You knew it was only a matter of time...

[Stormbringer]

Kmart took out a huge two page ad in the fold of my local paper today announcing that they are selling Craftsman tools at all locations as well as online.

http://www.kmart.com/catalog/search....al&N=672&Nty=1

For the three people that don't know, Kmart took over Sears about two years ago...(or is it the other way around?). Regardless, I guess you can now score the Craftsman/Bosch router kit at Kmart if you want it

Thanks for the clarification radhak.

[radhak]

Kmart bought Sears - a case of small fish eating a bigger one... :

http://www.mindfully.org/Industry/20...ars19nov04.htm

[Rob R]

one more place to check for clearance tools. except there aren't any kmarts around here anymore!

rob

[paintandbodtman]

kmart sears

The irony of the deal is that kmart filed bankruptcy just before buying sears. they shed theirselves of their bad business decisions and then bought sears,something seriously wrong with that picture IMHO, they can't pay their debts and bad leases but can buy a big fish like sears, go figure.The goverment worries about individual bankruptcies and than allows this to happen seems like we need to overhaul corperate bankruptcy laws as well as consumer ones. Kind of reminds you of the S and L failures that were brought on by bad business loans not individual loans.

Wayne

[dsellinger]

Well Sears was mostly bought with stock... not a lot of cash in the deal due to the recent bankruptcy.

Interesting news though. We have a Kmart and a Sears near each other, might be a good place to look for odd deals. Maybe that 14" bandsaw I've been needing.

[thrytis]

The Kmart here has had Craftsman tools for a while now. It has just been the low end stuff like hand tools or cheap power tools, nothing like bandsaws or Bosch based router kits.

[parnelli]

On the radio last week, they spent a long time talking about Sears Holdings, and how there were LOTS of rumors that they were looking to pick up another chain. The talked about two that are the front runners, but I can only remember BORG being one of them.

[Santa Clarita Len]

For those who may not know Craftsman tools are also sold at OSH (Orchard Supply and Hardware) which is also owned by Sears.

[Thalermade]

At Christmas time (Holiday time?) Craftsman hand tools can be found in Krogers as well.

K-Mart carrying Craftsman will be interesting. While I am pretty well set on mechanics hand tools, I have rarely purchased any Craftsman hand tools that were not on sale. So how will K-Marts prices be structured vs.
a Sears or Sears Hardware? From the add the prices look the same, including sale prices. Hmmmm, $98 for an oil-lubricated Craftsman 3gl Air Compressor, 1.5hp, Horizontal Tank ..............

Russ

[vaking]

I believe I have read that while being in Chapter 11 - KMart was saved by intervention of a hedge fund and emerged as a different company with different ownership - just the name survived. That hedge fund was the one that added Sears to its collection. So this is not a small fish eating big fish - this is a case of 2 small fish being swallowed by a shark and merged.
I know a Kmart store in New York that has been selling Craftsman tools for over a year. Prices are same as in Sears without sales and the selection of tools is very household-oriented. Screwdrivers, may be drills, nothing interesting. I am also looking at changes at Sears next to my office - selection is also heading in the same direction. Professional tools are going on clearance and being replaced by commonly used tools. Professional tools are sold in small quantities with higher margins, common tools have larger quantities with lower margins. That was always the Kmart territory. The short advice - don't hold your breath on sales of Craftsman tools at big-K. If you have not been shopping for tools at K before - there is no reason to start now. Sears is being brought to level of Kmart, not the other way around.

[pushrod]

I've seen a limited selection of Craftsman hand tools at a couple of Military Exchanges. They are priced about the same as at Sears. Of course, there is no Sales Tax.

However, I've never seen either K-Mart or the Exchanges put Craftsman tools on sale like the Sears stores do.