18 Depressing Photos That Show Why Sales Are Crumbling At Sears

Sears, once America's golden retailer, is a company in crisis.

The company has shuttered hundreds of stores in recent years. The embattled company has been selling some its most profitable stores to raise money.

And now, shares are tumbling after Sears lowered guidance for the quarter and announced that comparable sales in the fourth quarter have slid more than 7%.

Brian Sozzi, chief equities strategist at Belus Capital Advisors, took poignant photos inside of New Jersey and New York Sears locations in October.

"To understand why Sears is in a 'sell stores mode' one must look no further than the stores themselves, where the truth is to be found," Sozzi writes.

His photos show the sad reality of what Sears is today.

Sozzi points out that this display is confusing. "Huh? A random football themed carpet with no promotion around it?" he says.

"What's the deal in the back of this electronics department?" Sozzi asks. "Does Best Buy look like this? Or, how about the electronics sections at Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, and BJ's Wholesale? Nope."

"The team can't find any way to repurpose abandoned portrait studios into something that drives traffic and sales?" Sozzi asks. "The consistently dark zones give a 'going out of business' feel to nearby departments that actually log some sales, which include appliances and baby."

"This is where the store underinvestment appears loud and ugly," Sozzi says.