By George Anderson
Sears is still the number one seller of major appliances in the U.S. but others, notably Home Depot and Lowe's, are gradually taking share.
According to a Chicago Tribune report, Sears saw its market share drop from 36.9 percent to 33.1 percent over the last year. Lowe's grew its share from 14.5 percent to 16.1 percent during the same period. Home Depot went from eight percent to 9.2 percent.
"Sears is still the No. 1 appliance retailer, but it's going through a difficult patch and is still being challenged not only by Lowe's and Home Depot--which is an old story--but by independent retailers," said Steve Smith, editor-in-chief of the trade publication Twice: The Week in Consumer Electronics.
The retailer has emphasized its hard lines in a number of ways, according to the Trib report. "Sears has expanded the number of its appliance and electronics outlet stores, added appliances to most of its freestanding hardware stores and boosted its inventories of lower-priced white goods to complement its selection of higher-end appliance brands. And, in the wake of its merger, Sears has even introduced appliances in some Kmart stores."
Moderator's Comment: Is Sears doing the right things to reclaim market share of appliances? Where do you see weaknesses that need to be shored up and strengths that can be further leveraged?
Do not get us started on Sears' service. - George Anderson - Moderator