- $4, with a sky-scraping headquarters and legacy brand status.
- What started as a humble mail-order watch and jewelry service in 1886 soon shot to popularity through its affordable catalogs.
- But with the changing retail landscape, sales fell from $43 billion in 2010 to less than $17 billion in 2017.
- By February 2020, $4, down from 3,500 stores in 2010.
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Few chains have fallen from grace quite like $4.
Ten years ago, the department-store chain operated 3,500 stores. By February, $4
Things didn't always look so bleak for the retailer. Officially founded in 1893, Sears was once the world's largest retailer, reporting billions of dollars in profits. With a headquarters located in the Sears Tower, once the tallest building in the world, Sears' influence was known worldwide.
However, changes in consumer behavior and the retail landscape has resulted in the demise of one of the United States' most storied department-store chains.
Here is a timeline of the rise and fall of Sears, starting at its humble beginnings in the 1800s.