美国国家公共电台 NPR Its Survival In Doubt, Sears Struggles To Transform Once Again

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

One of the biggest names in retail¹ a century ago was Sears, Roebuck & Company. Sears was the amazon.com of its time, a booming innovator² that spread merchandise and dreams across the country by mail order and department stores. Now, even Sears officials say its future could be in doubt, though they say they have plans to make sure the retail icon³ survives as NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE⁴: Say the name Sears these days and retail giant may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Despite its deep financial troubles though, Sears is still a top retailer⁵. Nancy Koehn with the Harvard Business School says in its early days, Sears was like Amazon today, a retailer of great disruption. For Sears, it meant a pathbreaking strategy of offering all sorts of merchandise and catalogs and building department stores in remote places with ample parking.

NANCY KOEHN: It wasn't the Internet but it was the same idea that no matter where you are, you can touch and feel and imagine what these different products could mean in your life by virtue⁶ of an outreach - a distribution channel that an imaginative and gutsy retailer, in this case Sears, had created and then invested in and then enlarged.

CORLEY: I'm standing⁷ on a porch of a house in Elgin, Ill., about 40 miles northwest of Chicago. And this house is distinctive⁸ because...

REBECCA HUNTER: This is a Sears Roebuck mail order kit⁹ home.

CORLEY: Dr. Rebecca Hunter, an architectural historian, says this arts-and-crafts-style bungalow¹⁰ was called The Osborne in the Sears catalog. It's one of about 200 Sears homes in Elgin.

HUNTER: Framing boards were cut at the mill and numbered so that your builder would know how to put them together.

CORLEY: Sears sold 60,000 to 70,000 pre-cut kit houses. Fast forward to today as the winds of change blow through the retail industry, bringing the dominance of Amazon, the rise of e-commerce and big box discount retailers¹¹. It's left brick-and-mortar stores reeling.

Despite its merger¹² with Kmart in 2005, Sears has consistently lost millions of dollars over each quarter. It's closed hundreds of stores, slashed¹³ jobs and sold off key assets like the Land's End clothing line and its legendary¹⁴ Craftsman¹⁵ brand, although both will continue to be sold at Sears. Independent retail analyst¹⁶ Sucharita Mulpuru says it hasn't worked.

SUCHARITA MULPURU: There are just so many onerous¹⁷ forces relating to competition. I think that no matter what they do, they're fighting a losing battle.

CORLEY: In a memo¹⁸, Sears CEO Eddie Lampert says Sears is taking decisive action to return to profitability and to become a new kind of retailer. Some analysts¹⁹ accuse Lampard of sucking the value out of the company, selling off its most marketable assets.

Then there's that line in Sears recent annual report to federal regulators which states there's, quote, "substantial doubt related to the company's ability to continue as a going concern." Leena Munjal, a Sears senior vice²⁰ president in charge of retail operations, says that reports of the company's demise²¹ are exaggerated.

LEENA MUNJAL: Do we have challenges? Absolutely, just like many other retailers out there. And we're all trying to figure out what are the changes we need to make to our business models to be able to rise to those challenges.

CORLEY: Sears' transformation²² plan includes a membership program called Shop Your Way. Customers collect points they can redeem²³ when they shop at Sears. The company's also worked on ways to make it more convenient for customers to shop online or on their phones.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Attention, Sears members...

CORLEY: The Sears at Woodfield Mall, about 30 miles northwest of Chicago, is huge. There's clothes, fitness equipment, aisles²⁴ of gleaming appliances. Carla and Jeremy Lang, pushing their twin 18-month-old sons in a stroller, were looking at ovens and stoves. Carla says they've heard about the store's financial troubles.

CARLA LANG: Like, we've read stuff online that they're, you know, maybe closing stores and whatnot. And - but, I mean, we still come here. It's close by.

CORLEY: There are others though, loyal past shoppers who haven't been in a Sears for years. Susan Mullen has fond memories of the store but says she's not sure Sears' efforts to transform itself will work.

SUSAN MULLEN: It fits no niche²⁵. You know, it's not a discount place. It's not high-end. It's just - it has no identity anymore.

CORLEY: Sears Vice President Leena Munjal says as a $20-billion-plus company, Sears is still important to many. And she invites former customers to give the company another chance while it implements²⁶ changes.

It's all part of the effort to counter the predictions of a slow death for Sears while bolstering²⁷ the reputation of a company that's been in business for more than a century. Cheryl Corley, NPR News, Chicago.

(SOUNDBITE OF ODDISEE SONG, "THE CARTER BARRON")

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 innovator   

n.改革者；创新者

参考例句：

• The young technical innovator didn't lose heart though the new system was not yet brought into a workable condition. 尽管这种新方法尚未达到切实可行的状况，这位青年技术革新者也没有泄气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Caesar planned vast projects and emerged as a great innovator. 恺撒制定了庞大的革新计划。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

3 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

6 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

9 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

10 bungalow   

n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房

参考例句：

• A bungalow does not have an upstairs.平房没有上层。
• The old couple sold that large house and moved into a small bungalow.老两口卖掉了那幢大房子，搬进了小平房。

11 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

12 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

13 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

15 craftsman   

n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人

参考例句：

• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
• The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。

16 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

17 onerous   

adj.繁重的

参考例句：

• My household duties were not particularly onerous.我的家务活并不繁重。
• This obligation sometimes proves onerous.这一义务有时被证明是艰巨的。

18 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

19 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

20 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

21 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

22 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

23 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

24 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

25 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

26 implements   

n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• Primitive man hunted wild animals with crude stone implements. 原始社会的人用粗糙的石器猎取野兽。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They ordered quantities of farm implements. 他们订购了大量农具。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

27 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句