Sears is getting back into toy retailing with shops planned at 20 of the chain's stores in California, Illinois, and the New York metropolitan area. The department store is taking up toys again after its last experiment in the category, "KB Toys at Sears," folded along with that company's business.
The KB experiment had proven successful, according to a report by Playthings, with Sears having decided to roll out the concept chainwide before KB folded its business.
According to Playthings, Sears is a top 25 toy retailer based on its catalog and online sales. That ranking does not include Kmart's toy business.
The new toy shops are scheduled to launch on Aug. 15.
Discussion Questions: What do you think about Sears opening toy shops inside its department stores? What will it need to do if it is to succeed?