There are only 12 Sears left, I went to 3

What's sad is they had everything to become Amazon, if they had just put it together in time. They already had a catalogue that contained virtually everything under the sun, they had an accurate inventory system that could tell them where every item they offered was in the world, they had a shipping and distribution network that was unmatched, they had every tool to succeed in the modern world. If only they had put the catalogue online and made it searchable, then hooked a credit card processor up to it. That's all it would have taken. But they didn't, and Amazon did, and that was the writing on the wall for Sears.

I worked for Sears many years ago. They stopped listening to their customers, associates and vendors. They devalued people and management didn't invest in the stores or employees. They instead focused on cost-cutting and eventually killed the business. They will eventually fade from view...

When you think of it Sears used to sell home kits from the 1920's to 1940's. You could order a pre-cut modular home delivered. They invented the Sears catalogue. Many older people remember the time we spent flipping through that catalogue. You just called in your order and it was delivered. Satisfaction or money refunded was their guarantee. Why the heck management could not embrace the computer age and prosper is really strange.

the Covid sign already feels like a relic

Arguably the most ironic part is that none of those stores are located in Illinois, where Sears was launched.

What's funny about the comment on the tools 2:40 is that tools was one of their most successful businesses. SEARS started the exclusive tool brand Craftsman, which is now a widely popular tool brand. Many found it convenient, and Craftman became such a success that they branched away from SEARS. So yes, many did go to SEARS for tools; that was kind of what made them notable, while the women shopped and men could get their tools.

In Moline, IL, my Dad worked for Sears from 1962-1997, but not in the retail sector. He fixed TVs and VCRs back when they were worth fixing at the SEARS Service Center. It kept us living well, and we had about 8 refurbished TVs in the house at any given point after 1982 (I was born in '78) Great store, too. We used to drive there in our Cutlass Cruiser station wagon.

The internal guts of those old registers is an IBM 386. I saw because I was asked to help the technician during my shift back in 2015. The inventory handhelds we used were so old that there was only one business that still sold the paper tape for the printers. For the whole store there were only two printers for the handhelds to be plugged into, which was a nightmare during the annual inventory audit. The batteries for the handheld were all refurbished because that supplier had gone out of business years before I started working at Sears.

I'm 63 years old. I grew up with Sears. I remember going with my parents to Sears Xmas shopping as a child. Sitting on Santa's lap. Enjoying all the lights and decorations. As an adult, the tool dept were I bought all my Craftsman tools and lawnmowers. My family shopped at the same Sears for 50 years. My Aunt worked there for 15 years.. l watched as that building was demolished and replaced with another. Lot's of memories. . . All gone.

This is incredibly depressing for me. My parents both absolutely loved sears and I’ve got so many memories of shenanigans in their stores. Rest in Peace Sears.

Put on your Sunday best kids, we're going to Sears

The only reason Sears closed was because the CEO wanted to liquidate every piece of real estate after selling off all their brands, Kenmore, Craftsman, etc.

I remember as a kid (1970’s) how my brother and I looked forward to the annual Sears Wishbook and fought over who got to look at it first. For the younger generation, there was no Amazon/internet.

they still have the support of chicago who without fail 100% of the time always calls our tallest building the sears tower even though it was renamed to be the willis tower

I'm 60 now and muse that when I'm 80, and another generation comes along, i'll be sitting in my rocking chair telling the kids about how we used to pile in the 'ol V8 station wagon, no seat belts, drive to ( Sears ) and buy everything INSIDE a building (!) Yes, clothes, tools, appliances, jewelry, kitchen stuff, washing machines...then go downstairs and pick it up and take it home with you !!!! " Sure, Grandpa, and I bet they showed movies outdoors while you sat in your car !".....

FYI, there are over 90 Sears in Mexico. I was in Mexico City from September to November of this year and seen a few.

I'm 40 years old. I remember Sears, Kmart, and RadioShack, how bustling those places were, how modern their equipment was and it was so awesome to look at displays of everything and thinking how cool it looked, new VCR models every year that looked more flashy than the year before, and definitely better than what we had at home. I remember the shopping malls even up to 2000 so stocked with stores. Yes the rise of online shopping is convenient but you do lose something with these old walk-in stores going under.

I’m in my mid 60s and when I was a kid Sears was the place to go for families when they needed anything and everything. When we moved from Southern California to Illinois in the late 60s, we spent every weekend at Sears buying furniture for the new house clothes appliances Everything.😢

Sears store near me in Houston was opened in 1947, closed in July few years ago, it was always busy and full of people, bought many items there for the home which I still have, some of the clerks there had been with Sears for decades and were proud of it

It is shocking to me that there are only 12 Sears stores left in the US. Growing up there were probably 4 Sears stores within driving distance of our house. Most were at various malls and one was a free standing store in the inner city. The one in the inner city had a lunch counter where you could buy a fresh hamburger. I attended a charm school for teenage girls at Sears when I was 13. My parents purchased all their appliances at Sears. The brand name for Sears appliances was Kenmore.