Stores like JC Penney and Sears, which once epitomized Middle America, are on life support as money flows out the rafters up to Nordstrom and down the gutters to Target and Kohl's.
The idea that JC Penney or Sears offered or offers good that in general were higher quality than Target or Kohl's is laughable. What's hurt JC Penney and Sears most is that they moved into large malls. Malls can be a hassle to get in and out of, especially at Christmas time. Shoppers who go there are likely to browse the whole mall, which usually include plenty of stores that offer items similar to, or more fashionable than those at JCP or Sears. By moving to the malls, JCP and Sears invited their customers to comparison shop. Both stores would have done better had they stayed out of the large malls altogether so that when people went to Sears or JCP, they went to Sears or JCP rather than the mall.
