I used to buy my tires at Sears, they had some decent prices when you could catch a sale. The problem is that you have to be very careful as they did everything they could to upsell, or sell other things you didn't need, or even to outright lie (well, maybe they were just stupid).
About 15 years ago, I pulled into Sears to have two tires on the front replaced. The woman came out to the car and "Ooooed and Ahhed" and insisted that I needed new rear tires also because they were so badly worn.
I reached into the glove compartment and showed her the receipt for those "badly worn" rear tires, which I had purchased at Sears a few months earlier.
I said "go ahead and replace them," but since they were nearly new, I told her that I expected them to be replaced free. They didn't replace them and I never heard a word about it after that. LOL>
That's when I gave up on Sears and started hitting the local place. Ivan has even lent me for free a compressor on two different occassions. If my wife has a flat, she calls them up and they come out and rescue her. No extra charge.
Prices are actually a few dollars cheaper than the chains for comparable tires (note I say comparable, not "same"). They primarily sell Delta tires, Coopers and Yokohamas and Kellys