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Sears had been a prominent retail, mail order and conglomerate in the United States since 1886. The company first become prominent when it revolutionized the mail order business. Next it became a ubiquitous retailer that existed first on the main streets in downtowns and then moved to the fast growing malls in the 1960s and 70. They 1970s and 1980s, saw another transformation. The company's reach extended beyond the mall to insurance, credit cards, and even stock brokerages. In the 2000s, Sears tried to redefine itself again by becoming online retailer. Unfortunately, this last transformation has been disastrous. While the fortunes of Sears have ebbed and flowed over the years, Sears is currently in free fall. Thousands of employees have been laid off and hundreds of stores have already been closed. It's not clear that Sears can survive in any form.
Sears' collapse has been tied to American consumers shift away from America's malls, the noticeable decline of Sears stores, the failure to adapt to the internet age, the rise of Amazon and the leadership of hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert. It is ironic that the company that defined the mail order business has been doomed by its failure to adapt to new '''NEW''' internet based mail order business.
====The Irony of Sears====
