Sears and K-mart are merging.

[bazooka]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6509683/

Sears, Kmart agree to merge
$11 billion deal would create third-largest U.S. retailer
The Associated Press
Updated: 8:43 a.m. ET Nov. 17, 2004

CHICAGO - The discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. is combining with one of the most venerable names in U.S. retailing, Sears, Roebuck & Co., in an $11 billion deal that will create the nation’s third largest retailer.

K-mart fall apart has a new lease on life.

[Dr. DOS]

Yea... but on paper it's sayin that "Kmart bought Sears". ????

[yoda313]

Yea... but on paper it's sayin that "Kmart bought Sears". ????

Hello,

Yeah... the Kmart exec owns the most stock in Sears so it is a purchase by Kmart - Though it will be called "Sears holdings".

Kevin

[Capmaster]

Sears used to be the largest retailer in this country. Then it was K-Mart. Now it's ...well, we all know who :P

Sears and K-Mart have gone through tough times. They probably figure that by combining resources, they can give the big kid a good fight

[Goober57]

One company buys another. It's happening faster and faster. Then, as they grow larger, they combine. Eventually there will only be one GIANT company.

Any thoughts as to who might own it?

_________________________

[yoda313]

One company buys another. It's happening faster and faster. Then, as they grow larger, they combine. Eventually there will only be one GIANT company.

Any thoughts as to who might own it?

_________________________

Hello,

BILL GATES.....



Kevin

[Goober57]

One company buys another. It's happening faster and faster. Then, as they grow larger, they combine. Eventually there will only be one GIANT company.

Any thoughts as to who might own it?

_________________________

Hello,

BILL GATES.....



Kevin

How in the world did you follow-up so quickly???

Anyway, yes, that was my first thought too.

At the risk of getting a few more blue cards, I sense a photo opportunity.....

http://igloo.its.unimelb.edu.au/funny/backup/3640No1.jpg

_______________________

.......FOR LIFE.

[yoda313]

Hello,

How in the world did you follow-up so quickly???

You haven't run in to me much yet huh????

I'm known for super fast responses on the forum Plus I have access to a nice fast lan at work

Kevin

(p.s. I'm soon getting DSL on Monday 11-22 so I can post this fast at home!!!!!!)

[bazooka]

The new name could be Kears or S-mart.

[makntraks]

The new name could be Kears or S-mart.

Shop smart,
Shop S-mart..... hahahahaha
Isn't that where I can go buy a "boom stick"????




makntraks

[zzyzzx]

They should call it Searsmart. I don't get the references to S-Mart

[glockjs]

gah, why cant kmart just DIE...too crappy companies merge to make the crappiest retail store ever

[offline]

They should call it Searsmart. I don't get the references to S-Mart

A quote from Army of Darkness - a great flick.

[offline]

Coles/Myers rules the world

[Doramius]

I think's Jim's Country General Store and Deli mart will make it in the end. With annual intake of $150k, how can he lose. I mean the 6"in. high hand made leather Indian dolls going for $24.95 practically sell themselves and can be used at any special occasion. I used one as a paper weight the other day. And I saw co-workers at the watercooler pointing at it with big smiles on their faces. As soon as Jim finishes the noew addition so there's a Men's & Womens room (instead of a 1 stall unisex bathroom) he'll be set for a long time.

[Roundabout]

Ugh, K-mart. Worst store ever. They deserved to go under, too bad they have survived. Martha Stewart tried and failed

I never go near the place. Chinese made crap sold for higher prices than Wal-Mart. Lousy customer service. All you old-timers may remember it was called S.S.Kresge back in the 60's before they changed the name to KMart. I remember going into the one near our house in Bradenton, FL back then. It used to be like a 5&Dime store before they "upgraded" it.

When Wal-Mart came along, I guess KMart didn't see them coming from behind to eat their lunch. By the time they found out, it was too late.

Then they tried opening Kmart Supercenters, we had a couple in Orange County (La Habra and Aliso Viejo) and they both closed. The service was atrocious, you had to wait for 30 min. just to check out. More than once I abandoned my shopping cart and walked out of the store in disgust.

The best time of all there was when they offered TRIPLE coupons (i.e., a $1.00 coupon would give you $3.00 off - making almost every thing free). They only did it one day a week, but it was absolute chaos when they did. Coupon Queens nearly had an orgasm. I went at 3 a.m. and the store was packed with people shopping for things that had coupons in the previous Sunday's paper, and the aisles were jammed with shopping carts and torn-open boxes of toothpaste and deodorant. Since you couldn't check out until 6 a.m. (when the triple promotion actually started for the day), you had to shop for three hours or so then check out. By 7 a.m., the store was empty again. It looked like a tornado had gone through the place. I had a cart load of stuff that I would pay maybe 5 bucks for. They didn't do it too long, because they lost so much money.

If ever a company deserved to go out of business, it was Kmart. Too bad they survived somehow. I'd rather shop at 99-Only Stores than at Kmart. Same stuff, but only costs a maximum of 99 cents.

I never shop at Sears, prices are too high for their junk. Only Craftsman tools are decent, since they have a lifetime warranty. I can take that screwdriver I used as a pry bar and get a new one when I destroy it.

Wal-Mart may have it's problems too, but I'll take it over Sears and Kmart any day. So far I've always been able to get satisfaction there, even if on occasion I've had to get the manager involved. I like the supercenters, but they've only opened a couple in California so far. There will be more here in a year or two. I think only the Palm Springs area has one at this point.

[zzyzzx]

Take everything bad people say about Kmart and that's the Laurel, MD Walmart. Some of the other Walmarts here aren't far bahind. Seems like the only good ones in central Maryland are the ones too new to be overcrowded. Kmart is a dream by comparison. Hardly anyone in the store and no lines!

[Roundabout]

Kmart is a dream by comparison. Hardly anyone in the store and no lines!

That's because they suck and no one comes. No wonder there's no lines!

I hate lines at Wal-Mart too, and I think they should have enough cashiers to handle the amount of customers in the store at any given time. But the lines tell you also that the people come for a reason: prices are better. There wouldn't be lines if the store completely sucked, or if their prices were out of line.

Kind of like the empty-parking-lot-in-front-of-the-restaurant analogy. I tend to avoid any restaurant if I don't see any cars around. But, if you have to wait in line (like at a Claim Jumper, etc. on a Saturday) it's usually a good indication that food is better than average there. Maybe it's not always true, but more often than not...

[pacmania_2001]

Coles/Myers rules the world

As a Woolworths employee I feel that I should in some way defend the company I work for...

(looks at last paycheck)

...nope, you're right, Coles/Myer is better.

[pacmania_2001]

What's the second largest retail company if Walmart is first and Kmart/Sears is third?

[ViRaL1]

The Top 100.

http://www.siamfuture.com/RetailBusCenter/RetailIndus/Top100.asp.

You're in the top 50. I'm in the top 10. :P

This is for 1999 btw, looking for 2003.

EDIT: Looks like Home Depot is #2 in the US

Here's a more recent list.


http://retailindustry.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.stores.org/arch...sp%3Fyear=2003

[hech54]

I would still LOVE to know how a company like Kmart...who is SOO much in debt....can buy ANYTHING.
On paper they are not so bad looking but scratch the surface and you see hundreds of still empty Builder's Square properties held up in the courts AND the Builder's Square pension plan looming over their heads.
Builder's Square was kept alive for YEARS via money from Kmart....money that KMart didn't have in the first place....they took that money from Sam's Club.
Then add the KMart/Builder's Square/Hechinger merger that fell through years ago that left a guy named Ken North a nice Golden Parachute.....and everyone else gets the debt.
WE have a credit rating that follows us around and occasionally haunts us....what about these ********?

[adam]

Viral1 those numbers are still 2 years old. They were talking about this on the radio this morning and they said the #1 and #2 were Walmart and Target, respectively.

[Doramius]

I saw Someone say Home Depot. I'm sure they sell a lot, but they aren't really considered consumer retail stores. More around home improvement like Lowes, Chase-Pitkin, Builder's Square, & Home Base. Does Home Base exist anymore? I know Hechinger doesn't exist. I think Chase-Pitkin needs to be in more places than the North East, along with Wegmans. There's nothing like Wegmans anywhere. Closest thing is Tops International, and they suck.

[Capmaster]

More around home improvement like Lowes, Chase-Pitkin, Builder's Square, & Home Base. Does Home Base exist anymore?

I don't think so...at least not in NM. We had one close to home that I was a regular at, and it closed. I use Home Depot now.

We have Blows stores, but the closest one is pretty far from us. Chase-Pitkin I never heard of. Builders Square is out of business, at least here. That also used to be my regular store when we lived across town. Allwood's was another that faded away.

[hech54]

Builder's Square and Hechinger are gone. They merged into one company just before they went under. They were bitter rivals before they merged too....pretty funny.
My brother-in-law works part time for Home Depot. I prefer Lowe's though. Depot treats their employees and their vendors like garbage.

Home Base and Home Quarters were Hechinger as well.

[Doramius]

I don't know which Home Depot you're talking about, but I know plenty near me and back east where the employees are treated NICE. Lowes is okay, but it's usually more expensive. The quality of lumber is usually much better though. Rarely find a lot of crappy scrap lumber with all of their supply.

Chase-Pitkin is a home improvement store, like H/D and Lowes, but they are owned by the grocery chain Wegmans. You want to talk about a company that treats its employees well, they are right near the top. They're only in the North East right now, but many other grocery chains fear them. Even Super Walmart and Greatland Targets. Wegmans stores are HUGE. Think of a Super Walmart, then remove all of the retail items and replace with more groceries, plus gourmet cafe, large deli, giant candy section, Hollywood video store, full bakery, large seafood section, and tons more. If they don't have a certain type of food, quite often they can order it for you. They have the traditional Card Member Club, plus use practically every coupon and even have days where they accept expired coupons within the last 6 months. If you meet people from NY, parts of PA and NJ who have been to Wegmans, you'll get a pretty positive remark from everyone. Wegman's make Albertsons and Piggly Wiggly look like Mom-n-Pop's Grocery.

[Roundabout]

We have Blows stores

Good one.


Home Base was formerly Home Club. They used to charge to be a member, like Costco and Sam's Club does. They couldn't charge anymore when HD came into town, so the changed the name to Home Base and continued in business for a few more years.

They finally went belly-up sometime around 1998 or 99, I don't remember exactly.

HD pretty much had the DIY market tied up nationally, as a "category killer" store. Lowe's started expanding and opening stores as close as possible to HD to try and take away customers. In many locations, Lowe's is across the street or withing a block of HD. It hurt HD for a while, but they're beginning to come back now after a couple of years of decline, and they are revamping a lot of the stores.

I've never worked at HD, but they were voted one of the best companies to work for in the US not too long ago. So I think Doramius is right, the employees must be treated O.K. or they'd be leaving in droves. And I've always been treated well there, never had a complaint or a problem. Lowe's employees are O.K. too, but like Doramius noted, their prices are almost always higher than HD.

Case in point, a week or so ago, I was buying a back support belt (like you see employees wearing, but not with the HD logo). I first went to Lowe's, since the store is closer to me. They were charging $19.99 for the cheapest one, and the quality was not very good. I went to HD and found one made by "Professional's Choice" for just over $12. It was better quality, thicker material, and a much lower price. That's quite a price difference, and I'm glad I went to HD.

I've noticed the same thing when I compared Costco to Sam's Club. Sam's is consistently lower priced than Costco for the exact same item. Sometimes the difference is only a few cents, other times it's several dollars. That can add up over time, to some serious money. Add the fact that Sam's cost $10 a year less to be a member, and it really makes a difference. I've found that mostly there are the exact same food items at Sam's as there is at Costco, but at a lower price. Therefore, I go to Sam's. I have a free membership to Costco that a friend gives me (he doesn't need two cards) but I virtually never go there. No reason to pay more for the same thing a block away.

[tgpo]

S-Mart would be sweet!

[glockjs]

hey i used to work for home base. that company sucked and the people running it were complete morons. them goin under didnt surprise me