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> They were Amazon before Amazon, but just didn’t realize it. They did realize it (well, they obviously didn’t have Amazon as a reference, but...). And they en
by dragonwriter 10mo ago
> They were Amazon before Amazon, but just didn’t realize it.
They did realize it (well, they obviously didn’t have Amazon as a reference, but...). And they enjoyed it for a long time. But, as has happened many times to firms very successful in one set of conditions, they failed to adapt to changing conditions.
- compsciphd 10mo agoexcept arguably they should have it in their DNA to adapt. How does the company built on mail order not adapt to the new mail order reality.
- Digory 10mo agoThey were caught flatfooted between being Wal-Mart and Amazon. Sears had shifted so firmly into retail by the 80s. Then Wal-Mart ate their lunch on low price retail logistics. Then Amazon came along, and solved last-mile delivery of catalog sales.
- musicale 10mo agoPerhaps Sears/Kmart could have filled the Target niche, and leveraged Sears' brand portfolio rather than selling them off to make crushing interest payments.
- tracker1 10mo agoThey invested heavily in Prodigy, when that failed, management thought the internet was a fad and didn't invest or even try. By the time they tried, they were way behind Amazon.