Sears Grand, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Photos by Andrew Gileo
Once upon a time (ok, 2003), Sears launched a concept called "Sears Grand". It was essentially Sears meets Kmart on steroids, but Sears and Kmart wouldn't merge until 2004. You can get all the big brands Sears offered when it came to tools, appliances, electronics and even auto care, plus you can get basic items like soda, chips, toys, sheets and batteries. A lot of its stores were built brand new, giving it a completely fresh look. Once Sears and Kmart merged, some Kmart stores converted to this concept. Sadly, some were a half hearted effort. Some stores would simply be repainted, put up a new logo, and changed the Kmart price tags to Sears ones, often raising the prices. Customers didn't take to this idea, and many of these concept stores were quickly changed back to Kmart. The positive was, when changing back to Kmart, most got a full remodel, such as the Summerville, SC store.
Then, there's stores like this: Built as a Sears Grand, yet, it quietly lost its "Grand". Items that would make it "Grand" were removed, and the store was basically converted into a regular Sears department store. I don't believe Sears ever officially retired the Sears Grand name plate, but from the looks of it, most have been turned into a regular Sears store.
Exterior
Going Inside
The map is original to the stores opening.... and isn't reflective of whats inside today
The front end of the store featuring an open Sears Optical, a failed Portrait Studio, and a failed Dentist.
Clothing
Jewelry
Bedding
Appliances
Electronics
Tools
Sears Auto Center
Bed sheets are YUMMY! (Former Pantry section)
Outdoor Furniture
Shopping Cart
Checkouts
Photos were taken in the SUMMER of 2015... (look at the bags)
Have a Sears Grand of your own to share? Please comment below or email deadanddyingretail@gmail.com
It's really too bad they were unable to expand upon this concept. It was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThese Sears Grand stores are interesting, thanks for the post. I think Sears would be in a much better position than they are now if they continued to build new Sears stores in newer/older areas with favorable retail conditions that don't have malls. Of course, Eddie Lampert put an end to that. I'm not sure if Sears ever would have been successful selling food products like the early Sears Grand stores did, but they probably would have done fine as regular full-line Sears department stores. Oh well, maybe some day Sears will return to building new stores.
ReplyDeleteThe yummy bedsheets thing is funny. Sears should have spent some money updating the signage when they eliminated some of the departments. These Sears Grand stores share some common trends with other Sears-owned stores that were built or renovated in the early 2000s. One of the most noticeable aspects are the odd sayings placed around the store. This former Sears store at the Washington Square Mall in Indianapolis has those sayings too. Sears' The Great Indoors stores perhaps had the oddest sayings. I remember those well as I shopped at those stores quite a bit in Houston when they were open. Kmart's oddball green and gray stores have those weird sayings too, but I think that is just a coincidence as I think those stores were remodeled before the merger with Sears.
I've never been to a Sears Grand store (or a Sears Essentials store for that matter) as we never had one in Houston, but there is one that is still open in Austin that has been photographed. Maybe I'll be able to visit that store one day.
It's odd that Sears was using Christmas bags in the summer, but it's hardly unprecedented. I've received Christmas bags at Sears several months past the Christmas season. OTOH, I've had purchases during the Christmas season that were put in regular bags. I had purchases as late as last year that came in bags with the ~2003 era logo. I don't know if those are excess stock bags or if they still printed up bags with that logo after they changed their logo to the current one. Sometimes I still see price tags, especially in the clothing departments, that have the ~2003 logo and even the pre-1984 logo on them. The ones with the pre-1984 logo must have been printed more recently, but they still have the old logo on them for whatever reason.
Anyway, I'm glad to see a new post on this blog. I'm happy that this site has not gone to the retail blog graveyard like many other good sites. It's also good to see more coverage of West coast retail as most retail blogs/photostreams focus more on the East coast or the Midwest except for a few grocery store blogs. Finally, I enjoy coverage of Sears stores. Hopefully more Kbloggers will also cover Sears stores as well.
Thanks for the comment and the links! We do MOST of our posting on the facebook page, but we try and save special stuff for the blog. We have very little west coast contributors, so posts in Cali wont be often!
DeleteCan you guys please add a comprehensive Kmart/Sears 2016 closing list?
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ReplyDeleteI live in Las Vegas Nevada. Our Sears Grand store is always packed with people. I shop there for my oil changes, tires, batteries. The one thing they did take out was the pantry side. They replace it with a larger baby/home section. I recently bought 6 Samsung 50" TV's from them and got a better price then Sams club and Costco were selling them. Anyway I can tell you that the Sears Grand store in Las Vegas will never be on the closing list, due to it being so popular.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! Its technically not a "Grand" store anymore, it's a regular Sears but I am sure the store won't ever update the signage.
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ReplyDeleteI went to the Sears Grand store in Salt Lake when they first opened. At the time I worked at Sears #1169 at the Chandler Fashion Center. It was interesting to see the different concept. Ours was a prototype store. Its look and some of the features and fixtures were unique. The store was sort of a testing ground. The Sears part of the Sears Grand logo was what our store used. Our store became the top store in the Phoenix area. Going there now, my old mattress department has been greatly expanded at the expense of Home Fasjions, which has been greatly scaled back. The first store I worked at at Superstition Springs Mall also has the greatly expanded mattress department, which surprises me.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking at the Sears at 3177 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226 and I see the "old" Sears logo so I'm not sure what your talking about?
DeleteRequest: The mall at the source
ReplyDeleteWhat an odd name for a mall!
DeleteIt's so sad that Sears got mismanaged so poorly. Outside of them never updating signage in the photographed store, no Sears I've been to in the last decade has any updates at all. The displays are barely a step above the TJ Maxx model of junk thrown on racks haphazardly in a giant, undecorated warehouse.
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