Rejoice! Sears brought back its classic Wish Book catalog for the holidays
Naturally, it's now digital.
Now here is a reboot we can get behind. Few things tickle our nostalgia nodes like vintage Sears catalogs. Those who have been following us the last couple years know that we love digging through old Wish Books. The thick paper catalogs were an annual tradition dating back to 1933, when the retailer enticed children with its "Miss Pigtails" dolls, electric trains and Mickey Mouse watches.
When we found those 300-plus pages stuffed into our mailbox in the fall, we raced inside with a pen at hand, ready to circle every toy we hoped to see under the tree. Sears printed the behemoths until 1993. Christmas catalogs after that were small, thin — if printed at all. The Wish Book briefly made a return a decade ago in a reduced form. Now, it has returned for the modern age.
"Our members told us they missed the Wish Book, so we had to bring it back," said Kelly Cook, chief marketing officer for Sears and Kmart, in the press release. "But in a special way that lets you share more joy wherever you are."
So what does that mean? The Wish Book has gone digital, available as an interactive experience at sears.com/wishbook or via the Sears app.
It's a bit of a hail mary for the struggling retailer, as the Illinois-based company has also been liquidating all of its Sears Canada operations.
But back to the fun stuff! As always, you will find toys, tree, PJ's and home goods inside the new Wish Book. Some Sears member will receive a limited edition print version of the 2017 Wish Book. We are jealous. Nothing beats flipping through the pages. With your actual fingers.