By observation, over the years, shopping malls and car clubs have been somewhat at odds for the use of the mall parking lots. Sometimes welcoming, somethings otherwise.
As BIG as Sears used to be, it's a shame it got to its current state of affairs. Probably inattention to products/pricing and a certain amount of corporate greed (at the highest levels)? Sears was the "everything store" icon, as Montgomery Ward was in some areas, too. Sears was the upscale "budget minded" store. Lots of smaller local catalog stores, too. Always an anticipated treat to go to the catalog store to pickup your order.
Iconic Macy's had a dose of those things, too. They wanted to be BIG, coast to coast, so they bought up many regional chains, as the May Company (which had already done some regional combination purchased years prior). Rather than keep "what worked" in the regions, they brought in their store brands (many made in China, which their "red star" logo reminded me of), so product choices deteriorated in so many formerly-successful places. Someone "in charge" obviously had grandiose visions of universal acceptance of Macy's, which didn't happen in real life, by observation. I was a consistent Sanger-Harris, then Foleys (operating units of the May Company) customer. The changes in product lines and such made by Macy's sent me elsewhere. Obviously, many other former Foley's customers, too! Efforts to regain things seemed to fail or fall on deaf ears. Just going back to what Foleys (and others) used to have would have been better than closing stores, but some corporate executives (who make the massive salaries, who are supposed to "know something" and "fix" things, then left for other places to ply their trade) don't seem to understand these things. No wonder people migrate to Amazon!
Oh well, life goes on . . . one way or another.
CBOdy67
