Sears Canada's big plans
Eaton's will die, but furniture will get new life, new looks
By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, February 25, 2002
OTTAWA — Sears Canada, this country's No. 1 furniture retailer, will market furniture aggressively in the wake of its decision to convert its Eaton's stores into Sears units.
Eaton's major furniture success story, the Gluckstein Home Collection, will be rolled out in all Sears Canada furniture stores in the coming weeks, said Dan Weare, national business manager/furniture.
Although he couldn't give details, Weare said all private-label furniture will be redesigned this year, particularly upholstery. "All I can tell you is that when we're finished, the look and feel of our furniture showrooms will be very different," he said.
And this fall, Ottawa will get its first Sears' furniture, appliances and home improvement store, the new standard format for large urban markets, Weare said.
In addition to furniture, bedding, decorative accessories and appliances, the 52,000-square-foot store will offer goods including kitchen cabinetry and flooring, fireplaces, drapery and other soft goods for the home.
Similar stores already exist in Windsor, Mississauga and Markham, Ontario, as well as in the Montreal suburbs of Brossard and Laval, Quebec.
"Customers are looking for more," Weare said, adding that Sears wants to show it can meet most consumers' redecorating and home improvement needs.
Brent Hollister, president of sales, service and in-store planning, said, "By combining furniture and appliances with home improvements, we'll offer an unmatched product selection for the entire home in a single, convenient shopping environment."
Close to 30,000 square feet of floor space in the Ottawa store will be devoted to furniture, bedding and accessories, triple the space for a typical Sears' mall-based store. Appliances will get about 8,000 square feet.
In Ottawa, Sears currently has two full-line stores, both with sleep shops, and a standalone furniture and appliance store.
In 2001, Sears opened four free-standing furniture and appliance stores, in Victoria, British Columbia; Moncton, New Brunswick; Windsor, Ontario; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. With the Ottawa unit, the company will have 40 standalone furniture stores.
There are no plans now to open additional furniture stores in 2002. "We're looking at some sites, but nothing has been decided," Weare said. "We're looking for the right opportunity and for the right piece of real estate."
Eaton's was to be Sears Canada's high-end statement, but furniture and bedding was offered in only two of the seven stores, the Toronto Eaton Center and the Pacific Center in Vancouver, British Columbia. Those will become Whole Home stores-within-a-store in the converted units, and bedding departments will be added to three former Eaton's stores (see story at right).
The Gluckstein line, created by Toronto-based residential and hotel designer Brian Gluckstein, includes five groups ranging from modern to traditional. Each group includes dining room, living room and bedroom furniture, along with bed and bath linens.
Weare said the line is being reworked to appeal to a broader audience, but will remain Sears' window into the high end. "It's a little higher priced than we usually are," he said. "It will be in the front of the store as a lifestyle grouping."
Gluckstein case goods will be made by Chain, a Montreal-based custom factory, with upholstery by Décor-Rest and Silva.
