Sears has been shitting the bed forever. I would trace it back to at least the 90s when they cancelled the sears catalog instead of putting that fucker online, they could be Amazon right now, they could be what they once were, but instead soon they will be gone. Macy's too, the property they own is worth more than the money they make from their stores.
Yup, Craftsman tools and Whirlpool appliances will simply be sold elsewhere and be shadows of their former selves. The best thing about sears was the lifetime guarantee hand tools that you could break as much as you wanted and get new ones.