Sears: A Strange Obsession

 Sears: A Strange obsession

An odd interest

 Still operating Sears in Burbank, Ca

In an era dominated by rapid retail evolution and mounting competition, few brands reach my curiosity as much as Sears. The once prominent, and widely recognized retail giant captured the imaginations of consumers across generations, offering everything from tools to fashion to home goods.
My fascination with Sears stems not only from its rich history but also its current presence, and seeming inside job that took the titan down. Unfortunately, I never experienced the peak of Sears. My visits came when it was already on the decline, often when I was visiting the mall with my grandma as a little kid, taking a stop inside. I often hear stories about the excitement of Black Friday crowds and the anticipation of perusing its famous catalog, yet my own memories feel muted. I don't remember my own too well, however, I have stayed quite up-to-date on the condition of the stores, product lines, and corporate culture, even visiting one of their locations in April of this year. When I mention my interest in this topic to my friends, they often think it is odd, boring, or just flat out strange; and I see why, but I believe that it is a topic that is worth the time, an interesting, and mysterious topic of a once retail giant, that has since become a skeleton of itself.

 

An empty, soon to close sears store in Whittier, CA 

 

 

I don't exactly know how, or why I am so obsessed with this company. Is it because of its historic downfall? Is it their once humongous presence? Or maybe it's because of it's current management? The zombie-like state of the stores? The skeleton of an online presence? But if I had to pin it down, I am truly interested in the company because of its mismanagement. The way it fell so quickly, and quietly to just eight stores as of July 2025 (soon to be seven with the imminent closure of the store in Whittier) and the way that through all of this, they try to act like nothing is wrong. 

 

Corporate Management

 

Former Sears at the Mall of America

In recent years, Sears has faced confusion stemming from erratic leadership decisions that leave both employees and customers bewildered. Changes in management often occur leading to a lack of a clear vision which has hindered the brand's ability to adapt. 

Right before the pandemic, Sears seemed like they still had some interest in saving the stores, however, what ever ambitions there were, are long gone now. Sears' parent company, TransformCo seems to have shifted their core efforts away from the retail aspect of Sears. TransformCo has started closing locations one by one and selling quite valuable real estate. Recently, TransformCo's goal has seemed to be simple, close all of their locations and sell them off for their real estate value. Very often, this means that some of their most valuable locations close as seen in the Mall of America, or Westfield UTC San Diego. On the surface, this might seem like the obvious move to make. A struggling retail company shifts its focus to its large real estate portfolio and the possible profit to be made from it. But if you look deeper, this was avoidable, and Sears could've been in a much better situation.

 

The owner of TransformCo, is the somewhat imfamous hedge-fund business man, Eddie Lampert. I believe that from his beginning at the head of the company, Eddie had his goals set on his own profit instead of the well being of the brands (Sears, Kmart, Shs*, etc.) Lampert's decisions increasingly focused on short-term financial gains rather than long-term sustainability. One of the most controversial strategies implemented during his leadership was the selling of Sears' properties for real estate profit. By liquidating valuable assets, Lampert aimed to bolster the company’s immediate cash flow, but this strategy ultimately depleted the retailer’s physical presence and undermined its operational capabilities. As prime retail locations were sold off, the stores that remained often suffered from neglect and lack of investment. The focus on real estate transactions overshadowed the need for innovation and modernization within the stores themselves. This approach may have generated quick profits, but it did little to revitalize the brand or address the shifting landscape of the retail industry.  

The Interesting Current Footprint

  

This brings us to the current state of affairs: TransformCo is operating just 10 [non-closing] stores in total—3 Kmart locations and 7 Sears stores. This raises a curious question: why continue running these few stores in such a seemingly half-hearted manner? The most realistic explanation that I have found is that these locations remain open simply to fulfill lease obligations.

The new Kenmore display @ the Sears in Miami

What’s puzzling, however, is the inconsistent level of effort being put into some of these stores. For instance, the full-line Sears store in Miami recently underwent a significant refresh, including a major new Kenmore display that brought a renewed sense of life to the space. Similarly, the Concord store has seen signs of revitalization, with shelves being restocked more frequently and empty spaces gradually being filled. Meanwhile, the stores in Braintree, Mass and Orlando, Fl seem like they could be closing at any second, with empty shelves, blocked off  sections,  and broken escalators.

The inconsistency makes it especially confusing to understand the overall direction that TransformCo is taking with their brands, from the glimpses of hope, to the dead seeming state overall of the stores, there is no apparent end goal. There seems to be no unified branding effort, no nationwide promotional campaigns, and no evident attempt to reestablish a meaningful retail identity. Hell, the marketing online from sears does not even mention their stores, only advertising their online marketplace and website. The only advertisement for the individual stores comes from their personal Facebook accounts, which are often ran by the store managers with no corporate support.

 My Conclusion

In the end, maybe that's what keeps me so interested—the mystery. Sears today is less a company and more a riddle. It's a brand suspended in limbo, doing just enough to exist without making it clear why. There's no press coverage, no clear strategy, and no acknowledgment of the brand's ongoing decay. It’s this strange, silent persistence that makes Sears feel like an unfinished story—one I can’t help but keep watching, even if I already know how it ends. 

 

*SHS = Sears Home Services