How does a company that gets its start as a mail-order watch business survive depressions and war and become one of America’s largest mall-based department store operators, headquartered in the world’s tallest building, only to be outmaneuvered by competitors such as Walmart and Amazon, become unprofitable, sell off its most profitable brands, and declare bankruptcy?
Some blame overdiversification at the company’s height. Providing insurance and credit cards and services such as car repair distracted from the core retail business. Furthermore, consumer tastes changed, resulting in the decline of mall-based retailing. It was perhaps the beginning of the end when competitor Kmart acquired Sears, and management failed to get the merged company off the ground. Any hopes of being revived in bankruptcy suffered a big blow from the COVID-19 pandemic, which took down many retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, J.C. Penney, J.Crew, Lord & Taylor, and Neiman Marcus. (These 29 iconic brands completely collapsed and we forgot.)
However, Sears is not entirely gone yet. The Sears website was still active on last look. And as of January 2024, the company still had a dozen stores in the United States, as well as one in Puerto Rico. Note that Sears stores in Mexico are not operated by the company but by a conglomerate owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
Here is where to find the remaining U.S. Sears stores.
Braintree
- Sears Location: South Shore Plaza, 250 Granite St.
- City: Braintree, Massachusetts
Burbank
- Sears Location: Media City Center, 111 E. Magnolia Blvd.
- City: Burbank, California
Concord
- Sears Location: Sunvalley Mall, 1001 Sunvalley Blvd.
- City: Concord, California
El Paso
- Sears Location: Cielo Vista, 8401 Gateway Blvd. West
- City: El Paso, Texas
Jersey City
- Sears Location: Newport Centre Mall, 50 Mall Drive West
- City: Jersey City, New Jersey
Miami
- Sears Location: Coral Gables, 3655 SW 22nd St.
- City: Miami, Florida
Orlando
- Sears Location: Florida Mall, 8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail
- City: Orlando, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens
- Sears Location: The Gardens, 3101 PGA Blvd.
- City: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Stockton
- Sears Location: Weberstown Mall, 5110 Pacific Ave.
- City: Stockton, California
Tukwila
- Sears Location: 301 Southcenter Mall
- City: Tukwila, Washington
Union Gap
- Sears Location: Valley Mall, 9 E. Valley Mall Blvd.
- City: Union Gap, Washington
Whittier
- Sears Location: 15600 Whittwood Lane
- City: Whittier, California
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