Sears was founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and was originally a mail-order catalog company. The first brick-and-mortar location was opened in 1925 in Evansville, Indiana. Up until 1989, Sears was the largest retailer in the United States. Today, Sears operates nearly 600 stores across the country, employs thousands of people, and ranks in at number 23 among the largest retailers in the United States. Sears is still one of the most popular places to buy appliances and consumer electronics.