Sears Bandsaw for $230?

[ctxman]

I've been following the threads about the Bandsaw and tablesaw being on clearance at the Sears Essential stores. There aren't any stores in my aread, but I did call some that were quite far away but when I get them on the phone they all say the original price of $449. I was wondering, are all Sears Essentials stores going to stop selling these power tools? It's hard to track anything down over the phone.

Also, has anyone been successful at having a regular Sears store match the clearance price of $230? If so, how much trouble was it and is there anything I should know before I try something like this? Looking for help from those that have been successful.
Thanks,
John

[Uncle Hook]

I visited several of Sears stores in northern NJ. Very few of them even stock the Craftsman 12 or 14 inch bandsaw models. Most of them only had the 10 inch model. I think it was a fluke that one of the Sears Essentials stores carried two of the 14 inch models.

[ctxman]

Well I did find 1 store that said they had 2 in stock, but not for the clearance price. The stores are just too far from me to go and see. Sounds like somebody got lucky. I was just wondering if the regular Sears store has price matched for anyone.

[psal2]

Another problem you might run into is that sometime the Essential stores have merchandise that can't be ordered at a regular Sears store. I work p/t in one (not in hardware) and we have run into that situation more than once.

[cwsmith]

While I can't speak for this particular store and its clearance sale, I have attended a few "clearances," as my area has been in an economic depression for the last few years. From that experience I've learned that, when closing a single store that is part of a chain or franchise, products are often marked down to prices that are below cost. These particular stores are often closed because their lack of sales (or other factors) have put a drain on the organization and they're being cut from the pack, so to speak.

When clearance prices are established, the alternative cost of shipping these items to other stores is factored in, and often it is deemed that it is simply more cost effective to let the product go at reduced prices.

Obviously, successful stores that remain open are not part of this "clearance" and therefore have neither the encentive or permission to match these prices.

CWS

[psal2]

Sears has what is known as VOM (Very Old Merchandise). This report is generated for the store on a regular basis. It means that the item will "fall out of the system" in a matter of weeks, maybe days and to sell it. If it falls out, they are not allowed to sell it at all and the full price of the merchandise is charged against the store. Many managers will start marking down and eventually take literally "pennies on a dollar". That is when you start seeing those pink tags. Sometimes, items don't make it out of the warehouse when this list is generated because employees jump on them all the time. Example, I bought a game the other night that was $24.99 for $2.97.