Sears
Pioneering mail-order catalog and department store chain.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, was an American chain of department stores and online retailer.
- founders
- Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck
- field
- Retail
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Mail-order catalog, first major retail IPO, largest U.S. retailer through the 1980s
Lore & Background
Rosenwald brought rational management and diversified product lines. The company was badly hurt during 1919–21, but Rosenwald pledged $21 million of his personal wealth to bail it out.
Reader's Guide
Sears transformed American retail by pioneering the mail-order catalog, which brought a vast array of goods to rural households. Post-bankruptcy, Transformco focused on managing and selling off remaining real estate. Sears' legacy includes its catalog, the Sears Wishbook, and its role in shaping modern retail practices.
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