What Happened to Sears (Sears History)

Explore the rise and fall of Sears, a retail giant that once symbolized the American dream. From its humble beginnings as a mail-order catalog to becoming the world's largest retailer, Sears was a household name for generations. Dive into the nostalgic memories of shopping at Sears and uncover the reasons behind its decline. This video takes you on a journey through the history, impact, and ultimate downfall of a beloved company that shaped consumer culture. Sears History 1886-2018.
#sears #vintage #vintagestore
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[@ThoseWonderYears]

What do you miss most about Sears?

[@DayTwo-w8n]

When I was a child it was the toy department. It was awesome.

[@Kinann]

Their hardware dept was unparalleled. Worked there as a stock man in my early 20s, climbing racks to get boxed baby cribs from the tiop shelf to wheel them out to the sales floor on a hand truck.

[@bobbg9041]

Sears! Toys, tools and tractors. You could get a charge that was die hard play a stereo, open a fridge Even buy a watch.

[@mikect500]

@@ThoseWonderYears the firearms and hunting department. I still have Sears firearms that I bought 45 years ago.

[@mikect500]

I miss Sears commitment to America. They tried to keep their stuff made in America. Also when their employees got activated for military service they not only kept your job they continued to pay into your retirement account and paid your families medical insurance.

[@michaelmorrison6540]

I bought a house (built in 1960) about three and a half years ago. The previous owner left behind a clothes washer (Maytag), a dryer (Speed Queen), and a Sears Kenmore refrigerator… all from the early 1970s. All three appliances (some 50 years old) work just fine! None of them have computer chips inside… just good, old-fashioned MADE IN AMERICA quality.

[@arlenehynes4607]

Wow! I wish we could find great quality appliances. Everything today is disposable!

[@Bluejacket4life2]

Computer chips arent the problem with appliances....high end appliances and speed queen has computer chips and they still last a long time. A lot plastic is put appliances too

[@leeannafitzgerel8740]

The downfall of Sears and so many other stores that the "people at the top" chose to do was focus on selling credit, rather than selling the products we need to use daily.

[@kathywarren745]

I had one of their TVs from the 60s and I also had one of their manual typewriters. Do you know that they both still work?❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊! Great quality! I wish Sears would re open & comeback!❤😊😊😊😊

[@Bluejacket4life2]

@@kathywarren745 well, thats not going to happen. The company didn't adapt to the changing economy or paid attention to their competition ex...walmart, kmart, home depot and lowes.

[@MrK-gb7zy]

My dad worked there for 30 years. Made a living selling vacuum cleaners, raising a family in the 1970s and 80s. Then they fired all the full time employees. That was the downfall of Sears. Needless to say, Sears was a big part of our lives growing up. As a kid, the Christmas catalog was amazing!

[@ThoseWonderYears]

You’re right, thanks for sharing

[@loislewis5229]

Loved the Christmas catalog ❤

[@Its_Steeeve]

Sad to hear. That was the good American times when a man could provide for his family just in single income. I miss being a kid going to the toy section while my grandpa was in the tool section. Great times.

[@DucatiPaso750]

Didn't Sears for many years have a pension plan for it's employees?

[@MichaelEllison-jr4wg]

Yup, the catalog was awesome. Had the biggest toy section I ever saw in those catalogs

[@user-ui8ye2rd2c]

Bought my Kenmore washer and dryer from Sears in 1997 and it’s still running fine in 2024.

[@LuisVerdejo]

They were the best!

[@invisableobserver]

Mine are still running good too

[@juliemcarthur3004]

All my appliances came from sears

[@ROHM53]

Great, ain't it? They really used to make things 😪 to last.

[@RitaSweeney]

I still have my Kenmore dryer, too. I just bought a new washing machine in 2024.

[@delledonne1]

I miss their appliances, they were top quality and never gave me grief.

[@namastemcl]

@@delledonne1 the appliances have gone way downhill

[@delledonne1]

@@namastemcl I had to replace my fridge at the worst of times, during the pandemic. The salesman told us outright, they're made to last about 10 years max. To me, that's just criminal.

[@psychokitty7268]

​​@@delledonne1 7:42 My parents just got rid of their Kenmore washer and dryer last year. Purchased in 1971, they were both still working, but the top of the dryer was getting too hot. I figured it might be time to replace them.

[@2pugman]

My brother was a repairman for Sears and he told me that Sears, GE and Whirlpool are all the same internal parts.

[@patriciaoconnell488]

@@delledonne1 And lasted forever. My dad's house still has Kenmore appliances.

[@joellamoureux7914]

I think many young people may think yeah right people looked at a catalog for hours but I can attest to personally having spent many many hours dreaming of the toys and bikes in the Sears catalogs. Especially at Christmas. Everyone I knew wether they bought from Sears or not used the catalog to decide what they wanted. It was REAL. My family bought almost all our household stuff from them. Even our clothes. I miss them personally.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thank you for sharing

[@jimshoe402]

Guns Too..Haha

[@ptecliffclfford8538]

Not so different nowadays. What people used to read as catalogs, they do it today through the web. I bet those catalogs were amazing.

[@peewee3030]

Yep, id sit there and look at the toys

[@bobbylibertini]

Oh my goodness! I STILL remember (50 years ago) the feeling that ya'd get when a new Sears catalog showed up in the mail! You couldn't wait to just pour through it and look at EVERYTHING- not just toys and such...but EVERYTHING! You'd look at all the stuff- from lawn mowers and stereos to jon boats and rifles, and just picture what your life would be like when you grew up and could use all of this stuff. Spent many hours looking through every new catalog. Ya'd look at JC Penny's and Monkey Wards' catalogs...but it wasn't half as good- Sears had EVERYTHING! Get bored? Get out the Sears catalog and dream!

[@bobd9193]

Oh Man, Do I miss those days. I was born in Aug 1956, So I grew up in the 60s & 70s. Times were so much simpler back then. It was a wonderful time to be a kid. There was so much more freedom as a kid back then. I feel sorry for the kids nowadays. They'll never know the joy of being out on a summer day with nowhere special to go, Hanging out with your friends, Riding our bikes, (And/or our horses in my case, I grew up on a farm in rural Oregon) With nothing but adventures to look forward to. We would spend our summer vacations riding or hiking and camping in the mountains, or going fishing in the rivers and lakes. I can remember at 12 or 13 years old spending the whole weekend camping, and never worrying about our parents freaking out because they didn't know where we were. With nothing more than a fishing pole and a .22 rifle. It was a lot like the Stephen King movie "Stand by Me". (Without a lot of the drama). We grew up poor, but didn't really notice it too much because everyone we hung out with were in the same boat. Things just seemed so much better than it does today. Lord, How I wish I could turn back the hands of time, Just to experience that again.

[@georgemichael9106]

@@bobd9193 I was born in 56 also and agree with everything you said what a great time to grow up 60’ and 70’s and yes loved going to Sears along with Woolworth’s and the Ben Franklin in downtown El Paso.

[@beanovskydurst]

I'm from Mexico, Sears is still active in most malls from Mexico City. My dad worked for Sears for about 30 years. He was so proud of the company and what he was able to do working for them. He passed away in December 2023 and watching this video was a sweet trip down memory lane; I still have lots of Craftsman tools that he left me and even my old Nissan B12 has a Die Hard sticker on the bumper. Thank you!

[@CVenza]

Are they in catalog too?

[@Hu6uinho]

You are right here in México Sears keeps being a big company working normally. Como bien dices cada centro comercial tiene un sears, Nunca trabajé en Sears, porque trabajé en Liverpool la competencia directa de Sears en México. i guess if usa citizens miss Sears, they are welcome to visit Mexican Sears stores.

[@terryweatherford5070]

Death of Sears started when management changed the floor staffing model. Growing up, Sears had sales people and registers in each department. You never had to hunt down sales or information help. But some “college educated” business school executives decided to cut staff levels to almost nothing and centralized the registers to 1/4 of what they had. They cut personnel cost overhead but killed the best customer service in the retail industry. Combine that with market changes and Sears suffered a slow, agonizing death.

[@BobRooney290]

Sears is well Seared now.

[@bobbates7343]

Same deal at Eaton's . I remember before they closed I sat in the shoe dept. with one shoe and nobody came over to help me . I had to get up and ask for help. Then I felt like I was just a hassle to them. A group of five or so employees stood at the cash talking and not working

[@memeruss9896]

This is pretty much going to be the same down fall of J. C. Penney. The store closest to us only has one register that I saw to check out in the middle of the store, and I only saw about 3 employees in the entire store. With that said, there is no one even walking around to see if they can help you with anything or straightening items. When you do find someone and call to them for help, they turn and walk the other way, they are for sure not there to work. Then the selection is very poor with about a quarter of the store full of racks and racks of "so called" discounted clothes. Nothing is sectioned off in sizes on those racks, so you're literally searching every rack, which I decided was not worth the hassle. That's been maybe a year ago and I've not been back. J. C. Penney use to be our favorite store after Sears went out.

[@behindthespotlight7983]

When I was a kid (1972-1984) there was this mood, this delightfully spontaneous feeling that everyone knew. We called it “the Christmas Spirit.” It was a feeling of warmth. And warm anticipation. It was knowing you’ll see relatives who you haven’t seen since last time the Nativity set was on display. It was Aunt T’s cream cheese spritz cookies and Grandma R’s Russian tea balls: almondy and rolled in confectioners sugar. It was falling asleep in the big back seat while dad drove us home from somewhere and something wonderful. It was each colorful bubble in the fancy Christmas tree baubles. It was knowing humanity has a Savior. That feeling was us. That feeling was all of us. Me and you. That feeling was America. And I miss it so much that sometimes it aches.

[@Bass.Player]

At 73 they are all gone now with only the memory remaining of a time to never be repeated

[@arlenehynes4607]

Beautifully said! It was exactly as you described!

[@jcm9273]

@@Bass.Player Trump unironically could bring a lot of this stuff back if people just let him do it. Trust me the alternative is a bigger nightmare than what we have now

[@DannyHood-j]

Christmas spirit NO there wasn’t? I was born 66 there was NO Christmas spirit. My Christmas’s were huge but by the 70s Christmas was dead. False excitement

[@almVancouver]

The same in Canada back in the day. Looking at Canada now with its mass immigration, I realize those days are not coming back. This is where we failed the western world and North America in particular. One could drive a semi or progress through a store like Sears and make a living out of it. Now...there's 5 immigrants driving (the same truck) willing to work for about min wage. Many immigrants come from poverty so making min wage in Canada is just peachy for them.

[@MsLaurieLu]

Eddie Lampert must have been a nightmare to those poor employees. So sad Sears is just a memory now.😢

[@driverdave1298]

@@MsLaurieLu Not a theory: Lampert was mentored by the World Economic Forum association, so he did what he was supposed to do; hailing in the illumination of the (now visible) New World Order.

[@Bluejacket4life2]

Yes he was....i told everybody at sears when he purchased sears, it was a matter of time...although sears was on the decline before he got there..he was the death blow

[@memeruss9896]

Great Video! Very well done! The CEO and upper management were the downfall of Sears, it was all about putting money in their pockets rather than give people a good product at a good price. They also didn't care about their employees much either. When they sold off their name brands it ended for my family. It was no longer the high-quality products that lasted for years and the guarantee that went with those products. Then it was also caused the downfall of Kmart! Several small groups of greedy people ruined two great stores forever!

[@johnfalstaff2270]

K-mart was also good, but in the early of 1980's. Its downfall we can only ow to a lazy visionless top management. They just did not have any idea how to upgrade and modify their stores. I had a chance to compare Sears and K-mart in the US and Canada. Canadian stores were performing much better.

[@memeruss9896]

@@johnfalstaff2270 Not surprising!

[@bargeld09]

Thank you! You just said the true story 😢 Greed is the root of evil.

[@Nebulax123]

I worked for Sears for many years and they basically did three things that doomed them. 1. The last good CEO pushed in his son in law as the new CEO and he knew nothing about running it. 2. Got rid of full time employees who gave a crap and hired part timers to "save money" 3. Didn't listen to their I.T. Staff and create a strong online presence. They instead invested in mall stores when those were on the way out. They had a huge war chest and already had the distribution network in place and long paid for but no they let Jeff Brazos have that.

[@pamelamays4186]

School clothes shopping at Sears was family ritual for my family for many years.

[@roaddawg3217]

Yes😂😂😂 it was plaid heaven in the 80s! Going to school looking like a lumberjack in corduroy 😂

[@almVancouver]

Ditto

[@alextheskaterdude07]

@@almVancouver Remember Tough Skins Jeans? If you got a hole in the knee, bring them back and exchange them for a new pair.

[@KevinPayton-fq8gd]

@@alextheskaterdude07 I wore them as well. I had them in different colors.

[@Dark_Knight_USA]

Greetings: Sears was not just a store or supplier. It was a family. Customer service, good products, service and atmosphere. That was part of their reputation and success. The new era of retail sales, corporate and social mentality was not of their's. The new retail sales mentality is impersonal, poor if any customer service and crap products. The new is buy it, break it 2morrow and buy another. Thx 4 the share. Very well presented.

[@bubbasouth69]

Remember their motto “We service what we sell”? That was so true. My parents purchased a big stereo from them in the 70s and when the turntable went out, she called the repair service and he came out fixed it the next day! That stereo lasted for decades!

[@clarencejacksonjr.]

Loved the Sears Christmas catalog! When I saw it in our home I knew Christmas was right around the corner!!!

[@billbruff9613]

I am retired and living in Mexico. Sears is alive and well in the upscale malls of the city (Guadalajara) and is a go to source for home goods, tools and appliances. The Mexico operations of Sears were bought by the billionaire Carlos Slim who continues to rake in millions from the iconic brand.

[@CVenza]

@billbruff9613; Wow! that is promising for the future in the US (maybe)🤷🏼‍♀.

[@tomm7505]

I worked for Sears in St.Davids, PA and King of Prussia, PA for 9 years in the late 70s to the late 80s. I financed my college education by working there. I have many happy memories from that time. With their distribution network and infrastructure, Sears could have been a rival to Amazon today. The takeover by Lampert -- who was a vampire sucking Sears dry -- was the final nail in the coffin. Sad.

[@johnmadow5331]

I original from Philadelphia, Sears owned Leo Mall in Roosevelt Blvd. NE and we brought our 1st Allstate insurance policy from Lou Chicon a sales rep.

[@LuisVerdejo]

Since High School, I was hired as a stock boy and started to make a career at Sears. I worked at the stockroom, then in charge of layaways department. Them went to the auto department as bookkeeper. I was the one that pay the mechanics their commission. From there went to Catalog department, which was very small at that time and help build as a powerhouse. From there my last job had been a buyer assistance. I was in charge of buying the tools, paints, toys, camping equipment, home dec, kitchen appliances, office equipment, luggage, women stockings, etc. I was the one that planned the promotion and order the products 3 months in advance. It all came down when a new CEO took over Sears. In his visit to our stores, he mentions that we had 11 managers too many and 150 employees too many. With the cuts, service suffer, sales coverage was not enough. I decided to leave Sears, when the store manager ask me to work half the day in the office and the other half on the sales floor. They centralize the cash register on four sections, north, south, east and west. No more department section, not enough employees. That is when I quilt.

[@bobfrantz534]

Those moves were smart moves...what killed them was not moving on improving the "mail order" sales when people were shopping from home

[@bobfrantz534]

Also very slow on moving all those stores out of the dead cities out to the suburbs where people did their shopping at malls

[@LuisVerdejo]

@@bobfrantz534 Not really. What should have been done is move the Sears Catalog to the internet. They already had the distribution centers around the nation. The stores will be the supporting role of the internet. Think about it, you order thru the internet, you don't like it or it is not what you though it was. You go to your local Sears store to return it and while you are walking in the store you see something that caught your eye. You buy something. Besides, there are things that is best if you see it in person and ask question about it. Tools, paint, lawn care, cameras are thing that you need to interact with the item or a salesperson. If Sears have converted to the internet, there will be no Amazon or eBay and many others. Sears will completely dominate the market. But the shortsighted new management missed the boat.

[@lynnlobliner3933]

Lambert was a corporate raider. Whenever you hear that a hedge fund has bought in, that means the beginning of the end. US Toys R Us went that way, as well as KB Toys. That's why our economy isn't about consumerism anymore, it's about Wall St.

[@DrnkTheWildAir]

Exactly.

[@robkeysnj]

Yeah, this POS Lambert killed a brand and American Icon only for his personal gain..Reminds me of a certain Presidential candidate. I bet he still yuks it up with his golf course buddies over how much money he made. What he did wasn't illegal but it was immoral, and it would be great if some internet sleuth out there could let us know what companies or holdings he is involved with so we could bankrupt this guy.

[@jonestacara]

And I hate this for us. Even the government is now owned by corporations. Sickening

[@hubbardsucks]

Don't forget Red Lobster. Private Equity, Hedge Funds. Nothing but Wall Street Scams that make the Rich Richer and people unemployed. If you care to google the NBC story on the Red Lobster Debacle. I'll give you a hint...It wasn't the All You Can Eat Shrimp that Bankrupt them.

[@PeterDunnPhotographer]

@@lynnlobliner3933 The raiders destroyed so much of the businesses. Same thing with Continental Can, which had been a great place to work until Oliver Goldsmith and others bought it and liquidated it.

[@jims2286]

I am in my 60s. I loved Sears walking through my neighborhood store looking for new Craftman tools,shopping for appliances and automotive section!!!

[@user-zb9lv3gh8s]

Too bad by the 00's the tools were overpriced foreign junk. It had become so mismanaged, like they thought they'd just always be there no matter how much they let the place slip. Such a shame.

[@mikethompson3534]

Me too😊

[@artiglesias9317]

Excellent historical analysis. An American tragedy.

[@shayisha66]

There are so many memories as a kid in the 70s and 80s. My mom would take us there for school shopping and my parents go to for appliances. I worked there part-time in the 90s to supplement my income. It's still heartbreaking that corporate greed took over. This world would be a better place if we went back to family and morals and respect for each other. I yearn the good ole days.

[@pennymartin3821]

I miss Sears, it was our family destination for our needs and fun.😢 I miss you Sears and I miss K- Mart too.

[@MichaelMcCaulTX]

I live in a Sears house that was built in 1912. The walls are ply-board and still look good to this day.

[@BrianAiello]

IMHO, The downfall of Sears is indicative of the change in corporate management culture from building value through customer service and respect (acting as an important member of the family) to a management focused on maximizing profits for those corporate executives even if it meant causing the eventual death of the company and the loss of livelyhood for in many cases, thousands of loyal workers. Shameful!

[@DrnkTheWildAir]

Greed strikes again. 😞

[@alanmeyers3957]

@@BrianAiello it’s all about profits and not wanting to earn them.

[@nrrork]

That's chiefly the doing of... Oh, who was that General Electric CEO in the late 70s early 80s who first pushed this business model? He pretty much gave birth to late stage capitalism.

[@MaureenDeVries-wd9mh]

@@nrrork Jack Welch. He was another corporate raider

[@nrrork]

@@MaureenDeVries-wd9mh Yeah, that's him. I knew I'd know the name when I heard it. Thanks. 😁

[@MattyMatt80]

Sears failed to adapt to the changes that were rapidly occurring in the retail market. With the online shopping experience and other factors that would have made a huge difference in the retail industry future for Sears. I’m an 80’s kid. Watching this video makes me feel so old and happy that I was able to live in that generation to experience it all. I was very disappointed to see my local Sears store being permanently closed that I had so many memories in as a child with my family and friends.

[@Renshen1957]

I disagree, a corporate raider Eddie Lamber (ESL) got into sears sold properties to himself bled raised rents, the stores dry, and closed retirement health insurance closed successful stores such as the one in Tucson that was always busy and profitable as anyone who had visited it or had their care there to purchase tires. I agree in part that Sears didn’t go quick enough into online sales…on the other hand, was still trying to wring funds out of the company after 20 years by arguing that the inventory was worth more (orderly going out of business sale) than the proper valuation of “fire sale prices” such as 99 Cent Stores performed…the US Supreme Court refused to hear his case which his company’s interest was to suck millions out of the company. Maybe not as Quick as Mitt Romne Usually, bankruptcies ideally try to restructure debt to save a company…Lambert (or should I type Lamprey) was CEO and also board member but that’s a long time for bankruptcy to go on. Maybe not as quick as Bain Capital or Michael Milliken, but just as questionable as the amount of real estate was truly valued, the management practices that drove away loyal long term employees, in a service oriented business, to only one in a department and never a cashier to be found.

[@loyalUSguy]

​@@Renshen1957 Yeah, my dad got screwed on the retirement thing. Too. You are right.

[@glennso47]

Sears and Kmart merging was like Studebaker and Packard merging!😮

[@ericknoblauch9195]

​@@glennso47 Studabaker was failing and bleeding cash when it merged with Packard. Packard was in better shape at the time. My grandpa said Packard would have survived without Studabaker. Kmart had a bankruptcy filing in 2002. When Kmart reemerged from their bankruptcy they had Eddie Lambert who invested in their sinking empire. Kmart owned a lot of real estate, and that is all Lambert wanted. Sears was a cash rich company at the time, and just received a large payment from the sale of their credit business from Citibank. Kmart bought Sears in 2005. Sears was in better shape at the time, and did not have any bankruptcy filing. Sears then bought from Kmart several closed stores because they wanted to open stores off the mall in shopping centers under the Sears Grand name. Kmart then took the cash from the sale of the stores, and used it to buy Sears. Kmart also had several investments in other retailers before they filed for bankruptcy protection that failed. Kmart also had an interest in buying Sears back in the late 1990's but they were already in trouble. The shareholders of Kmart and Sears voted by proxy vote in two seperate proxy votes (one for each company) to merge overwhelmingly. Lambert voted on Kmart's side his 54 percent share since he owned 54 percent of Kmart's stock at the time.

[@anthonygray333]

@@glennso47 Exactly what I was thinking.

[@anthonygray333]

Just like the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Yes...a house. And they were very well designed, attractive, and made of quality materials....probably better than modern homes. Most are still standing. And in some places, there are entire neighborhoods consisting of these homes, as some companies ordered these kits in bulk, to create a nice living area for workers.

[@JetScreamer_YT]

Sears approved my first credit card application. When I was poor I used to buy a lot of their floor models at a huge discount.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

thanks for sharing, I hope things are going much better for you now.

[@brot5246]

In 1997 their credit card interest rates were 24%..

[@JetScreamer_YT]

@@brot5246 I have my credit card way before that.

[@dbeaus]

@@brot5246 In 2001 I worked for Sears and the loyalty to that Card was unbelievable. The rate was 22% and people would pay with it when their wallets had Visa, etc. at around 13%. I wasn't going to argue as many of my customers in their 30's and 40's, and older, almost insisted on using it. When Sears told us they were not taking it anymore, we couldn't believe it. Some of the customers didn't believe us, some walked out and didn't buy anything.

[@franknew9001]

I can remember Sears advertising slogan for many years was, "Sears, Where America Shops." Sadly no more. 😢😢

[@erikadlloyd5586]

I bought my first flat screen plasma TV from SEARS in 08 it still works perfectly fine 😊

[@ronalddevine9587]

I miss Sears big time. From when I was a little kid in the 50s, we were always in Sears. Clothing, shoes, tools, appliances. You name it. Always looked forward to the catalog. There should be an investigation into the top management. How many employees lost their jobs. How many employees of their suppliers lost their jobs? Not only did he foolishly abandon the catalog, he also stopped putting ads (circulars) in newspapers.

[@richfrazier8756]

Worked in Sears music department in San Diego from 1967-69. Made $2.35 an hour part time. Loved that job. My boss was Dick Pick who managed the music and television department.

[@oliviajohnjohnolivia8142]

My first bike,first girlfriend ,lost virginity 😎

[@Bass.Player]

The sears catalog was special for at the time the only entertainment was television with three channels and no internet. This was also a time when we played outside all day long, there was no A/C so you might as well stay outside. The schools were not air-conditioned the entire time I went from the 1st through the 12th grade. BTW: Sears has reopened a few stores in 2024!

[@alexisdiva9]

Where?

[@Bass.Player]

@@alexisdiva9 Texas

[@kevinlachowicz5997]

My sears refrigerator 40 years old still looks and works brand new .!!!

[@Dark_Knight_USA]

Greetings: Since Sears closings, I do not purchase craftsman. I retain my old tools and aquire other. RIP Sears. I miss U.

[@elsafischer3247]

I work for Sears as a buyer for womens department. I love it . Thank you for this history

[@dlcalbaugh]

@elsafischer3247 Where is there a Sears in the USA? I thought they had all been closed by 2024. I doubt you are a buyer for any department with Sears.

[@marci.5597]

@@dlcalbaugh There are two open Sears near me: Stockton, CA and Concord, CA. I could shop at both of them tomorrow afternoon. In a long driving day, I could even visit the other two in Whittier and Burbank, CA.

[@dlcalbaugh]

@@marci.5597 My apologies.

[@CVenza]

@@marci.5597 ; there is hope for the rest of the States. 🤷🏼‍♀🤷🏼‍♀🤔🤔💔💔🤷🏼‍♀

[@DayTwo-w8n]

In the 1960s my parents bought everything from clothing to home improvements from Sears. After several years product quality and customer service went downhill. Sears is now nothing but a distant memory.

[@jrnfw4060]

I once bought a pair of floor mats for my car from Sears. They turned out to be so flimsy that they were bunching up around my feet when I tried to access the pedals. Very dangerous! I tried to return them and the customer "service" rep actually accused me of stealing the mats! I wrote the main office a letter explaining the situation and how badly I was treated, warned them that calling me a thief without proof was slander and I could sue them, then told them to either make it right or they would receive my Sears credit card cut up into little pieces. They called and apologized, and refunded my money. Said I didn't even need to return the mats. This was just one example of their lousy customer service in their later years. Got too big for their britches and developed a very bad attitude.

[@asullivan4047]

Incompetent management issues.

[@on-site4094]

Sears was an amazing store quality products not like today all disposable Cheap products

[@arlenehynes4607]

True!!

[@charleslee4204]

When K Mart bought Sears , that was the beginning of the end for Sears !

[@eddiesimms9301]

Sears & JC Penny's were the "Go To" stores that ALWAYS had the consumer goods you needed. If one store was out of stock for whatever item, you could surely find it at the other. BOTH stores had catalogs. These two stores were where EVERYBODY'S mom bought your school clothes and Christmas shopping. Sears and JC PENNY'S were American icons as the NY Yankees were to baseball......They were part of the American way of LIFE!!.....

[@donnaml8776]

@@eddiesimms9301 I remember when I was a teen it was a prestigious place to work. If you got to work at Sears or JCPenney’s that was really something. Just like working at Bell Telephone. It’s sad really that these companies forgot the people along the way.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Sears was popular here in Canada too, although Penny's never came here. We had Eaton's and, in Alberta and BC, Woodwards, both also now gone.

[@MaureenDeVries-wd9mh]

Don't forget Montgomer Ward...

[@marci.5597]

I can still shop and muliple Sears and JC Penney stores near me - two sears and well over a dozen JCP stores within easy driving distance.

[@homedecor6915]

Being from CT, G. Fox & Co. will also remain in my memories of a lost icon store.

[@doxcb4717]

My mom used to get the Sears catalog where she would order our Easter and Christmas outfits . It was a family event when we would all pile in the family car to collect the packages . The memories come flooding back

[@johnfalstaff2270]

To me as a newcomer to America, the name of SEARS was a symbol of American prosperity. Nothing else was as popular and famous than Sears. Collapse of this legendary mammoth should ring alarm to all Americans.

[@sylviastreet]

It’s 2024. I bought 2 towels 50 years ago from Sears and I still have them and use them! I use them as rags and you can almost see them but they are still good! Today towels may last 6 months, maybe even a year. Good old Sears!

[@caltrask130]

When I was very young, my father went to Sears nearly every payday and bought more tools for improvements. I loved going with him. While he shopped, I would look in the sporting goods section, toys and peruse what are now classic record albums. Then they moved to the mall. The shopping experience was never the same. While in college, I worked in the stockroom during summer recess. It was a nice job at the time. We made lots of friends at the mall and enjoyed many Friday happy hours. There were still a few old timers left that were part of the profit-sharing program who would often reflect on the "good old days". Of course, now the store is closed. Currently in its rather large footprint are several new ventures. Nearly all are propped up by substantial public tax dollars in some form. Quite a downfall, thanks for the memories.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thank you for sharing your story :)

[@larrylee4919]

My first bicycle First saddle First cordless drill I’m 75 and I still have some of my Dad’s craftsman tools

[@arlenehynes4607]

Oh wow! That's when good quality mattered! Things were definitely made to last. My Daddy is 81 and still has some Craftsman tools! ❤

[@Licenciadopedro]

My auntie in the 70's bought a Sears hi fi system, the turntable, amp, equalizer, cassette player and speakers had the Sears brand stamped. It sounded quite well and cheaper that the Japanese brands that were so famous, unfortunately she sold it. I bought my bicycle there in the late 80's which I still have today and every time I ride it people come to me with amaze asking me about it, there is a young lady who is in love of my bike and of the ringer, ring, ring

[@BASavage81]

I worked for them in 1985-86 and 1990. I noticed the fall was coming back then. Still I have fond memories of the Christmas Wish book and doing one stop back to school shopping. Lesson here, even the mighty can fall when mismanaged.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thanks for sharing. Valuable lesson.

[@leftylou6070]

Back in the day it was bigger than E-Bay, and Amazon, and Walmart all put together!

[@veronicanne1]

@@leftylou6070 they were ahead of the times. Now look at home shopping.

[@bluesteel48]

When I was a teenage garage band musician my band landed a good paying steady gig. But I needed bigger amplifier. A salesman at our local Sears store sold me just the model that I needed and set me up with a payment plan that I could afford from my job as a musician. Then he ran an add in the classifieds that sold my old small amp. That’s the kind of service and sales support that is sadly gone forever. I should mention that the year was 1964.

[@US_Joe]

Great post - Thanx for the memories. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thanks for watching!

[@ritaschultz6859]

@@US_Joe yeah you couldn't find anyone who knew anything , especially in their auto department That started going to pot in about 2010 when they let women who didn't know anything run their dept .

[@RichardCook-on3gf]

Dad worked for Sears. Started in the tire dept. Then because of his radar background in the USAF was sent to tv repair school. Back then someone would come to your house to fix the tv. He was promoted to appliance salesman, the to dept. manager. I remember when he bought home a color tv in 1960, the first in the neighborhood. The Flintstones was one of the few color programs on and our living room was packed with most everyone in the neighborhood to watch it just because a color program was a novelty.

[@junkvista61]

I was there to watch color TV too. LoL. may be not to your house but my neighbor's house and we, the kids, fighting to get the best seat but the son of TV owner said "sit down and watch tv, who make loud noise get out the here" So we quiet as pin drops. Oh fond memory of childhood. Now I am in 70s

[@Charles-n8p]

My grandfather worked for Sears and Christmas was special walking through sears in 60s and 70s. The aroma ❤

[@Emell1968]

What a wonderful store i went to the first in my life 1976 in Barranquilla Colombia 🇨🇴 when i moved to Miami USA 🇺🇸 it was greater more merchandise that i ever saw in my life and yes my first bike was from Sears

[@frankanderson4176]

Sears & Penny's were the two stores to go to for everything in Albany, GA as I grew up in the 60's. Sears had an escalator, how exciting. I got most of my clothes there and we had Kenmore products. I even got a minibike there when I was about 12. Employees had an old-fashioned retirement plan, too. My Dad was buying shoes for me when I was a kid one day and the same man who worked there for years told him of a good pension he had waiting. They always had that metal shoe-size-measuring device that you put your foot in. Also, you could return just about anything for a full refund and that built patronage. Unheard of now. Lost days in so many ways.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thanks for sharing your story Frank, hope you have enjoyed the video.

[@ValerieGriner]

I have some of the same memories of Sears and J.C. Penney stores in Valdosta, GA.

[@arlenehynes4607]

Back when my grandfather passed away (1982), we found dress pants with tags still on them. They were old. I went to Sears to see if I could return them and they actually did let me!!! When we found them, they were at least 5-6 years old. I miss the way they decorated for Christmas 🎄 It felt like a wonderland... the toys. So wonderful.

[@JohnFourtyTwo]

@@frankanderson4176 They’re called Brannock Devices and you can still find them in stores but good luck if the employees know how to use them or help you with your shoes.

[@nclarke372]

You Missed Something. Like every one of my generation I remember the wounder of the Christmas Wish Book. I still have Craftman tools that have lasted a life time or two. I am still using my 1994 Kenmore dryer, 1997 Kenmore vacuum cleaner and 2002 Galaxy. Refrigerator. However there is one very important service you did not mention, which has been lost to time in this Easy Credit world in which we live. In 1978 it was all but impossible for young couple to establish credit. In steps Sears my new wife needed a washing machine. I wanted to please my bride and be the hero, so off to Sears. In those days if you had a Job and made a major purchase (washing machine) you could apply for and get a Sears credit card in just hours. After having the card for a year with out missing a payment you would establish credit. Sears was instrumental in establishing credit to many young couples over the years, this also fostered brand loyalty and help when we bought our first home.

[@wingrider1004]

Used to love going to Sears...they had it all. Always loved the catalog.

[@DucatiPaso750]

One of the craziest memories that I have was when I first used dial-up internet in the late 1980s on a 1200 baud modem via a service named Prodigy. Prodigy had been co-developed by Sears. I remember thinking, "Wow! Now Sears could digitize their catalog!!" It had occurred to me, but never to Sears executives.

[@sandyjuntunen4088]

We finally closed our account bc of the constant mistakes. Service was terrible. I went in several times & never saw any help. The merchandise was just awful. Some of the ugliest clothes, shoes, purses, home goods I ever saw. No variety. Even the Christmas decorations were ugly & few of them. No special effort made at all on displays, if there were any, nothing done pretty for the holidays. Just stopped going in at all.

[@invisableobserver]

The old Sears on Lamar in Dallas Texas was incredible, I used to go eat at their's Sear's cafeteria in the basement when I was in high school because a friend worked there and it was not far from school, it is an old art deco building, the building was made into a swanky apartment building after Sears closed, amazing building.

[@debbiecooper1677]

I have the last christmas wish book. still in the wrapper .it was my stepmothers.she left me.

[@ValerieGriner]

I'll never forget the Sear's Wishbook. It was a large part of my childhood. My father had one of the large Craftsman tool boxes, as well. I bought my first riding lawnmower and other tools at Sears. So sad that they closed.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thank you for sharing your experience

[@veronicanne1]

Yes. Same here

[@ArtimusDragon]

So, basically... the Sears catalog was the first internet. AMAZING.

[@souldragon9130]

...This all went bad, I was Born in 05. And I want to go back to the olden days where this stuff used to be actually good...

[@Alanb_69]

My grandmother is 99 and she tells me about shopping there as a kid. She briefly worked at Sears and Montgomery Wards in the 1940s. She retired from Gayfers dept. store in Mobile Alabama after 40 years. My other grandmother worked at Sears for 25 years. Sears was the big dog on the block for many years. One day (probably when I'm dead) the same thing may happen to Walmart and Amazon and another new business may end up putting those two out of business.

[@LatitudeSky]

When I was a kid in the 70s, I remember well ordering a toy from the catalog and going to a Sears catalog center to pick up the order. The whole experience was memorable. As an adult a couple decades later, I went to Sears for work clothes and shoes. When work sent me on a trip, I went to Sears for the first luggage I had ever owned. That's just where you went for such things. As a homeowner in need of a lawnmower, I got a Craftsman. When someone stole that mower, I got another one. Sears was always dependable. Sad to see what happened. I still have that luggage. It is falling apart a bit but still good. My car has a Diehard battery. Not sold BY Sears but it is at least their brand.

[@Bass.Player]

I had a Kenmore washer I bought new that lasted over 30 years! I have a ton of Craftsman hand tools.

[@fredc.o.4495]

Replaced all the commission departments and replaced everyone with Min Wage Idiots. Unfortunately, Sears killed themselves 😮.

[@FigaroHey]

My uncle worked for Sears for decades. He raised four children in an era of stay-at-home mothers on his income from Sears, and they also took in more than a dozen foster kids over the years, providing a home for at-risk kids. Then when he was in his fifties, nearing retirement and the time when he'd receive a pension from Sears, they let him go - 'downsizing'. They let go hundreds of employees who were nearing retirement having devoted their entire working lives to Sears, just so they would not have to pay pensions to people who had worked in their brick-and-mortar stores for 30 years or more. My uncle was an expert in home appliances, a successful salesman for Sears for all those years. And they cut him loose with nothing. He had to pivot in his fifties and work many more years than he expected in order to have a retirement. That was in the 1980s, I think. Many employees ended up 'seared' by Sears long before the advent of Walmart and K-Mart, etc.

[@trinarichardson6682]

@@FigaroHey Kmart did the same thing. They got rid of all the older employees and long time worker then all the full time employee got laid off or hours cut right in half.

[@John-jl9de]

Sears management, or the lack there of, really blew it. Shame on them for the destruction of their own company. American automobile companies are going in the same direction if they don't change their management.

[@drstevenrey]

I still use my dads craftsman tools on a daily basis. Dad bought these in the mid 50's in Quebec Canada. These tools have travel mileage in the area of 150'000 miles all over the world. Special note to the socket wrench. Still works like a charm and never lets me down.

[@isabelmorales796]

Thank you, i cry with this video so many memories, it is very bad how they didn't do anything to make it work 😨😞😞

[@arlenehynes4607]

It made me sad..... I grew up in 70s/80s and it was so wonderful to shop there! I remember so much. Great memories!

[@rtperrett]

This was so therapeutic to watch, RIP Sears.

[@paulrite5358]

Sears died do to conflict of interest of senior management, greed,and abandonment of the concept of fiduciary responsibility.

[@veronicanne1]

Lambert sunk sears

[@glennso47]

Sears started WLS Radio in Chicago. WLS stood for “Worlds Largest Store.”

[@SMac-bq8sk]

Nice bit of trivia! I never knew that.👍

[@arlenehynes4607]

Neat! I didn't know that!

[@newlam7958]

Kenmore were the best appliances too! Craftsman's are the best tools!

[@ThoseWonderYears]

You’re right! Thanks for sharing

[@tonywestvirginia]

Was.

[@jimshoe402]

I BT 5 rental house new All Sears Easy to do had my lady Sales person. She knew I was BUYING so great Quick service one at Lunch..Haha

[@neverlearnitall]

I LOVED Sears! I grew up shopping there and then when I was grown with my own family! Multiple times over the years, my husband and I both have missed something specific about Sears! It was the best place to shop!

[@hammanhamman5002]

I’m 58, as a boy I recall browsing Sears catalogs at my Grandma’s house.i was stationed onboard USS Fulton in New London, Conn during my first enlistment in the USN. This was a submarine tender, AS-11, we spent a good bit of time in port tending to our squadron. I was able to get a part time job at the Sears as a tire buster, brakes, alignment, alternator , electrical mechanic. After my service I went home and worked at Sears garage in Watertown, NY for a few years. Watching Sears fade away has saddened me. I worked with many great people at Sears

[@michaelcoonce6694]

Sears died due to bad management (eddie Lampert)

[@uncleron9481]

Yes. Sears died when the MBA's took over. There's a lot of that going around the US these days (Boeing.)

[@michaelcoonce6694]

@@uncleron9481 Eddie was interested in the real estate. Sears was property rich but cash poor. Kmart had cash. Eddie liquidated the real estate to make a profit for his investment company

[@bobbg9041]

You mean the Crook took over.

[@nanny8675309]

whoever thought teaming up with Kmart was a good idea is an idiot. Kmart was never anything likes Sears and would’ve obviously just brought it down.

[@greggalexander5913]

Yes. Trump’s billionaire, Steven Mnuchin, The Foreclosure King!

[@RatKindler]

My mom worked for Sears for decades. I worked there for 3 years during university. Almost everything we owned was from Sears. All my current major appliances are Kenmore, inherited from my parents 25 years ago and are still working fine. How many appliances made today will still be working great 30 years from now?

[@taylorwaterman7316]

Thank you for blaming that horrible ceo that took over. Only bought kmart/sears to STEAL from it. Instead of maintaining the building/business (constant broken elevators/escalator/broken ac/no fresh paint/no new fixtures/low stock) that money went into his pocket! Thanks for doing this instead of people saying "pssh...AMAZON" as the reason s/k fell. Target is still around, why did target not fall due to amazon?

[@andrewkaye2108]

My mom always bought toughskin pants and Sears shirts for us for school until we were in High School. I remember the freshly popped popcorn in a smal enclosure with hot peanuts and a gazillion different types of choclate covered candies, that were sold and put in small white paper bags. Yum. Good times. :)

[@dville_dude]

what happened to sears? eddie lampert happened to sears. that's what.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

You're right; without a doubt, one of the factors that contributed to Sears' bankruptcy was the decisions made by its board of directors. Sadly, this led to the downfall of the company, and with it, the jobs of many honest people.

[@dville_dude]

@@ThoseWonderYears exactly. it was cryin' shame. eddie treated sears (and kmart) like they were his personal piggy bank. shameful!!

[@Bree487]

I'm still using my Kenmore toaster. It was top of the line cast stainless when purchased in the 1990's, and still toasting perfectly. Outlived my Kitchenaid toaster.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thanks for sharing!

[@carissafisher7514]

I bought my cheap $13 toaster at Target in 1996 and it still works There were two others to choose from $8 one or a $15, so I bought the middle priced. So I guess toasters are built to last, maybe KitchenAid is a bad brand?

[@Mjj633]

If Mr. Sears saw that he would not be happy. I remember I wanted the She Ra costume from the catalog I was 7. 1985 When I got it, I was so happy.

[@robertharris-gs8dq]

I wish Sears was open back for business not only l missed shopping there l also miss working there too thanks a lot Edward Lamper for not saving the store

[@angelbulldog4934]

In the 50s and 60s, my brothers and I wouldn't have had Christmas without Sears. Idly thumbing through the catalog was one of my favorite pastimes. Within the last few months, I gave away a pair of lightweight hiking boots I bought for about $9 at one of their outlets in Greensboro, NC. I wore them to hike Grandfather Mountain. Also when I worked in a greenhouse. They were wet every day. Still perfectly wearable when I gave them away in 2024. I always meant to send an email extolling the quality of their products. Now I guess it's too late.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

What a beautiful story, filled with special memories. Even though you didn’t get to send that email, you've shared a valuable testament to the durability and quality of those products. It’s a lovely tribute to a time and to things that stand the test of time. Thank you for sharing!

[@Emell1968]

How about the models in underwear 😍

[@arlenehynes4607]

❤

[@Doggymcdoggy664]

Old man told me sears catologe had the softest pages in the outhouse. 😂😂. True storie.

[@arlenehynes4607]

That's 😅! Who would have known?!!! 😅😅

[@JohnFourtyTwo]

Back when the pages were made of pulp paper but not the later ones with glossy full color pages. You would hurt yourself trying to wipe with those.🤣

[@Doggymcdoggy664]

@@JohnFourtyTwo well if he was alive now Uncle Bill would have been 100 years old. Signed his name with a X. Showed me old ways to move the mountains. RiP UB and aunt Frank.

[@dalecs47]

Sears once stood for dependable quality. So in 1987 I paid almost $500 for the best Kenmore micro wave oven they had. It lasted about 13 months. I had not paid extra for the extended service becasue I had trust in the quality of Sears products. My mistake, a mistake I NEVER made again. That micro wave oven was the last major product purchase I ever made from Sears. Losing life time customers, such as myself, is why Sears is gone now.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Sounds like a painful experience for you. Thanks for sharing your story

[@brot5246]

I brought a tv from them in 1997 and got it home and it would not play.

[@dalecs47]

@@brot5246 I used to take pride in my ability to shop at Sears and afford to pay for quality products. The later years management of Sears took that good customer feeling cashed it in and turned it in to executive bonus pay.

[@DayTwo-w8n]

Quality went downhill in the 1980s. At the time I was an auto mechanic and purchased several power tools. They didn't last and replacement parts didn't exist.

[@BennyHolden-ls7sj]

When Sears hired a corporate raider and ruthless asset stripper from wall street, the writing was on the wall for the company, a new breed of nasty, ruthless, and callous corporate types emerged in the US during the mid 1980's and onwards, these parasites never wanted to build a business which was built over a number of decades with hard work and with people who really cared about the customer, but instead those at the top decided to perform the mantra, "extract value out of it" you all know what that means! First time I visited the US in the very early 80's I was gobsmacked at how big the stores were and the huge number of mail order products that left no stone untouched in terms of products offered, we had Woolworths and Marks and Spencer which in comparison didn't even compare and I remember "mail order homes" in the catalogues which for us at that time was unbelievable! Sears could have adapted very well when the internet finally took off in 1993 but by that time the company was on its knees.

[@sleezebagsammy8605]

Extremely well done video and thank you! I absolutely loved the catalog ordering and endless toys available in the late 60's and in the 70's.

[@ThoseWonderYears]

Thank you! Hope you had enjoyed

[@mga2899]

Sears was America. In a way, their demise was as well.

[@michaelanderson6456]

sears was a popcorn sale pushing gimmic... low quaity, high price... better off with out their juck market type item ..

[@mga2899]

@@michaelanderson6456 That was after the Kardashians moved in. Great stuff at fair prices before that.

[@jack333p]

The best store today, most like Sears with helpful employess is ACE hardware

[@arlenehynes4607]

We have a small hardware store where everyone knows each customer!

[@bobbg9041]

Had Warren Buffet taken over sears before lambert got his greedy Hands on it, it would still be around I don't think K mart would be. And Amazon would still be a start up. But if you remember Wards fell First and they also had a catalog. Sears used to sell almost all American made items and the best quality, but tye quality fell down to Kmart standards to compete, and bring in made in japan tool kits Still have my made in japan tools i got as a teenager I belive that upset Union workers. A lot of things went into why the store failed, Macy's also failed too But came back. A big killer was Malls you had one sears a jones store, macys some had ward sears sold the same things as all these stores that copied them. The final blow was selling the brand name Craftsmen tools. Only reason I went to sears tords the end.

[@njjeff201]

Still have last catalogue somewhere. Bought my tools there, boat speakers, lawnmower, list goes on & on. Loved looking at their toy catalogue!!!! They always honored anything broken.

[@johnmadow5331]

Sears moved the productions to China and fired all of its employees including Quality standard that go from the top western quality attitude to the third world ghetto that based on making and survived anyway you can! Ask Sears CEO of Sears!

[@rangerider51]

I loved their Craftsman tools. They were made in America. I still have some Craftsman tools that were made in America and I got them at Sears. I miss Sears.

[@carabela125]

Thanks for the memories, especially the popcorn.

[@behindthespotlight7983]

14:51 let’s just call him what he was: Gordon Gecko 2.0

[@LocoCanada]

Edward Lampert should be in jail. Looks like he pocketed millions destroying Sears. He did the same thing to Sears Canada later on. I worked in the appliance dept at the Gateway Mall store shown in the video. They cut the commisions shortly after I left and everything went to hell.