Not so much, in my experience.
In 1973, my late husband, a university grad w/an MS and a job who was starting his PhD program, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. We had excellent credit, some savings and a starter home. We were in our late 20s/early 30s.
After a year of rehab, we went to Sears to get hubby a pair of shoes. They took one look at this young man in a wheelchair and not only refused our Sears card, they confiscated it and terminated our Sears credit. It was obvious they did this because he was disabled. We were more than capable of paying cash, but they refused to take our check, as well.
We purchased the shoes elsewhere and never ever again set foot in a Sears store. We had both come from families that relied on Sears for most purchases.
I know what you mean, about having a company on your “lifetime sh** list”, where you won’t do business with them even if you get a 90% discount. I have my own lifetime sh** list, for reasons I won’t go into, but one is ALMOST as bad as yours:
Citibank
State Farm Insurance
The only reasons that Sears won’t make my list is that the problem I had with them recently was due to hapless incompetence and not abject evil - and that I STILL like their tools. Too bad they are closing the local store.