RETAILING & MARKETING

Sears Considers Catalogue Changes: The giant Chicago-based retailer, unhappy about the recent lack of profit from its century-old catalogue operations, is considering changes. “We’ve made many changes in recent years, but we are not pleased with the performance,” a Sears spokesman said. However, he declined to comment on a newspaper report that Sears may discontinue catalogue sales of major home appliances, some apparel lines and some electronic products. Industry analysts have estimated that Sears’ catalogue business, which dates back to about 1886, loses $200 million annually. The Wall Street Journal said Sears was considering cuts in its list of catalogue goods that would trim annual sales by about $500 million. Last month, Sears reported a net loss of $833 million for the third quarter compared to a profit of $229 million the previous year.