Sears, which was once a thriving department store, is dying a slow death and the company is grasping for cash in order to stay afloat. Last year, Sears borrowed $200 million from CEO Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund and most recently Sears agreed to sell Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker. Under the terms of the acquisition Sears will get a cash payment of $525 million followed by a payment of $250 million after three years. It will also receive royalties from the sales for Craftsman for the next 15 years. Stanley Black & Decker is focused on strengthening its position in the tool market. In October 2016 the company announced it would acquire the tool business of Newell Brands, which includes Irwin, Lenox and Hilmor, for $1.95 billion.
From Success to Struggle
So how did Sears go from successful department store to its current situation? Of course many retailers have been hit hard – not just Sears. Faced with competition from online stores, traditional retailers are struggling to keep up. Macy’s is in the process of closing 100 stores in order to cut costs and Walmart is now offering free two-day shipping when shoppers spend at least $35 in order to compete with Amazon.
But, we can’t blame everything on competition. Competition is the very nature of business and there will always be changes to in the industry, which are beyond your control. It’s up to leaders to anticipate these changes and proactively develop a strategy in order to survive and even thrive when times are tough. Instead, Sears did nothing. Sears is not the only company to fall into this “strategy.” When things are going well, or at least satisfactorily, it’s easy to get comfortable and keep doing the same thing.
However, the result of doing nothing can be disastrous for your business. Think about Montgomery Ward, which was the Amazon of the 1800s, accepting and delivering orders by mail. But now the company doesn’t even exist. If Sears wants to avoid the same fate, it will need to be more innovative to fix its long term growth problems. Getting cash now is a temporary solution and it will be interesting to see what steps the company takes once they get the cash.
Are You Doing Nothing?
For business leaders today, I urge you to take a serious look at your business and marketplace. Don’t let yourself get too comfortable or get too caught up in the day-to-day tasks that you neglect the bigger picture. Any company that doesn’t remain on its toes can succumb to doing nothing.
No matter your current situation, you should always think about what could happen next and question your assumptions. Just because your plan works now, doesn’t mean it will work in the future. Where might the market be headed to tomorrow? In five years? Set aside time to look at your business strategy to make sure you answer these questions.
