By Bob Tita
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
CHICAGO -(Dow Jones)- Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) stores will become the exclusive national retailer for Whirlpool Corp.'s (WHR) Jenn-Air brand of kitchen appliances, the companies said Wednesday.
Jenn-Air cooktops, ranges, dishwashers, built-in refrigerators and other appliances will be featured in about 255 of Sears' largest stores beginning later in this month. Whirlpool, the world's largest producer of household appliances by sales, acquired the premium-priced Jenn-Air line as part of its purcahse of appliance maker Maytag in 2006.
Jenn-Air has been sold through independent appliance retailers. Whirlpool said Jenn-Air appliances will continue to be offered through those outlets.
For Sears, the largest appliance retailer in the U.S., the addition the Jenn-Air line will expand its appliance offerings at a time when the retailer is trying to attract customers who have significantly reduced their purchases of appliances during the recession.
"Sears continues to listen to our customers who have voiced their desire for a super-premium line," said Doug Moore, senior vice president and president of home appliances for Hoffman Estates, Ill.,-based Sears Holdings.
Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool, which also manufactures several models of Sears' Kenmore appliances, already sells its Whirlpool, Kitchen-Aid and Maytag appliances through Sears stores.
Whirlpool was recently trading down 3.3% at 71.90, while Sears was down 0.43% at 67.80.
-By Bob Tita, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4129; robert.tita@dowjones.com