Sears Roebuck and Company colloquially known as Sears is an American chain of department stores founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in 1892 and 1906.Sears Roebuck and Company colloquially known as Sears is an American chain of department stores founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in 1892 and 1906.