SAN ANTONIO – Sears has opened a new spin-off concept, the Die Hard Auto Center. Of course, Die Hard is a strong Sears brand, and this news is just coming off Sears’ sale of Craftsman for an astounding $775 million to Black & Decker. Currently, Sears Holdings is on trackMORE HERE
The social theorist and urban planner Andres Duany a few years ago gave a talk on “male” space in the American household. Male space has pretty much disappeared; the den, once male, became a family room, and then became housebroken. Homeowners associations will fine you for leaving the garage doorMORE HERE
HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL.– One of the newest plans at Sears (besides closing mulitiple Sears and Kmart stores and licensing the DieHard brand) is to sell Craftsman tools at Ace Hardware stores. The pilot program involves 100 stores. It immediately appears a winner for Ace as it gives them a lineMORE HERE
HOFFMAN ESTATES – As the most iconic and historic retailer in the U.S. and owner of some of America’s greatest brands, Sears, Roebuck & Co. made a major jump into social media with the launch of MySears.com last spring. It now has 1.9 million monthly unique visits; (the Sears.com siteMORE HERE
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Illinois – Sears Holdings (SHLD) announces earnings today; turns out their second-quarter loss is $94 million, or 79 cents a share, with revenue falling to $10.55 billion from $11.76 billion. I could have guessed it going into their Westfield Sarasota Square store. On our visit, the clerks wereMORE HERE
How place names represent brands Anyone who names things for a living will tell you a name is simultaneously the most important and least important signifier of a brand. It’s the most important because it’s the most succinct verbal expression of everything the brand stands for. It’s the least importantMORE HERE
CHICAGO – The recent addition of the storied Cannon brand to Sears, Roebuck (NYSE: SHLD) is further evidence that the chain has a smart brand strategy. Cannon is now appearing in revamped home decorating sections in Sears, and they are making full use of the power of the brand toMORE HERE
There was a time when Sears ruled the world of sporting goods, and brands like Ted Williams and Sears Yachtsman were seen as prestige. At right, a Sears Yachtsman logo and shield sewn onto a Sears life vest. This attic find looks cool and stylish as ever, even though itMORE HERE
The news that Sears wants to buy Restoration Hardware shows that the venerable retailer is in desperate search of growth after its merger with Kmart. While merging the two retailers might not be a bad idea, the reality is that Sears Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: SHLD) needs its current crop ofMORE HERE
BOSTON – A new Christmas identity for Wayfair‘s flagship catalog has taken a quite normal turn. In this day, that is a bold step. The look is so bold it even features a sterling silver coffee pot atop a breakfast table. The flagship carrier for the season and brand isMORE HERE