Many people are now associating Sears with store closings and liquidation sales, but now, new Sears Home & Life stores are opening in different locations across the US. The popular retailer re-launched last week as a smaller, boutique-type chain by opening its first scaled-down store locations in the United States, more exactly in Lafayette, Louisiana, Overland Park, Kansas, and Anchorage, Alaska.
Moreover, it seems the company is planning to open up more Home & Life stores across the country, and even though they won’t say how many, it is rumored they are already scouting other real estate across the country and it seems they have a strategy for where they want these stores to be.
Their stores range from 10,000 sq. ft. to 15,000 sq. ft. and are focused on selling major and small kitchen appliances, mattresses, tools, connected home products and home services. The company said the Home & Life concept was developed based on insights from the company’s Sears Appliances & Mattresses format, which debuted in 2017 in Pharr, Texas.
The company is hoping these stores will attract new customers and nostalgic ones who shopped at now-shuttered Sears department stores in those neighborhoods and want the once-bankrupted brand back. Peter Boutros, chief brand officer for Sears and Kmart and president of Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands stated:
“We’ve been listening to our customers… and they told us they want our best categories – appliances, mattresses, tools and our Home Services offering. Our customers also will have access to our entire product offering through the online Search Bar.”
Sears Holdings, who owned 700 Sears and Kmart stores, filed for bankruptcy protection back in October with about 700 stores. But then a $5.2 billion sale saved the company, including its Kenmore and DieHard brands, and put everything into an entity called Transform Holdco. Transform Holdco is controlled by ESL Investments, a hedge fund owned by former Sears CEO Eddie Lampert, and has about 425 Sears and Kmart locations still operating throughout the country. Sears Home & Life represents the company’s next chapter.
