Yesterday my father-in-law was sharing a story about how he purchased a new patio set on Sears.com at a much lower cost than if he had purchased it from the brick-and-mortar Sears.  

The gazebo was $599 at the store and only $319 online.  The table and chairs were $799 at the store and $599 online.  That is a total savings of almost $500!  And to top that off, by purchasing the patio set online using his Sears credit card, it was interest free for one year!

This was not an isolated experience either.  My father-in-law also purchased an optic cable from Sears.com for $12.99 yet it was $30 at the store.

I was shocked.  According to the associate he spoke to at Sears, the company can reduce costs online because it is not paying an associate commission and it eliminates the labor required to stock the product.

Is Sears turning back to its roots as an Internet catalog retailer?

It certainly would appear that way.  Just a last month Sears Holding Company launched a new retail drive-through concept called MyGofer.com.  You can read more about it here.   You simply place your order one of three ways -  online at mygofer.com, using the mygofer mobile app or by calling an agent.  Mygofer.com sends you a text message when your items are ready.  You head to the location and they put the items in your car.

I will definitely be watching Sears next move.  When it starts reducing retail location space it will be confirmation that Internet and mobile app shopping is the wave of the future.