Sears has been shedding its real estate for years as one way to raise cash, bringing Lampert significant scrutiny for stripping the company of some its most valuable assets. In 2014, Sears spun off Lands' End into its own public company. In 2015, it spun off more than 235 stores to form a real estate investment trust, Seritage Growth Properties and convert the stores into more profitable uses such as offices and restaurants. And in another desperate attempt to raise funds, Sears sold the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million.