel (Did I do that) lol

I posted last week it's been quiet and maybe no more were closing? Apparently I was inherently incorrect.

And before the haters start.. I'm being funny about Urkel.

Nice, not bad, at least we bopped off the "smallies". Bummer that they couldn't have knocked off a Kmart or 2, also. Too bad. Not sure why he is adamantly stuck those last 8 d-mb Kmarts. Hopefully soon, though.

@jiv+1myVk7Ko Totally agree with you! That garbage about new format Sears is less likely to happen than me making a NBA team (which would never ever happen, although it would be nice LOL). The worst player on the worst NBA team would beat me like a drum 1 on 1.

Sears (11):

California(3): Concord, Stockton, Whittier
Florida (3): Miami (Coral Gables), Orlando, Palm Beach Gardens
Massachusetts: Braintree
New Jersey: Jersey City
Puerto Rico: Hato Rey (San Juan)
Texas: El Paso
Washington: Tukwila

Kmart (8):

Florida: Miami (recently downsized)
New Jersey: Westwood
New York: Bridgehampton
Guam
St. Croix (2)
St. Thomas (2)

That's it. No more Home & Life, no more Appliance & Mattress, no more Hometowns, no more Outlets, no more Auto Centers.

So what stores are now left for Sears and Kmart? I can't find a list of what's left.

And yet the clowns on the sears reddit are insisting that sears is reopening a new large-format "sears grand" style store because some transformco guy on linkedin says they are. Didn't transformco also say a few years ago they were focusing on small scale stores going forward? How is that going? Oh wait, they are all now gone? Now they are going large scale?

Never mind that the only way to profitably operate such large scale stores is to have a significant number of such stores, each shifting an large amount of merchandise. There is no way you can make a profit without extremely low costs per unit--which means you have to be able to acquire product at bulk pricing, have an efficient distribution network, and enough sales volume to have a low cost per unit on overhead. All things that sears USED to have but is now long gone--and it would cost a fortune to re-create. Do they even have any buyers anymore?? Good luck trying to pull that off when your competition is amazon, walmart, costco and consumer purchasing power is imploding.

And now also Camp Hill, PA

https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=455&siteid=185#jobDetails=1909785_185

That's the end of the small-format Sears stores.

Also Overland Park, KS

https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=455&siteid=185#jobDetails=1909783_185

This leaves Camp Hill, PA as the sole remaining non-closing small-format Sears store.