alienation

Sears: Retail Social Networking Pioneers

I've spent a lot of money with Sears, largely due to Sears.com. (Not a *lot*, but a couple thousand dollars. It's a lot to me.) This is money that didn't go to Amazon.com, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, or the local stores (though Sears is local to me).

I'm not sure why, because, in the past, I never really thought of Sears as a place to get things. Prices were kind of high, service was not good, stuff wasn't in stock. Over the past three years, or so, things have improved. I've also gotten older, and maybe my priorities are aligning with Sears.

Sears.com is good. They have some reviews on most of their big items. You have to read between the lines of course. The site accepts customer feedback, and sometimes, it seems to go to the right people. It's not as good as Amazon, but it's better than the other appliance stores. Also, they have parts, and they guarantee to stock them for a while, which is a big plus for me. I also like that they keep selling the same thing year in and out, for some simple things.

The site has a nice "in stock" feature that checks the local store's inventory. It's useful, because you improve your odds of getting what you need when you get there.

I also started shopping at Kmart again a few years back. It used to be a mess, but it's gotten better. I get my fake Dockers there for very little money. I'm a simple guy.

I guess Sears and Kmart are good for people like me, who don't like to shop. They're relatively efficient and safe. I'm sure I could do better, but I just don't care enough to seek out a better pair of fake Dockers or the ultimate mattress.