The last physical store in the US closed last October in, I think, Pennsylvania. They are officially gone.

And those too will go the way of Kmart and Sears. We may not be around to see it, but it will happen.

Agreed, but maybe not in the way many think.

IMO, the greed came about as slow and gradual dismantling or various laws and regulations that made it easier to manipulate money, stock, and other financial tools that only marginally exist combined with the proliferation of the 401k as the primary retirement tool of a majority of Americans who seek to grow said 401k at every opportunity possible.

A cutting torch?

Why not? You need it for most chassis jobs here in the rust belt.

Gus

Today storage of acetylene in a public accessible space is frowned upon because of its explosive potential. it was always an insurance concern at my shop.
We have had a few So Fla muffler shops explode with fatalities over the years with suspected gas leaks. I went to plasma many decades ago to remove that concern.

Every shop here has torches and they're used pretty regularely to cut off or heat up seized rusted stuff thanks to winter.

how about mis-mangement???

My first job out of high school in 85 was at a Kmart auto center. We weren't allowed to have an oxyacetylene torch setup in that location. Even back then. I remember the dual post in ground lift we had, was adjustable for length and lifted trucks (and motorhomes) by each axle, each post had its own lever to operate.
We (not me yet, that came later at other jobs) did a lot of front end alignment and repairs at that Kmart.
That job only lasted that one summer because I had to quit when I started jr college, as my class schedule and the hours they had available for me to work, clashed this location was only open until 5:00, had they been open evenings I could have stayed on. (The rest of the store was open til 9 or 10)

Yep^^^ Every shop around here has that setup. I work at a tech college and we teach their use in our fundamentals course....1st course incoming students get.

Not sure about K's, but I recently visited a Radio Shack in Pigeon Forge. Bought some tuner cleaner

K-Mart had a pretty good auto department. The one near my house carried lots of replacement repair and tune-up items, many with K-Mart private labels.