concise & precise
Brostocks has reported extensively on the demise of Sears, particularly over the last few years since Sears Holdings declared bankruptcy in 2018. Since Sears reemerged under the new Transformco company, it dabbled briefly with smaller format Sears Home & Life stores that opened in 2019 which eventually all closed by 2023. Transformco reacquired, out of … Continue reading A Strange Twist: Is Sears actually reopening stores in 2023?
The Westwood Kmart, located at 700 Broadway in Westwood, New Jersey in the northern part of the state opened in the Fall of 1982. The early 80’s was a bit of a heyday for Kmart as they were the second largest retailer in the United States with once around 2,400 stores, second only to Sears. … Continue reading Kmart, Westwood Plaza, Westwood, New Jersey (one of three in lower 48 USA)
This list was initially compiled in May 2020 utilizing Kmart's online store directory and then doing research through various news reports, phone calls to stores and message boards to verify the number of stores remaining open. We stand by the accuracy of this list recently cited in Forbes. Is Kmart Bankrupt? Does Kmart still exist? … Continue reading How many Kmarts are left in the United States?
UPDATE July 2, 2023: The Chambersburg Mall has reportedly closed permanently. We had the opportunity in early April to visit a fascinatingly dead mall in central Pennsylvania. At the time of the visit, the only sign of life was an open AMC movie theater. The rest of the mall was pretty much fully abandoned and … Continue reading Dead Malls: Chambersburg Mall, Chambersburg, PA, USA.
Last year, I received a $50 Visa gift card as a present. It's always nice to receive a Visa gift card as it gives one the flexibility to purchase a variety of items. However, it's always an issue when the balance on the card gets to a low point where it is not enough to … Continue reading How to spend a small balance on a Visa or MasterCard gift card
Update: This store closed permanently on May 28, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbWGHP4t7PU A video with some footage of our April 2021 visit to Sears in Greensboro, NC. This piece is the second in our series from visiting various remaining open Sears locations across the United States. We started with Frederick, Maryland and now we go south. The … Continue reading Sears, Friendly Center, Greensboro, North Carolina.
This piece is a continuation on our series keeping tabs on classic retail chains as they, unfortunately, fade into the rearview. This list is solely for full-line Sears stores, Sears Grand, Sears Appliance & Mattress, and Sears Home Life stores. This list does not include the typically owner operated Sears Hometown Stores. As we noted … Continue reading How Many Sears Stores Are Left?
History of Radio Industry The radio industry traces its origins to the early 20th century as the first form of electronic communication. In the 1920’s, companies banded together to urge the government to regulate the industry to establish order in who accesses each frequency. This led to the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). … Continue reading The Radio Industry in 2023: What’s happening and what lies ahead for the earliest form of electronic communication?
The Logan Valley Mall is a mall that holds a lot of sentimental value for Brostocks. I hung out in this mall when I was a teenager and shopped in it with my parents as a child. I decided to make a stop there after visiting family for the Christmas holiday and was sad to … Continue reading Mall Tours: Logan Valley Mall, Altoona, Pennsylvania.
I'm always on the hunt for easy ways to earn money by doing, well, almost nothing. That is why I have used web and smartphone apps that easily give cash back for retailers I often shop with. The two I have had a good experience with are Dosh and Rakuten. The costs of shopping add … Continue reading Cashback Apps: What is Dosh and is Dosh a legit app? What is Rakuten and how does Rakuten work?
