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Kenmore appliances at a Sears store. (AP Photo / Rick Bowmer, File)
When Sears declared bankruptcy last week, I made my first visit to a Sears store for years. I thought it would be empty of merchandise. But I was wrong.
As soon as I stepped through the door, I saw row after row of gleaming appliances – washers and dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and stoves.
Handwritten signs on the sales floor promised "promotions for managers", while a sign proclaimed: "Inside & Out Event – Transactions Everywhere!"
There will be more transactions in the coming weeks in the additional 142 Sears and KMart stores that will be closed as part of the bankruptcy filing. In addition, court documents demonstrate just how important household appliances have been in Sears' inventory.
Sears' largest unsecured creditors include Whirlpool, which owes $ 23.4 million, and Frigidaire, to whom Sears owes $ 18.6 million. They are among more than 100,000 unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy filing.
Whirlpool stopped selling its own brand in Sears stores last year. But this and Frigidaire have been a key part of the company's activities.
They manufacture devices that are marketed by Sears under the Kenmore brand. They largely explain the fact that many American consumers have turned to Sears for their kitchens.
In a statement released last week, Whirlpool said its Sears volume accounted for less than 2% of its global sales. She said she did not expect Sears' bankruptcy to affect her 2018 results.
Joe Liotine, President of Whirlpool North America, said in a statement: "We will continue to provide a broad range of products and services that meet the needs of consumers, offering strong brands that bring innovation to consumers every day. ".
In his glory days, Kenmore was one of those marks. According to Sears, nearly one in three American homes contain Kenmore appliances.
My parents were among them. Although they rarely shop at Sears, they always went there to see what Kenmore had to offer, even though they sometimes ended up buying from a local retailer.
The association between American consumers and Kenmore goes back to 1913, when the brand first appeared on a line of sewing machines. In the 1920s this was followed by automatic washing machines. By 1936, Kenmore had sold 1 million laundry products.
The breakthrough occurred after the Second World War, when the service staff who went there got married, bought houses and began populating new suburbs.
The ranges returned in 1946, after an interruption of production during the war. And in 1949, Sears launched a "revolution" in the kitchen, introducing color devices.
Choices included Sunshine Yellow, Malibu Coral, Aquamarine, as well as white. Dishwashers arrived in 1951 and innovations continued for the rest of the 20th century.
Household microwave ovens made their debut in 1967, but they really took off once Kenmore added them to its lineup in 1971. They were followed by ceramic cooktop stoves and another breakthrough: self-cleaning ovens.
In the 1980s, women joined the workforce and tastes changed. Kenmore introduced the black appliances, which will eventually be followed by stainless steel facades that were once chic and now appear ubiquitous in the country's kitchens.
Kenmore was a way for manufacturers to maximize their production and reach, allowing some foreign manufacturers to expand into the US market as well. In addition to Whirlpool and Frigidaire, Kenmore's suppliers included LG, Electrolux, Panasonic and Daewoo.
But even as Kenmore reached its peak, competition grew. Home Depot was founded in 1978, originally to compete with hardware stores, eventually taking Sears into some of the areas it claimed.
Meanwhile, Lowe's, who opened his first store in 1946, began gaining momentum in 1994, when department stores now familiar to consumers became the company's strategy.
There are now 2,200 Home Depot stores and 2,394 Lowe stores. On the other hand, there will remain approximately 560 Sears and KMart stores at Sears once the latest wave of downsizing has occurred. At one time it had more than 3,500 of the two names.
Sears stores are not the only ones to suffer, as the retail world has changed irrevocably. The changing lifestyles of Americans have claimed hundreds of department stores, as I wrote this weekend in Washington Post.
Given his heritage and wealth, it is likely that someone will want the Kenmore brand, although Sears does not last much longer.
In August, Eddie Lampert, Sears' largest shareholder and chairman of the board, proposed to buy Kenmore for $ 400 million through its hedge fund, ESL Investments.
The Sears Board of Directors had not taken any action on the offer before the tabling of Chapter 11. Lampert has since stepped down from his position as CEO, although analysts believe his company would risk losing money. attack some of the company's assets.
Whatever happens with his candidacy, Sears will continue to be present in the country's kitchens, laundries and basements. After all, these Kenmore fixtures have been built by all their manufacturers to last.
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Kenmore appliances at a Sears store. (AP Photo / Rick Bowmer, File)
When Sears declared bankruptcy last week, I made my first visit to a Sears store for years. I thought it would be empty of merchandise. But I was wrong.
As soon as I stepped through the door, I saw row after row of gleaming appliances – washers and dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and stoves.
Handwritten signs on the sales floor promised "promotions for managers", while a sign proclaimed: "Inside & Out Event – Transactions Everywhere!"
There will be more transactions in the coming weeks in the additional 142 Sears and KMart stores that will be closed as part of the bankruptcy filing. In addition, court documents demonstrate just how important household appliances have been in Sears' inventory.
Sears' largest unsecured creditors include Whirlpool, which owes $ 23.4 million, and Frigidaire, to whom Sears owes $ 18.6 million. They are among more than 100,000 unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy filing.
Whirlpool stopped selling its own brand in Sears stores last year. But this and Frigidaire have been a key part of the company's activities.
They manufacture devices that are marketed by Sears under the Kenmore brand. They largely explain the fact that many American consumers have turned to Sears for their kitchens.
In a statement released last week, Whirlpool said its Sears volume accounted for less than 2% of its global sales. She said she did not expect Sears' bankruptcy to affect her 2018 results.
Joe Liotine, President of Whirlpool North America, said in a statement: "We will continue to provide a broad range of products and services that meet the needs of consumers, offering strong brands that bring innovation to consumers every day. ".
In his glory days, Kenmore was one of those marks. According to Sears, nearly one in three American homes contain Kenmore appliances.
My parents were among them. Although they rarely shop at Sears, they always went there to see what Kenmore had to offer, even though they sometimes ended up buying from a local retailer.
The association between American consumers and Kenmore goes back to 1913, when the brand first appeared on a line of sewing machines. In the 1920s this was followed by automatic washing machines. By 1936, Kenmore had sold 1 million laundry products.
The breakthrough occurred after the Second World War, when the service staff who went there got married, bought houses and began populating new suburbs.
The ranges returned in 1946, after an interruption of production during the war. And in 1949, Sears launched a "revolution" in the kitchen, introducing color devices.
Choices included Sunshine Yellow, Malibu Coral, Aquamarine, as well as white. Dishwashers arrived in 1951 and innovations continued for the rest of the 20th century.
Household microwave ovens made their debut in 1967, but they really took off when Kenmore added them to its range in 1971. They were followed by ceramic stove stoves and another advance: self-cleaning ovens.
In the 1980s, women joined the workforce and tastes changed. Kenmore introduced the black appliances, which will be followed by the stainless steel facades that were once chic and now seem ubiquitous in the country's kitchens.
Kenmore was a way for manufacturers to maximize their production and reach, allowing some foreign manufacturers to expand into the US market as well. In addition to Whirlpool and Frigidaire, Kenmore's suppliers included LG, Electrolux, Panasonic and Daewoo.
But even as Kenmore reached its peak, competition grew. Home Depot was founded in 1978, originally to compete with hardware stores, eventually taking Sears into some of the areas it claimed.
Meanwhile, Lowe's, who opened his first store in 1946, began gaining momentum in 1994, when department stores now familiar to consumers became the company's strategy.
There are now 2,200 Home Depot stores and 2,394 Lowe stores. On the other hand, there will remain about 560 Sears and KMart stores at Sears, once the last wave of downsizing has been completed. At one time it had more than 3,500 of the two names.
Sears stores are not the only ones to suffer, as the retail world has changed irrevocably. The changing lifestyles of Americans have claimed hundreds of department stores, as I wrote this weekend in Washington Post.
Given his heritage and wealth, it is likely that someone will want the Kenmore brand, although Sears does not last much longer.
In August, Eddie Lampert, Sears' largest shareholder and chairman of the board, proposed to buy Kenmore for $ 400 million through its hedge fund, ESL Investments.
The Sears Board of Directors had not taken any action on the offer before the tabling of Chapter 11. Lampert has since stepped down from his position as CEO, although analysts believe his company would risk losing money. attack some of the company's assets.
Whatever happens with his candidacy, Sears will continue to be present in the country's kitchens, laundries and basements. After all, these Kenmore fixtures have been built by all their manufacturers to last.
