Sears once dominated retail. Now only 5 stores remain. Can it survive another year?

From Claire’s to Forever 21 , no retailer is immune to the pressures of inflation, shifting consumer demands, and the rise of online shopping.

In 2025 alone, the industry experienced a massive wave of mega-bankruptcies — and while that number is staggering — we can’t forget the chains that have fallen years before.

Among them, Sears — once a dominant force in American retail — is now barely hanging on.

The company, famous for its iconic fashion catalogs and sprawling department stores, filed for bankruptcy in 2018 when it operated approximately 700 locations .

That figure was only a fraction of its footprint at the time of its merger with Kmart in 2005.

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At that time, Sears boasted ne