Would you buy a Kenmore air conditioner, refrigerator, or dishwasher if you didn’t have to go to a Sears store, leave your house, or register for a Sears.com account? As part of its ongoing efforts to increase sales and make the most of its store brands, Sears Holdings, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, announced that it will be selling Kenmore appliances on Amazon, beginning with air conditioners.
Kenmore Smart and Alexa
Air conditioners are a seasonally appropriate choice to launch the partnership, but there’s even more to it than that. Sears Holdings and Amazon have added Alexa functionality to Kenmore’s smart appliances. That means you’ll be able to adjust your appliances just by yelling at them.
“Alexa, tell Kenmore Smart to set my air conditioner to 70 degrees,” Sears Holdings provides as an example in its announcement.
This isn’t the first time that Kenmore appliances have been available on Amazon, period: Third-party sellers offer gray market parts, accessories, and even some appliances on the site’s marketplace. Officially, these products should only be available through Sears-branded stores and Kmart, and the Amazon partnership marks the first time that Sears will sell its appliances through another retailer.
“Enhance the reach of our iconic brands”
“We continuously look for opportunities to enhance the reach of our iconic brands to more customers and create additional value from our assets,” Sears Holdings Chairman and CEO Edward S. Lampert said in a statement.
The company has been looking for ways to make more money off its house brands, which include selling the Craftsman tool brand to Black & Decker, selling Kenmore televisions, DieHard tires, and branding a new version of its Auto Center with the DieHard name.
Sears Home Services installation will also be sold alongside appliances for customers who want it, and eventually the full line of Kenmore appliances will be available for purchase through Amazon.
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist
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