Sears/Kmart plans to use funds from real estate sales to transform the company from “outdated traditional store” to one that uses digital technology and personal data to engage customers and find out what they want to buy. While it doesn’t eliminate brick-and-mortar, the plan presages store closings, smaller inventories, and less shelf space for licensed apparel, toys, and other goods.
A day after Sears CEO Eddie Lampert unveiled the plans, the store announced that it was ending its fashion collaboration with the Kardashians. “There will always be a role for celebrity brands at Sears,” a company spokesperson said. But then she added: “As we transform our apparel business, we’re looking at elevating our private label.”