Sears Has 1 Location Left In Massachusetts

There is only one Sears location left in Massachusetts if you can believe it.

A very popular retailer started way back in 1886 when Richard Sears began selling watches by mail in Minnesota. He teamed up with Alvah Roebuck, and by 1893, they formed Sears, Roebuck and Co. At first, it was mostly mail-order, but in 1925, they opened their first big department store in Chicago.

When was Sears' Heyday?

Sears was a constant go to for my parents when I was a kid.

Sears grew huge during the mid-1900s. Its high point was in the 1950s and 1960s, when it had over 3,500 stores across America and employed more than 350,000 people. People loved shopping there for affordable stuff like appliances and toys. By 1989, it was the biggest retailer in the U.S., towering over competitors from its headquarters in Chicago. Catalogs brought shopping to rural families, and stores became community hubs.

The rise of e-commerce

But times changed. Online shopping from places like Amazon hurt Sears. It filed for bankruptcy in 2018, closing hundreds of stores. Now, in September 2025, only 5 Sears stores are left in the whole United States. They're in just a few states like California, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts.

One store left in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, there's only one Sears left, at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. It's a reminder of the past, selling clothes, tools, and more. But it's quiet now, with empty shelves in some spots. People visit for nostalgia, remembering family shopping trips. Once, Massachusetts had many Sears, but closures hit hard due to high rents and fewer shoppers. -cbsnews.com