Sears
Sears is a historic American retailer operating an e-commerce platform and nationwide home warranty service, selling appliances, tools, home goods, and parts through sears.com, Sears Marketplace, and Sears Protect, with only 5 remaining physical stores after its 2018 bankruptcy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1886
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sears does
Sears, originally founded in 1886 as Sears, Roebuck and Co. in Chicago, Illinois, is a historic American retailer that once operated 3,500 stores at its peak and was the largest retailer in the United States. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 with approximately $6.9 billion in debt, the company emerged as a private entity under Transform SR Brands LLC, a subsidiary of Transformco controlled by ESL Investments (Edward Lampert). As of 2026, Sears operates only 5 physical retail stores nationwide alongside its core e-commerce platform at sears.com.
The company's technology foundation centers on an e-commerce platform with omnichannel capabilities and claimed AI-powered demand prediction for inventory and logistics optimization. Sears distributes products through its own storefront (sears.com), a third-party seller marketplace (Sears Marketplace), and a Sears Puerto Rico subsidiary. Revenue streams include one-time product sales across appliances, tools, electronics, lawn and garden, outdoor living, and home goods; recurring Sears Protect home warranty subscriptions; marketplace commissions; and Sears Card credit card transaction fees and interest. Supporting service divisions include Sears Home Services (in-home appliance repair via company-employed technicians), Sears Parts Direct (parts distribution), the Shop Your Way loyalty program, and a Hot Deals/Rebates promotional engine.
Sears serves mainstream US consumers and homeowners through a horizontal segmentation approach, offering price-match policy, regular discount promotions (5-75% off), and nationwide home warranty coverage. Sears Protect positions itself as the only nationwide home warranty provider employing its own service technicians rather than third-party contractors. Reported scale metrics include over 150 million homes historically served through warranty services and over 1 million five-star reviews, though the company continues to wind down operations with no current revenue disclosure available.
Sears firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sears
- Legal name
- Transform SR Brands LLC
- Website
- https://sears.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1886
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Sears is a historic American retailer operating an e-commerce platform and nationwide home warranty service, selling appliances, tools, home goods, and parts through sears.com, Sears Marketplace, and Sears Protect, with only 5 remaining physical stores after its 2018 bankruptcy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sears industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Department Store Retail
- NAICS
- Department Stores (4551), Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers (449)
- SIC
- Retail-Department Stores (5311), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electronics & Appliances-Focused Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Off-Price / Clearance-Led Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAM), General Merchandise Online Retailers (CRAFADAA), Home & Furniture-Focused Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAB)
Keywords
Where Sears is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sears business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware/Product Sales: Sale of appliances, tools, clothing, mattresses, electronics, lawn & garden equipment, tires and automotive products through retail stores and e-commerce
- Home Warranty Services (Sears Protect): Home warranty plans providing coverage for appliance and home-system repairs, generating recurring subscription revenue with annual plan fees
- Sears Marketplace: Third-party marketplace allowing other sellers to sell products on sears.com, earning commissions on transactions
- Sears Credit Cards: Store credit cards and financing options for customers, generating revenue through interest and transaction fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Product discounts across categories including appliances, tools, electronics, and home goods |
| Subscription | Annual | Sears Protect home warranty plans with flexible pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sears product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sears is a traditional department store retailer selling consumer goods including appliances, tools, clothing, mattresses, furniture, electronics, and lawn & garden products through its remaining physical stores and the sears.com e-commerce platform. Beyond product sales, the company operates Sears Marketplace for third-party sellers, Sears Protect home warranty plans, Sears Home Services for in-home appliance repair and installation, and Sears Parts Direct for replacement parts.
Product overview
Sears operates as a traditional e-commerce retail platform offering a diversified portfolio of consumer products centered on home goods and appliances. The core Sears.com platform serves as the primary sales channel, complemented by the Sears Marketplace for third-party sellers and the Shop Your Way loyalty program for customer engagement. Service offerings include Sears Protect (home warranty), Sears Parts Direct, and Sears Home Services, which collectively provide appliance repair and parts fulfillment. The company markets major product categories including appliances, tools, electronics, lawn & garden equipment, outdoor furniture, and home goods, with promotional mechanisms through Hot Deals and Rebates Center. The product architecture reflects a platform-plus-services model where the e-commerce site serves as the foundation while value-added services (warranties, repairs, parts) and marketplace extend functionality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kenmore: Appliance brand previously owned by Sears, now sold to other retailers
- Craftsman
- Sears Parts Direct
- Sears Home Services
- Sears Protect Warranty
- Sears Marketplace
Products and services
- Sears.com E-commerce Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 million homes served through home warranty services
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sears
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sears technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Sears partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Simon Property GroupminorThe sole remaining California Sears store is located inside a Simon Property Group mall in Concord, representing a landlord-tenant relationship for the surviving retail footprint.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sears competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Macy's: One of the remaining large US department store chains with multi-category apparel, home, and beauty assortments; competes with Sears in apparel, home goods, and mattress categories.
- JCPenney: Department store peer with a similar decline trajectory following bankruptcy and private-equity ownership; offers overlapping apparel, home, and appliance categories.
- Home Depot: Dominant home improvement retailer that has absorbed significant share from Sears in tools, appliances, and home goods since Sears' decline began.
- Best Buy: Leading US specialty retailer for consumer electronics and major appliances, directly competing with Sears' appliance and electronics categories both online and in-store.
- Wayfair: Online home goods and furniture retailer overlapping with Sears' furniture, outdoor patio, and home furnishings categories through an asset-light marketplace model.
- Lowe's: National home improvement chain competing directly with Sears in major appliances, tools, lawn and garden, and outdoor living categories.
- Kmart: Sister brand under Transformco (same parent as Sears), operating a similar discount general-merchandise format with overlapping product categories in appliances, clothing, and home goods.
Broad incumbents
- Walmart: World's largest retailer competing with Sears across general merchandise, groceries, apparel, and home goods with vastly superior scale and pricing power.
- Amazon: E-commerce leader that captured Sears' declining online share across appliances, tools, electronics, and general merchandise.
- Target: Mass-market general merchandise retailer overlapping with Sears across apparel, home goods, electronics, and small appliances with a much larger store and digital footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sears social profiles
Digital presenceSears financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sears leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sears subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Sears funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sears M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sears
What does Sears do?
Sears is a traditional department store retailer selling consumer goods including appliances, tools, clothing, mattresses, furniture, electronics, and lawn & garden products through its remaining physical stores and the sears.com e-commerce platform. Beyond product sales, the company operates Sears Marketplace for third-party sellers, Sears Protect home warranty plans, Sears Home Services for in-home appliance repair and installation, and Sears Parts Direct for replacement parts.
Is Sears a public or private company?
Sears is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Sears founded?
Sears was founded in 1886. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Sears based?
Sears is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sears make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware/Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are home Warranty Services (Sears Protect), sears Marketplace and sears Credit Cards.
Who are Sears's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Macy's, JCPenney, Home Depot, Best Buy, Wayfair, Lowe's and Kmart. Broad incumbents are Walmart, Amazon and Target.
Does Sears have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sears.
What industry is Sears in?
Sears's product category is Department Store Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAGAIAD, Electronics & Appliances-Focused Catalog Department Store Retailers, with a secondary code of CRAGAIAM, Off-Price / Clearance-Led Catalog Department Store Retailers. Its NAICS code is 4551 and its SIC code is 5311.