Sears expanded into Latin America and Spain starting with a small store in Downtown Havana, Cuba in 1942. Sears opened its first store in Mexico City in 1947; the Mexican stores would later spin off into Sears Mexico, now owned by billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Sanborns, which by the end of 2022 operated 97 stores across Mexico.
Sears had sales of US$78 million in Latin America in 1953. Over time, Sears expanded into:"Sears to open in Peru", New York Times 22 December 1953"Sears Expanding in Latin America; Bogota Store, to Open in Summer, Will Be 25th in Chain", New York Times, 8 March 1954 Country Firststore No. stores 1954 Presence Employees1954 Sold/Closed Remarks 1949 3 1954: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Santos 1,638 1990s 11 stores in 1993 when sold to Malzoni and Vendex, became Mappin stores or malls 1955 n/a 1955: San José, San José n/a 1982-3"The Chicago-based Sears Roebuck & Co. announced Monday it will close its operations in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua for 'strictly economic causes.", UPI, November 1, 1982 1953 3 1954: Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cartagena, Cali 403 1942 6 1954: Havana, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Marianao, Santiago 511 1960 Expropriated for Castro's government,24 October 1960 1999 1 Guayaquil, Albán Borja shopping center 2003 In the 1980s, a Saga Sears operated in Ecuador 2010 n/a Multiplaza Panamericana, San Salvador n/a December 2024 or January 2025 Owned by Mexico's Grupo Sanborns 1976, 2000 n/a n/a n/a 1982-3 Operated 1976–1982, and again since 2000, with 2 stores: Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango. ?, 2000 n/a n/a n/a 1982–3, 2016 Operated ?-1982/3, and again in 2000-2016 (article) 1947 7 1954: Guadalajara, Mérida, Puebla, Mexico City–Colonia Roma, Monterrey, San Luis Potosí, TampicoEnd 2022: 97 across Mexico. 2,146 operating Operating with 97 stores as of end 2022. 1965 n/a n/a n/a 1979 1965–1979Closure of Sears in Nicaragua, 1979 ? n/a n/a n/a 2002 Operated ?-2002 1954 5 1954: Lima 1988 Became Saga then renamed Falabella (article) 1961 n/a 2025 Operated 14 full-line department stores and various other formats over its lifespan. Last full-line store closed on August 31, 2025. 1967 (1970: 2) 1970–1983: Barcelona, Madrid 1983Opened in Barcelona 30 March 1967, opened in Madrid 8 April 1970. Closed in January 1983, became Rumasa's Galerías Preciados. 1950 6 1954: Barquisimeto, Caracas (opened 1950), Maracaibo (opened 1952, 12,000 m2, architect Tomás José Sanabria), Maracay, Puerto La Cruz. (Later also Ciudad Ojeda). 1,025 Eventually 3 stores in Caracas: Bello Monte (11,600 m2, Pro-Patria, El Marqués. Acquired by Grupo Cisneros[es]), renamed Maxys, which closed in 1997."The Venezuela of Sears Roebuck", Steemit
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