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Sears filed an application for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11, bending under the burden of its debt and accumulating huge losses. The depot could affect tens of thousands of workers. (October 15)
AP

The Willis Tower, opened in 1973 under the name of Sears Tower. It was the tallest building in the United States at the time. (Photo: Thinkstock)(Photo: Thinkstock)

In its century of retail, Sears has created – and sold – impressive assets, including the Sears Tower, the country's tallest building and services such as Allstate Insurance and the Discover Card.

Sears, which opened its first store in 1925, asked for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday. Here's an overview of its ramifications over the years:

• Allstate Insurance. Named in the honor of a car tire sold in the Sears catalog, Allstate began offering auto insurance by mail in 1931. The insurer adopted its slogan "You're in good hands with Allstate 'in 1950 and is extended to life, health, commercial insurance, as well as loans and financial services. In 1993, Sears absorbed 19.8% of the company's shares, and two years later, Allstate became a wholly public company.

• Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group. Founded in 1906, Coldwell Banker was acquired by Sears in 1981 as part of the retailer's diversification strategy. However, just over a decade later, in 1993, Sears sold Caldwell Banker to California investment firm The Fremont Group for $ 230 million.

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all manufactured by manufacturers such as Whirlpool. The main shareholder and chairman of the company, Eddie Lampert, had proposed a contract to sell the brand to his hedge fund.

Kenmore Side by Side Refrigerator Review 41173 (Photo: Commented.com)

•End of the lands. Sears acquired the apparel business in 2002 for $ 1.9 billion. In 2014, it split from Lands' End for $ 500 million. The company, which trades on Nasdaq, is valued at $ 487 million, according to S & P Global Market Intelligence.

•Sears Tower. Opened in 1973, the Sears Tower served as the retailer's headquarters and surpassed the New York World Trade Center as the tallest building in the United States at the time. One World Trade Center in New York, completed in 2014, now holds this title. In 1988, Sears sold the building, but it retained the name of Sears until in 2009, when it became the Willis Tower after the insurance company Willis Group ceded the naming rights. American Landmark Properties paid $ 840 million for the tower in 2004 and sold it to the Blackstone Group for $ 1.3 billion three years ago.

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