Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

Brand Autopsy asks if Chili's, Subaru, or Sears went out of business tomorrow, would any of us care?

Does Sears provide such a unique product and customer experience that we would be saddened if it didn’t exist? Does Sears treat its employees so astonishingly well that those workers would not be able to find another employer to treat them as well? Does Sears forge such unfailing emotional connections with its customers that they would fail to find another retailer that could forge just as strong an emotional bond?

Who would you miss?

I'm hard pressed to think of even one company that I would seriously miss if they ceased to exist tomorrow. I enjoy going to Starbucks, but I suppose I could find another similar coffee place. I drive an Audi, but I suppose if they closed up shop I would just switch to something like an Infiniti.

The kind of places I really enjoy and would miss are not franchises of large companies. They are one of a kind uniques places that provide a very different experience for customers. Local places like Kimball's in Westford, MA, Angie's Kitchen in Waterloo, Canada, or Harvest Moon in St. Jacobs, Canada. Places that provide something out of the ordinary, whether it be service or just atmosphere, as opposed to the interchangeable sameness of larger organizations.

After all, people go to EdDebevic's to be insulted by a gum-chewing, bubble-popping waitress because it is part of a great and memorable experience. Do you remember anything about your last trip to Sears?