Sears / Kmart
Once America's largest retailer, stripped by Eddie Lampert's ESL Investments. Sold off Craftsman, Lands' End, DieHard brands while stores deteriorated. From 3,500 stores to ~5. Over 250,000 jobs lost.
- FOUNDED
- 1893
- ACQUIRED
- ESL Investments, 2005, $11 billion
- IMPACTS
- 1 documented
- WEB
- sears.com
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Editorial Record
maintained by DeathbyPE. Every claim links to a public source.Timeline
1893
Sears / Kmart founded
2005
Acquired by ESL Investments for $11 billion
2018
Sears collapsed from 3,500 stores to 5 under ESL Investments
CriticalClosure / BankruptcyEddie Lampert's ESL Investments systematically sold off Craftsman, Lands' End, DieHard, and Kenmore brands while stripping real estate into a REIT. Over 250,000 jobs lost from peak employment.
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How Eddie Lampert Destroyed Sears
Before / After
MetricBefore PEAfter PEΔ
Store count
reported 2018
before 3,500 stores
after ~5 stores
-99%
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