- Sears won't be printing its iconic holiday Wish Book this year.
- It printed the catalog from 1933 to 2011, and once again in 2017. This year, it will only be available online, the Chicago Tribune reported.
- Take a look at the Wish Books through the years.
Sears won't be printing its iconic holiday Wish Book this year, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on October 15, and it will close 142 stores before the end of the year. Eddie Lampert has stepped down as CEO, though he is staying on as chairman.
Sears has been closing stores and selling off assets following years of crippling sales declines.
In 2017, Sears brought back the Wish Book in print and digital. But this year, it's already ditching it. While the catalog will be available online starting in early November, Sears will not be publishing a print version this time around.
Sears launched the first Wish Book in 1933, selling products like dolls, a battery-powered toy car, a Mickey Mouse watch, fruitcakes, electric train sets, chocolates, and even live singing canaries. By the 1960s, the Wish Book had over 600 pages of gift ideas. The books sold Barbie dolls, toy cars, wine-making kits, washing machines, and everything in between. And in 1998, Sears launched a website for the book.
By the early 2000s, electronics like portable CD players and stereo systems were added in.
Though the books are known for their hundreds of pages of toys and games, they also had pages upon pages of deals on tools, appliances, clothing, and other products Sears carries.
Take a look at what the holiday Wish Books have looked like throughout the years:
