Allstate began in 1931 as Allstate Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck and Co.
The brand was named after Sears’ Allstate tire line and initially sold automobile insurance through Sears stores and catalogs. This retail connection helped distinguish Allstate from insurers that relied mainly on independent agents or dedicated insurance offices.
Allstate later became an independent publicly traded company. Its business expanded beyond automobile coverage into homeowners insurance, renters insurance, life insurance, and other financial products, although personal property and auto insurance remain central to its identity.
A common mix-up is confusing Allstate’s Sears origin with the origins of other major U.S. insurers. Nationwide, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual were established through different histories and were not created as Sears insurance subsidiaries.