Circa-1931

Circa-1943

Sears expanded operations in spite of the Great Depression. By 1933, there were 400 Sears locations. This number had increased to over 600 by 1941, A move to suburban-type shopping center stores commenced in 1947, with a new Sears at Kansas City, Missouri's COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA. This was followed by the chain's first full-line mall-format store, which opened in 1954. With its dedication, Sears operated 702 stores.