Kenmore (brand)

Kenmore is an American brand of household appliances, cookware, floorcare, grills, HVAC equipment and other home items owned and licensed by Transformco, an affiliate of ESL Investments.[1]

Kenmore
Product typeLarge kitchen and laundry appliances, grills, vacuum cleaners, small kitchen appliances, cookware and more
CountryChicago, IL, United States
Introduced1913 (1913)
WebsiteKenmore.com

As of 2017, Kenmore products are produced by manufacturers including Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, Electrolux, Panasonic, Cleva North America, and Winia Electronics. Today, the brand's portfolio is sold across Amazon, Lowe's, The Home Depot,[2] Target, and many other online retailers.[3]

History

The brand first appeared on a four-drawer drop feed sewing machine sold from 1913 to 1919.[4] The first Kenmore washing machine was introduced in 1927.[5] The first Kenmore vacuum cleaners were introduced in 1932.

In 1976, Sears expanded the Kenmore name to its line of refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers, which were previously branded as Coldspot.

In 2016, the Kenmore brand was expanded into consumer electronics with the launch of Kenmore-branded high definition (Kenmore HDTV) and ultra HD (Kenmore Elite UHDTV) televisions.[6]

In July 2017, Sears announced that it will stock Kenmore products on Amazon, and also support integration between its appliances and Amazon Alexa.[7][8][9]

In April 2018, Sears CEO and major investor Edward Lampert, along with his hedge fund ESL, offered to buy the brand along with Sears Home Services in order to diversify Sears’ already-strained assets. The hope of spinning off a stable asset, according to Lampert, is to increase capital in Sears’ portfolio, which would filter down into the stores, thus providing much needed income for the Sears brand.[10] Lampert revised his offer to buy Kenmore in August 2018 for $400 million and without Sears' Home Services division.[11] On October 14, 2018, Sears' parent company Sears Holdings filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection leaving the future of the Kenmore brand undecided. Sears will continue to sell Kenmore products and honor warranties while it undergoes restructuring.[12] With the demise of Sears Canada, Kenmore products are no longer sold in Canada, but existing warranty for Whirlpool-made Kenmore lines continued to be honored.[13] A number of Canadian parts suppliers continue to provide Kenmore parts previously sold by Sears Canada. Some Kenmore products are also being individually resold online in 2021.

Products
Various Kenmore kitchen stoves and other appliances at a Sears Outlet store.

Kenmore's upscale line of products is known as the Elite line. Kenmore also has a professional line of appliances called Kenmore Pro.

As of January 2019, the Kenmore brand had over 50 products listed as top performers on the non-profit website Consumer Reports.[14]

List of common manufacturers

References
  1. "ESL Investments Completes Acquisition of Sears Holdings' Assets". AP NEWS. 2019-02-11. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  2. "KENMORE". The Home Depot. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  3. "Where to Buy Kenmore Products & Appliances". Kenmore. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  4. "What year did Sears start selling sewing machines?".
  5. "Kenmore: America's Favorite Home Appliance Brand". Sears Archives.com.
  6. "Sears takes its Kenmore brand out of the kitchen with new line of TVs". Digital Trends. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  7. "Sears is adding Alexa support to its Kenmore smart home appliances". The Verge. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
  8. "Kenmore appliances join 21st century, appear on Amazon". CNET. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
  9. Kapner, Suzanne; Stevens, Laura (2017-07-20). "Sears to Sell Kenmore Brand on Amazon". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
  10. Isidore, Chris. "Sears CEO offers to buy Kenmore brand". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  11. Thomas, Lauren (2018-08-17). "Shares of Sears fall to record low as CEO Lampert's hedge fund eyes Kenmore". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  12. "Sears has declared bankruptcy—will it still honor my Kenmore warranty?". USA Today.
  13. "Do you have a Kenmore appliance? – Whirlpool Corp | Canada". 30 March 2023.
  14. "Consumer Reports - Universal Search". www.consumerreports.org. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
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