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It was once a gleaming symbol of American consumerism, a place where families shopped for their dreams, one appliance at a time.

Sears wasn't just a store, it was an experience.

Families flocked to its sprawling aisles, picking out everything from Kenmore fridges to Craftsman tools. When malls came to America in the mid-20th century, it further fuelled the growth and expansion of Sears.

Sears often started as the anchor tenant in malls; and that, coupled with increased footfall, mail-order catalog innovation and strategic store placements, became a huge factor in its success.

The brand (at one point) held the title of the world's tallest building with the Sears Tower in Chicago.

As the 20th century unfolded, Sears became a retail juggernaut, reaching its peak in the 1970s.

‍Annual revenues skyrocketed, surpassing $50 billion.

At one point in 1990, Sears and Walmart were practically the same size.

But somewhere along the journey, the brand became complacent.

Sears's decline can arguably be dated back to 1993, when it decided to let go of its catalogue, though it was an unprofitable vertical, but Sears completely ignored its potential to leverage consumer data. Consumer preferences were shifting towards internet and personalisation, and Sears missed the mark on both, and in the absence of consumer data, its inventory went for a toss. Merger with K-mart didn’t help things either, as it diminished the value proposition even further and loyal customers started looking elsewhere.

Store closures became the norm, with the company shedding over 200 stores in 2017 alone.

From a peak of $50 billion, Sears' revenue dwindled to a mere $16.7 billion in its final fiscal year before bankruptcy, a staggering 66% plunge, in the year 2018.

The company's stock, once a Wall Street heavyweight, dwindled to penny-stock status.