Marketing 6-4: Case Study Sears Roebuck

Lesson 6-4: Case Study Sears Roebuck

English	Spanish	French
Worksheet	Worksheet	Worksheet

Lesson Summary

Lesson Objectives & Instructional Outcomes

Lesson Objectives:

Students will understand the historical development of Sears from the late 1800s to the 2000s.
Students will analyze how Sears used innovative marketing strategies to dominate retail in the 20th century.
Students will compare the rise of Sears with the growth of Amazon to understand shifts in consumer behavior.
Students will evaluate the impact of technology and e-commerce on traditional retail.
Students will examine how corporate mismanagement and external market forces contributed to Sears' decline.

Instructional Outcomes:

Students will be able to outline the major milestones in Sears’ history and marketing strategy.
Students will articulate the similarities and differences between Sears and Amazon.
Students will interpret historical and contemporary data on retail growth and decline.
Students will assess the role of consumer behavior in business success.
Students will debate whether Amazon could face a future similar to Sears and justify their stance using historical evidence.

Aim & Essential Questions

Aim: How did Sears become one of America’s most influential retailers, and what led to its decline?

Essential Questions:

How did Sears revolutionize retail and marketing in the 20th century?
What parallels can be drawn between Sears and Amazon?
What marketing missteps led to Sears’ downfall?
How did consumer behavior and technological advances impact Sears’ business model?
Can successful companies today avoid the same fate as Sears?

Vocabulary

Mail-Order Catalog – A printed book from which people order products to be delivered by mail.
Retail Storefront – A physical location where products are sold directly to consumers.
Anchor Store – A major store in a mall that draws foot traffic.
E-commerce – Commercial transactions conducted electronically on the internet.
Merchandising – The activity of promoting the sale of goods.
Consumer Behavior – The study of individuals’ buying habits.
Predatory Takeover – Acquisition of a company with the intent to extract value and dismantle it.
Brand Reputation – Public perception of a brand based on past experiences and marketing.
Market Saturation – A situation in which a product has become diffused within a market.
Disruptive Innovation – An innovation that significantly alters or creates new markets.

Questions For Instructional Time

What inspired Richard Sears to start selling watches, and how did this evolve into a retail empire?
How did Sears use catalogs to reach rural customers, and why was this innovative?
What role did Alvah Roebuck and Julius Rosenwald play in the growth of Sears?
How did technological and societal shifts (like cars and roads) impact Sears’ strategy?
In what ways was Amazon similar to Sears in its early days?
What marketing mistakes did Sears make that contributed to its decline?
How did external events like the Great Depression and World War II influence Sears' growth?
What impact did the predatory takeover by Edward Lampert have on Sears?
Why did Sears' exclusive partnership with Discover Card hurt their business?
Could Amazon experience the same fate as Sears? Why or why not?

Do Now: Watch the video below and use the chart below to complete quiz "Lesson 6-4 Quiz A"

Lesson 6-4 Quiz A

Video 1: The American Economy In 1900

Directions: Watch the short video and then read the article below. The article will discuss the dramatic shift in the American economy in the late 1800's to early 1900's. After you finish, take the quiz "Lesson 6-4 Quiz B" on Schoology.

English	Spanish	French
Article	Article

Lesson 6-4 Quiz B

Video 2: America's Population Growth

Directions: Watch the video below. It will show you America's population growth from the 1700's until close to present day. Watch the video and answer the question for quiz, Lesson 6-4: Quiz C.

Lesson 6-4 Quiz C

How Did Sears Take Over America?

Directions (And Video Summary): The video below traces the origins and rise of Sears, beginning in 1886 when Richard Sears sold unwanted watches and launched the R.W. Sears Watch Company. After partnering with Alvah Roebuck and later reorganizing with Julius Rosenwald, Sears evolved into a mail-order powerhouse that revolutionized rural American shopping with its catalogs. By the 1920s, under the leadership of Robert E. Wood, Sears began expanding into retail stores to meet the needs of a shifting, urbanizing population. Despite the Great Depression, the company grew rapidly, opening hundreds of stores nationwide and even venturing internationally. Its dominance culminated in the construction of the Sears Tower in 1973, then the tallest building in the world. Often compared to Amazon, Sears was a pioneering force in direct-to-consumer marketing long before the internet era. Watch the video and take quiz, "Lesson 6-4 Quiz D" on Schoology.

Lesson 6-4 Quiz D

Death Of An American Giant

Directions (And Video Summary): The video outlines the rise and dramatic fall of Sears, once America’s retail giant and a key anchor store in shopping malls during the 1970s. Despite its early success, Sears faced growing competition from Kmart and Walmart in the late 1980s, leading to price cuts, store closures, and a decline in customer loyalty. The company’s exclusive deal with Discover Card, a scandal involving fraudulent auto repairs, and the eventual sale of its profitable credit card division further damaged its reputation and profits. A controversial merger with Kmart orchestrated by investor Edward Lampert led to asset stripping and questionable real estate maneuvers that prioritized investor gains over business health. As e-commerce boomed and department store traffic declined, Sears failed to modernize its strategy, ultimately filing for bankruptcy in 2018 and becoming a cautionary tale of missed trends and corporate mismanagement. Watch the video and take quiz, "Lesson 6-4 Quiz e" on Schoology.