I can save Sears.
Yes, remember them? These are the stores you see at the end of every mall that nobody goes to. If you happen to run through one trying to get into the mall from the parking lot then you were probably the only potential customer in the store. Sears has been like this for years. You would think that by now they would get it too. The days of the general type department store are over. Sears is simply trying to do too much and crams all of this into a tight space. They don't even look appealing anymore.
This is how I propose to save Sears from the inevitiable, failure. And I say this because I am actually a fan of the company. They produce high quality merchandise and back it up. The first thing I would do is separate Craftsman department from the rest of the store. I would actually open free-standing stores like Lowe's or Home Depot and call it Craftsman/Kenmore where we would carry everything for your home. The only difference, however, would be that all of the appliances and tools would be Craftsman brand only. Don't even think that it isn't enough. You would be surprised at how many different products Sears actually makes under the Craftsman or Kenmore logo, including LG for instance.
I would also get all the stores out of the malls. Department stores don't belong there anymore. Sears should be freestanding as well and strictly carry clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc. These stores would be built to compete with Target and Wal-Mart. But they won't go all out with groceries and the such too. Focus on what you do best and Sears does clothing best aside from tools.
And finally, get rid of the guys you bought out for ridiculous sums of money and took offline to put in the stores. That was a killer. Take those same companies and put them back online and in smaller mall stores to compete with others like Express, for instance.
This is a three pronged plan, but it can be done over time by starting with a development project in one city at a time. The current plan blows because it is just carrying on the status quo. Sears can save itself by reinventing itself. Part of their recovery is actually starting as we speak in Aventura, Florida where Sears is planning an open air village with a smaller store near the mall. It doesn't fit all of my plan, but it's a start.
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