What Happened to Sears (Canada)?

Sears (Canada) began in 1952 as a joint venture between Simpsons and Sears, Roebuck, blending U.S.-style catalog scale with Canadian merchandising know-how. Through the 1950s–1970s it became a household name: the thick catalog on kitchen tables, auto centers in suburban plazas, and anchor stores in new shopping malls from coast to coast. Its mix of trusted private labels (including licensed Kenmore) and broad “one-stop” assortments made Sears a default destination for appliances, tools, fashions, and home goods.

By the 2000s, however, the formula that once guaranteed traffic started to fray. Malls matured, e-commerce accelerated, and category killers chipped away at high-margin lines such as appliances and electronics. Cost controls and property monetization bought time but dulled the in-store experience. Attempts to modernize—store remodels, edited assortments, and a smaller catalog footprint—couldn’t overcome falling sales and rising obligations. In 2017 the company sought court protection and, after failed bids to reorganize, moved to an orderly wind-down. The final stores closed in 2018, ending more than six decades of Canadian retail history.

For many Canadians, Sears was more than a store; it was where families ordered bunk beds, winter boots, or their first washer-dryer set. The brand’s disappearance marked the close of a catalog-to-mall era and a reminder of how quickly retail habits can shift.