Sears expanded into Latin America and Spain starting with a small store in Downtown Havana, Cuba in 1942. Sears opened its first store in Mexico City in 1947; the Mexican stores would later spin off into Sears Mexico, now owned by billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Sanborns, which by the end of 2022 operated 97 stores across Mexico. [1]
Sears had sales of US$78 million in Latin America in 1953. Over time, Sears expanded into: [2] [3]
Country | First store |
No. stores 1954 | Presence | Employees 1954 |
Sold/ Closed |
Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brazil | 1949 | 3 | 1954: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santos | 1,638 | 1990s | 11 stores in 1993 when sold to Malzoni and Vendex, became Mappin stores or malls [4] |
Costa Rica | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1982-3 [5] | ||
Colombia | 1953 | 3 | 1954: Baranquilla, Bogotá, Cartagena | 403 | ||
Cuba | 1942 | 6 | 1954: Havana, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Marianao, Santiago | 511 | 1960 | Nationalized 24 October 1960 [6] |
Ecuador | 1999 | 1 | Guayaquil, Albán Borja shopping center | 2003 [7] | In the 1980s, a Saga Sears operated in Ecuador | |
El Salvador | 2010/1 [8] | n/a | n/a | n/a | operating | Still in operation by Mexico's Grupo Sanborns |
Guatemala | 1976, 2000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1982-3 [5] | Operated 1976–1982, and again since 2000, with 2 stores: Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango. [9] |
Honduras | ?, 2000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1982–3, [5] 2016 | Operated ?-1982/3, and again in 2000-2016 |
Mexico ( article) |
1947 | 7 | 1954:
Guadalajara,
Mérida,
Puebla,
Mexico City–
Colonia Roma,
Monterrey,
San Luis Potosí,
Tampico End 2022: 97 across Mexico. [10] |
2,146 | n/a | Operating with 97 stores as of end 2022. [10] |
Nicaragua | 1965 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1979 | 1965–1979 [11] [12] |
Panama | ? | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2002 | Operated ?-2002 |
Peru | 1954 | 1 | 1954: Lima | 1991 | Became Saga hen renamed Falabella | |
Puerto Rico ( article) |
1961 | n/a | Operated 14 full-line department stores and various other formats over its lifespan. One full-line store remains open as of end 2023. | |||
Spain | 1967 | (1970: 2) | 1970–1983: Barcelona, Madrid | 1983 | Opened in Barcelona 30 March 1967, opened in Madrid 8 April 1970. [13] Closed in January 1983, became Rumasa's Galerías Preciados. | |
Venezuela | 1950 | 6 | 1954: Barquisimeto, Caracas (opened 1950), Maracaibo (opened 1952, 12,000 m2, architect Tomás José Sanabria), Maracay, Puerto La Cruz. (Later also Ciudad Ojeda). | 1,025 | Eventually 3 stores in Caracas: Bello Monte (11,600 m2, Pro-Patria, El Marqués. Acquired by Grupo Cisneros[ es]), renamed Maxys, which closed in 1997. [14] |
Sears is currently a 100% Mexican company and has more than seventy-five stores throughout the country. It offers basic auto repair services and service contracts for the home appliances it sells.
Sears expanded into Latin America and Spain starting with a small store in Downtown Havana, Cuba in 1942. Sears opened its first store in Mexico City in 1947; the Mexican stores would later spin off into Sears Mexico, now owned by billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Sanborns, which by the end of 2022 operated 97 stores across Mexico. [1]
Sears had sales of US$78 million in Latin America in 1953. Over time, Sears expanded into: [2] [3]
Country | First store |
No. stores 1954 | Presence | Employees 1954 |
Sold/ Closed |
Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brazil | 1949 | 3 | 1954: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santos | 1,638 | 1990s | 11 stores in 1993 when sold to Malzoni and Vendex, became Mappin stores or malls [4] |
Costa Rica | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1982-3 [5] | ||
Colombia | 1953 | 3 | 1954: Baranquilla, Bogotá, Cartagena | 403 | ||
Cuba | 1942 | 6 | 1954: Havana, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Marianao, Santiago | 511 | 1960 | Nationalized 24 October 1960 [6] |
Ecuador | 1999 | 1 | Guayaquil, Albán Borja shopping center | 2003 [7] | In the 1980s, a Saga Sears operated in Ecuador | |
El Salvador | 2010/1 [8] | n/a | n/a | n/a | operating | Still in operation by Mexico's Grupo Sanborns |
Guatemala | 1976, 2000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1982-3 [5] | Operated 1976–1982, and again since 2000, with 2 stores: Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango. [9] |
Honduras | ?, 2000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1982–3, [5] 2016 | Operated ?-1982/3, and again in 2000-2016 |
Mexico ( article) |
1947 | 7 | 1954:
Guadalajara,
Mérida,
Puebla,
Mexico City–
Colonia Roma,
Monterrey,
San Luis Potosí,
Tampico End 2022: 97 across Mexico. [10] |
2,146 | n/a | Operating with 97 stores as of end 2022. [10] |
Nicaragua | 1965 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1979 | 1965–1979 [11] [12] |
Panama | ? | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2002 | Operated ?-2002 |
Peru | 1954 | 1 | 1954: Lima | 1991 | Became Saga hen renamed Falabella | |
Puerto Rico ( article) |
1961 | n/a | Operated 14 full-line department stores and various other formats over its lifespan. One full-line store remains open as of end 2023. | |||
Spain | 1967 | (1970: 2) | 1970–1983: Barcelona, Madrid | 1983 | Opened in Barcelona 30 March 1967, opened in Madrid 8 April 1970. [13] Closed in January 1983, became Rumasa's Galerías Preciados. | |
Venezuela | 1950 | 6 | 1954: Barquisimeto, Caracas (opened 1950), Maracaibo (opened 1952, 12,000 m2, architect Tomás José Sanabria), Maracay, Puerto La Cruz. (Later also Ciudad Ojeda). | 1,025 | Eventually 3 stores in Caracas: Bello Monte (11,600 m2, Pro-Patria, El Marqués. Acquired by Grupo Cisneros[ es]), renamed Maxys, which closed in 1997. [14] |
Sears is currently a 100% Mexican company and has more than seventy-five stores throughout the country. It offers basic auto repair services and service contracts for the home appliances it sells.