In 1987, Sears began pulling its catalogue operations out of Atlanta and decided to sell the building.

Sales rose to $1.02 billion, against $950 million in 1987, but lagging catalogue operations hurt the bottom line.

The company has been one of the most successful and admired mail-order catalogue operations in America.

Sears plans to close about 100 stores and scale back its hefty catalogue operation.

SunExpress, the company's catalogue operation, will start moving it in July.

Much of the 1988 deficit was attributed to the company's lagging catalogue operations.

Its catalogue operations, the core of the concern's business for many years, were also experiencing heavy losses.

For the first six months of the year, Sears's store and catalogue operations lost $140.3 million.

On Monday, Sears said it would cease its catalogue operations.

The nation's largest retailer also said it would cut prices in 825 stores and its catalogue operations.