About the Stores

Sears is already in the process of scouting out other potential locations as well. The company decided to choose emerging communities with young families as well as areas where boomers downsize. Most locations will be in open-air centers and around 12,500 square feet.

The Goal

The idea behind the new Home & Life stores is that they will hopefully bring in previous Sears customers who feel nostalgic as well as new customers. The ultimate goal is to obviously make a profit and become a successful business once again. Sears execs hope that the new stores are able to harness the brand equity of the former department store giant.

Challenges

In addition to the challenges associated with overcoming bankruptcy, Sears faces other obstacles that can hold back its new Home & Life Stores. Since the focus is on home goods, it will face heavy competition from digital native brands such as Wayfair or Casper.

The Result of Careful Planning

The decision to open Home & Life stores that are smaller was not done on a whim. Sears decided to go back to its roots as most customers know the company for its appliances, home services, and mattresses. The company recognizes that consumers shopping for these items still like to actually test them out or learn about them in the store. The design for Sears Home & Life stores is the result of feedback from a few smaller-format stores they had that sold just appliances and mattresses.

The new Home & Life stores will also have a strong focus on service, helping set them apart from online retailers of similar items. This includes offering a service desk for questions while shopping.

Source:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/24/sears-just-opened-a-new-store-heres-what-it-looks-like.html

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