Another riveting chapter narration of tales of US retail coming from one of our many beautiful some dead or not so dead malls. It's really a shame what happened to the Sears and Robuck Company in the end. The chain will be missed by many. Thx for giving this Sears location a proper send off.
Coventry Mall Pottstown Pennsylvania half abandoned they've been closing the mall for the last 10 years yet businesses still hang on I think it's worth an exploration 👍
The loss of Sears is palpable. It's so heartbreaking that staples of retail past are being ripped away left and right for the convenience loving internet junkies of today to just check out of socializing and mobility and ruin it for us Brick and Mortar loyalists. These buildings meant careers, pay checks, opportunities for employees, and an unreplicatable experience. We met people, interacted face to face, and stepped away from the technology to just soak in the ambiance and really appreciate and admire the world around us. You get none of that with today's shopping style. Your videos give me a little taste of the best era and a hug from the past. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
And utterly painful to watch how Sears barely tried, considering the mail order catalogue system is really not much different from online shopping. It didn't even have the opportunity to be undercut by traders with cheaper outsourced goods because it never truly competed as a merchant with a history of quality as a selling point. What a waste of a business strategy.
11:35 That's what happens when company gets purchased by another; the one being bought is dissolved and the buyer absorbs it. Kmart Corp. was the surviving company, rebranded as Sears Holdings and dissolved Sears, Roebuck and Co.
I heard you used to be able to even order houses to be built, from the Sears catalog! There truly has never been a retail empire quite like it, not even Walmart! I noticed they were the anchor that stuck with a lot of malls from day one, all the way until the last day, and even sometimes after the malls closed! I thought they would never be brought down. It's a shame how it went downhill. I think you are right, their big mistake was not adapting to the changing times. Sears did it during the depression, with their catalogs saving the company. If they would have done the same with introducing online shopping options in the internet age, they might still be thriving. What a sad fall of an empire. R.I.P. Sears
Our Sears recently shutdown about a month ago and it was the original anchor to our mall. Our Sears opened in the late sixties or early seventies and the mall built off of the Sears building. It was really sad to see it go being the original anchor, but did not come as a surprise because our mall has been dying for years and this is the first anchor lost.
The abandoned Sears at Exton Square Mall in Exton, PA, is sometimes open to pop-up stores. The mall is two floors, but Sears was accessible on the 2nd floor only, and had a 3rd floor. When a pop-up is open, they block the escalator to the 3rd floor, but you can still look up and see some pretty cool light fixtures.
@Sal, I never realized what role Sears had played in fighting segregation etc. with their catalog... makes me the more sadder when I think about how far they've fallen (I worked for them for about a year from 2003-2004- far after their hey day but before Eddie Lampert drove them into bankruptcy)
To Sal & those that follow him I want to wish you the Happiest of New Years. I really enjoy these vlogs because you provide an amazing background of the Rise and Fall of so many companies and the Malls you visit. I'm familiar with Pittsburgh and went to West Mifflin's Century III. You make my day, as I am battling an extremely rare genetic disorder called Chorea-acanthocytosis for just over 11 years, so I am not able to get out like I did before because it's hard getting around Oxford, UK, let alone going to the States, so I want to thank you and everyone with an education of this time. I wish you all the best in 2019 and beyond! G
A good friend of my father's worked at sears in West Mifflin for many years, he was eventually forced to retire essentially because he made too much money as a senior employee. We would always enter through the sears side of the century III mall, I spent many hours in that mall with friends and family.
Just got home on New Year’s Eve & I’m happier laying in bed watching this than I was drinking at the Pub all day 😂 Great work as always Sal, Happy New Year! Can’t wait to see what you have for us in 2019 & look forward to seeing your channel grow! 💜💜 x
I visited a Sears during a 20%-60% off liquidation sale this week. There were few people and I didn’t see anything I was interested in purchasing except for tools. The tools looked just like ones from Harbor Freight, which has plenty of people and has wildly lower prices. They haven’t kept up with economic trends, which is their undoing.
There used to be an old restaurant that had all their table tops decorated with epoxy coated Sears catalog pages from the 20's and 30's. Really fascinating what they used to sell.
I remember Wendy's used to have tables like that. I'm not sure if they were Sears and Roebuck ads or not. I wasn't happy with that place, when they did away with that design
It's rather poetic that Sears' fall in the face of leaner supermarket chains and online shopping in the 21st century mirrors the fall of Main Street mom-and-pop stores and traditional local trading companies in the face of a leaner Sears and retail chains of its caliber during the 20th century.
Thank you, Sal. I felt the doom start creeping in when Sears folded the catalog in 1993. I worked at the ad agency in Chicago that had the account then. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019!
Awesome work at this, Sal. You've become integral to the dead mall community. On behalf of the silent majority, We look forward to seeing your next adventure.
Ah you clever fellow! YOU have a chapter in EVERY history knowledge base for the next Thousand years! Give it everything you got! You can't help but be remembered!!
I worked for Sears during the peak of decline. I left in early 2015. It’s been fascinating and sad to see the decay from the inside and then the outside. Thanks, as always, for the background and the look in to what was. Great log
Dead and dieing malls are sad JC Penny's closings are bad news. But there is something about losing Sears that is much sadder than any other store closing you have covered. Perhaps because they have been around so long Perhaps because Sears has been part of almost everyone's life. Sears will be dearly missed
The problem is that they have never leveraged their most important attributes. There are things that Amazon and Walmart do very poorly that Sears could do very well, believe it or not. Had they harnessed those strengths and really pushed a message to the public on why those strengths made them special, they would be in a better position today. Unfortunately they keep trying to be a JC Penney with tools instead.
This store was still open but as dead as the mall when I went several years ago. It was going to close then already even though they didn’t announce it for like a year later. They were removing tools and making everything a single facing single deep. It’s a sure fire sign the store is closing. In a store they don’t plan on closing the tools are falling off the shelf.
I'm glad you stay true to your videos sir. A lot of people who do dead mall or retail videos are not doing that content anymore. I'm glad people like you, RA and WallieB are still making quality videos.
Hi Sal, I actually worked at this sears for several years before it closed, and was there up until the very last day. If you've got any questions about anything you found in here and what its purpose might have been, I'd be glad to answer them!
Thank you for an interesting video. I grew up with school teacher parents that getting paid once a month, went shopping once a mont to the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento California or over to the Sears in Yuba City California. I remember Sears growing up. It was an anchor store at the Arden Fair Mall. Both my parents were from Pennsylvania. Again thank you for your continued exploration of abandoned and dead or dying malls.
Another fantastic video, Sal! It was fascinating to hear the history of Sears. I never thought there would ever be a world without Sears but that reality is quickly approaching. What a shame. Great work as always. I hope you and yours have a safe and happy New Year!
That sears in ft worth you mentioned was closed around 2002 and moved to Hulen mall into a former Montgomery ward I was on the construction crew that changed it over it is still open.....for now Happy new year guys stay safe!
Awesome video Sal! Keep up the good work, I can’t wait to see the Greenspoint mall video you got coming up! It’s really sad about sears, I bought my first ever ratchet set and toolbox from them, Craftsman if I remember correctly, and it’s lasted forever and I bought those back in 1996 I think, and they are still going strong, probably the best quality and price of a tool I could ever buy at the time, and it’s sad that the CEO drove the company into the ground, but it is what is, and it ain’t what it ain’t, and what’s nice is that we all were able to make memories in a Sears at some point (mine was getting my first ever toll from a sears) and that we can cherish those memories and hold on to them for the rest of our days, still, awesome video!
My great, great grandma's dad ordered their house from the sears catalog when she was a child. A whole house worth of building materials delivered. Some of those homes are still around today. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home
I remember the Sears in central minneapolis, it was like 6 floors and had a cafe on the fourth floor, it closed in 1987 but it was one of the largest Sears I'd ever seen anywhere, liked the video Sal!! Happy New Years
Lol it was his first urbex, and he was a little too excited. I’m happy to report that he’s since gotten amazing at exploring, and no longer needs to be shushed 😂😂
Great Documentary, spectacular research into the history of Sears, (Roebuck, Holdings). At one time the Amazon, Walmart equivalent. Could actually order a house from the catalog at one point. Those catalogs were everything and we couldn’t wait for the Christmas wish catalog to come out. Great job
These videos are fascinating and sad. I guess just growing up, the mall was the place to go. Experiencing a dying mall in person, brings back memories of a place once full of life. Weird how when you get older, things like this hit you.
I have a recommendation for another abandoned mall that’s relatively close to others you have explored. It was originally called Irondequoit Mall (later changed to Medley Centre) that’s just outside of Rochester, NY. It was only open for 19 years and closed in 2009. It (pretty much) went under due to other malls opening in the area and started becoming renown for it being crime ridden. As someone who went there over the years it was open, it was no surprise that it declined to the point of no return. I’ve seen other videos on here of people checking it out and figured a suggestion wouldn’t hurt! Side note - your videos are great! I’m very happy I stumbled across your channel.
I love how things can be so different for American branches of companies compared to their Canadian counterparts for example Toys'r'us Canada still thrives. Sears Canada had some online shopping quite early in the game but not enough and still made catalogs long after 1993. It's now dead but my local Sears you can see the outline of the original 1970s "Simpson's Sears" sign on the side of the mall. Sears is something from my childhood I miss but not as much as I miss Zellers, Eaton's and Wolco. Currently our mall has 2 empty anchors the Sears, (formerly Simpson's Sears at mall opening) and Sears Home (Formerly Eaton's) but other than that occupancy is very high and all 5 other anchors (Hudson's Bay, Best Buy, Old Navy, Sport check, and Indigo) are doing great. Love your content keep up the great work.
evileyeball - So true. There was also Kmart Canada and who can forget the disaster that was Target Canada. Although I can’t really say I miss Sears, I do miss Zellers, Eaton’s, Wolco and Towers. Growing up, there was a Towers and a Zellers across the street from each other only about a 5 minute walk from home. Both of those malls are still open today, although the one that had Towers is struggling now. It bore the brunt of the closure of these large chains. The Towers location became The Bay, but it didn’t last very long before it closed and the Zellers across the street moved into the space. Then Zellers closed and it became a Target. Once Target closed it sat vacant for quite a while before finally becoming a Giant Tiger. The rest of the mall has seen quite a few other chain stores close and move out like Shoppers Drug Mart, The Source, Carlton Cards, Reitmans, Payless Shoes and Winners. The bank that had been in the mall since almost the beginning also just moved out last month.
This was an amazing video, I think it is so relatable to everyone and the content is so touching because we all grew up with Sears and it has touched all of our lives . Our mothers shopped there, we shopped there . It's just so heartbreaking .😖 I just had the Sears near me close within the last year and it is the one I grew up with my whole life, so this video made me exceptionally sad. 😢It is also in a mall that is dying and I love watching your videos because they are so intriguing, but it does remind me of my neighborhood mall which is also falling victim to society today😢. Keep up the great work and I love your explorations! Happy new year from South Florida!🎉😁
where i live, we have two malls. we lost the sears in the west mall nearly a decade ago; it was the first anchor to go. then dillard's took over the space to put the men's/boys/ houseware. then that folded and became a nightclub with no interior access. three years ago, dillard's made their anchor in this mall an outlet/closeout store. that anchor is now completely gone and the west mall is in bankruptcy. now the sears in the east mall (our one semi-viable mall) is closing. the only reason it's still viable is because it has a von maur and that area of town is taking on the customers that had been going to the west mall and a small surge of upward economy in that area of wichita, ks.
Awesome video Sal! I haven't seen the inside of that store since I was little and it was definitely cool to see it again. It's a shame what happened to Sears.
The more I see the current state of Century 3, the more sad I get. I hope someone buys the mall and fixes it up, but I doubt that would happen. Great video!
I have so many childhood memories of Sears. My Dad bought all his tools from our local Sears and I made my Christmas list from the Sears Wish Book every year. Hate to see them in their death throes. I hope they can pull it out, but I had to admit I'm not sure there's a place for them anymore in the current retail landscape. I think a radical restructuring of the way the do business would be needed and they've never been able to accomplish that. For so long they didn't even try, and I think that's a big part of their initial downfall. Here's hoping though! Enjoyed this one a lot, a great American history lesson! Looking forward to the Century III vid!
Very nice Video. Sears was a very good store. You could purchase the good stuff. Levi Jeans.. Converse tennis shoes. Craftman tools. I loved their huge catalog as a child.
Appreciate the mention of the AZ malls :) Unfortunately Fiesta Mall closed about a year ago with plans to re-develop it. However, it's still sitting empty as far as I know. Metrocenter isn't doing well either. Great video!
Sal you mentioned the Sears at Lake Side Mall in Sterling Heights Mi. I live around the corner from that mall and sad to say that location is also now closed.
i wish id' held on to a few sears catalogues from my childhood, we would always circle the stuff we wanted (including ridiculous stuff like trampolines and giant arcade machines)
Seems to me like Sears is always a couple of steps behind at the moment. I've watched most of the expedition logs, and it surprises me how many times we still see a Sears (or other strong anchor from the past) in those dead malls. These stores can't possibly be profitable, and should have closed a long time ago.
Heck, I was a HUGE fan of video games as a teenager and I remember going to SeaTac Mall (now known as The Commons at Federal Way) all the time and go to SEARS to try out new games.
i love the jean shepard story about the man who bought the cape cod imperial house from the sears catalog (a do-it-yourself project) and then, the last we see of him is a crying figure, sitting in the rain amongst the 2 traincars full of boxes the train dropped off with no way to move them. fun fact - your rap performer name is "DJ" plus the last thing you bought at sears. mine is DJ battery
Only problem with this is now I want to know what it’s like inside the former Macy’s, Macy’s Furniture (I know Ace has been in there but it was so dark you can’t see squat), the lower level of the Dicks Sporting Goods that Spirit of Halloween occupies each year and someone should make store tours of the Dicks and JCPenney before their inevitable closures. I’d do it myself but it’s difficult when you live on the other end of the country.
10:48 I looked up "Mylanta-II 1970" on Google and found an advertisement for the product from 1975. The fonts are the same! So, it's very possible that someone left those products in that Sears paper towel holder and they've remained there for 40 years! My only question is why haven't they been discovered until now?
Another Sears closed in the South Hills of Pittsburgh last year at South Hills Village in the Upper St. Clair/Bethel Park areas which happen to be very nice areas to live in the Pittsburgh suburbs. I for one was sad to see it go. I love the Lands End brand and they’re bathing suits r quality made and affordable as well as their aqua shoes. I went to the close out sale and got some good deals on some jewelry but was saddened as I saw how fast it emptied of merchandise.
Very well done video as always. I'm at the age where I remember malls, Sears and many other stores as places of wonder, and I'm sad for the many losses and for the passage of time. Today is January 11th and it seems we should know something about Eddie's latest bid come Monday. I was intrigued by your comments about him and see what you mean, being a person who always wants to see the good or positive also. My concern is if they let him buy what's left it's just staving off the pain for another day, probably sooner than he expects, and giving a lot of people (employees) false hope. And what if that day came during a downturn and he's cutting 50,000 people loose all at once. I think it's time to let it go so people can move on with their lives and so some of us can remember what was. It will be interesting to see what happens in any event.
I think Having a few Sears selling stuff in stores in major cities might me a functional model. The Sears would be classical designs from the 70's or 80's. Sears would become a nostalgia store/Museum.
Hey Sal I live in what was Sears hometown Chicago . There is not one Sears store left with in the city limits anymore . The Sears towers was sold the first time in 1997 . Then resold again in march of 2009 and the name was formerly changed to the Willis tower . The tower was sold again in 2016 . The name was changed again I’m not sure what it’s called now . Anyone from Chicago still calls it the sears tower though .
I thought it would be an odd twist of fait if Amazon would fo bid on Sears. Rumors have been around for years that Amazon wanted to buy Target and make it their retail partner as well. We have lost 7 malls in the Kansas City metro over the last 20 years leaving only 3 still open. Now the 2 newer town center style shopping centers are having financial problems and had to enter in to bankruptcy to keep from being foreclosed on. Retail seams to always be boom or bust. Thanks for a great vid.
Sal you stated before that people are leaving the suburbs and going back to the city for the outdoor experience and that things were cyclical. Do you feel there will be a resurgence to the suburbs and even rural areas with all the riots?
Sal when is your next video gonna be uploaded?, Just curious, cause I check your channel daily to see if there's a new expedition log waiting for me to see
The Sears in Appleton, WI just learned its fate a few days ago. It will soon look like this. Sad. Liquidation begins in about a week. With closure in March. Damn online retailing. And damn Wal Mart. And let us also damn Lampert. Who had the biggest hand in killing it. The irony is, his bid may be the only thing to save the brand. I never thought I would see Sears join Jamesway, Ames, Bradlees, Toys R Us, Hills, Prange Way, Gimbels. The list is ever growing unfortunately.
It's weird to see a store like Sears to be empty and abandoned, the one where I live is being converted into an food court on the upper level, and a sporting goods store on the main level.
Hey everyone! Quick note...at roughly 5:28 into the video, I meant 1896! Not 1996! Sorry about the confusion, and thanks for understanding :)
Another riveting chapter narration of tales of US retail coming from one of our many beautiful some dead or not so dead malls. It's really a shame what happened to the Sears and Robuck Company in the end. The chain will be missed by many. Thx for giving this Sears location a proper send off.
Coventry Mall Pottstown Pennsylvania half abandoned they've been closing the mall for the last 10 years yet businesses still hang on I think it's worth an exploration 👍
Just subscribe for now wouldn’t mind that you go to haunted ones it will catch my interest as a permanent subscriber
The loss of Sears is palpable. It's so heartbreaking that staples of retail past are being ripped away left and right for the convenience loving internet junkies of today to just check out of socializing and mobility and ruin it for us Brick and Mortar loyalists. These buildings meant careers, pay checks, opportunities for employees, and an unreplicatable experience. We met people, interacted face to face, and stepped away from the technology to just soak in the ambiance and really appreciate and admire the world around us. You get none of that with today's shopping style. Your videos give me a little taste of the best era and a hug from the past. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Also ironic that a company that started as a mail order business, failed to change BACK to their original format when the times required it.
And utterly painful to watch how Sears barely tried, considering the mail order catalogue system is really not much different from online shopping. It didn't even have the opportunity to be undercut by traders with cheaper outsourced goods because it never truly competed as a merchant with a history of quality as a selling point. What a waste of a business strategy.
i love that directory at 5:48. sears is the best!
Excellent video!!
11:35 That's what happens when company gets purchased by another; the one being bought is dissolved and the buyer absorbs it. Kmart Corp. was the surviving company, rebranded as Sears Holdings and dissolved Sears, Roebuck and Co.
It amazes me how clean this place is. I mean they took EVERYTHING! Except for Ron and Dave’s note. Godspeed Ron and Dave...and well done, Sal.
Happy new year Karen!
I heard you used to be able to even order houses to be built, from the Sears catalog! There truly has never been a retail empire quite like it, not even Walmart! I noticed they were the anchor that stuck with a lot of malls from day one, all the way until the last day, and even sometimes after the malls closed! I thought they would never be brought down. It's a shame how it went downhill. I think you are right, their big mistake was not adapting to the changing times. Sears did it during the depression, with their catalogs saving the company. If they would have done the same with introducing online shopping options in the internet age, they might still be thriving. What a sad fall of an empire. R.I.P. Sears
Our Sears recently shutdown about a month ago and it was the original anchor to our mall. Our Sears opened in the late sixties or early seventies and the mall built off of the Sears building. It was really sad to see it go being the original anchor, but did not come as a surprise because our mall has been dying for years and this is the first anchor lost.
The abandoned Sears at Exton Square Mall in Exton, PA, is sometimes open to pop-up stores. The mall is two floors, but Sears was accessible on the 2nd floor only, and had a 3rd floor. When a pop-up is open, they block the escalator to the 3rd floor, but you can still look up and see some pretty cool light fixtures.
@Sal, I never realized what role Sears had played in fighting segregation etc. with their catalog... makes me the more sadder when I think about how far they've fallen (I worked for them for about a year from 2003-2004- far after their hey day but before Eddie Lampert drove them into bankruptcy)
I ❤️ your videos! The mood, camera angles, and commentary. Keep up the awesome work!
Hey thanks!! Lots more on the way!
Happy new year JPuggles!
To Sal & those that follow him I want to wish you the Happiest of New Years. I really enjoy these vlogs because you provide an amazing background of the Rise and Fall of so many companies and the Malls you visit. I'm familiar with Pittsburgh and went to West Mifflin's Century III. You make my day, as I am battling an extremely rare genetic disorder called Chorea-acanthocytosis for just over 11 years, so I am not able to get out like I did before because it's hard getting around Oxford, UK, let alone going to the States, so I want to thank you and everyone with an education of this time. I wish you all the best in 2019 and beyond!
G
Hi Gary.... Happy new year to you as well!! :) Please visit my channel if you'd like.
Cool to see that old slag-pot carrier near the end.
A good friend of my father's worked at sears in West Mifflin for many years, he was eventually forced to retire essentially because he made too much money as a senior employee. We would always enter through the sears side of the century III mall, I spent many hours in that mall with friends and family.
Wow.....
We traded this experience for Amazon packages at our front door. Way to go, America.
i miss this sears i always go thru it to access Century iii it takes me back to October November and December 2014
Still one of my favorite TH-cam videos! 😎
Just got home on New Year’s Eve & I’m happier laying in bed watching this than I was drinking at the Pub all day 😂 Great work as always Sal, Happy New Year! Can’t wait to see what you have for us in 2019 & look forward to seeing your channel grow! 💜💜 x
Glad I could provide a nightcap for you! Happy New Years :)
Holy crap! I have my Sears video scheduled for 10AM. LOL
JINX!!!
Lololol awesone timing. Hahaha Happy New Year, brother!
Both of you have a good New Year
Happy new year brother!!!!
Thank you
Such great info on Sears. Thanks for the video and the excellent research you've done to make this video great!
Thank you, Wendell!
I wish I could have filmed ours right before they closed.
I adore the art in the corner at 13:25. So deliciously retro!
Come see the vacated side of Sears!
:)
Your finest work yet, Sal. I look forward to your next installment.
I visited a Sears during a 20%-60% off liquidation sale this week. There were few people and I didn’t see anything I was interested in purchasing except for tools. The tools looked just like ones from Harbor Freight, which has plenty of people and has wildly lower prices. They haven’t kept up with economic trends, which is their undoing.
I grew up very close to the US Steel slag dump.
I miss Sears and Kmart!
There used to be an old restaurant that had all their table tops decorated with epoxy coated Sears catalog pages from the 20's and 30's. Really fascinating what they used to sell.
I remember Wendy's used to have tables like that. I'm not sure if they were Sears and Roebuck ads or not. I wasn't happy with that place, when they did away with that design
It's rather poetic that Sears' fall in the face of leaner supermarket chains and online shopping in the 21st century mirrors the fall of Main Street mom-and-pop stores and traditional local trading companies in the face of a leaner Sears and retail chains of its caliber during the 20th century.
Thank you, Sal. I felt the doom start creeping in when Sears folded the catalog in 1993. I worked at the ad agency in Chicago that had the account then.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019!
Lol 10:20 “Will you shut the f up?” Couldn’t have said it any better haha
Awesome work at this, Sal. You've become integral to the dead mall community. On behalf of the silent majority, We look forward to seeing your next adventure.
“1993 is when sears started declining” Another reason I prefer the 80s over the 90s
Air Aero 80s was colorful 90s where meh
When did Kmart begin to decline?
@@kylescheffler8483 late 90
Thanks for all the hard work and dedication Sal. Happy to have been on the ride since early on.
Ah you clever fellow! YOU have a chapter in EVERY history knowledge base for the next Thousand years! Give it everything you got! You can't help but be remembered!!
I worked for Sears during the peak of decline. I left in early 2015. It’s been fascinating and sad to see the decay from the inside and then the outside. Thanks, as always, for the background and the look in to what was. Great log
Hi Sal, Nice video and background information on Sears. I hope you continue to have much success in 2019 s you did in 2018!
Happy New Year!
Thank you, Linda!
:)
Really sad with what’s happening to Sears. My 5 year old is fascinated with department stores so we will be visiting Sears this weekend.
Love your videos , thanks for documenting these places
Dead and dieing malls are sad JC Penny's closings are bad news. But there is something about losing Sears that is much sadder than any other store closing you have covered. Perhaps because they have been around so long Perhaps because Sears has been part of almost everyone's life. Sears will be dearly missed
@@9911brian None of this was incidental or accidental. This resulted from decades of the limp-dicked trade policies of globalists.
Sears: "Where America Shops" I remember hearing that slogan all of the time
The problem is that they have never leveraged their most important attributes. There are things that Amazon and Walmart do very poorly that Sears could do very well, believe it or not. Had they harnessed those strengths and really pushed a message to the public on why those strengths made them special, they would be in a better position today. Unfortunately they keep trying to be a JC Penney with tools instead.
This store was still open but as dead as the mall when I went several years ago. It was going to close then already even though they didn’t announce it for like a year later. They were removing tools and making everything a single facing single deep. It’s a sure fire sign the store is closing. In a store they don’t plan on closing the tools are falling off the shelf.
I'm glad you stay true to your videos sir. A lot of people who do dead mall or retail videos are not doing that content anymore. I'm glad people like you, RA and WallieB are still making quality videos.
This was always the way I’d enter Century III as a kid. So weird to see it completely gutted now.
Hi Sal, I actually worked at this sears for several years before it closed, and was there up until the very last day. If you've got any questions about anything you found in here and what its purpose might have been, I'd be glad to answer them!
Thank you for an interesting video. I grew up with school teacher parents that getting paid once a month, went shopping once a mont to the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento California or over to the Sears in Yuba City California. I remember Sears growing up. It was an anchor store at the Arden Fair Mall. Both my parents were from Pennsylvania. Again thank you for your continued exploration of abandoned and dead or dying malls.
My pleasure, Laura! Much more coming!
Another fantastic video, Sal! It was fascinating to hear the history of Sears. I never thought there would ever be a world without Sears but that reality is quickly approaching. What a shame. Great work as always. I hope you and yours have a safe and happy New Year!
That sears in ft worth you mentioned was closed around 2002 and moved to Hulen mall into a former Montgomery ward I was on the construction crew that changed it over it is still open.....for now
Happy new year guys stay safe!
Awesome video Sal! Keep up the good work, I can’t wait to see the Greenspoint mall video you got coming up! It’s really sad about sears, I bought my first ever ratchet set and toolbox from them, Craftsman if I remember correctly, and it’s lasted forever and I bought those back in 1996 I think, and they are still going strong, probably the best quality and price of a tool I could ever buy at the time, and it’s sad that the CEO drove the company into the ground, but it is what is, and it ain’t what it ain’t, and what’s nice is that we all were able to make memories in a Sears at some point (mine was getting my first ever toll from a sears) and that we can cherish those memories and hold on to them for the rest of our days, still, awesome video!
Sal, Thank you for this great video! Looking forward to following you and more great videos!
Yo Sal! Dude I just ordered Spectrum Mobile and the guy who placed my order is a big fan from Albany :) Told him I'd say hi for him!
Yayyy! Hi Nate and dude from Albany!!
Keep it up Sal great content. Always looking forward to the next one.
My great, great grandma's dad ordered their house from the sears catalog when she was a child. A whole house worth of building materials delivered. Some of those homes are still around today. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home
I remember the Sears in central minneapolis, it was like 6 floors and had a cafe on the fourth floor, it closed in 1987 but it was one of the largest Sears I'd ever seen anywhere, liked the video Sal!! Happy New Years
Sears & Roebuck! Now I remember! Haven't though about that name in 20 years! Only Sears!
Same here.... I remember that! :)
10:19 "would you shut the f%$&@ up!" hahaha
Lol it was his first urbex, and he was a little too excited. I’m happy to report that he’s since gotten amazing at exploring, and no longer needs to be shushed 😂😂
Awesome Sal - just Awesome -- and again Happy New Year! ♥
Great Documentary, spectacular research into the history of Sears, (Roebuck, Holdings). At one time the Amazon, Walmart equivalent. Could actually order a house from the catalog at one point. Those catalogs were everything and we couldn’t wait for the Christmas wish catalog to come out. Great job
Thank you Mimsy!!! ❤️
I subscribed to your channel. I love your videos and the way you narrate them. They are very high quality and super interesting.
Thanks, Ed!
Sal - I love your videos!!!! Keep up the good work 👍
Will do! Thanks for watching!
Same here!
These videos are fascinating and sad. I guess just growing up, the mall was the place to go. Experiencing a dying mall in person, brings back memories of a place once full of life. Weird how when you get older, things like this hit you.
I have a recommendation for another abandoned mall that’s relatively close to others you have explored.
It was originally called Irondequoit Mall (later changed to Medley Centre) that’s just outside of Rochester, NY. It was only open for 19 years and closed in 2009. It (pretty much) went under due to other malls opening in the area and started becoming renown for it being crime ridden. As someone who went there over the years it was open, it was no surprise that it declined to the point of no return.
I’ve seen other videos on here of people checking it out and figured a suggestion wouldn’t hurt!
Side note - your videos are great! I’m very happy I stumbled across your channel.
I love how things can be so different for American branches of companies compared to their Canadian counterparts for example Toys'r'us Canada still thrives. Sears Canada had some online shopping quite early in the game but not enough and still made catalogs long after 1993. It's now dead but my local Sears you can see the outline of the original 1970s "Simpson's Sears" sign on the side of the mall. Sears is something from my childhood I miss but not as much as I miss Zellers, Eaton's and Wolco. Currently our mall has 2 empty anchors the Sears, (formerly Simpson's Sears at mall opening) and Sears Home (Formerly Eaton's) but other than that occupancy is very high and all 5 other anchors (Hudson's Bay, Best Buy, Old Navy, Sport check, and Indigo) are doing great.
Love your content keep up the great work.
Wow
evileyeball - So true. There was also Kmart Canada and who can forget the disaster that was Target Canada. Although I can’t really say I miss Sears, I do miss Zellers, Eaton’s, Wolco and Towers. Growing up, there was a Towers and a Zellers across the street from each other only about a 5 minute walk from home. Both of those malls are still open today, although the one that had Towers is struggling now. It bore the brunt of the closure of these large chains. The Towers location became The Bay, but it didn’t last very long before it closed and the Zellers across the street moved into the space. Then Zellers closed and it became a Target. Once Target closed it sat vacant for quite a while before finally becoming a Giant Tiger. The rest of the mall has seen quite a few other chain stores close and move out like Shoppers Drug Mart, The Source, Carlton Cards, Reitmans, Payless Shoes and Winners. The bank that had been in the mall since almost the beginning also just moved out last month.
Keep em coming ... thanks Sal.
This was an amazing video, I think it is so relatable to everyone and the content is so touching because we all grew up with Sears and it has touched all of our lives . Our mothers shopped there, we shopped there . It's just so heartbreaking .😖 I just had the Sears near me close within the last year and it is the one I grew up with my whole life, so this video made me exceptionally sad. 😢It is also in a mall that is dying and I love watching your videos because they are so intriguing, but it does remind me of my neighborhood mall which is also falling victim to society today😢. Keep up the great work and I love your explorations! Happy new year from South Florida!🎉😁
where i live, we have two malls. we lost the sears in the west mall nearly a decade ago; it was the first anchor to go. then dillard's took over the space to put the men's/boys/ houseware. then that folded and became a nightclub with no interior access. three years ago, dillard's made their anchor in this mall an outlet/closeout store. that anchor is now completely gone and the west mall is in bankruptcy. now the sears in the east mall (our one semi-viable mall) is closing. the only reason it's still viable is because it has a von maur and that area of town is taking on the customers that had been going to the west mall and a small surge of upward economy in that area of wichita, ks.
Wow
Saaaaaaal! Happy last day of the year my friend! Hope you have a great NYE and stay JELTY!
Awesome video Sal! I haven't seen the inside of that store since I was little and it was definitely cool to see it again. It's a shame what happened to Sears.
The more I see the current state of Century 3, the more sad I get. I hope someone buys the mall and fixes it up, but I doubt that would happen. Great video!
I have so many childhood memories of Sears. My Dad bought all his tools from our local Sears and I made my Christmas list from the Sears Wish Book every year. Hate to see them in their death throes. I hope they can pull it out, but I had to admit I'm not sure there's a place for them anymore in the current retail landscape. I think a radical restructuring of the way the do business would be needed and they've never been able to accomplish that. For so long they didn't even try, and I think that's a big part of their initial downfall. Here's hoping though! Enjoyed this one a lot, a great American history lesson! Looking forward to the Century III vid!
Very nice Video. Sears was a very good store. You could purchase the good stuff. Levi Jeans.. Converse tennis shoes. Craftman tools. I loved their huge catalog as a child.
Appreciate the mention of the AZ malls :) Unfortunately Fiesta Mall closed about a year ago with plans to re-develop it. However, it's still sitting empty as far as I know. Metrocenter isn't doing well either. Great video!
Sal you mentioned the Sears at Lake Side Mall in Sterling Heights Mi. I live around the corner from that mall and sad to say that location is also now closed.
Wow, ours is also closed
thanks for the tour
Happy New Year, Sal! May 2019 bring wonderful things to you and may it bring many more great videos.
i wish id' held on to a few sears catalogues from my childhood, we would always circle the stuff we wanted (including ridiculous stuff like trampolines and giant arcade machines)
Seems to me like Sears is always a couple of steps behind at the moment. I've watched most of the expedition logs, and it surprises me how many times we still see a Sears (or other strong anchor from the past) in those dead malls. These stores can't possibly be profitable, and should have closed a long time ago.
Sears could have been the Amazon of their day. Missed opportunity.
i'm saddened by the closing of this mall, this is where i spent my teenage free time. i even worked at a kiosk that was located by the fountain.
Long time coming
Dear Sal, you're awesome and so is your work! With love -3wp
Heck, I was a HUGE fan of video games as a teenager and I remember going to SeaTac Mall (now known as The Commons at Federal Way) all the time and go to SEARS to try out new games.
i love the jean shepard story about the man who bought the cape cod imperial house from the sears catalog (a do-it-yourself project) and then, the last we see of him is a crying figure, sitting in the rain amongst the 2 traincars full of boxes the train dropped off with no way to move them. fun fact - your rap performer name is "DJ" plus the last thing you bought at sears. mine is DJ battery
Interesting video. Thanks for filming.
Only problem with this is now I want to know what it’s like inside the former Macy’s, Macy’s Furniture (I know Ace has been in there but it was so dark you can’t see squat), the lower level of the Dicks Sporting Goods that Spirit of Halloween occupies each year and someone should make store tours of the Dicks and JCPenney before their inevitable closures.
I’d do it myself but it’s difficult when you live on the other end of the country.
:)
10:48 I looked up "Mylanta-II 1970" on Google and found an advertisement for the product from 1975. The fonts are the same! So, it's very possible that someone left those products in that Sears paper towel holder and they've remained there for 40 years! My only question is why haven't they been discovered until now?
Another Sears closed in the South Hills of Pittsburgh last year at South Hills Village in the Upper St. Clair/Bethel Park areas which happen to be very nice areas to live in the Pittsburgh suburbs. I for one was sad to see it go. I love the Lands End brand and they’re bathing suits r quality made and affordable as well as their aqua shoes. I went to the close out sale and got some good deals on some jewelry but was saddened as I saw how fast it emptied of merchandise.
Very well done video as always. I'm at the age where I remember malls, Sears and many other stores as places of wonder, and I'm sad for the many losses and for the passage of time. Today is January 11th and it seems we should know something about Eddie's latest bid come Monday. I was intrigued by your comments about him and see what you mean, being a person who always wants to see the good or positive also. My concern is if they let him buy what's left it's just staving off the pain for another day, probably sooner than he expects, and giving a lot of people (employees) false hope. And what if that day came during a downturn and he's cutting 50,000 people loose all at once. I think it's time to let it go so people can move on with their lives and so some of us can remember what was. It will be interesting to see what happens in any event.
Thank you most people get that wrong and say that Sears bought K-mart. and as a stock-market nerd it drives me nuts.
I think Having a few Sears selling stuff in stores in major cities might me a functional model. The Sears would be classical designs from the 70's or 80's. Sears would become a nostalgia store/Museum.
Awesome video Sal!!
Hey Sal I live in what was Sears hometown Chicago . There is not one Sears store left with in the city limits anymore . The Sears towers was sold the first time in 1997 . Then resold again in march of 2009 and the name was formerly changed to the Willis tower . The tower was sold again in 2016 . The name was changed again I’m not sure what it’s called now . Anyone from Chicago still calls it the sears tower though .
I'm always fascinated in the history of early Sears. They are responsible for so many companies we have now.
This SEARS Store CLOSED 12-7-2014
Ours just closed a week ago
I thought it would be an odd twist of fait if Amazon would fo bid on Sears. Rumors have been around for years that Amazon wanted to buy Target and make it their retail partner as well. We have lost 7 malls in the Kansas City metro over the last 20 years leaving only 3 still open. Now the 2 newer town center style shopping centers are having financial problems and had to enter in to bankruptcy to keep from being foreclosed on. Retail seams to always be boom or bust. Thanks for a great vid.
Sal you stated before that people are leaving the suburbs and going back to the city for the outdoor experience and that things were cyclical. Do you feel there will be a resurgence to the suburbs and even rural areas with all the riots?
18:09 - Our man Ron.
Awesome video. 😊👍❤️
Thanks, Kevin :)
Sal Your welcome. 😊👍❤️
The Sears catalogue had pretty much all the stuff that you could ask for at the time.
Sal when is your next video gonna be uploaded?, Just curious, cause I check your channel daily to see if there's a new expedition log waiting for me to see
The Sears in Appleton, WI just learned its fate a few days ago. It will soon look like this. Sad. Liquidation begins in about a week. With closure in March. Damn online retailing. And damn Wal Mart. And let us also damn Lampert. Who had the biggest hand in killing it. The irony is, his bid may be the only thing to save the brand. I never thought I would see Sears join Jamesway, Ames, Bradlees, Toys R Us, Hills, Prange Way, Gimbels. The list is ever growing unfortunately.
It's weird to see a store like Sears to be empty and abandoned, the one where I live is being converted into an food court on the upper level, and a sporting goods store on the main level.