Fast forward less than two decades later to 2018 when Sears was in so much financial hardship with declining sales and profits as well as mounting debt it filed for bankruptcy. ... Now Sears has 182 stores down from 3,500 stores only 10 years earlier.

Why did they close down Sears?

The closures reflect Sears' long-standing struggle in the face of rising e-commerce buying, changing consumer tastes and fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. ... In 2005, Sears was acquired by hedge fund operator Eddie Lampert, who had bought Kmart out of bankruptcy court two years earlier.

How many Sears stores are left 2021?

Sears and Kmart have closed more than 3,500 stores and cut about 250,000 jobs in the past 15 years. After the new closings, it appears there will be 19 Sears department stores and 15 Kmart stores remaining.