The history of Sears
1886 Richard Sears starts selling watches
1887 Sears settles in Chicago and hires watchmaker Alvah C. Roebuck
1888 First catalog, featuring only watches and jewelry
1893 Corporate name becomes Sears, Roebuck and Co.
1896 First large general catalog
1925 First Sears retail store opens on Chicago’s west side
1927 Sears launches Craftsman and Kenmore brands
1931 Allstate Insurance Co. established
1973 Sears moves its headquarters from the west side to Sears Tower
1981 Sears diversifies into financial and real estate services
1992 Sears moves headquarters to Prairie Stone Business Park in Hoffman Estates
1993 Sears begins selling off its financial services companies, including Allstate Insurance
1999 Sears launches Sears.com.
2005 Kmart buys Sears to form Sears Holdings Corp.
2011 Sears considers relocating its headquarters