The Power of Retail

Sears is working hard to change its image and has teamed up with MTV to create a new back-to-school movie and will be adding to its line of street clothing and accessories that are designed by LL Cool J. The company has been redoing its image for quite some time now, trying to change people from thinking that all it sold was hardware, but sales have not been all that great and the so the company is trying to woo the young and the urban hip with this new line of clothing and branding.

According to Sears CMO, Richard Gerstein, “While mom may decide what the acceptable place is to shop, the kids are deciding what clothes they want and what places have it. If we come out of our season with much more relevance with this group, and improving our sales and profitability with this group, we think it’s a big win.” No one is sure whether these new initiatives will turn the tide for the company and rejuvenate its image and it will be interesting to watch.

…Some industry observers said they don’t believe Sears has the credibility to compete in the increasingly crowded teen market. Nor are they sure whether this latest effort will yield more success than previous initiatives aimed at bringing back shoppers.

“Trying to be everything to everybody is difficult because consumers have so many choices,” said Morningstar analyst Kim Picciola. “If they can manage to reinvent themselves, I think it will be a big win for them. But I think that’s going to be a challenge in this current environment.”