Ken's Blog: The Big Store on the Map

HBSDealer's Brand map of the U.S. generated some controversy back in March, when editors selected Sears as the brand to represent Illinois, a state of many proud manufacturers, retailers and co-ops.

The article “Battle of the Brands, State by State” February 2016 sought to identify each state’s leading home improvement brand, based on headquarters location and informed by internet research, the HBSDealer Industry Scoreboard Series and ultimately, the opinions of HBSDealer editors.

Here I am to defend the selection of Sears. But first, let us concede two sins of omission from the map.

Perhaps blinded by the 100s of $billions in sales, Walmart received the nod for Arkansas.

After further review, and in the spirit of a distinct hardware and building supply emphasis, Ridout Lumber belongs on the map. Arkansas’ largest family owned lumber company, Ridout has 12 locations in Arkansas, and the kind of market share that generated $200 million in sales (in a state with 6,000 housing starts).

Also, as much as we like the Made in USA story of Valley Forge Flags, in South Carolina, that state's brand. Campion should have been Greenville, S.C.-based Guardian, and operating 30 DCs around the country.

As for Illinois, I can understand the criticisms of Sears, and the strength of the competition -- particularly among the co-ops. Sears, after all, posted a $580 million loss in fiscal 2015. Revenues are shrinking, comp-store sales are in retreat, and valuable assets are being sold off.

But when talk about a retail brand over and across the 20th and 21st centuries, here are some cool things about Sears:

1) The Sears tower. (Note to Chicago readers: Please. No one calls it the Willis Tower.)

2) Ture story: Sears Holdings CEO Eddie Lampert was kidnapped and talked his way out of captivity. Google it.

3) "The Big Store." Published in 1980s, this was required reading by retail reporters, before the age of the Internet. It documented what for decades was the number one player in American retail, and a major play in finance, insurance and auto care.

4) Craftsman mail-order houses. Ordered right from the catalog.

5) Craftsman tools.

6) Lampert's letters to shareholders. A snippet: “Our approach to our transformation has been consistent, even as it is not without its risks. And, transformation requires retooling of internal processes and expectations, as well as re-branding external expectations and capabilities. It is necessary and we are doing it.” And on and on, in that vein. It’s admirable.

Clearly, Sears is struggling. Many experts predict its eventual demise. But there's still a lot of brand left in that business.

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