The mysterious side of Sears

<p>On a recent picture postcard Southern California day in March 2024, I entered a Sears full-line store in Whittier, California. It was sunny and bright blue outside, with fluffy white clouds above the 4 story former Broadway location that has been operating as Sears since 1996. I&rsquo;m not totally certain how I became fascinated with Sears, other than an interest in history and a fascination with underdogs; in any event, here I was, about to cross the threshold and travel back in time to the late 90s. Inside, the air was still, with an aroma of starch and dust. It wasn&rsquo;t unpleasant or moldy, as I had heard was the case at other locations. The sales floor was nearly empty, save a handful of employees and a customer or two. In the center stood the check stand area, with it&rsquo;s warranty information dated to 2018. The 2nd floor was closed (I had been up there to walk amongst the exercise equipment and islands of softlines gondolas in a past visit) and the escalator, with it&rsquo;s incessant automated safety message, was not functioning. On the ground floor, swimwear was for sale, along with some ill-fitting jeans. In the appliance section, it was a big event that a new appliance had arrived for sale (I&rsquo;m pretty sure it was a dryer).</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@chrismanam/the-mysterious-side-of-sears-821a05cb6a07"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>