Kenmore Brand Continues the Biggest Transformation in Its History, Introduces 450 New, Innovative Products
Nation's Leading Appliance Brand Introduces Consumer Researched, New Product Lines with an Emphasis on Design
The Kenmore® brand, the nation's leading appliance brand known for quality and dependability for more than 83 years, continues its efforts to reinvent itself with the introduction of brand new Kenmore and Kenmore Elite® products in refrigeration, dish, laundry, cooking and small kitchen appliances. Each new appliance was developed to fit the lifestyles of today's consumers with a focus on providing style, forward-thinking features and innovations that will change the way consumers interface with their appliances.
"As America's leading appliance brand, we recognize that even iconic brands, like Kenmore, need to reinvent themselves periodically to meet the changing needs of our customers," said Guenther Trieb, president, Kenmore Brand Business Unit, Sears Holdings. "During the development process, we listened carefully to consumer feedback on what they want from their Kenmore and Kenmore Elite appliances. The new Kenmore products feature eye-catching designs, new innovations, and when applicable, energy efficient capabilities to fit our customers' lifestyles."
To stay ahead of consumers' needs by delivering breakthrough solutions, the Kenmore brand will unveil an astonishing 450 new and/or improved products across all of its large and small appliance lines throughout 2010. As the Kenmore brand continues to deliver innovative solutions to meet consumers' ever-evolving needs, the brand is also modernizing its image and product assortment to be a closer reflection of today's consumers and their lives. Some key highlights to date, include:
-- November 2009 -
-- Redesigned the Kenmore logo to symbolize the blend of the brand's
rich heritage, a more modern, fresh image, and continued
innovation leadership
-- Updated the visual identity to include spirited language, bright
colors, and simple, yet modern designs to help the brand stand out
and show its new bold, witty and fresh personality.
-- Launched a line of high-efficiency front-load laundry, which
introduced a whole new way to custom-clean and care for your
clothes with the revolutionary Smart Motion™ technology that
moves the drum in multiple ways to give each fabric and each load
the cleaning and care it deserves. This new line also took laundry
design to a new frontier with an innovative door design and
groundbreaking controls.
-- January 2010 -
-- Began airing new commercials with the tagline "Kenmore. That's
Genius," which built upon the revitalized brand image while
bringing the new brand vision to life in full color.
-- Introduced a new, interactive Web site (www.Kenmore.com) to
address consumers' needs with unique capabilities such as a
consumer-friendly resource that simplifies the process of finding
the right appliance by guiding consumers through their options.
-- March 2010 -
-- Opened the doors to its first interactive "Kenmore Live Studio" in
downtown Chicago. The Kenmore Live Studio is an interactive
experience that brings together live demonstrations and video and
social media capabilities unlike anything ever seen before in the
industry. It lets you interact with a top chef or home/lifestyle
expert right in the Live Studio or from your computer using a live
video feed from cameras in the Studio that broadcast to the
Kenmore Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kenmore).
-- And, this is just the beginning of what consumers can come to expect
from the brand moving forward in 2010 and beyond.
"We're just getting started on what we have planned ahead for the brand and our products. We'll be raising the bar on style and innovation in all of our large and small appliance categories," said Betsy Owens, Kenmore brand's vice president and general manager. "All of the new products will incorporate more solutions for today's needs and sophisticated design elements than ever before. These new products will make consumers re-evaluate their perceptions of the Kenmore brand and the possibilities for their homes."
Product design played a key role in Kenmore's reinvention and the brand created and incorporated a new product design philosophy that was carried throughout the development of all the new large and small appliance lines. The philosophy features the following four pillars:
-- Offer Premium Customer Touch Points - incorporating higher quality
handles and knobs such as the Kenmore signature bowtie handles to add
an elegant look and an ergonomic grip or the high-quality
blue-LED-ringed knobs on laundry products.
-- Feature User-Friendly Interfaces that Conveys Premium Technology -
integrating color-touch LCD displays and other advanced displays that
look like the most high-tech computers while having a very intuitive,
easy-to-navigate layout.
-- Streamline Modern Design to Fit in Any Home - ensuring appliances
feature sleek , modern lines and flush, easy-wipe surfaces.
-- Incorporate New Logo and Custom Font and Sound Palette - All products
feature the new modern logo and the new custom-designed Kenmore font.
And, select products feature a sound palette composed for Kenmore that
is pleasing to the ear while also providing sound cues that make it
easier to operate the machines.
The new Kenmore and Kenmore Elite products will roll out from May through November 2010. Product highlights of the new lines include:
Front-load Laundry (June launch)
Consumers who want to lower their utility bills and add style to their laundry room, while also staying on budget, will love the new Kenmore front-load products that provide eye-catching style and great value. The new value products offer all of the essential front-load features to make consumers' laundry experience better, including:
-- Time-Saving Capacity - 4.0 cubic feet of capacity can handle a
king-sized comforter and other oversized loads, saving you time
-- Vibration Guard™ Technology - Provides smooth, quiet operation
without having to worry about being disturbed by the sound of the
washer
-- Energy Star Rated - Exceeds Energy Star standards, helping you lower
utility bills
Refrigeration (June launch)
The new Kenmore Elite refrigeration line up will offer more space, innovative new features and show-stopping style. All the refrigeration products incorporate the new Kenmore Elite design philosophy -- also seen in the new kitchen products, including ranges, wall ovens and dishwashers -- which is to provide sleek and modern styling that fits with any kitchen decor. In addition to design, the new refrigeration products feature new innovations, such as:
-- Multi Air Flow Technology - Provides even cooling by circulating cold
air into every nook and cranny. Seven electronic temperature sensors
work to make sure frozen items stay frozen and refrigerated items do
not freeze
-- GeniusCool™ Technology - Offers smooth, quiet operation and energy
efficiency that exceeds ENERGY STAR® standards
-- Slim In-door Icemaker - Provides complete usage of the top shelf space
while also allowing for two more storage bins in the door
Top-Load High-Efficiency Laundry (August launch)
For consumers who want all the advantages of a front load washer but still a prefer top-load washer, the Kenmore top-load high-efficiency laundry products have everything you want and more, while still offering a great value.
-- Best-in-Class Cleaning(1)- Provides the best cleaning in its class,
hands down
-- Energy Efficiency - Exceeds ENERGY STAR® standards, using up to 20
gallons less water per load to help you save money(2)
-- Best Stain Removal in Its Class with Stain Boost™(3) which helps
knock out tough stains and the Timed Oxi™ option dispenses
oxygen-based additives at the right time
-- Fastest and Gentlest Drying Combination - EvenHeat® Technology(4)
senses when clothes are dry to help avoid over-drying clothes. It is
smart enough to adjust the cycle temperature and automatically turn
off to prevent over drying
Dish (August launch)
The new Kenmore Elite dish line up will be sure to make a stylish statement in any kitchen. And design is not the only thing that sets the new Elite dishwashers apart, the innovations will put an end to tireless dishwashing rituals forever:
-- 360 degree PowerWash Technology - Lets you load dishes wherever you
want. The spray arms blast dishes from all angles, reaching into
corners to get every last inch of the dish sparkling clean
-- TurboZone with Rotating Spray Jets - Gets the toughest messes clean.
The jets act like a "power cleaner" on dishes and tackle stuck-on food
-- SmartControls - Takes control of dishwashing by providing necessary
information including cycle descriptions and dishwasher tips, all in
an easy-to-read, hidden LCD display
Top-load High Efficiency LCD Laundry (Smooth Touch launches in July, Color LCD launches in September)
The next generation of Kenmore Elite top-load laundry continues the brand's transformation in laundry care by combining unprecedented style for the top-load laundry category, along with the technology and capacity to give clothes the smartest care they can find including:
-- Custom Cleaning and Care with Smart Motion™ Technology which offers
a whole new way to clean and care for clothes by custom-blending six
unique wash motions to custom clean each type of fabric, giving it
just the right amount of cleaning and care they need
-- Cold Water Efficiency with Warm-water Cleaning Power with the Cold
Clean™ Cycle which uses cold water to clean clothes as effectively
as warm-water cycles while using less energy than the already highly
efficient Normal cycle
-- Reduce Utility Bills - ENERGY STAR® qualified and highly energy and
water efficient, get additional savings with the Save Energy+ option
that provides additional savings on select cycles with the push of a
button
-- Spend Less Time Ironing and Re-washing - The Steam Refresh™ cycle
relaxes wrinkles and reduces odors in garments in just 20 minutes
without washing or ironing
-- NSF® Certified(3) Sanitize Cycle - Sanitize items and eliminate 99% of
certain bacteria right in the dryer without washing them. This is
great for things like pillows and teddy bears
Small Domestic Appliances (July and September launches)
Kenmore Elite Small Domestic Appliances are designed to deliver endless possibilities and solutions that are "genius". The new Kenmore domestic small appliances are little works of art that offer the convenience and performance to create the perfect meal or to keep your floor looking beautiful including:
-- Great Performance with Power and Precision -The Kenmore Elite
blender's 900 watts of power can easily handle heavy mixtures, while
its six precision blades effortlessly crush ice. The 800 watts of
power of the new Kenmore Elite food processor easily handles those
tough chopping and slicing tasks. The Kenmore Intuition's Power Flow
Dual Chamber Bag System with True HEPA captures maximum debris for
cleaner indoor air
-- Precision and Control to Achieve Desired Results - Kenmore
TrueCookPlus ™ Countertop Microwave cooks your food deliciously and
easily. Simply enter the TrueCookPlus™ code found on most frozen
and packaged foods into the microwave keypad and the microwave handles
all cooking details. The Kenmore Elite portable induction cooktop
gives you precise temperature control when preparing your culinary
creations The Kenmore Elite two- and four- slice toaster lines feature
nine custom setting options that toast bread exactly how you want it.
The Kenmore Intuition upright vacuum cleaner features a reach-out wand
and tools on board to clean floors and much more
Cooking (October launch)
The brand has revamped its electric, gas and convection ranges to fit with the new Kenmore Elite kitchen design philosophy, which calls for sleek and modern styling that fits with any kitchen decor. The new cooking line lets you cook like a pro with the features and innovations of the electric, gas and convection lines, including:
-- Kenmore Exclusive AirGuard™ - Virtually eliminates odors from the
cooking or the self-clean cycle of the electric and convection
products, yet allows pleasant aromas to fill the kitchen
-- Built-in Temperature Probe - Lets you monitor the internal temperature
of your food for perfect results on the electric and gas products
-- Electronic Surface Element Controls - Provides more control over
cooking on the electric products. Each element can go from the lowest
of simmer settings to highest of power settings and since the controls
are digital, the exact setting can be duplicated anytime
Top-load Conventional Laundry (October launch)
The Kenmore top-load laundry line offers best-in-class cleaning at a fantastic value with style. These top-load laundry products provide a smarter kind of clean with features, including:
-- Exceptional cleaning with the Triple Action® Agitator which moves in
multiple directions to keep clothes moving for extra cleaning action
-- Fewer loads thanks to large capacity - Cleans 28 t-shirts in a single
load with 3.5 cu. ft. capacity and the Triple Action® agitator
-- Avoid wrinkles in forgotten loads with Wrinkle Guard™ which helps
prevent wrinkles from setting in after the cycle is over
For information on the upcoming products, please contact Larry Costello of Sears Holdings or Jemini Patel of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR. For more information on the Kenmore brand and currently available products, visit www.kenmore.com or the nearest Sears store.
About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings' Web site at www.searsholdings.com.
(1) Among leading brand top-load high efficiency washers 3.7 cu. ft. or less, as measured by Department of Energy standards, based on a 16 lb. load
(2) Compared to a top-load, deep-fill washer manufactured before 2004, using the Normal cycle
(3) Among leading brand top-load high efficiency washers with 4.3 cubic feet IEC capacity or less
(4) The NSF mark is assurance that a product has been tested by one of the most respected independent certification companies in existence today, NSF International
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
SOURCE: Sears Holdings Corporation
CONTACT: Larry Costello of Sears Holdings, +1-847-286-9036,
larry.costello@searshc.com; or Jemini Patel of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR,
+1-212-367-6829, jemini.patel@eurorscg.com, for Sears Holdings Corporation
Web Site: http://www.searsholdings.com/
http://www.kenmore.com/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/923204.html