This article said it right. Holiday season sales are indeed the most crucial factor which will determine the future of Sears. It’s a sad thing that it came to this, but bad sales during the holidays may very well mean that ch 7will be filed in January. On the other hand, a good result could buy us some time and space to do the necessary things for the survival of the company.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-sears-bankruptcy-holidays-1102-story.html