Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears may be looking to license its
private-label Kenmore brand.
According to a
Bloomberg report, the retailer plans to hire a firm that would license out the
appliance line, along with its in-house Craftsmen and DieHard badges, to third
parties in exchange for a fee.
The news follows last June’s licensing deal with Dorcy
International that allows the flashlight maker to sell DieHard-branded
batteries and flashlights to retailers.
Licensing its lines represents a new twist for the company,
which has sought for several years to sell its private-label products directly
to competing merchants, albeit with little success. Sears currently sells its
Craftsmen tools to Ace Hardware and, according to The Wall Street Journal, may
soon sell Kenmore appliances to Costco. But majap dealers are reluctant to
carry a line so closely associated with their No. 1 competitor, retailers and
buying groups have told TWICE.
