“Sears has everything,” America’s once largest retail chain used to tell its shoppers during its heyday back in the early 1970s. These days the slowly-fading-away retailer would have to more aptly say, “Sears doesn’t have much of anything.”

As the fabled retail brand continues its death spiral — there are reported to be only about 30 stores left operating in the country, down from its peak of more than 850 at the start of the century and even close to 300 just three years ago — the few stores that remain often have little merchandise on their shelves according to many published reports. The company has basically stopped advertising and marketing and sold off most of its legendary brands, including Craftsman and Die Hard. Some of its former stores have been converted to Covid vaccination sites.

But the in-store merchandise shortages also extend to the retailer’s online business, the area where its owner Edward Lampert has said in the past — back when he was still talking to the press — the company was putting its resources as it closed stores. A check of merchandise availability for a cross-section of products people were likely to want at Sears shows a disturbing number of stock outages and goods that aren’t available online or to be picked up at the few remaining stores. And where there is merchandise available online it is usually through third parties selling on the Sears Marketplace platform.

A random check of what would presumably be popularly shopped products on Sears.com shows a clear pattern:

Coffee makers: Only four models available.

Toasters: Only two models available.

Upright vacs: Only one available.

Levi’s men jeans: 15 styles available.

Women’s skinny jeans:  20 styles available.

Baby strollers: Only two models available.  

Elliptical trainers: Only two models available.

TVs: Only one cable available, not televisions.

Cordless drills and bread makers: None available at all.

Of course there were other categories like major appliances, selected apparel items and automotive where there were multiple offerings. But compared to perhaps just a year or two ago at Sears — or today at any of its competitors — the product offerings are extremely limited.

Sears does not comment on its current status so it’s not known what is causing the stock shortages but suppliers who have sold the store in the past have said privately that they no longer feel comfortable shipping merchandise to Sears and waiting to get paid. Third party financing companies, often called factors, also no longer offer their services guaranteeing payment to vendors in exchange for a percentage of the dollar amount of the value. Some vendors have said off-the-record they will sell Sears on a cash-up-front basis only.

So, even as the total size of the Sears fleet continues to shrink — its sister brand Kmart is no better — those stores that remain open don’t have much to sell. Nor, it turns out, does the Sears website.

Sears has often been called a house of cards by cynical observers. But that’s not quite right: a search for playing cards on Sears.com turns up this message: “It does not look like Sears carries the product you are searching for.”