After announcing the closing of 300 stores earlier this year, Sears has decided to start selling Kenmore appliances on Amazon.
This may not be good news for Sears stores, but it did cause the brand’s stock to skyrocket more than 24 percent.
Sears stores and Sears.com had previously sold Kenmore dishwashers, washing machines and other appliances almost exclusively.
“The launch of Kenmore products on Amazon.com will significantly expand the distribution and availability of the Kenmore brand in the US,” Sears CEO Eddie Lampert said in a press release. “At the same time, Sears Home Services and our Innovel Solutions unit will benefit from the relationship as more customers experience their quality services for Kenmore products purchased on Amazon.com.”
The retailer has been looking to become more competitive online since the decline of in-store shopping.
“As a leading integrated retailer, we’re continuing to find new ways to blur the boundaries between offline and online commerce by enhancing our mobile and online technologies to create new conveniences for our Shop Your Way members,” Leena Munjal, senior vice president at Sears Holdings, told RetailDive.
They now offer in-store pickup at Sears and Kmart. You can choose which store location works for you, and you can pick up from Kmart even if you ordered off of Sears.com and vice versa.
But, that’s just one of the ways that the brand is making the move to incorporate more convenient technology into its business model.
Sears also announced the integration of Alexa, the voice-controlled technology, into Kenmore appliances.
So, not only will you be able to purchase your appliances online, you’ll also be able to control them with voice commands.
Is Sears joining forces to lead the way in terms of convenience? It sure seems that way.
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Augusta Statz holds a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. She feels the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what she spends most of her time writing about. More.
