Is Sears Still in Business? The Truth in 2026
You’ve probably driven past an empty mall anchor that used to say “Sears” in giant letters. It’s easy to assume the company is completely gone. It isn’t — but it’s also nothing close to what it once was.
Here’s the accurate, current picture of what still exists.
Quick answer: Yes, Sears is still in business. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 and was acquired out of bankruptcy by Eddie Lampert’s Transformco in 2019. Today, only about 5 full-line Sears stores remain open in the entire United States (plus Puerto Rico), down from roughly 3,500 at its peak. Sears.com is still operational for online shopping, and Sears Home Services, Sears Parts Direct, and the Kenmore appliance brand are all still active under Transformco. Sears is a tiny fraction of its former size — but it has not completely disappeared.
Is Sears Still in Business?
Yes, technically and legally, Sears still exists as an operating company. What confuses people is scale: Sears going from roughly 3,500 stores to a literal handful feels indistinguishable from going out of business entirely. It isn’t the same thing.
Sears Holdings Corporation, the parent company that owned Sears and Kmart, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018. Rather than liquidating completely, the company’s surviving assets were purchased in early 2019 by ESL Investments (led by former Sears CEO Eddie Lampert), which created a new entity called Transformco to operate them going forward.
How Many Sears Stores Are Left?
As of early 2026, reporting from USA Today and CoStar puts the number of remaining full-line Sears stores at around 5, though the exact count shifts as individual leases end and closures continue.
Locations reported as still operating (subject to change) include stores in California, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, and Puerto Rico:
- Burbank Town Center — Burbank, California (reopened in 2023 after previously closing)
- South Shore Plaza — Braintree, Massachusetts
- Cielo Vista Mall — El Paso, Texas
- Coral Gables and Orlando — Florida
- Plaza Las Américas — San Juan, Puerto Rico
Worth knowing: Transformco no longer publishes an official, updated store count, so exact numbers vary slightly between news outlets and change as individual leases expire. Some sites, like a former New Jersey Sears, have already been sold off entirely and redeveloped into apartments.
Timeline of Sears
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1893 | Sears founded as a mail-order catalog business |
| 1925 | First Sears retail store opens in Chicago |
| 2005 | Sears merges with Kmart, forming Sears Holdings; combined store count tops 3,500 |
| 2017 | Craftsman tool brand sold to Stanley Black & Decker for approximately $900 million |
| Oct 2018 | Sears Holdings files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy |
| Feb 2019 | Transformco acquires surviving Sears/Kmart assets out of bankruptcy |
| Dec 2019 | DieHard battery brand sold to Advance Auto Parts for $200 million |
| 2024 | The last full-size Kmart in the continental US closes |
| 2026 | Roughly 5 full-line Sears stores remain open nationwide |
Who Owns Sears Now?
Transformco (formally Transform SR Brands LLC / Transform Holdco) owns the Sears brand, its remaining stores, and Sears.com. Transformco is controlled by ESL Investments, the hedge fund led by Eddie Lampert, who serves as chairman.
Transformco was created specifically to buy the surviving pieces of Sears Holdings out of bankruptcy — it’s a smaller, separate company from the original Sears Holdings Corporation, structured so the massive legacy debt and pension obligations stayed with the bankruptcy estate rather than following the surviving retail operations.
Can You Still Shop at Sears Online?
Yes. Sears.com remains an active shopping site, operated by Transformco, though its catalog and market presence are far smaller than during Sears’ department-store era.
What Businesses Does Sears Still Operate?
| Business Unit | Still Operating? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sears.com | Yes | Active online storefront |
| Sears Home Services | Yes | Appliance repair and installation services |
| Sears Parts Direct | Yes | Replacement parts for appliances and tools |
| Kenmore | Yes | Owned by Transformco; appliances made by third parties (Whirlpool, LG, Electrolux) under license |
| Craftsman | No longer Sears-owned | Sold to Stanley Black & Decker in 2017 |
| DieHard | No longer Sears-owned | Sold to Advance Auto Parts in 2019 |
That last point trips a lot of people up: Craftsman and DieHard are not primarily Sears brands anymore. Transformco retained limited, mostly royalty-free rights to sell some of these products, but the brands themselves belong to other companies now.
Are Sears Warranties Still Valid?
Generally, yes — Sears Home Services continues offering appliance repair and warranty-related service, which is precisely why the company kept that division running even as its retail footprint shrank dramatically. If you have a specific active warranty, it’s worth confirming directly with Sears Home Services, since terms and coverage can vary by product and purchase date.
Why Did Sears Decline?
No single cause. It was a stack of pressures that compounded over roughly two decades:
- Walmart’s rise. Walmart overtook Sears as America’s largest retailer in the 1990s, undercutting on price at massive scale.
- E-commerce and Amazon. Sears was slow to build a competitive online shopping experience as retail shifted online.
- Mall decline. As anchor stores, Sears locations were directly exposed to the broader decline of American shopping malls.
- Underinvestment in stores. Critics, including former employees and analysts, have pointed to years of minimal reinvestment in store upkeep and merchandising under Sears Holdings’ later ownership.
- Heavy debt load. Years of financial engineering, real estate spin-offs, and debt left the company with limited flexibility to compete or modernize.
Sears vs. Walmart vs. Amazon
| Retailer | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Sears | ~5 physical stores, small online presence |
| Walmart | Thousands of stores, dominant online and offline |
| Amazon | Dominant e-commerce platform, minimal physical retail |
Can Sears Make a Comeback?
Industry analysts are broadly skeptical. With so few stores left, some experts quoted by USA Today have raised serious doubt about whether the remaining locations can even remain profitable, let alone support a meaningful expansion.
That said, Sears has proven more resilient than many predicted — the company has technically been “about to disappear” in press coverage for years while continuing to operate in some form. There’s no official announcement of Sears shutting down entirely, and no indication one is imminent, but a full-scale department store revival is not realistic based on anything currently on record.
Myth vs. Reality
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Sears completely went out of business | False. It still operates a small number of stores plus Sears.com under Transformco. |
| Sears still owns Craftsman and DieHard | False. Both brands were sold off in 2017 and 2019, respectively. |
| Kmart is completely gone too | Mostly true. The last full-size continental US Kmart closed in 2024, though one small Miami location reportedly remains. |
| Sears is the same company it was in the 1990s | False. It’s a dramatically smaller entity operating under new ownership since 2019. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sears still in business?
Yes, but only a small fraction of its former size — around 5 full-line stores remain open, plus Sears.com and several service divisions.
Did Sears go out of business?
No. Sears filed for bankruptcy in 2018 but survived through a 2019 acquisition by Transformco, and continues operating today at a much smaller scale.
Is Sears bankrupt?
Sears Holdings filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 and emerged as Transformco in 2019. The current company is not in active bankruptcy proceedings.
Who owns Sears now?
Transformco, controlled by Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund ESL Investments, owns the Sears brand and remaining operations.
Can you still shop at Sears?
Yes, both online at Sears.com and in person at the small number of remaining physical stores.
Does Sears still have stores?
Yes, roughly 5 full-line stores remain open in the US and Puerto Rico as of early 2026, though the number continues to shrink.
How many Sears stores are left?
Approximately 5, based on recent reporting, though Transformco doesn’t publish an official real-time count.
Where are the remaining Sears stores?
Reported locations include California, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, and Puerto Rico, though specific stores can close with little notice.
Can I order from Sears online?
Yes, Sears.com remains active and operated by Transformco.
Why did Sears fail?
A combination of competition from Walmart and Amazon, mall decline, underinvestment in stores, and a heavy debt load built up over years.
What happened to Sears?
It filed for bankruptcy in 2018, was acquired by Transformco in 2019, and has closed the vast majority of its stores since then while continuing limited operations.
Is Sears Home Services still operating?
Yes, Sears Home Services continues to offer appliance repair and related services under Transformco.
Are Sears warranties still valid?
Generally yes, though it’s best to confirm specific coverage directly with Sears Home Services since terms vary.
Will Sears disappear completely?
There’s no official announcement of a full shutdown, though industry analysts have expressed skepticism about how much longer the remaining stores can stay open.
Does Sears still own Craftsman?
No. Craftsman was sold to Stanley Black & Decker in 2017, before the Sears bankruptcy.
Does Sears still own DieHard?
No. DieHard was sold to Advance Auto Parts in 2019 for $200 million.
Does Sears still own Kenmore?
Yes. Kenmore remains a Transformco-owned brand, though its appliances are manufactured by third-party companies under licensing agreements.
Is Kmart still around too?
Barely. The last full-size Kmart in the continental US closed in 2024, though a small format Kmart location in Miami reportedly remains.
