UPDATE 2-Sears to sell luxury appliances for holidays

By Dhanya Skariachan HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov 4 (Reuters) - Sears Holdings Corp, which has built a reputation for selling affordable home goods, is betting on a pricey new line of luxury Jenn-Air kitchen appliances as one way of drawing shoppers into its stores ahead of the holiday season. Sears said on Wednesday it will be the sole national retailer for the line, which includes ovens priced from $1,900 to $5,000 and built-in refrigerators priced between $7,500 and $9,900, The appliances, from Whirlpool Corp's Jenn-Air unit, will be available to shoppers at 255 of Sears' largest stores starting later this month. Sears said its customers had expressed interest in high-end kitchen appliances and its decision to carry the pricey Jenn-Air line is intended to bolster its product selection during the holiday season. Steve Brown, general manager of Jenn-Air brand, said the company was seeing some recovery in the replacement business market and the third quarter was a good time to launch the line ahead of Thanksgiving and holidays, which he dubbed the "cooking season." The move comes as the owner of Sears department stores and Kmart discount stores battles weak demand for big-ticket goods and seeks new ways to lure buyers. Sears, which is controlled by hedge fund manager Edward Lampert, has been experimenting with various strategies such as layaway plans and early holiday discounts to boost sales. It revamped its toy department in about 20 stores and is offering shoppers a credit toward a future purchase if they buy select books on its website or those of rivals like Target . Sears shares were up 0.7 percent to $68.57 on Wednesday. Whirlpool fell 1.5 percent to $73.28. (Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by Derek Caney and Steve Orlofsky) ((dhanya.skariachan @thomsonreuters.com; + 1 646 223 6191; Reuters Messaging:[e-mail];)) Keywords: SEARS/ (See http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/ for Shop Talk -- Reuters' retail and consumer blog.) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.

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