lundi 24 juillet 2017

Does Sears deserve to die?

Last weekend, I went to the nearest Sears. Because my girlfriend said to me that I could buy some clothes during the bankrupcy sales (well, not really bankrupcy, but close...). And she said to me that my mother asked her to buy some bras for her there.

Because my 65 years old mother always buys her bras at Sears. Same size, same brand, same beige.



When you take a look at bras in a Sears, you realize exactly what this business is aiming at: 65 years old women.

The store was clean. The merchandise was OK but not exceptionnal. I didn't search a lot for my clothes. Nothing seemed interesting.

If you're a 17 years old hypersexualized girl and you want to show the world what the nature has given you, you won't shop at Sears.

If you're a 25 years old douchebag and you want to show your tatoos and the effects of steroids to the world, you won't buy a striped shirt at Sears.

If you're a 35 years old professional with some personnality, you won't buy your clothes at Sears either, because you have some personnality.

You will only buy your clothes there if you're a very average person or a retired person that has no desire of seducing people around you. When you're an average person, you go to an average store to buy average clothes... which are nonetheless pricey.

Last weekend, I was amazed at the fact that, for a fire sale, everything was pricey, or at best, at a standard price.

I don't think that Sears deserves to die, because a lot of stores aren't better than Sears. The dollar stores, TJX, Ross Stores and Burlington in Florida are way dirtier than the Sears of Quebec City. However, the consumer gets value at these dirty stores. And that's what everybody is searching for at this information age: value. Because we all have access to the Internet and we all can see that Sears is not a bargain place.

I've never understood why some people (like Eddie Lampert) invested so much money in Sears Holdings. Just take a look at a chart. It was one of the worst moves an investor could do. That's stock is like a fucking vertical Titanic. It's been that way for a couple of years. It will tear apart sooner or later if the scenario is respected.

As you can see below, the managers get out safely and comfortably, while the crew is drowning.

And some random irish immigrant too.

In conclusion, do not buy at Sears. Do not invest in Sears. Just look elsewhere and don't get too close because the vacuum will suck you in.



6 commentaires:

  1. The Sears must have had a significant psychological impact on you since you posted two pictures in your post... Is it the first time ever?

    I watched 1080P 60fps Queen live from youtube (1080P 60fps in youtube for free???) last night... A perfect song for Sears. 'Another one bites the dust'

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  2. We are living in interesting times. Retailers that made easy money for over 100 years are becoming extinct. I wonder about the damage Walmart is doing to the supermarkets with their grocery section. I wonder who is safe in retailing. Is Ross stores safe because they buy the inventory of everybody else who has gone bankrupt and sell for less? What happens when there's no more small operators to go bankrupt? Is Dollarama safe? What happens if the big American Dollar store throws a lot of money into invading the Canadian market? I guess the very best retailers will survive, but they are all going to feel some pressure and those profit margins may get squeezed.

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    1. Everybody is talking about retailers being "amazoned". But I'm still looking for people around me losing their habits for shopping only on Amazon.

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  3. Given Costco's unique business model and very low profit margins, i think they will continue to do well.

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    1. Yes, and Walmart, and Dollar Stores and TJX/ROST.

      At least, if they get hurt, it's gonna be after many others.

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