lexipixel - 6:29 am on Mar 7, 2012 (gmt 0)

Yeah yeah, spend it all, don't save nothing, blame it on the economy.

Save? As in savings account? Money in the bank isn't worth what "money in the bank" used to be -- you get 1% interest and there's 3% inflation.

We agree on a lot of things... but we'll have to agree to disagree on others.

IMO - Corporate greed has outpaced consumer stupidity, (and caused it to proliferate).

Low wage jobs, cheap imports, schlocky advertising pitches, (e.g.- every mattress in Sears is priced at more than double what it's worth and they continually leave "50% OFF Sale" signs up in that department. "Champion brand" tools sit alongside Craftsman tools, but all the signs in that department say "Craftsman". The jewelry department sells diamond bracelets with "TCW" ratings, (total carat weight), when in-fact the bracelet has that weight in worthless tiny stones and chips.

It's not just Sears, this is modern retailing.

Big retailers now hire temporary workers for 89 days so they don't have to give benefits or pay unemployment insurance. Low wages. No benefits. No pensions. It's a different corporate America than 50, 40 or even 20 years ago -- one that pits employees against the companies they work for, and all against consumers.

Sears got my tire and battery business for 30 years, (as well as several brake jobs, exhaust systems and other automotive work), but now I shop around -- and haven't spent a nickel in a Sears Auto Center in about 10 years.

Sears is sort of stuck in the middle of the retail wasteland -- they don't want to market themselves as the "low price leader", and can't sell on brand identity, quality or service any more -- all they are left with is those of us who remember shopping there with our parents and are still willing to spend a few dollars there.

I agree -- a lot of the blame goes to lazy, stupid, wasteful consumers. Sy Syms used to advertise, "An educated consumer is our best customer." The company is now bankrupt. I guess there was a shortage of educated consumers...