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Bankruptcy / Closurecritical2018
Sears / Kmart
Retail & Consumer · owned by ESL Investments

Sears collapsed from 3,500 stores to 5 under ESL Investments

Eddie 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.

Store count
Before
3,500 stores
After
~5 stores
Change
-99%
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