Tray sent a message to Edward Lampert – Chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings – Email Address that said:
Mr. Lampert,
I am not sure if this email will get to you or not, but I thought I would give it a shot. I am writing this because I used to be a Sears employee approximately 25 years ago and I have a soft spot in my heart for the company. I feel the company has lost its identity. I walk into your store today and see that it looks run down, your associates do not seem to care much, and you are trying to sell everything under the sun. I feel it is time for the company to cut its losses and get back to the basics. If I were running the company, I would do the following.
1) Stop the bleeding and rethink your sales strategy.
I think the company should focus on three things only and those are tools (Craftsman), appliances, and clothing. There is so much competition out there for everything else you sell; however, the Craftsman name is strong. Sears is one of the few places I visit when in the market for new appliances. And, my wife wants to shop at Sears every time we go school shopping for our kids.
2) Clearly define who you are, re-brand, and reinvent yourselves! Things to consider are:
Retail spaces -
These can be much smaller.
You need to update the look.
Train your staff in personalized customer service but do not give away the store! (I have seen this happen specifically with Sears in the past).
Web site -
Simply put, you need to compete in this space if you are going to survive. Make it very user friendly including policies such as same day pickup in the store and free shipping! Maybe you can consider a quick checkout option with Apple or Google Pay. I will admit that I am unsure about the logistics of buying and shipping large items but I am certain it can be done cost effectively.
Figure out how to measure success-
Is the company profitable again?
Are the customers happy?
Are the sales trends moving up?
Final note:
I am certain that if Sears stays on the current path, it will nothing more than a memory and it may take up to five years.
What have you got to lose?
Think bold but do it smartly!
Thank you for your time.
Tray
