PR Insights & Public Relations Strategy

Sears Hoping To Recapture Magic

Ronn TorossianBy Ronn Torossian2 min read
Sears Hoping To Recapture Magic
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There’s really no reason to sugar coat it, Sears is not doing well. The company overall is floundering, especially after trying to buy and reinvigorate Kmart in past years. On top of this, Sears is struggling to keep customers in its store and has been forced to sell off iconic brands. Across the country, Sears locations are closing at malls, as American consumer habits continue to shift.

Sears Bets on Nostalgia

The company desperately needs to get more customers, so they are betting big on nostalgia this year, with the announcement that it will bring back the famous Sears Wish Book – the celebrated holiday catalog offering holiday decorations, games, appliances, apparel and … or course … toys. The catalog dates back to 1933 and was a long-awaited treat for generations of American children, who gazed longingly at the book’s fun offerings. Sears discontinued the catalog back in 2011 in deference to online sales and standard newspaper sale ads. Cost-prohibitive, they called it. Now, though, the catalog may be a Hail Mary to get customers to come back to brick and mortar stores. While anyone can view the Wish Book online, Sears says it will make a “limited edition” print copy available to the store’s “best customers.” While the 2017 Wish Book is much smaller than previous editions, clocking in at a trim 120 paged, Sears is hoping a return to its catalog root will spur customer interest … and maybe bring back some buried feelings of nostalgia for the way things used to be.

E-Commerce Drives Out Department Store Sales

Nostalgia may not be enough. Not nearly enough. E-commerce, especially online shopping at Amazon.com and other low-price big box stores has cut deeply into department store sales. Over the past decade, Sears has shuttered 60 percent of its stores in the United States. Sears stock continues to fall, more than 50 percent over the past year. And the problems are not limited to the United States. Sears Canada is suffering too, having to file bankruptcy before announcing plans to close all stores in that division. Desperate to bring back some of the magic that drew customers to Sears from Black Friday through Christmas Eve in the not too distant past, Sears is hoping the Wish Book will pique the interest of those who may be looking for an alternative to online buying. Customer service will play a huge role in keeping customers coming through the door. Online shopping is convenient, and customers can price shop and compare reviews right from home. To keep customers coming in, Sears will need to learn some of the tricks that have made certain competitors successful. Then, maybe, they will get what they’re wishing for this holiday season.

About Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is the Founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations. He is an experienced leader in the public relations industry with over 20 years of experience. Ronn Torossian has been named as Public Relations executive of the year by the American Business Awards, and has run countless award-winning Public Relations programs. Ronn Torossian is the CEO and President of 5W Public Relations
Ronn Torossian
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Ronn Torossian

Shaping AI — and the answers inside the chatbox.

Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, launched in 2003 — the AI Communications Firm, combining earned media, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and AI-visibility research for B2C and B2B clients across beauty, technology, entertainment, corporate reputation, and crisis communications. An Inc. 500 company, 5W is named Agency of the Year at the American Business Awards and a Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's.

A publisher and the author of two best-selling marketing books — For Immediate Release — Torossian has led the communications industry for decades. Now he's building its AI era.

Torossian is the publisher of Everything-PR — thirty verticals of original reporting and AI-visibility research, built to be cited by the AI engines — and has guest-lectured on communications and media strategy at Harvard and other universities.

He was a partner and chief marketing officer of JetSmarter, the private-aviation unicorn acquired by Vista Global, parent of VistaJet.

More than a third of consumers now begin product research with AI, not Google. Torossian's work is to influence the answer — inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

About 5W AI Communications

5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research to help clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research. Founded in 2003, 5W is recognized as a Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, honored as a 2026 Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan, and named to Digiday's WorkLife Employer of the Year list. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors — Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit — and B2B specialties including Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing across Social, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. Learn more at 5wpr.com.

About Everything-PR

Everything-PR covers communications, reputation, AI visibility, public affairs, media systems, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Publishing since 2009. Thirty verticals. Original reporting, research, and analysis. Every page reported, sourced, and built to be cited.

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