Sears Splits With Whirlpool in Latest Blow to Struggling Chain
- Price increases would have been prohibitive, Sears says
- Move ends century-old partnership between the two companies
Top loading washing machines move down an assembly line at the Whirlpool Corp. manufacturing facility in Clyde, Ohio, U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. The U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to release business inventories figures on December 11.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Sears Holdings Corp. is breaking ties with Whirlpool Corp., a move that winds down a century-old partnership and deals another blow to the struggling retailer’s product lineup.
The department-store chain will stop selling most Whirlpool brands, including Maytag, KitchenAid and Jenn-Air, after the two sides failed to agree on pricing terms. The news sent Sears down almost 9 percent on Monday, punishing a stock that’s lost more than a third of its value this year.