Company Overview

Sears Holdings Corporation is the result of the March, 2005 merger of Kmart Corporation and Sears, Roebuck and Co., two already-giant retailers that shared a common trait of lagging performance behind competitors like Wal-Mart and Target. Sears Holdings operates almost 3,500 stores and is headquartered in Illinois, although Kmart continues to have a significant presence in Troy, Michigan. The Kmart and Sears stores continue to operate under their respective brand names. There are some 1,500 Kmart stores in 49 states and U.S. territories. Beyond its famous “blue light specials,” the Kmart division is notable for its high-profile proprietary merchandise lines such as Martha Stewart, Joe Boxer, and Sesame Street. Kmart’s 60 or so supercenters sell a full line of grocery, deli, and bakery products in addition to a full range of general merchandise. The company owns three distribution centers and leases 13 others. Sears operates 926 full-line stores in the United States. It is the largest appliance retailer in North America and a sales leader in tools, lawn and garden supplies, home electronics, and automotive maintenance products and repair services. Just a few of Sears’s famous proprietary brands include Kenmore appliances, Craftsman tools, and DieHard car batteries. Sears also is the nation’s largest provider of home services—offering appliance and electronic repairs, as well as home maintenance and remodeling—with more than 13 million service calls made annually. Other Sears Holdings operations include catalog merchant Lands End and its Sears Hardware and Orchard Supply Hardware stores. The firm also owns or leases standalone furniture and appliance stores, floor covering centers, about 2,300 catalog pick-up locations, as well as 112 travel offices in Canada.