Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is a U.S. integrated retailer formed in 2005 from the Sears-Kmart merger, once America's largest retailer. Now in near-complete wind-down following its 2018 bankruptcy, it operates only five remaining stores serving general consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersHoffman Estates, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sears Holdings Corporation does
Sears Holdings Corporation was a U.S. integrated retailer formed in 2005 when hedge fund magnate Edward Lampert merged Sears and Kmart through his investment firm ESL Investments. At its peak the company operated over 3,400 department stores and was America's largest retailer, serving general consumers across the United States through physical and digital retail channels. Lampert's strategy centered on extracting value from the company's real estate holdings rather than reinvesting in retail operations, a thesis that shaped the enterprise across two decades.
The company is no longer a going concern. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2018 and, by late 2025, had been reduced to only five remaining stores, representing near-complete extinction of the once-dominant retail chain. It has been delisted from public markets and now trades over-the-counter under the symbol SHLDQ (otcpink). Pricing and revenue mechanics are effectively moot given the wind-down status; no revenue data is disclosed in the available sources.
In 2015 Sears Holdings spun off its real estate assets into Seritage Growth Properties, a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Seritage is itself now winding down and selling its final assets to repay a $1.6 billion term loan held by Berkshire Hathaway. The corporate structure includes former subsidiaries and acquired brands such as Kmart, Land's End (acquired 2002), Delver (2009), and SNUPI Technologies (2015). The entity is effectively in the final stages of dissolution.
Sears Holdings Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sears Holdings Corporation
- Legal name
- Sears Holdings Corporation
- Website
- https://jobs.sears.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Sears Holdings Corporation is a U.S. integrated retailer formed in 2005 from the Sears-Kmart merger, once America's largest retailer. Now in near-complete wind-down following its 2018 bankruptcy, it operates only five remaining stores serving general consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sears Holdings Corporation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Department Store Retail
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455), Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (45521)
- SIC
- Retail-Department Stores (5311), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Variety Stores (5331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Closeout & Liquidation Stores (CRAEAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Closeout / Liquidation Variety Stores (CRAGAJAD), Bankruptcy, Store-Closing & Going-Out-of-Business (GOB) Sales Retail (CRAEAFAD)
Keywords
Where Sears Holdings Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hoffman Estates
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Sears Holdings Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Sears Holdings Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sears Holdings Corporation was an integrated multi-format retailer operating Sears and Kmart department store chains, selling apparel, home goods, appliances, tools, and consumer electronics. The company historically focused on connecting digital and physical shopping experiences. Sears Holdings has been in wind-down since its 2018 Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is effectively closed as a going concern, with only 5 stores remaining from a peak of over 3,400.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sears department stores Department store retail banner selling apparel, home goods, appliances, tools, and consumer electronics to individual consumers. Operations are nearly fully wound down.
- Kmart retail banner Discount retail banner acquired via the 2005 merger, selling general merchandise and apparel to individual consumers.
- Land's End apparel brand Apparel brand acquired by Sears Holdings, focused on casual clothing and accessories sold through retail and online channels.
- Seritage Growth Properties Real estate investment vehicle spun off from Sears Holdings in 2015, holding and monetizing former Sears real estate through leasing and sales.
Companies that use Sears Holdings Corporation
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Sears Holdings Corporation technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sears Holdings Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Sears Holdings Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Macy's, Inc. Macy's is the largest surviving U.S. department store chain, directly comparable to Sears as a multi-category general merchandise retailer serving broad American consumer segments through both owned brands and national labels.
- JCPenney: JCPenney is a U.S. department store chain that also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, making it the closest direct comparable to Sears in terms of format, customer base, and post-bankruptcy trajectory.
- Kohl's Corporation: Kohl's operates mid-tier U.S. department stores with a mix of apparel, home, and beauty — directly comparable to Sears' historical mid-market department store positioning.
- Nordstrom, Inc. Nordstrom is a U.S. department store chain competing in the same broad apparel and accessories category, serving similar middle-to-upper consumer segments as Sears historically did.
- Dillard's, Inc. Dillard's operates traditional U.S. department stores focused on apparel, cosmetics, and home goods, sharing Sears' traditional department store format and customer demographic.
- Belk: Belk is a regional U.S. department store chain selling apparel, shoes, accessories, and home goods — comparable to Sears in merchandise mix and mid-market positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Walmart Inc. Walmart is the dominant U.S. mass-market general merchandise retailer that absorbed much of the customer base Sears ceded during its decline, competing directly in apparel, home, and basic consumer goods.
- Target Corporation: Target is a major U.S. general merchandise and apparel retailer that has successfully repositioned for omnichannel competition while Sears declined — a benchmark for what modernized department-store-format retail can look like.
- Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon is the dominant U.S. e-commerce general merchandise retailer whose rise coincided with Sears' decline and which now captures the online shopping demand Sears was unable to serve.
Others
- Stage Stores (now part of Tuesday Morning / liquidation): Stage Stores, like Sears, was a U.S. department store chain that ultimately liquidated — illustrating the broader wave of traditional mid-market department store failures against which Sears' trajectory should be benchmarked.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights3 records
Customer concentration
Sears Holdings Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceSears Holdings Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sears Holdings Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sears Holdings Corporation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Sears Holdings Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sears Holdings Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sears Holdings Corporation
What does Sears Holdings Corporation do?
Sears Holdings Corporation was an integrated multi-format retailer operating Sears and Kmart department store chains, selling apparel, home goods, appliances, tools, and consumer electronics. The company historically focused on connecting digital and physical shopping experiences. Sears Holdings has been in wind-down since its 2018 Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is effectively closed as a going concern, with only 5 stores remaining from a peak of over 3,400.
Is Sears Holdings Corporation a public or private company?
Sears Holdings Corporation is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently closed.
When was Sears Holdings Corporation founded?
Sears Holdings Corporation was founded in 2005. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Sears Holdings Corporation based?
Sears Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Sears Holdings Corporation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Macy's, Inc., JCPenney, Kohl's Corporation, Nordstrom, Inc., Dillard's, Inc. and Belk. Broad incumbents are Walmart Inc., Target Corporation and Amazon.com, Inc.. Stage Stores (now part of Tuesday Morning / liquidation) is listed as an others.
Does Sears Holdings Corporation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sears Holdings Corporation.
What industry is Sears Holdings Corporation in?
Sears Holdings Corporation's product category is Department Store Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEAFAA, General Closeout & Liquidation Stores, with a secondary code of CRAGAJAD, Closeout / Liquidation Variety Stores. Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5311.