Sears Digital Archive - Timeline

1940s

1950s

1941

United States enters World War II; many Sears items are pulled from stores and catalogs due to rationing.

Sears-Roebuck Foundation, a philanthropic organization, is chartered.

Sears ends mail-order groceries.

1944

Women make up 75 percent of Sears' workforce at height of World War II.

1945

Sales exceed $1 billion.

1946

Anticipating U.S. demographic changes, Sears begins a program to build large stores in suburbs.

1949

Television sets appear in catalogs.