"What we've got here is failure to communicate."
Strother Martin in the role of Captain, Road Prison 36 from the film Cool Hand Luke
Steve Light, appliance general merchandise manager for Sears Holdings, recently told Reuters, "We've got great things to tell and we just haven't been saying them in a way that has been clear to the consumer."
Now, according to Mr. Light, Sears has figured out what it needs to do to improve that communication "to re-engage and rebuild our relationship with the American consumer."
Among the steps the department store chain is taking is opening 50 standalone showroom-sized stores in high traffic strip malls across the country, training staff to improve product knowledge and customer service, offering zero interest financing and low-price guarantees. Sears recently launched an ad campaign to make sure consumers got its new message.
Douglas Moore, president of Sears Holdings appliance business, discussed the timing of moves the company is making with Reuters.
"Although the economy today is very poor relative to big-ticket items, appliances will be a growth category," he said.
The category is also changing, according to Mr. Moore.
"It's moving from being a white-goods business to a multi-color, multi-platform, multi-shape business with many choices around green, style and innovation," he said.
Discussion Questions: Is Sears on the right track promoting its hard goods side with appliances? Of the various steps it is taking, standalone stores, employee training, best price offers, zero percent financing, etc., which do you think will be most effective in helping the company drive appliance sales?