Sears Holdings Corporation

In 1993, Sears stopped production of its general merchandise catalog because of sinking sales and profits. CART went bankrupt shortly following, with its rights and infrastructure purchased by remaining car owners. In the 1980s and 1990s, the company divested themselves of many non-retail entities, which were creating a burden on the company's bottom line. In 2003 Honda and Toyota switched their engine supply from CART to the IRL. This led to public opposition to Sears' policies, and alienated customers. For 2002, Penske and Ganassi became permanent entrants in the IRL, with many other former CART teams joining them in switching sides. Wal-Mart responded by creating Code Adam procedures to protect children that are in the store, whereas Sears initially ignored the risk, hoping it would go away on its own. A year later, Roger Penske, historically CART and Indianapolis' most successful team owner, also came back to Indianapolis and won.

Adam Walsh, the son of reporter John Walsh (America's Most Wanted), was abducted from a Sears department store in Hollywood, Florida, in 1981 at the age of six; his severed head was later found in Vero Beach, FL. Yet the real winner was George, who had brought back one of the CART teams, and its sponsor, to race with the IRL cars. Sears formerly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker of "S", which is now used by the Sprint Nextel Corporation. The defeat was somewhat humiliating for the IRL teams, with the Ganassi team's advantage primarily being pit stops that were frequently several seconds quicker than their main rivals. In 2004, Sears launched a new store concept called Sears Grand which it hopes will be a viable competitor to hypermarkets like Wal-Mart Supercenters. On race day Montoya put on a dominating performance, leading 167 of the 200 laps to win. In late 2004, the logo was switched from all upper case to upper and lower case. In 2000 Chip Ganassi, while still racing in the CART ChampCar World Series, made the decision to return to Indianapolis with his drivers, the 1996 CART champion Jimmy Vasser, and the 1999 CART champion Juan-Pablo Montoya.

Now it consists of the blue text, Sears, with a white line separating each letter down along the length of its strokes. While this situation allowed many American drivers to participate in an event they might otherwise have been unable to afford, the turbulent political situation and the absence of the many of the top IndyCar drivers, the big-name sponsors and faster CART-spec cars casting something of a shadow over the race; it was certainly arguable that to the average fan the replacement of at least fairly-well-known foreign drivers by almost-unknown American ones was not perceived as a real gain. Previously, the Sears logo consisted of the name "Sears" in a rectangle. For the next few years almost all of the CART teams and drivers did not compete in the race. The current Sears logo was created in 1984. In 1997 George made his next move and specified new technical rules for less expensive cars and "production based" engines that outlawed the CART-spec cars that had been the mainstay of the race since the mid-1970s. Roebuck was dropped from the name of the stores, though not from the official corporate name in the 1970s. Finally, in 1998, IRL's calendar once more fell into sync with the rest of the automotive world.

During the late 1980s, and as late as 1993, the Discover card was the only accepted credit card at many Sears retail locations. This marathon season coming right after the three-race 1996 season did not help IRL's image as a bunch of amateurs and beginners. It also introduced the Discover credit card in 1985. Therefore in September, the IRL changed their season back again to the standard early-spring-through-late-fall; however, since the 1996 season was now officially concluded and the 1997 season had already officially begun, this caused the 1997 season to run for 17 months, from the New Hampshire race in July of 1996 through the Las Vegas 500K race in November of 1997. It purchased Dean Witter and Coldwell Banker real estate in 1981, and started what became Prodigy as a joint venture in 1984. However, this confused fans who were used to the universal early-spring-through-late-fall season used by almost all motorsports organizations; worse, it did not meet the needs of corporate sponsors, whose budget sheets ran on the fiscal year. The company started the Allstate Insurance Company back in 1931 and had representatives operating in its stores as early as 1934. The next race, in New Hampshire in July, began the 1997 season.

It established several major brands of products such as Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard, and Tuff-skin. Since the IRL had decided that their "crown jewel" should be the climactic last race of the season, the 1996 IRL season consisted of only three races; the Disney World 200 in January, the Phoenix race in March, and the Indy 500 in May. Sears diversified and became a conglomerate during the mid-20th century. 500 never generated much in the way of fan interest or TV ratings associated with a "big-time" race; it was moved from being directly opposite the Indianapolis 500 on the same day and then discontinued altogether. The company was the largest retailer in the United States until the early 1980s but had dropped significantly in rankings by the time it merged with Kmart. The U.S. After World War II, the company built many stores in suburban shopping malls. 500 and Indianapolis 500 ended in something of a tie; relative unknown American Buddy Lazier, a driver who had however qualified for the race five years previous, won a competitive but crash-marred Indianapolis, while the CART race had to be delayed when the front-row drivers collided at the start and triggered a mass pile-up, somewhat spoiling their carefully chosen public pose as the "old pros".

"I'm going to read the Sears catalog" was a polite way of saying "I'm going to the outhouse.". Nevertheless, the showdown between the U.S. In the days of outhouses and no readily available toilet paper, the pages of the mass-mailed catalog were used as toilet paper. 500, to run on the same day as Indianapolis. The catalog also entered the language, particularly of rural dwellers, as a euphemism for toilet paper. CART's reaction to this move was to announce a competing race, the U.S. The Sears, Roebuck catalog was sometimes referred to as "the Consumers' Bible." The Christmas Catalog was known as the "Wish Book", perhaps because of the toys in it. Both pundits and fans alike predicted success for CART and failure for the IRL, but the IRL played its hole card, the "25 and 8" rule; George announced that 25 of the 33 starting positions at Indianapolis would be reserved for the top 25 cars in the IRL points race, effectively leaving only eight entries for teams who had not competed in the first two IRL races.

In addition to mail-order or rail shipment of large purchases, items could also be picked up at the Sears Store in a nearby town when retail outlets were opened. In its first season in 1996, the IRL attracted mainly little known and inexperienced drivers, smaller teams, slower cars, and widespread ridicule as "replacement players". The first free standing department store was opened October 5, 1925 in Evansville, Indiana. This last point was symbolized by the IRL holding its first-ever race at the new oval track at Disney World, but the event was slightly marred by the clearly audible agony of Eliseo Salazar, whose leg had been pierced by a suspension arm broken when he crashed during the race. Sears issued many catalogs and didn't open its first retail store until 1925, when the business was already 32 years old. With an eye towards the skyrocketing popularity (and profitability) of NASCAR, the IRL was to share some of that series' emphasis on capital-A Americana, with more up-and-coming American drivers and fewer imported established champions, more oval races and fewer road courses (and especially fewer city street races, with their lack of revenue-generating grandstands), less technical sophistication and expense, and more positioning as a racing series for the whole family to enjoy. In 1908, the company began offering entire houses as kits, marketed as Sears Modern Homes, and by the time the program ended in 1940, over 100,000 had been sold. Opinions varied on his motivations, with his supporters sharing his disapproval of Indy's lack of status within CART when it was obvious that it was the series' flagship, the increasing number of foreign drivers with big bank accounts forcing professional American racing drivers away, and the decreasing number of oval-track races in the series, while his detractors accused George of throwing his weight around and playing politics with the race and its heritage just for a power play furthering his own interests at the expense of the sport overall.

This laid important groundwork for supplying a home, possibly the largest single investment a typical family would ever make. However, in 1994, IMS owner Tony George announced that he planned to remove the race from the CART series and make it the centerpiece of a new series, to be called the Indy Racing League (IRL). People had learned to trust Sears for other products bought mail-order, and thus, sight unseen. Despite the CART/USAC divide, from 1983 to 1994 the race was run in relative harmony, with CART and USAC occasionally disagreeing over the technical regulations. soon developed a reputation for both quality products and customer satisfaction. Although the race only payed the same points as any of the other races it was by far the highest-profile event of the championship, with the largest purse of the year. Sears, Roebuck and Co. The stand-off was eventually diffused and the race became part of the CART calendar in 1983.

By the following year, dolls, icebox refrigerators, cook-stoves and groceries had been added to the catalog. However, the Indianapolis 500 sided with USAC for the next several years and became the only high-level race the body still sanctioned once its own Championship series was discontinued the next year, and the race was temporarily removed from the championship calendar, although the same cars and drivers were in attendance. Alvah Roebuck had to resign soon after due to ill-health, but the company still retained his name. Due to control issues of monetary prizes and regulation amendments in the 1970s, the team owners banded together and formed CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams), which started organizing the Indycar World Series in 1978. Organizing the company so it could handle orders on an economical and efficient basis, Chicago clothing manufacturer Julius Rosenwald became a part-owner in 1895. At its very beginning, the race was organized under the auspices of the AAA (American Automobile Association), alongside the National Championship, but the USAC (United States Auto Club) took over in 1956, when it became the motor racing sanctioning authority in the United States, after AAA pulled out in order to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. By 1894, the Sears catalog had grown to 322 pages, featuring sewing machines, bicycles, sporting goods and a host of other new items. At the end of the 1995 season, the Indianapolis 500 was transferred to its fourth regulations ruling body since its inception.

The catalog business grew quickly. European-born or, at least, -bred drivers became a regular fixture of Indianapolis in the years to follow. Richard Sears knew that farmers often brought their crops to town where they could be sold and shipped, and then bought supplies, often at very high prices, from local general stores. However, it wasn't until 1993 that reigning Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell shocked the racing world by moving to the United States, winning the PPG CART IndyCar World Series title and only losing the 500 in his rookie year because of inexperience with green-flag restarts. In 1893, the corporate name became Sears, Roebuck and Co.. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi was one of American single-seater racing's most successful drivers in the 80s, but other names known from Formula One, such as Italian Teo Fabi and Colombian Roberto Guerrero, were able to obtain good outings as well. Roebuck who joined him in the business. After foreign cars became the norm, foreign drivers started showing up at the Indianapolis 500 on a regular basis, choosing the United States as their primary base for their motor racing activities.

The next year, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he met Alvah C. Ford and Chevy engines were built in the UK by Cosworth and Ilmor, respectively. Soon he started a business selling watches. Starting from 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with the only American chassis to win during the CART era being the Wildcat and Galmer chassis in 1982 and 1992. Sears purchased them himself, and sold the watches at a nice profit to other station agents up and down the line, and then ordered more for resale. American drivers kept on filling the majority of entries at the Brickyard for the following years, but European technology had taken over. Richard Sears was a railroad station agent in Minnesota when he received a shipment of watches which were unwanted by a local jeweler. This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983.

Many people lived in rural areas and typically farmed. Offenhauser too would join forces with a European maker, McLaren, obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team in 1972 with driver Mark Donohue, and two for the McLaren Works team in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford. In 1886, the United States contained only 38 states. Racing a mid-engined car, Scotsman Jim Clark was second in his first attempt in 1963, dominating in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on the 47th lap, and completely dominating the race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and offering the 4.2 litre Ford V8 its first success at the race. Once a major presence in Canada, after being sold to Zellers in the late 1990s, which was subsequently bought by the Hudson's Bay Company, all Kmart stores there were either closed or converted to the Zellers name. In 1963, technical innovator Colin Chapman brought his Team Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by the large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. The lime green prototype was abandoned for the new Kmart "Orange" concept that rolled out at 9 test stores nationwide. In fact, it wouldn't be until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the calendar that Europeans made their return, with Australian Jack Brabham driving his slightly modified F1 Cooper in the 1961 race.

However, Kmart could not afford a full-scale rollout. With the 500 having been a part of the World Drivers' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari, but European entries were few and far between during those days. The new layout has wider aisles, better selection and better lighting. In the meantime, European manufacturers, gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before World War II, with the competitive Maserati 8CM allowing Wilbur Shaw to become the first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis in 1941. Kmart introduced 5 then new prototype stores with a new logo, layout and color scheme (lime green and gray) in 2002 with one in White Lake, Michigan and four in Peoria, Illinois. This motor was forever connected with the Brickyard's history with a to-date record total of 27 wins, in both naturally-aspirated and supercharged form, and winning a likewise record-holding 18 consecutive years between 1947 and 1964. On May 6, 2003, Kmart officially emerged from bankruptcy protection as Kmart Holding Corporation and on June 10, 2003 it began trading on the NASDAQ as "KMRT". However, in 1935, Miller's former employees, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goosen, had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser or "Offy" engine.

After firing Conaway and Schwartz, It shut down more than 300 stores in the United States and laid off around 34,000 workers as part of a badly-needed restructuring. The engines then won another seven races until 1938 (again two of them, 1930 and 1932, in Miller-designated chassis), then ran at first with stock-type motors before later being adjusted to the international 3.0 liter formula. Similar to the Enron scandal, Conway and Schwartz were accused of misleading shareholders and other company officials of the company's financial crisis, while they were allegedly making millions and allegedly spending the company's money on planes, houses, boats, and other luxuries. Miller then created his own automobiles, which shared the 'Miller' designation, and which were powered by in turn by supercharged versions of his 2.0 and 1.5 litre (122 and 91 in³) engine single-seaters, winning four more races for the engine up to 1929 (two of them, 1926 and 1928, in Miller chassis). On January 22, 2002, Kmart filed for bankruptcy protection; led into the bankruptcy by its then chairman Chuck Conaway and president Mark Schwartz. In the early 20s, Miller built his own 3.0 litre (183 in³) engine, inspired by the Peugeot Grand Prix engine which had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914, installing it in the back of Jimmy Murphy's Duesenberg and allowing him to win the 1922 edition of the race. In August 2001, Target Corporation sued Kmart for false advertising; Target claimed that its "Dare to Compare" campaign routinely misstated both Kmart's and Target's prices.
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The company could simply not afford to match Wal-Mart's prices. His technical developments allowed him to be indirectly connected to a history of success that would last into the mid-1970s. In addition, Kmart attempted to compete against Wal-Mart on price by introducing the "Blue Light Always" campaign, which ditched the original blue light concept for lower prices in general. However, after World War I, the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance of the race, with the engineer Harry Arminius Miller setting himself up as the most competitive of the post-war builders. In 2001, the stock scandal involving Martha Stewart severely hurt the corporation's image. Although the first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their own vehicles to try and win the event, which they did from 1913 to 1919. No records exist of anyone actually shouting "Blue Light, Blue Light!" It has since ended the "blue light special" again. 80,200 spectators paid $1 admission, and an annual tradition had been established.

This scheme aimed to generate more interest in Kmart from shoppers and the media, but failed because stores did not follow the procedure. This victory is depicted in a limited edition bronze sculpture entitled "The Wasp" by American automotive artist Stanley Wanlass. When the announcement of the special took place over the public address system, music would fill the store and all employees would stop their current actions, clap twice and pump their fists in the air, shouting "Blue Light, Blue Light!". The first "500" was held at the Speedway on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911, with Ray Harroun piloting a Marmon "Wasp" -- outfitted with his invention, the rear-view mirror -- to victory. The company then brought back the "blue light special", which involved the manager announcing a promotion in-store every hour, on the hour—said special lasting for 25 minutes. The creation of a 500 mile (804.672 km) race allowed the track to rapidly acquire a privileged status for automobile races. The original "blue light special" had disappeared in 1991 due to changing consumer habits and misuse by individual stores (according to the company's official explanation). Fisher.

Many business analysts also faulted the corporation for failing to create a coherent brand image. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909, and hosted a smattering of small events before the promoters decided to focus on one major event and it was paved with 3.2 million bricks urged by principal Carl G. Furthermore, Kmart maintained a high dividend, which reduced the amount of money available for improving its stores. . Unlike competitor Wal-Mart, it failed to invest in computer technology to manage its supply chain. In May 2005, the race celebrated its 60th consecutive year of uninterrupted occurrence. In 1993 Kmart closed 110 stores. The event lends its name to the "IndyCar" class of formula, or open-wheel, race cars that have competed in it and has been broadcast live over radio on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network since 1952, and televised on ABC Sports since 1965, with live flag-to-flag coverage beginning in 1986.

In the 1990s, Kmart made a number of missteps, again. First known and held as the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race in 1911, "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," or simply "Indy," is one of the oldest and richest motorsport events in existence, and the largest single-day sporting event worldwide in both on-grounds attendance and international audience (recent estimates placing the latter in excess of 320 million). Rosie O'Donnell and Penny Marshall were among the company's most-recognized spokespersons. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, frequently shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, is an American automobile race held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Other recognizable brands included Sesame Street and Disney. Indianapolis 500 year by year. It also began to offer exclusive merchandise by Martha Stewart, Kathy Ireland, and Jaclyn Smith. Indianapolis 500 Firsts.

This then-new logo was replaced in 2004 with the current logo. Indianapolis 500 Records. However, most stores were not remodeled until the mid-1990s, some of which are not completely renovated today. In 1990, in an effort to change their image, Kmart introduced a new logo (dropping the old-style italic "K" with a turquoise "mart", created in the early 1970s), and gave many stores a very badly needed renovation. Inventory piled up, checkout lines grew, and customers abandoned the stores.

During the 1970s, the company's fortunes began to change; many of Kmart's stores were badly outdated and in decaying condition. The first Super Kmart Center opened in 1991 in Medina, Ohio. The first Big Kmart opened in 1996. In 1987, Kmart Corporation sold its remaining Kresge stores.

Kresge Corporation changed its name to Kmart Corporation. S. In 1977, S. During the 1970s, Kmart put a number of competing retailers out of business.

Kmart was also featured in the Oscar-winning 1988 film Rain Man, in which Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman both famously exclaim, "Kmart sucks!". The phrase "attention Kmart shoppers" also entered into the American pop psyche. Kmart became known for its "blue light specials": at surprise moments, a store worker would light up a mobile police light and offer a discount in a part of the store. Kmart Foods, a long forgotten, now defunct chain of Kmart supermarkets opened in in that same decade.

A total of 18 Kmart stores opened that year. The first Kmart department store opened in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. By the 1920s, Kresge operated larger stores that offered a wider variety of merchandise and prices—precursors of the modern discount store. By 1912, the chain operated 85 stores.

Kresge. S. The store grew into a chain known as S. Kresge's first retail establishment, a five-and-ten-cent store, resembled those operated by Frank Woolworth.

Kresge Corporation, the predecessor of Kmart, in 1899 in Detroit, Michigan. Kresge founded the S.S. Sebastian S. .

The company maintains its corporate headquarters in Hoffman Estates, and it maintains the Kmart brand from Michigan. The company operates 3,800 retail locations under the mastheads of Sears, Sears Grand, Sears Essentials, Kmart, Big Kmart, Kmart SuperCenter, The Great Indoors, Orchard Supply Hardware, and Lands' End stores. It was formed in 2005 by the purchase of Sears, Roebuck and Company of Hoffman Estates, Illinois by Kmart Corporation of Troy, Michigan. Sears Holdings Corporation NASDAQ: SHLD is the third largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart and The Home Depot.

. Ward, (1995) Houses By Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company John Wiley & Sons; Hoboken, New Jersey. Stevenson, Katherin Cole, and Jandl, H. (1987) The Big Store: Inside the Crisis and Revolution at Sears Viking Press; New York.

Katz, Donald R. Sears Holdings was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2004 by Working Mothers magazine. Sears Holdings received a 57% rating on the 2004 Corporate Equality Index published by the Human Rights Campaign. Ty Pennington STYLE home decor.

Joe Boxer underwear and home decor. Route 66 clothing. Lands' End clothing. Thalia Sodi-branded clothing and jewelry.

Sesame Street-branded clothing. Jaclyn Smith-branded clothing. Martha Stewart-branded home decor, kitchen and home improvement items. DieHard car batteries.

Kenmore appliances. Craftsman tools. Sears now owns 80.1% of the chain, and revealed intentions in May 2005 to spin it off. There are currently 84 stores, all of them in California.

Orchard Supply Stores are about 40,000 square feet (4,000 m²). Orchard Supply Hardware: free-standing hardware stores that carry home repair, hardware products and lawn and garden supplies. These stores are located in outlet malls and regular malls. Lands' End: Aside from carrying the Lands' End clothing line at Sears stores, Sears Holdings also operates 16 Lands' End stores that carry only Lands' End clothing.

These stores are about 130,000 square feet (12,000 m²). The Great Indoors: free-standing home décor stores that carry appliances, bedding, and kitchen and bath fixtures. Sears Home: A defunct Sears store which sold furniture which closed in 2001 after failing. These stores are essentially hybrids of a Sears and Kmart store.

Sears Grand stores are about 165,000 to 210,000 square feet (15,000 to 20,000 m²); Sears Essentials stores are about 70,000 to 100,000 square feet. Sears Grand/Sears Essentials: located away from shopping malls (often free-standing); carries everything a regular Sears carries, plus health and beauty, toys, baby care, cleaning supplies, home décor, pet food, cards and party supplies, books, magazines, electronics, and a limited amount of food. Sears has started closing many of these down as more and more of its service and repair business is home-based. Typically labeled Sears Service Center or Sears Home Central, two names that also refer to the Parts and Repair centers.

Sears Parts & Repair: Sears service centers that typically sell parts for appliances and also a carry-in point for customers to bring merchandise in that needs repaired either in or out of warranty. They primarily concentrate on hardware, appliances, and lawn and garden supplies. They are signed as Sears, and they are usually free-standing or located in a strip mall. Sears Hardware: smaller area Sears stores that are operated as franchises; they are usually located in smaller markets that do not support a mall or full-size Sears.

The brand was reinvented in 1991 with K-Mart's launch of the Super K-Mart Center concept. They all closed in 1970s. Most Kmart Foods were together with K-Mart stores. Kmart Foods: Kmart Foods was a grocery store that was found in 1962.

Sears stores are usually multi-level, and there are about 870 full-size Sears stores. Sears: department store concept that is located in shopping malls; it carries clothing, jewelry, appliances, hardware, lawn and garden supplies, lawn mowers, paint, sporting goods and automobile repair and supplies. Several also include Kmart Express gas stations. These stores are also known as Super Kmart, Super K, and Super Kmart Center.

SuperCenters are about 140,000 to 190,000 square feet (13,000 to 18,000 m²). Super Kmart: Carries everything a regular Kmart carries, but has a full grocery section with meat, bakery, and deli. Many were changed back to plain Kmart or closed. Sears Holdings no longer builds these stores, but many Kmarts are still signed as Big Kmart or Big K.

Big Kmart stores also feature Garden Shop, and Kcafe or Little Caesar's Pizza station. About 84,000 to 120,000 square feet (7,800 to 11,000 m²). Big Kmart: Carries everything a regular Kmart carries, but with a emphasis on home decor, children's clothing, and more food items. About 84,000 to 100,000 square feet (7,800 to 9,300 m²).

Many stores also have a pharmacy and snack bar. Kmart: discount stores (usually free-standing or located in strip malls) that carry electronics, music, movies, bedding, hardware, sporting goods, clothing, toys, jewelry, office supplies, health and beauty products, home décor, and a limited selection of food. Preservation of two brands after the merger allowed Sears Holdings to continue focusing on different customer demographics, without alienating either group. The establishment of a shared customer-focused corporate culture between the two companies was estimated to yield improvements in revenue per unit area.

At least $300 million a year in cost savings was expected annually, particularly in the supply chain and in administrative overhead. This was estimated to be an expected $200 million a year in revenue synergies. Proprietary brands held by both companies could be made more accessible to their target demographics by leveraging their combined real estate holdings. Earlier in the year Sears had purchased dozens of current Kmart locations; the merger permited the combined company to accelerate that process.

Sears had begun investing in new, larger off-mall stores, called Sears Grand stores.