Advertisement for the 40 acre home of Sears, Roebuck & Co., the largest mercantile, located on Harvard St. at the interesection with Homan Ave. Operating as a mail order business since 1886. Sears opened this first retail store (and headquarters complex of offices, laboratories and mail-order operations) in 1925. This was in response to a changing America--city life was beginning to outweight the importance of the rural customers Sears originally serviced.