Sears, Roebuck & Company (Sears) is a department store which opened in Chicago, Illinois in February, 1925. Until the early 1980's, Sears was the largest retailer in the United States. Since Sears was bought out by Kmart in 2005, they have been falling further away from being a leading retailer. Once a destination store, Sears is now viewed by consumers as lacking customer service, selling second-rate fashions, and displaying an overall sense of direction. Sears is in need of help if they are to restore their reputation and rebuild themselves as an important and necessary American retailer. .
Sears has plenty of direct competitors: Kohl's, JC Penney, Walmart, and Target. Each competitor has implemented successful strategies that have made them stand out to their target markets. The typical Sears shopper is a woman who is 25-54 years old, has a family and a home to take care of and is looking for a "good deal,"" without sacrificing quality; she likes the concept of "one-stop shopping." .
Currently, Sears is well-known for selling appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers. While Sears excels in this department, it falls well behind in fashion, accessories, housewares, etc. .
The current strategy for Sears is to convince consumers to take a good look at the "softer side of Sears," making a broad step toward being known for more than selling a trustworthy refrigerator. .
The concept was for Sears to introduce a new way of shopping by arranging our store and the items we offer in various settings by trends/styles. For example, we will have a Country themed section. In that section, there will be home decor, paint colors, appliances, light fixtures, clothing, jewelry, shoes, and other accessories that fall under that category. We hope that by setting the scene for the customer, they can easily picture themselves in that scenario and purchase the items they like. The purpose of this revised layout is to change the way people shop.