There are a few updated details about the new partnership between Sears, Craftsman, and Ace Hardware that we thought you would find interesting. That, and we cannot keep our thoughts about this to ourselves for any longer.
First, the ~100 Ace stores included in the phase one trial will be able to sell pretty much any Craftsman products, including hand tools, portable power tools, compressors, wet/dry vacs, and tool storage.
Second, a recent press release specifically stats that, as part of this new alliance, all 4500 Ace stores will have the opportunity to offer Craftsman products to customers during the June Fathers Day shopping season. We wonder what this will ultimately mean, and who is to be the deciding party – Sears/Craftsman, Ace Hardware, or individual store managers?
In any case, while surprising, this is not exactly unexpected. Our suspicion first began when we noticed that the 2009 holiday shopping catalog was marketed as a Sears tool catalog featuring Craftsman tools. Then, we spotted Craftsman tools being sold by Amazon directly. Lastly, we’ve noticed a rather subtle but strong differention between the new Sears Blue Tools Crew and Craftsman.
Do we like the Sears Blue Tools Crew? YES! Although we have a love-hate relationship with Sears, without the Sears Blue Tools Crew and their unique and sometimes exotic product offerings, the “love” would have been dropped ages ago.
Of course, we’re also huge fans of Craftsman tools, and imagine that 4500 potential new retail locations could only benefit consumers and all respective corporate parties.
We’re very excited to see how this turns out. Please feel free to chime in with your own thoughts on the matter via comments.
Count me in as a person who is cautiously optimistic about this. I’m glad that Craftsman will be available at a local hardware store other than Sears, just in case Sears stores go out of business. I do want assurances that Ace will honor the warranty and no hassle exchange policy on Craftsman tools, and that Ace will support the Craftsman Club and member pricing.
I doubt Ace will be able to match the sale prices that Sears offers. I bet Ace will add $2-3 mark up on everything, which would suck.
I have to agree with many of your points. Thus far it looks like June will be a critical month for the tentative program. If Ace can adequately handle the demands of the upcoming Craftsman-shopping Father’s Day crowd, perhaps phase one will then be extended to a wider number of stores.
Thus far it looks as though stores will have the opportunity to carry Craftsman products. This may complicate Craftsman Club sale item availability, as well as returns. However, Ace does have a vast distribution network that could probably delivery most items to any store location within a few working days. Just something to think about while we wait to see how this all plays out.
Just thought about something, and surprised I haven’t thought about it before – I wonder what have been people’s experience with the Craftsman warranty at Kmart stores?
I haven’t really thought about that before either, and don’t know the answer either.
I talked to the owner of my local Ace today about this. He said that his store would be carrying the Craftsman tools and that Ace would have a limited number of SKUs initially, not the entire Craftsman line. When I asked about warranty coverage and Craftsman Club deals, he said that the warranty issue was still being discussed and he didn’t have the official info yet. He certainly had concern about having customers show up with really old or obviously abused tools, or just tools that they bought at sears, garage sales, etc. and expecting replacements, but said he’d do it if that’s the way the policy is written just to be a good retailer. I think that’s going to be the biggest hassle for local Ace owners: warranty abuse.
Teicher,
I’m going to have to agree with you there about the potential issues warranty abuse may bring up. Hopefully Ace and Sears will figure out how to handle that. I imagine that stores that experience warranty abuse will choose to decline the opportunity to carry Craftsman tools in the future.
Ace Hardware stores carrying Craftsman tools? BFD! Why? There are no Ace Hardware stores in the Temple/Belton, TX area where I live (combined population about 100,000). In fact there are no hardware stores of any kind in my area. The last surviving hardware store closed its doors about three years ago when the second Wal-Mart Super Center opened it’s doors. So parden me if I don’t get all excited about this news. It’s a non-event.