Sears
Pioneering mail-order retailer and former largest U.S. department store chain.
Unknown author Unknown author Self-scanned · Public domain
Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, was an American chain of department stores and online retailer. The company's parent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018, and by late 2023 approximately 11–12 stores remained open in the U.S., though the exact number has continued to decline.
- remaining_stores
- 11–12 (as of late 2023)
Lore & Background
Rosenwald brought rational management and diversified product lines. Sears and Rosenwald took the company public in 1906, a landmark retail IPO that helped reshape American commerce. Sears stores were pioneering in location away from central shopping districts, innovative design, and unconventional product mix.
Reader's Guide
Sears transformed American retail by pioneering the mail-order catalog, which brought a vast array of goods to rural households. By December 2025, only five stores remained, with Transformco focusing on managing and selling off remaining real estate assets.
Did You Know?
- The company's 1906 IPO was a landmark retail offering that helped reshape American commerce.
From Bootmakers to British Retail Giant
What started as a modest footwear operation would eventually grow into one of Britain's most sprawling retail conglomerates.
The Clore Empire: Diversification on an Unprecedented Scale
Under Clore's leadership, Sears Holdings transformed from a footwear retailer into a vast multi-sector conglomerate. But footwear was only one pillar. That same year, Sears attempted to buy brewer Watney Mann for 20 million pounds. By year's end, the group had reorganized into four distinct sub-divisions. The 1970s saw the addition of William Hill bookmakers, full ownership of Mappin & Webb, a stake in Asprey & Co, and the housebuilder Galliford Estates.
Peak Ambition and the Great Unwinding
That year, the company was formally renamed Sears plc. The following years brought both peak ambition and the beginning of a long retreat. It also shed its stake in Central Independent Television.
The Final Chapter: Green's Acquisition and the Breakup
The once-mighty Sears plc, which had at various points held stakes in shipbuilding, brewing, television, housebuilding, betting, and jewelry, ultimately found its final owner in an unexpected figure. In 1999, entrepreneur Philip Green acquired the company, which by then had been steadily stripped of its non-core assets. Green's tenure was defined not by expansion but by dismantlement: he oversaw the breakup of the group, effectively ending the conglomerate model that Clore had built over four decades. By 1996, the group's remaining divisions centered on footwear retail, with brands like Shoe Express and Shoe City. The company had been listed on the London Stock Exchange and had once been a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, a mark of its former stature. Yet by the time Green completed his acquisition, the sprawling empire of the 1970s and 1980s had been reduced to a fraction of its former size, and his decision to break up what remained brought the story of Sears plc to its close.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sears?
Sears, Roebuck and Co. was an American retail company co-founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck, which grew from a small mail-order operation into the largest department store chain in the country.
What is Sears known for?
The brand is most associated with its pioneering mail-order catalog, the beloved seasonal 'Sears Wishbook,' and its 'Catalog Home' kit houses that let buyers assemble a full house from parts delivered by mail.
How does Sears's story end?
Sears's parent company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018, and by December 2025 just five stores were still operating in the U.S., signaling the near-complete disappearance of a once-giant retailer.
Why is Sears important?
By proving that a company could sell nearly anything directly to a customer's doorstep before physical stores existed, Sears helped shape the modern American consumer economy and set the template for later e-commerce giants.
What field and nationality does Sears belong to?
Sears was an American corporation operating in the retail sector, spanning department stores, mail-order commerce, and eventually online retail.
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