Why Am I Sad Sears Is Closing?

[PNGwynne]

Sears stores hold few special memories for me; as far as department stores go, I'm a J.C Penney's customer. But oh, those catalogues. I grew up and still live in a rural area--mail-order was frequent and the Wish Book and others were a cherished part of my childhood. I pored and pined over those pages, making hierarchical lists of things I coveted.

When RSS posts a catalogue ad here, sometimes it triggers an intense, nostalgic sense of deja-vu. I can recall (or nearly so!) the catalogue and what item I received from it. Amazon can never replace that.

[glimpy]

I have alot of good memories with Sears. Such as getting three blue snaggletooths in the creature Cantina Sears set. Getting up to 9 keys in the Pac-Man video game in this sears arcade
Eating the best popcorn there and the Swedish Fish in the little candy section. In 1976 getting a pair of black cowboy boots first pair I ever had. Sure going to miss it although it's not the same anymore anyway.

[Hector]

I miss the Sears of my childhood. I even miss the Sears from 20 years ago. But I do not miss today’s Sears. Nothing but horrid customer service. Uncaring employees (can’t really blame them, as they are grossly underpaid). One or two cashiers in the entire bloody store. Terrible return policy. Depleted goods selection. Even their once mighty and famous Craftsman hardware section looks paltry. It’s a past its prime store that needs to finally put to pasture.

*side note* Sears was the largest retailer in the United States until October 1989, when Walmart surpassed it. As of 2017, Sears is the 23rd largest retailer in the United States. After several years of declining sales, its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 15, 2018.

Ok, we all know Amazon, eBay, Internet, etc...played a huge part. But other brick and mortar retailers thrived (look at Walmart, Target, BestBuy, Home Depot, etc, thrived. What happened to Sears?

[palitoy]

Sears went belly up in Canada last year, screwing their employees but giving their executives bonuses. If they had have survived, I'd have stopped shopping there.

Nothing but fond childhood memories there and I was a regular shopper there. It was quiet.

[thunderbolt]

yeah, sad for me, too. My Grandma worked for Sears in Chicago, so all my XMas stuff was picked from the catalog since she got a discount (of course!) Most of my Cubs shirts came from there too.

[Bruce Banner]

Many were the delightful trips to Sears when I was a kid... often involving Megos and then Kenner SW figures.

[Mr.Marion]

Sadly the local Kmart is finally kicking the bucket. I remember that was a big toy destination as a kid.

[Earth 2 Chris]

It is sad that something so ubiquitous is going away. It's like Coke going out of business.

Our nearby Sears closed several years ago, and it was once the anchor store of the biggest mall in the area.

Chris

[EmergencyIan]

It is sad after the long and fabled history that Sears has had. There’s a lot of history there. Most Americans have shopped there at one time or another over the past 100 years.

- Ian

[Wee67]

I think the last time I was in a Sears was about 1996. And even then, it was just to cut through it on way inside the Neshaminy Mall.

Even in my teens, I always thought of Sears as "lame." I still carry the scar of wearing Toughskins amid my Levi-clad peers in the always-tough pubescent middle school years. I have done nothing to support the chain, yet I still feel sad they are now suffering a slow death. I guess I've underestimated the attachment Sears has to my carefree (well less care filled) childhood. I remember paging through the Wish Book to circle some NFL gear, a Snoopy radio and, of course, several Megos. Long live the Wish Book!!