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Mall shopping is now different from superstore shopping. The advent of so-called big-box superstores, like Lowe's and Home Depot, has differentiated casual visits to the mall from "destination" shopping for big-ticket items. Sears, whose stores are almost entirely in malls, has suffered from this change. Much of its bread-and-butter merchandise is "hard goods," such as Kenmore appliances, Craftsman tools and DieHard batteries. The success of Home Depot and Lowe's shows that shoppers making major purchases in these areas don't like to do it at malls. "It appears that Sears wants to be more in free-standing stores," says retail analyst Walter Loeb. "This is a major change for Sears."

UPDATE: ScrappleFace uncovers the real purpose behind the SEARS/KMART deal. Posted by Greg Ransom | TrackBack