Amazon and Sears to partner together to sell tires

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Sears better get their installation prices down, if you can find one that still has an Auto Center open. They always seemed like a sketchy place to have anything done, even worse than most WMs.
 
No thanks. I've been avoiding Sears since the 90's. Sears and K-mart, that worked great. Discount Tire for me.
 
Originally Posted By: sprite1741
No thanks. I've been avoiding Sears since the 90's. Sears and K-mart, that worked great. Discount Tire for me.


Oh don't get me wrong.. I'm not recommending Sears, just thought it was an interesting combo. Tire Rack and Discount Tire for me too.
 
Interesting.

Wild thought: what if Amazon uses Sears as a store front? Wild thought: you want to try out a new xyz, but there's 5 of them on Amazon, and you plan to just buy 5, keep the best, return the rest. What if those 5 got shipped to your local Sears, you go in, try all 5, buy the one you like?

Not sure that is a workable business plan, but it's a thought. Stock common selling stuff, sure, but otherwise figure out a way to deal with frequent return shipping (which has to cost Amazon something).
 
I stopped going to Sears years ago. The last time I bought tires there they insisted I get a refundable alignment check. I complied. The kid they had doing it literally had been working fast food the day before. I had to show him the proper Euro weights to use and how to set up his alignment rack. Should have paid me. At least I know it was done right seeing as I did it.
I could actually see Amazon buying Sears as fulfillment centers like they bought Whole Foods for groceries. World domination.
 
Sears and Montgomery Ward were great. Had many tires, batteries, oil changes and brakes done with them in the past years.
They had catalogs, just order the item and get it at the store or they sent it to you. At one point they even had a car for sale and houses. They had Allstate insurance. Kenmore appliances. Just like Amazon but without a computer. Better, I would say, than Amazon.
 
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Sears is way behind the 8 ball they have closed most of their auto centers here.


All I really see any more are the auto centers.
 
I always thought that if you buy tires at most online retailers, you could have them shipped to any installer that allows carry-ins: Walmart, Midas, Sears, Pep Boys, Allen’s Tire, Express Tire, Discount Tire, etc.

According to the article, the customer can select three different time slots to have tires installed at Sears, and Sears will check to see which of the three time slots they have available. However, Sears are notorious for not being able to keep promised appointment times. Not by a mile.

Another feature of doing the Amazon / Sears thing, is the tire installer will do a road test after install. This is not good to me. Not only is it going to increase waiting room time for customers, but I don’t want my car road tested by a Sears tire installer, or any tire installer for that matter. I’m sure you can decline the road test, but some consumers might think this is a wonderful and unique service, that other tire shops don’t do. That’s because it’s only going to cause serious delays in productivity and have customers waiting even longer.

I think Sears should close their stores (clothes, tools, jewelry, shoes, etc.) and focus on tires and wheels. They have an opportunity to compete with Discount Tire, and Tire Rack, Tire Buyer, etc. If they just focus on those two products, and not do brake jobs, oil changes, tune-ups, and batteries.

Discount Tire is such a huge success because they focus on two (well, three with the road hazard replacement certificates) products, and they get customers in and out in a very timely manner compared to Sears, Pep Boys, Midas, etc.

Or, Amazon can just rename the Sears Automotive, to Amazon Tire Store. Again, just focusing on a multi-billion dollar market: tires and wheels. Otherwise I see no benefits with this Sears / Amazon idea.
 
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Sears is way behind the 8 ball they have closed most of their auto centers here.

There's still two auto centers in my area, although they are a drive away.

If I was Amazon and really wanted to give B&M a run for its money, I would have bought out Sears from Edward Lampert and strategically close stores that are near cities where Amazon Prime membership is high or if there's a Whole Foods in that area. Instead, focus Sears at malls that are "healthy", K-Marts where there is the support for one and spend money reviving those brands.

In my area, Wal-Mart is winding down the auto centers and superstores. This is where Amazon can meld in their logistics, buying power, the Whole Foods purchase and of course giving Prime members a small break.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Interesting.

Wild thought: what if Amazon uses Sears as a store front? Wild thought: you want to try out a new xyz, but there's 5 of them on Amazon, and you plan to just buy 5, keep the best, return the rest. What if those 5 got shipped to your local Sears, you go in, try all 5, buy the one you like?


Except most Sears are already closed, if not closed, then extremely dated and run down inside. And I doubt they want to be mixing with a name that is ubiquitous with failure. I'm surprised Amazon wants to be used in the same breath as Sears for the tire deal.

Maybe if they had bought out Sears (K-mart rather, Sears was bought out in the "merger") and renamed before they closed all their stores and ruined their imagine, but that ship has sailed.

I'm not sure why people think Sears still exists. K-mart bought out Sears, not the other way around, and there was no merger. Sears is just a K-mart brand name, in the process of shutting down.
 
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