Sears begins new brand-based strategy

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 3/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK — Sears was scheduled to embark today on yet another massive repositioning of its bed and bath merchandising program, including the pursuit of a national brands strategy that will initially bring the Martex and Utica labels to its shelves.

The effort will also involve extensive resets of the department in larger stores.

The changes were outlined briefly last Thursday by Alan Lacy, chairman and CEO, during a presentation at the 10th annual Bear Stearns Retail, Restaurant & Apparel Conference, during which he updated Sears’ ongoing multi-year effort to reposition its business.

“Home fashions is another category that’s getting a lot of emphasis this year,” Lacy said. “This has been a tough one for us to get right, but we’re focused very much on shop-ability, improving product quality and focusing on better products.”

Lacy didn’t articulate whether these changes will mark a complete abandonment of the existing program, or more simply a major amendment to its thrust.