A missed new name opportunity

This morning we awoke to the news that Sears and K-Mart were to merge into one, however each was to keep their maiden name. No hyphens either. While the pundits were talking about whether these two can now succeed in the world of Wal-Marts, Targets, etc., will they share their lines of merchandise, how many employees will be out of their jobs, etc. this Ozzy was mulling a new name for this concern.

S-Mart. Could not be simpler or better. Shop smart at S-Mart.

Remember when it was Sears, Roebuck and Company? First the Company went, Sears & Roebuck; then the Roebuck stopped where? Then just plain old Sears, altho just recently they changed the font for it on all their stores. Now it is going to be Sears Holding Company, certainly a mouthful.

K-Mart used to be Kresge known for its five and dime stores. They still kept their name on a website but it is now a charity. For a firm going broke a few years back it is difficult to imagine it "buying" Sears.

Diane and I used to shop mostly at Sears, but when Wal-Mart, Target and other merchandisers built stores much closer to where we live, we shifted our buying habits. Gurnee has one of the new Sears Grand stores and we've looked in on it. Pricing is not right compared to the competition so we stick with W-M, Target and others. The closest K-Mart is not near or convenient.

Also not near to us is the BadAss Coffee Shop mentioned in yesterday's blog and featured in today's Ed Zorn's blog along with a news story in Chicago Tribune online. The news story gave this coffee chain a name I wished I had thought of "StarButts."

A Trib reporter on the ground in Antioch, where this shop will open early next year, was asking folks shopping there what they thought of it. The answers were routine, "nasty word I wouldn't use or want my to hear or see" however one lady thought the name was "ASSinine."

I'm waiting for the first student in Antioch High who wears a T-shirt to class with the coffee shop's logo printed on it, gets called into the principal's office. Can the ACLU be far behind?