Sears Holdings signed agreements for its Kenmore and DieHard brands, building its licensing business even as it continues to work through bankruptcy. The products will be sold through Sears and other retailers; timing wasn’t disclosed.

The deals for the Kenmore brand are with Drinkpod (water-filtration appliances) and Gibson Overseas (dinnerware, silverware and plastic storage containers), while the DieHard agreements are with AJ Consulting Inc. (residential electric vehicle chargers) and Trico (automotive wiper blades, fuel pumps and gas assist springs).

The pacts are the first announced since Sears filed for bankruptcy. Sears has moved in recent years to license out or sell its brands, including the sale of Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) last year.Sears also has been seeking a buyer for Kenmore, with Sears CEO Edward Lampert’s ESL Investments bidding $400 million for the brand in August.

Sears has shown intermittent interest in licensing in recent years.  It formed the KCD Brands group about eight years ago and largely focused on licensing the Craftsman brand. When Sears announced plans in 2016 to seek buyers for the Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard brands, licensing plans were put on hold. But following the announcement of the proposed sale of Craftsman to SBD in early 2017, KCD rekindled discussions on licensing for the Kenmore and DieHard brands.  It later reached a pact with Permasteel for Kenmore outdoor gas grills, grill covers and accessories.

Contact:

Sears Holdings, Sears Holdings, Robert Riecker, CFO, 847-286-2500.