Don’t expect to see the softer side of Sears much longer

Sears seems to be going the way of Woolworth and Montgomery Ward.

The venerable retailer has seen its revenue sliced in half over the past decade that hedge fund mogul Eddie Lampert has owned it.

Sales have plummeted from $49 billion in 2006 to an estimated $25 billion last year, and its fourth-quarter guidance Tuesday confirmed the trend is continuing.

Sears said it expects revenue to decline 7.1 percent to $7.3 billion in the fourth quarter and by 9.1 percent for full year 2015 due to “warm weather and intense competition” when it reports earnings on Feb. 25. Sears also owns Kmart.

Sears’ answer to the bleeding has been to shift its focus from consumer electronics to technology for the home and to spin off Lands End.

The company will also accelerate the closing of 50 unprofitable stores over the next couple of months. None in the metro area is slated for closure, a spokesman said.

Its stock fell 9 percent, to $15.25.

At this rate, Evercore ISI analyst Greg Melich said, “we do not believe that Sears is viable as a retailer in its current form and a liquidity event is a matter of when, not if.”