Sears owner couldn’t pass up opportunity

Zach Carlson grew up repairing and selling appliances.

When his longtime friend decided to sell Fremont’s Sears store, he said it was too good of a chance to pass up.

“I’ve been around appliances my whole life,” Carlson said. “I looked at what Sears can do and thought it was a good idea.”

While Sears dictates what must be in the store, owners can add whatever they want to that required inventory, he said. He will emphasize having more inventory and beating others’ prices.

“We’ve got more stuff in �” more back stock. We have every name brand, but like the Kenmore brand the best,” Carlson said. “It’s kind of nice being able to use Sears pricing. We price match plus 10 percent of the difference, but we don’t have to do that much.

“Why go to Omaha and fight all the traffic?” he added. “I’m so tired of people thinking its cheaper in Omaha. It’s not.”

The store employs six people in addition to Carlson and everything sold in the store can be installed. Delivery also is offered, but there can be a charge.

“Most of the time it’s free delivery,” Carlson said. “You pre-pay and get a mail-in rebate.”

Deliveries normally are made within less than a week, but depending on circumstances, things can be delivered more quickly.

“There’s been 20-minute turn-around times,” Carlson said. “It depends on the emergency.”

Most deliveries are made within a day or two of the sale.

“Yesterday we beat the customer there,” Carlson said.

“We’re locally owned, but we’re still Sears,” he said. “We can typically have anything in less than a week, but we have a lot of back stock here. The worst case scenario is that we take it off the floor. We don’t like to do that, but we will.”

He pulled a freezer off the floor on Sunday for a customer who had one go bad.

“At Lowe’s, you’re not going to call and talk to the owner,” Carlson said. “I know the appliances inside and out. I’ve taken them all apart. How many owners know how to fix the washer they’re installing?”

That knowledge of how appliances work also helps him when recommending products to customers.

“I know the longevity of it,” Carlson said. “I can tell you what’s hot right now and what will last over time. I don’t want you mad at me three years from now.”

The store is open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 727-5225.