My first job in high school was Sears. I worked in the handbag and hosiery dapartment. Can you imagine that just our department alone had 8 employees and their own designated cash register. There was a store manager with his own secretary and the Personnel Department had about 5 staff. Boy, am I dating myself using the words secretary and Personne. It was back in 1978. I was proud to work there. Sad to see it has declined so much.
Sears is one of those, "one can never return home" situations. We all have memories of shopping there, and it's not hard to imagine how the store should look. But with Sears having fallen so far, it's not possible to "experience" it anymore.
I worked on that project. Oak brook management was trying to kick Sears out and demo the building for smaller retail. They were let out of their lease and then begged to come back with a new look that was tested out in the 2 Madison WI stores. Oak brook agreed, Sears came back then closed the store 🤔
I think if they went back to what they are known for (basic everyday clothes, appliances, lots of electronics), I bet they would at least do a little better. Plus, the environment of these stores is honestly so sad. It feels like 1989. Walk into a renovated Macy’s or even some JCPenney stores and you at least feel like the company cares. But this? Yikes.
I used to work at that store for 5 years. Loved it many great people in the hardline departments. I was right there in tools. We called it the boat register it had 4 registers 2 on either side. I remember when they started bringing cleaning supplies creeping into the tools area. One of the sales guys there told who came from another store that closed told me that when the pallets of water for sale arrived they will close soon. Well I noticed them in 2017 lol. The dang clothing areas with their credit applications also my goodness. We used to be commission sales and I would regularly make $20+/hr but unfortunately the minimum wage was raised and we moved to minimum wage of $12/hr no commission.
Sears announced today (9/16/21) that it will close this store in November. It's sad, this was the last Sears in Illinois and will now leave 3 anchors in the Woodfield Mall.
It’s not surprising, as the land the store sits on is much more valuable for other stores or uses (eg housing or entertainment). What’s surprising to me is that it took them this long to close it; although being the “flagship” store (only a few minutes from their HQ) might be why they kept it open for so long.
You are correct but there isnt that much demand for Notre Dame merchandise when compared to Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks or Bulls. It also clearly isnt selling. I was here a few days ago and there appeared to be as much Notre Dame merchandise as before.
I love this Sears store. I grew up going to this store in the 80s and 90s. I remember when they used to have Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo stations where you could try out games and there was a line of kids waiting. Suffered my first broken bone when I dropped a saw on my foot as an 8 year old in the tools section in 1989. (It is still a tools section to this day, they haven't really changed much of the first floor, except making space for the restaurant. My parents had their cars serviced at the autoshop outside. There have been celebrities who came to that Sears too, The Kardashians and Pamela Anderson. It was the best going there when there was a Kaybee Toys store right outside in the 90s.
They might’ve had the winter stuff, because Covid shut everything down in early January 2020. 🤷♀️ Also I don’t think anyone saw ya sit on the furniture! 🤣🤣
It was March 2020 when COVID shut everything down, at least in the US. They should have had the Christmas and winter stuff long cleared out even before that time.
Sad that this will probably be the only one in Illinois left in the next couple of years if they miraculously survive once more. Kind of sad that Sears still had about 500 stores 2 years ago and now they only have about a handful left. Hoping North Riverside isnt the next one to go but with Seritage apparently terminating its lease with Transformholdco and North Riverside being a seritage location. Itll sadly be the next one to likely close in Illinois
I work for Sears for years as manager left right when started putting Pac-Man in. Woodfield mall Sears store been loosing money for years to big not enough sales. It has been top performer that’s not accurate.
Shopping mall is my favorite store shopper. It fun. I live here Illinois,there is my favorite one is marketplace mall in Champaign Illinois. Nice video shot at the mall. 😊
This was a very Nice SEARS Store. I came here not too often, but they had a nice selection of Mens Jeans, Dockers, Nice formal sweatshirts, and had a nice selection of Formal wear like Suits & Ties and Dickies merchandise.
To think this will be the last store Illinois.but the foot traffic is just a memory..in this store dinosaur.what was once golden is now Jurassic.Sears had everything at once but anything like a serious investment in employees or customers became extinct.people are necessary.responsibility is a choice.if you neglect either well there you are.Sears once had 3,500 stores in 50 states.now less than 30 remain.if only the walls could talk I know exactly what they would say.
Sears clothing for boys is ok when they’re young, maybe throughout grade school. Then, not again until you’re an old man. I worked many years for Sears and never could understand the thought process with the boys/men’s clothes. And the teenage clothes for boys is pretty bad. But yes, they do have a great jeans selection.
Hi there Sam and gale, you guys are great for having informed of the square footage and the vast spaces, since they are being configured as well in order to accommodate sellers in order to have a chain of suppliers in the same industry of retail where sears is also known, its always good to be optimistic since work creation is everywhere, they just pop up when you least expect them. Determination to deter possibilities and they are continuous.
Wow! Sears at Woodfield has really declined. It will only be a matter of time before it closes. JCPenney is already planning on closing all stores. When these 2 stores close, Woodfield will have 2 large anchor stores gone. I hope they have a plan on how to develop the mall after they close.
I'm not so sure that JCPenney would close at Woodfield. If by any chance the Sycamore(owner of Belk) bid is successful, I see that being one of the stores the company would likely keep open. That said, I'm DEFINITELY rooting for the Simon and Brookfield bid to be successful. Considering that they'd probably keep more Penney's stores open, and since Sycamore said that only 250 JCP stores(if you can believe that, for areas where Belk doesn't exist) would be converted to Belk. Von Maur will probably take either the Sears or Lord and Taylor anchor space at Woodfield for a future store, down the road. I'd guess they'd probably more want the Sears space, since as I remember that store was bigger than the Lord and Taylor store at Woodfield.
Woodfield has the benefit of being in a prime location; next to Interstate 90 and 290 and close to O’Hare Airport and a half hour from downtown Chicago.
This is 1 of only 2 regular Sears that are still open. And when I see that they are still there, I can only wonder, as even this store looks very empty in terms of stock and clients. I remember Bon Tons that looked way healthier before they closed 2017.
They actually did update the shoe department about 10 years ago. Before that, it still had the same walling it had from the late 80s/ early 90s. They used to have a large furniture section in the upper level that they closed, I think 15 years ago. I think that most of that space is now being used by the Pacman Restaurant. But yes most of the store is the same. The last time I was there in 2017 they still had the mini mall with the eyeglasses shop. Most of that section is empty except for the eyeglasses.
It's a good thing the 2 sears store's are still alive even after they reopened the sears in Schaumburg il. I was suprised that the sears is still open from acouple years ago and it was shocking. the sears in chicago ridge il is still open too. I was over there that one time. check out the inside @ 3:02 to find out what happend
Dude, do you realize how crazy that statement "Sears allowed to (the car to crash into the mall) happen by not having any security posts to block a CAR from COMING IN (Caps added)" is? MALLS have to have SECURITY POSTS to keep CARS from COMING IN?
Yes, that's correct... if you want to keep deranged people from driving through your entrances, you put up bollards, posts, planters, what not. Sears chose not to. How exactly would YOU prevent this, if you ran the mall/Sears?
Wtf is so hard about getting stores that people actually shop at there? Like simple get rid of all these old boomer stores and put in Apple, Amazon, Chipotle, Target. Bam youre half way there already. Like what year are these people living in?
Not sure what your point is. This video is about a Sears store. The mall already has an Apple store, Chipotle, and Target is nearby. Amazon doesn't have stores anymore. Not sure who "these people" you're referring to are, but there was almost no-one in that Sears store. So unless you're criticizing Sears (who owns their own property) for staying open... well congrats, they've already closed that location.
Sears: biggest job mistake of my life! If they treated their employees better the customer service would have been better. Better service, happier customers. Happier customers...maybe they'd still be in business. 🤷♂️
You didn’t drive THROUGH the sears like someone did months ago? ;)
Nice store tour. The day this store closes is the day that Sears officially dies
It sadly died in November of 2021! 😭 it’s weird and sad going by the mall and seeing an empty parking lot!
You know the end is coming when they can't even merchandise the store. It looks like the racks are social distancing in there!
Those racks gotta keep themselves safe! 😷
My first job in high school was Sears. I worked in the handbag and hosiery dapartment. Can you imagine that just our department alone had 8 employees and their own designated cash register. There was a store manager with his own secretary and the Personnel Department had about 5 staff. Boy, am I dating myself using the words secretary and Personne. It was back in 1978. I was proud to work there. Sad to see it has declined so much.
This is officially the last Sears in Illinois, Chicago Ridge just got announced today for closure
That's sad.
@@LostDepartments yes it is :(
Welp, this is the last Sears in Illinois as the Sears at Chicago Ridge Mall will be closing in April
Sears is one of those, "one can never return home" situations. We all have memories of shopping there, and it's not hard to imagine how the store should look. But with Sears having fallen so far, it's not possible to "experience" it anymore.
I remember when they opened that fully brand new Sears in Oak Brook...it didn’t even stay open for a year
I worked on that project. Oak brook management was trying to kick Sears out and demo the building for smaller retail. They were let out of their lease and then begged to come back with a new look that was tested out in the 2 Madison WI stores. Oak brook agreed, Sears came back then closed the store 🤔
@@NoName-tx5gn Did you work on any projects for northbrook court?
I think if they went back to what they are known for (basic everyday clothes, appliances, lots of electronics), I bet they would at least do a little better. Plus, the environment of these stores is honestly so sad. It feels like 1989. Walk into a renovated Macy’s or even some JCPenney stores and you at least feel like the company cares. But this? Yikes.
I used to work at that store for 5 years. Loved it many great people in the hardline departments. I was right there in tools. We called it the boat register it had 4 registers 2 on either side. I remember when they started bringing cleaning supplies creeping into the tools area. One of the sales guys there told who came from another store that closed told me that when the pallets of water for sale arrived they will close soon. Well I noticed them in 2017 lol. The dang clothing areas with their credit applications also my goodness. We used to be commission sales and I would regularly make $20+/hr but unfortunately the minimum wage was raised and we moved to minimum wage of $12/hr no commission.
2003-sucks
2004-sucks
2005-sucks
2006-sucks
2007-sucks
2008-sucks
2009-sucks
2010-sucks
2011-sucks
2012-sucks
2013-sucks
2014-sucks
2015-sucks
2016-sucks
2017-sucks
2018-sucks
2019-sucks
2020-sucks
2021-perfect
Lost departments I heard that primark is coming in to wood field mall
Sears announced today (9/16/21) that it will close this store in November. It's sad, this was the last Sears in Illinois and will now leave 3 anchors in the Woodfield Mall.
That will mean the end of an era sadly...
It’s not surprising, as the land the store sits on is much more valuable for other stores or uses (eg housing or entertainment). What’s surprising to me is that it took them this long to close it; although being the “flagship” store (only a few minutes from their HQ) might be why they kept it open for so long.
Update: This store is closed as of Nov. 15, 2021
Notre Dame is only an 1.5 hrs away from Chicago. There are a ton of Notre Dame fans in Chicago area
You are correct but there isnt that much demand for Notre Dame merchandise when compared to Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks or Bulls. It also clearly isnt selling. I was here a few days ago and there appeared to be as much Notre Dame merchandise as before.
HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!! HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT!!!
(He being Lampert)
I love this Sears store. I grew up going to this store in the 80s and 90s. I remember when they used to have Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo stations where you could try out games and there was a line of kids waiting. Suffered my first broken bone when I dropped a saw on my foot as an 8 year old in the tools section in 1989. (It is still a tools section to this day, they haven't really changed much of the first floor, except making space for the restaurant. My parents had their cars serviced at the autoshop outside. There have been celebrities who came to that Sears too, The Kardashians and Pamela Anderson. It was the best going there when there was a Kaybee Toys store right outside in the 90s.
They might’ve had the winter stuff, because Covid shut everything down in early January 2020. 🤷♀️ Also I don’t think anyone saw ya sit on the furniture! 🤣🤣
It was March 2020 when COVID shut everything down, at least in the US. They should have had the Christmas and winter stuff long cleared out even before that time.
Sad that this will probably be the only one in Illinois left in the next couple of years if they miraculously survive once more. Kind of sad that Sears still had about 500 stores 2 years ago and now they only have about a handful left. Hoping North Riverside isnt the next one to go but with Seritage apparently terminating its lease with Transformholdco and North Riverside being a seritage location. Itll sadly be the next one to likely close in Illinois
Thanks so much for your voice over since I am blind. Nice video.
I work for Sears for years as manager left right when started putting Pac-Man in. Woodfield mall Sears store been loosing money for years to big not enough sales. It has been top performer that’s not accurate.
Shopping mall is my favorite store shopper. It fun. I live here Illinois,there is my favorite one is marketplace mall in Champaign Illinois. Nice video shot at the mall. 😊
I love Sears
where bobby jack?
This is closing now
This was a very Nice SEARS Store. I came here not too often, but they had a nice selection of Mens Jeans, Dockers, Nice formal sweatshirts, and had a nice selection of Formal wear like Suits & Ties and Dickies merchandise.
I am rooting for SEARS!!! I am in Texas and hope they continue to stay open. Loosing JCPenny,ToysRUs, Kmart has been sad enough.
To think this will be the last store Illinois.but the foot traffic is just a memory..in this store dinosaur.what was once golden is now Jurassic.Sears had everything at once but anything like a serious investment in employees or customers became extinct.people are necessary.responsibility is a choice.if you neglect either well there you are.Sears once had 3,500 stores in 50 states.now less than 30 remain.if only the walls could talk I know exactly what they would say.
I have been whant ing to see this store and it’s sad empty my local seats before it closed was packed often
TBH I don’t know how Sears is still in business!
Barely
Lost Departments it's hanging on by a thread lol
There’s only about 30 sears left in the nation, I work in one of them at socal
I have no idea how this store is still open.
Sears is department store 🏬
Hardware store 🏬
Clothing store 🏬
Sears clothing for boys is ok when they’re young, maybe throughout grade school. Then, not again until you’re an old man. I worked many years for Sears and never could understand the thought process with the boys/men’s clothes. And the teenage clothes for boys is pretty bad. But yes, they do have a great jeans selection.
I love sears sad that it closed a lot of stores 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I'm surprised that it's still open, I live near the store and I hope to shop there soon😂
That’s a lot of empty square footage on that second floor. Great documentation of this ailing dinosaur.
Hi there Sam and gale, you guys are great for having informed of the square footage and the vast spaces, since they are being configured as well in order to accommodate sellers in order to have a chain of suppliers in the same industry of retail where sears is also known, its always good to be optimistic since work creation is everywhere, they just pop up when you least expect them. Determination to deter possibilities and they are continuous.
Last time I was here, thought I was in another country, just sayin...
There's no merchandise to buy
Interesting now that this store is now closed
It was a flagship store but Sears is dead
Sears have a COVID-19
Did you run into Urbex a peek inside ???? You both released a woodfield video hours apart?
I don't think so...
Wow! Sears at Woodfield has really declined. It will only be a matter of time before it closes. JCPenney is already planning on closing all stores. When these 2 stores close, Woodfield will have 2 large anchor stores gone. I hope they have a plan on how to develop the mall after they close.
MrKrakowian plus lord and Taylor.
I'm not so sure that JCPenney would close at Woodfield. If by any chance the Sycamore(owner of Belk) bid is successful, I see that being one of the stores the company would likely keep open. That said, I'm DEFINITELY rooting for the Simon and Brookfield bid to be successful. Considering that they'd probably keep more Penney's stores open, and since Sycamore said that only 250 JCP stores(if you can believe that, for areas where Belk doesn't exist) would be converted to Belk.
Von Maur will probably take either the Sears or Lord and Taylor anchor space at Woodfield for a future store, down the road. I'd guess they'd probably more want the Sears space, since as I remember that store was bigger than the Lord and Taylor store at Woodfield.
JCPenney will be ok.
Woodfield has the benefit of being in a prime location; next to Interstate 90 and 290 and close to O’Hare Airport and a half hour from downtown Chicago.
Sears is dead
This is 1 of only 2 regular Sears that are still open. And when I see that they are still there, I can only wonder, as even this store looks very empty in terms of stock and clients. I remember Bon Tons that looked way healthier before they closed 2017.
Go Notre Dame
It feels like it has not been updated in over 20 years.
They actually did update the shoe department about 10 years ago. Before that, it still had the same walling it had from the late 80s/ early 90s. They used to have a large furniture section in the upper level that they closed, I think 15 years ago. I think that most of that space is now being used by the Pacman Restaurant. But yes most of the store is the same. The last time I was there in 2017 they still had the mini mall with the eyeglasses shop. Most of that section is empty except for the eyeglasses.
One of my favorite malls of all time. Haven't been there since the food court was constructed.
It's a good thing the 2 sears store's are still alive even after they reopened the sears in Schaumburg il. I was suprised that the sears is still open from acouple years ago and it was shocking. the sears in chicago ridge il is still open too. I was over there that one time. check out the inside @ 3:02 to find out what happend
A great American past time, as a family we grew up shopping at Sears since the '60's. It's a damn shame they downsized.
I was there in April and appliances were doing a very brisk business.
Its really sad to see this store look like a ghost town considering its a top Sears
Great Video, My Last Sears Is Closing :(
Exploring Retail's With Andrew the Ohio one?
They're all closing soon...
malls, trains, and gaming 555: yes, the Ohio one
Lost Departments: unfortunately it is true, and it is Really upsetting to see all of these stores close
This video is nice! ;)
No Bears stuff because the Bears suck nowadays
bears?
@@julioalvarenga8608 Chicago Bears
@@primusvsunicron1 nobody asked about that
@@primusvsunicron1 let me tell you they lost in the 49ers vs bears game
I’m surprised it managed to outlast L&T
Sears had enough liquid assets and real estate from the past century or so to sell and (barely) keep the lights on.
Dude, do you realize how crazy that statement "Sears allowed to (the car to crash into the mall) happen by not having any security posts to block a CAR from COMING IN (Caps added)" is? MALLS have to have SECURITY POSTS to keep CARS from COMING IN?
Yes, that's correct... if you want to keep deranged people from driving through your entrances, you put up bollards, posts, planters, what not. Sears chose not to.
How exactly would YOU prevent this, if you ran the mall/Sears?
Wtf is so hard about getting stores that people actually shop at there? Like simple get rid of all these old boomer stores and put in Apple, Amazon, Chipotle, Target. Bam youre half way there already. Like what year are these people living in?
Not sure what your point is. This video is about a Sears store. The mall already has an Apple store, Chipotle, and Target is nearby. Amazon doesn't have stores anymore.
Not sure who "these people" you're referring to are, but there was almost no-one in that Sears store. So unless you're criticizing Sears (who owns their own property) for staying open... well congrats, they've already closed that location.
Sears: biggest job mistake of my life! If they treated their employees better the customer service would have been better. Better service, happier customers. Happier customers...maybe they'd still be in business. 🤷♂️