Roebuck and Company Sears

Sears, Roebuck and Co. began with Richard Warren Sears, who started selling watches by mail in 1886. After teaming up with watch repairman Alvah Curtis Roebuck, he moved the business to Chicago and expanded into catalogs that reached customers far beyond big cities.

The company was formally founded in 1892 and became famous for its huge mail-order catalogs, which brought everything from jewelry to household goods to homes across the United States. That model made Sears a major force in American retail long before online shopping existed.

Later, Sears also became a department store powerhouse, opening retail locations and growing into one of the country’s biggest retailers for much of the 20th century. Its history is closely tied to changes in American consumer life, from catalog ordering to the rise of the suburban department store.