It’s become a cliche to say that Sears Canada has lost its way as a department store. It has a reputation as unfocused and generally uninteresting. The new CEO Calvin McDonald must be under tremendous pressure as he rolls out his answer to those criticisms with a bold LOOK! theme. McDonald is upfront these days, his picture everywhere, the new face of the store as it opens a series of new, smaller stores in places like Newmarket and Hamilton’s Limeridge Mall. The company feels it can be relevant to suburban and rural consumers in a way that it cannot for downtown shoppers. The Sears release on its new stores notes: Changes in the stores include: wider aisles, less clutter and streamlined merchandise offerings with exciting new brands at everyday low prices. In all the stores, expanded sections include: KidsRoom and BabyRoom, Jessica women’s suit shops, Men’s suit shops with easier by-size shopping and additional fitting services, a new assortment and look for Craftsman outdoor power equipment and a market-leading assortment of major appliances and mattresses.
