Sears Closure in Roseburg

rickc · 12-31-2011, 05:01 PM

Am i the only one bummed about losing our Sears store? I will definately miss the tool sales and lawn and garden stuff. The 20 dollar sale rack was always nice. Not to mention how many people it will put out of work.

juanitotheclumsy · 12-31-2011, 06:11 PM

Yes, it's too bad. Sears, along with other mainstays of our mercantile economy (I have a guaranteed-for-life Penneys mechanics tool set!), was an honest company that sold good quality for fair prices. It still does in certain areas such as appliances and hand tools, but unfortunately the American public has been seduced by the viper of low price, quality be damned. Walmart is cheap and promoted often in this forum, but Walmart kills other businesses, and actually results in fewer local jobs and wages when they bully their way in to a community. Sears tried to compete against outsourced cheapness, but now has lost its good name in most product areas because it lowered its standards.

I went to Sears looking for a more efficient replacement for my good old Kenmore fridge. The long-time Sears salesman actually pointed out how bad the new products were, and how even though they were engineered to be more efficient when new, they were engineered to within an inch of their lives, and the build quality from Asia was not up to snuff, so they didn't last long at all, and Sears was actually raising the price of the extended warranties by 20 percent because they broke so much. Needless to say I still have my old Kenmore.

The whole point of beneficial foreign trade is to buy and sell products that are either better than that made in the parent country, or not made at all. But you can't compete against people who are so desperate for jobs that they will work for slave wages, and in fact, be slaves sometimes just for another day or week of life for them and their loved ones.

HarleyGuy · 12-31-2011, 06:31 PM

Funny that they are keeping K-mart and closing sears (they are owned by the same company) K-mart has been totally trashed for years. Totally worthles. I've walked in there maybe 3 times in 10 years and just left and talked about how the few customers they had were either zombies or from the phyc (sp) ward.

james1300 · 12-31-2011, 06:33 PM

I heard that Sears and KMart both where closing 100 stores combined nation wide. It mades me feel bad.
But we must all try and buy more american made products.
It isnt EZ. I don't own an American made motorcycle. However, if a sportbike could be made close to the same price and quality as an import, I'd sure look at it!
(Please don't say Buell. The Blast, their entry level bike was a joke. Cheap by design and, shifted like crap. Fasteners so cheap they made a Chinese pocket bike look good).

Transported · 12-31-2011, 06:45 PM

Race to the bottom for wages and profits rise to the top. We need a bit a redistribution...

rickc · 12-31-2011, 07:26 PM

It such a shame to see those jobs go. I worked at this Sears in the mid 90's and some of the same people are still there. Our local economy could really do without this added hit. I agree that keeping our local dollars as local as we can. I ride a foreign bike, however, i bought it used locally. Purchase all my routine maintenance items (oil, filters, plugs, etc.) locally and try to use local bike shops as much as i can.

Ninja Apprentice · 12-31-2011, 08:01 PM

Remember though. Not all tools Sears sells are "Made in America."

My Cousin bought me a set of the new Craftsman Universal wrenches. Well he bought me the Standard set and I wanted the Metric set. Well as I was checking online about the wrenches I cam upon a post that said they were made in China. So I took a look. Sure enough! Made in China printed right on the back.

rickc · 12-31-2011, 08:06 PM

I wondered if the "Craftsman" wrenches sold at Kmart are the same quality as the ones sold at Sears?

Charlie D · 12-31-2011, 08:50 PM

Only thing I used Sears for was tools and they started selling real junk over 10 years ago so I quit going in.

Seems any place you go now all have very poor quality made everywhere around the world and that goes for USA made too.

Employees now days say the heck with quality, I came in to work now give me my pay.

jwcruiser · 01-01-2012, 01:00 AM

Hard to get enthusiastic about your job when profits are sky high & your wages are down. As Herbert Hoover once said, "the problem with Capitalism is capitalists, they're so damn greedy."

mrmeeks · 01-01-2012, 02:12 AM

I'll will miss Sears. I bought their US made tools. At least You had a choice there with most things and could still find tool made in the USA. I will have to find a new source for US made tools when they leave. Does ANYONE know of one in town?

jwcruiser · 01-01-2012, 04:41 AM

Oregon Tool and Supply.

james1300 · 01-01-2012, 06:03 AM

So why don't you Folks write Sears corporate and demand they leave your store intact?
What would it take?
4 minutes and a stamp?

HarleyGuy · 01-01-2012, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by james1300

I heard that Sears and KMart both where closing 100 stores combined nation wide. It mades me feel bad.
But we must all try and buy more american made products.
It isnt EZ. I don't own an American made motorcycle. However, if a sportbike could be made close to the same price and quality as an import, I'd sure look at it!
(Please don't say Buell. The Blast, their entry level bike was a joke. Cheap by design and, shifted like crap. Fasteners so cheap they made a Chinese pocket bike look good).

I've been trying to do that.
I look through my old stuff and find that even just 10 years ago a lot more stuff, like blue jeans from Bi-Mart, were made in the USA. How come in just 10 years everything is made in China and the price is still the same or keeping up with inflation? I think I mostly blame our own government for making it hard on American companies, from the EPA all the way down to county building departments. Look at how long it took just to get approval to build Costco. If the econemy turned around tommarrow and we suddenly NEEDED more factories, it would take 5 years before the first one got a building permit. Sad!

koorbloh · 01-01-2012, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by james1300

I heard that Sears and KMart both where closing 100 stores combined nation wide. It mades me feel bad.
But we must all try and buy more american made products.

shopping more at sears and kmart wouldn't mean buying more american bought products.

the problem is that people are buying the same stuff, and sears and kmart could adapt to sell what people need in brick and mortar stores, but with people buying online more and more, it doesn't make sense to have 2 stores that compete in a small area, especially when owned by the same company.

so, they chose to keep the one that is the best for the business.

this isn't about american products, or transported's class warfare or any of that shit.

it's about the american consumer moving online because of reduced prices that are afforded by online companies with less overhead.

it's about americans voting with their dollars for less service, but lower prices.

Sentor · 01-01-2012, 09:47 AM

I knew a lady from Nike who was the head of the socks department.

She said that Nike tried to keep their business American for a while, but realized very quickly that Chinese made better socks, for much cheaper.

Chinese doesn't mean bad for all quality purposes. She said the quality difference was significant, and continues to be, as they send out their designs multiple times a year for bids.

That's just one example, out of hundreds that are probably there.

Charlie D · 01-01-2012, 10:30 AM

I think the reason to keep K-mart and drop the Sears store is due to the mall rent they may own the K-Mart property and building outright.

HarleyGuy · 01-01-2012, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by Sentor

I knew a lady from Nike who was the head of the socks department.

She said that Nike tried to keep their business American for a while, but realized very quickly that Chinese made better socks, for much cheaper.

Chinese doesn't mean bad for all quality purposes. She said the quality difference was significant, and continues to be, as they send out their designs multiple times a year for bids.

That's just one example, out of hundreds that are probably there.

I HIGHLY doubt that the chinese make a "quality", or even better quality sock. I'm hearing more and more about companies moving production back to here because of poor quality in China.

Bluuu · 01-01-2012, 02:53 PM

Walmart doesn't kill anything and they don't bully their way into anywhere. They buy a piece of land somebody wants to sell. They build a store. They offer to sell you shit. Don't like their shit? Don't buy it. They'll go away.

Suzuki Stevo · 01-01-2012, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by HarleyGuy

I HIGHLY doubt that the chinese make a "quality", or even better quality sock. I'm hearing more and more about companies moving production back to here because of poor quality in China.

I really don't know about the socks, in my lifetime the phrase "Made In Japan" was synonymous with being "Junk". Japan has turned that all around. I would never rule out China, they are having a industrialization boom that started decades ago.


12-31-2011, 05:01 PM	#1
rickc Pit Crew Joined: Jul 2010 From: Roseburg,OR I Ride: 2000 R1	Sears Closure in Roseburg Am i the only one bummed about losing our Sears store? I will definately miss the tool sales and lawn and garden stuff. The 20 dollar sale rack was always nice. Not to mention how many people it will put out of work. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 06:11 PM	#2
juanitotheclumsy Licensed Joined: Oct 2009 From: woodinville, wa I Ride: '02 Triumph Sprint ST	Yes, it's too bad. Sears, along with other mainstays of our mercantile economy (I have a guaranteed-for-life Penneys mechanics tool set!), was an honest company that sold good quality for fair prices. It still does in certain areas such as appliances and hand tools, but unfortunately the American public has been seduced by the viper of low price, quality be damned. Walmart is cheap and promoted often in this forum, but Walmart kills other businesses, and actually results in fewer local jobs and wages when they bully their way in to a community. Sears tried to compete against outsourced cheapness, but now has lost its good name in most product areas because it lowered its standards. I went to Sears looking for a more efficient replacement for my good old Kenmore fridge. The long-time Sears salesman actually pointed out how bad the new products were, and how even though they were engineered to be more efficient when new, they were engineered to within an inch of their lives, and the build quality from Asia was not up to snuff, so they didn't last long at all, and Sears was actually raising the price of the extended warranties by 20 percent because they broke so much. Needless to say I still have my old Kenmore. The whole point of beneficial foreign trade is to buy and sell products that are either better than that made in the parent country, or not made at all. But you can't compete against people who are so desperate for jobs that they will work for slave wages, and in fact, be slaves sometimes just for another day or week of life for them and their loved ones. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 06:31 PM	#3
HarleyGuy Licensed Joined: Dec 2009 From: orygun I Ride: AMERICAN IRON!!!!	Funny that they are keeping K-mart and closing sears (they are owned by the same company) K-mart has been totally trashed for years. Totally worthles. I've walked in there maybe 3 times in 10 years and just left and talked about how the few customers they had were either zombies or from the phyc (sp) ward. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 06:33 PM	#4
james1300 Track School Dazed Joined: Oct 2005 From: CENTRAL I Ride: When I can	I heard that Sears and KMart both where closing 100 stores combined nation wide. It mades me feel bad. But we must all try and buy more american made products. It isnt EZ. I don't own an American made motorcycle. However, if a sportbike could be made close to the same price and quality as an import, I'd sure look at it! (Please don't say Buell. The Blast, their entry level bike was a joke. Cheap by design and, shifted like crap. Fasteners so cheap they made a Chinese pocket bike look good). __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 06:45 PM	#5
Transported Moto2 Contender Joined: Dec 2006 From: Portland, Oregon Blog Entries: 1 I Ride: '99 R1, '80 Suz GS450S	Race to the bottom for wages and profits rise to the top. We need a bit a redistribution... __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 07:26 PM	#6
rickc Pit Crew Joined: Jul 2010 From: Roseburg,OR I Ride: 2000 R1	It such a shame to see those jobs go. I worked at this Sears in the mid 90's and some of the same people are still there. Our local economy could really do without this added hit. I agree that keeping our local dollars as local as we can. I ride a foreign bike, however, i bought it used locally. Purchase all my routine maintenance items (oil, filters, plugs, etc.) locally and try to use local bike shops as much as i can. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 08:01 PM	#7
Ninja Apprentice Endorsed Joined: May 2007 From: Vancouver, Washington I Ride: 2008 Ninja 250R	Remember though. Not all tools Sears sells are "Made in America." My Cousin bought me a set of the new Craftsman Universal wrenches. Well he bought me the Standard set and I wanted the Metric set. Well as I was checking online about the wrenches I cam upon a post that said they were made in China. So I took a look. Sure enough! Made in China printed right on the back. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 08:06 PM	#8
rickc Pit Crew Joined: Jul 2010 From: Roseburg,OR I Ride: 2000 R1	I wondered if the "Craftsman" wrenches sold at Kmart are the same quality as the ones sold at Sears? __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


12-31-2011, 08:50 PM	#9
Charlie D Permit Joined: Nov 2010 From: Roseburg	Only thing I used Sears for was tools and they started selling real junk over 10 years ago so I quit going in. Seems any place you go now all have very poor quality made everywhere around the world and that goes for USA made too. Employees now days say the heck with quality, I came in to work now give me my pay. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 01:00 AM	#10
jwcruiser Endorsed Joined: Feb 2010 From: Azalea, Or. I Ride: fxdbi	Hard to get enthusiastic about your job when profits are sky high & your wages are down. As Herbert Hoover once said, "the problem with Capitalism is capitalists, they're so damn greedy." __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 02:12 AM	#11
mrmeeks Endorsed Joined: Nov 2010 From: Roseburg, OR I Ride: 2008 Black Triumph Street Triple	I'll will miss Sears. I bought their US made tools. At least You had a choice there with most things and could still find tool made in the USA. I will have to find a new source for US made tools when they leave. Does ANYONE know of one in town? __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 04:41 AM	#12
jwcruiser Endorsed Joined: Feb 2010 From: Azalea, Or. I Ride: fxdbi	Oregon Tool and Supply. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 06:03 AM	#13
james1300 Track School Dazed Joined: Oct 2005 From: CENTRAL I Ride: When I can	So why don't you Folks write Sears corporate and demand they leave your store intact? What would it take? 4 minutes and a stamp? __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 09:47 AM	#16
Sentor Streetfighter Joined: Feb 2006 From: Portland, OR I Ride: 2007 Yamaha R1 - 2007 CBR 600rr (Track Bike)	I knew a lady from Nike who was the head of the socks department. She said that Nike tried to keep their business American for a while, but realized very quickly that Chinese made better socks, for much cheaper. Chinese doesn't mean bad for all quality purposes. She said the quality difference was significant, and continues to be, as they send out their designs multiple times a year for bids. That's just one example, out of hundreds that are probably there. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 10:30 AM	#17
Charlie D Permit Joined: Nov 2010 From: Roseburg	I think the reason to keep K-mart and drop the Sears store is due to the mall rent they may own the K-Mart property and building outright. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


01-01-2012, 02:53 PM	#19
Bluuu Señor verde Joined: Mar 2011 From: Kirkland I Ride: behind the girls.	Walmart doesn't kill anything and they don't bully their way into anywhere. They buy a piece of land somebody wants to sell. They build a store. They offer to sell you shit. Don't like their shit? Don't buy it. They'll go away. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

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