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To win back customers after the bankruptcy, Sears wants to return in the future.
Peter Boutros, brand manager at Sears and Kmart and president of the Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands, thinks of the company's efforts to adapt to today's buyers by building on what allowed him to succeed at its peak.
"What we have managed to do is make the moments important," he said. "While people were building homes and starting families, Sears was there for those moments … so we went back and forth, building on our legacy, but making them relevant today. ; hui. "
Sears unveiled its first new call to buyers since former CEO Edward Lampert bought the Hoffman Estates-based company in February after a $ 5.2 billion offer.
Sears and Kmart stores have new "brand mantras": "make the moments important" and "love where you live". They were created in-house, unlike previous campaigns such as "There's more for your life with Sears," developed with Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and "Good Life, Good Price," developed with Young & Rubicam, said Boutros.
But Boutros said they were not limited to slogans and that they were guiding "what the brand represents".
READ MORE: A leaner Sears emerges from bankruptcy, but can it survive? "
Sears will focus on two main customer groups: baby boomers who grew up trusting Sears and who just need to be reclaimed, and young families who might be the first buyers.
The proposed product stores will be geared to these groups, such as back-to-school clothing, baby and pet products for young families, and baby boomers' home items that could reduce or modernize their long-time appliances, said Boutros.
While buyers tend to see Sears as a destination of choice for expensive home items, Kmart's customers tend to shop more frequently for their everyday purchases, and the company wants stores to feel more connected to their communities. said Boutros.
"We are starting to become much more deliberate, much more connected to these consumer groups," he said.
Existing stores in both chains will receive new signs and employees will receive new uniforms. The company is also opening new stores, called Sears Home + Life, which Boutros has described as an updated version of previous experiences with smaller specialty stores.
The new stores will focus on home appliances, mattresses and home services, with a kitchen sample filled with Kenmore products. There will also be a "search bar" kiosk where customers can order any product shipped by Sears or Kmart to be delivered to their home or store.
The small-format stores will help Sears return to markets where it no longer has department stores, Boutros said.
The first three are expected to open in Louisiana, Alaska and Kansas in early May. There are plans for more, although Boutros refused to say how many or when they could open.
Sears also continues to develop its best-known brands. The company plans to introduce lawn, garden and camping products under its DieHard brand, traditionally focused on automotive products, said Boutros. Sears already produces lawn and garden products under the Craftsman brand, which the retailer sold to Stanley Black & Decker, but Boutros said DieHard products should not replace Craftsman products.
And unlike other retailers that focus on growing home brands that are only available in their stores, Sears continues to try to expand the presence of the Kenmore and DieHard brands outside its stores. The retailer has already started selling products from both brands on Amazon.
Mr. Boutros said his broader reach raised awareness and could bring customers back to Sears.
READ MORE: Rise, Fall, and Restructure of a Chicago Icon: More Than 130 Years of Sears ยป
But this expansion could also make it more difficult for device-centric stores to sell because they no longer sell what their customers can not find elsewhere, said Michael Brown, a partner in consumer and retail practice. from AT Kearney Global Management Consultant.
He thinks Sears needs to work to create a new and improved experience linking its online and in-store business and membership program, because it's been too long since the company has "celebrated its years So that she can build on her heritage.
"It's a question of whether they can invest quickly enough to do it quickly," he said.
Customers also indicated that they wanted an improvement in the online shopping experience, Boutros said. This work is still ongoing, as is Sears' search for a CEO, he said.
Lampert served as 2013 Sears CEO at his bankruptcy filing in October. Since then, Robert Riecker, Chief Financial Officer, Leena Munjal, Digital Director, and Greg Ladley, President of Soft Line, have collectively led the company.
Boutros said he has seen "a good rise in the number of returning and considering members" since the bankruptcy, although Sears still has a long way to go.
"That's why the brand's mantras and assortment and marketing efforts are so important, is that we're here for the long term and consider us as you think buy anything for your home and your lives. "
Twitter @laurenzumbach
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