hat has happened to Sears department stores? Founded in 1886 as a small mail-order catalog company, the iconic retailer grew to be a national chain of department stores that every suburban mall wanted as its important anchor store. Up until the 1990’s Sears was the largest retailer in the United States and was known as “Where America Shops.”

Fast forward 25 years later and the question is “Why would anyone want to shop at Sears?” Sales continually are lost on an annual basis. The stores look old and outdated, as well as the merchandise, especially in clothing and home furnishings. Their customer base is much older and the retail chain has not done a good job of targeting a younger market.  It seems as if Sears’s executives are letting the brand “die on the vine” as there has been very little marketing strategy or innovation injected into the company.

Sears still has a few excellent brands—Kenmore Appliances, Craftsman Tools and they still own a majority share of Land’s End.

You have been hired as the new VP of Marketing for Sears and have been given total freedom to completely turn this company upside down if necessary and bring it into the modern digital age.

• List some innovative marketing strategies that you would use to get this company going again!