For those who haven’t heard (I hadn’t myself until just a few minutes ago), Kmart Holding has bought Sears for $11 billion. I’m not sure what to think of this. Kmart filed for Chapter 11 a couple of years ago and Sears closed their catalog stores a few years before that.
At long last, Americans will finally be able to … er… get stuff.
Kears
Sea-Mart
Come see the softer side of Martha.
[Charlie Babbit]
Craftsman sucks, Ray.
[/CB]
Now! Twice the power of incompetent management, shoddy quality and inept service.
Deep in the Netherworld, there is a poker table in a small, smoke-filled room. William Grant and the Woolworth brothers, Frank and Charles, look on as Sebastian Kresge rakes in the chips from Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck. Kresge chuckles to himself as he piles the little clay disks into tidy stacks. But across from him sits Sam Walton, and it’s still anyone’s game. . .
One crappy store buys another crappy store. Yay?
Now Wal-Mart can buy K-SMart-ears and change the name to WalK–SMart-ears.
Joe Boxer Tools / Craftsmen Underwear
Martha Stewart Living Appliances / Kenmore Linens
Finally…Martha Stewart Drillpresses. Craftsman pillowcases. Kenmore Baby clothes. 
Great minds, John…great minds!
Your signature link (http://http:http://cnn.allpolitics.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=CNN.com+-+Bush+asks+Daschle+to+limit+Sept.+11+probes+-+January+29%2C+2002&expire=-1&urlID=1988536&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2002%2FALLPOLITICS%2F01%2F29%2Finv.terror.probe%2Findex.html&partnerID=2001) needs a bit of fine tuning.
Your’s is better…I’d just tweek Martha Stewart’s line to include drillpresses, demolition hammers and metal files
Pity the Chicago folks…what with that 100,000 Watt KMart Blue Light Special being installed on the top of the Sears Tower and flashing over the city whenever ladies underwear is half off.
Two companies without futures hoping to stave off the inevitable for a bit longer. If either Sears or Kmart did not exist today, would anyone invent them?
That would explain the new George Forman Grill commercials.
Seems to undo a lot of work that Sears has been doing to improve its image, e.g. selling name brand merchandise such as Lands End. While K-Mart is pretty much inextricably associated with crap, the Sears name was conceivably redeemable. So maybe a step backwards for Sears and a step forward for K-Mart.
I’d kinda like an alert when that happens myself!
I stopped buying Land’s End stuff when Sears bought them. Now with this KMart thing, I’m REALLY not going to buy anything from Land’s End. The association with the other two is enough to bring down a decent company like LE.
The real story for me is Vornado’s involvement.
Sears and Kmart sell stuff. More important, Sears and Kmart have valuable real estate. Vornado is all about real estate.