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With the announcement Friday that Sears Holding plans to spin off Lands' End comes questions and hope.
The questions include has Sears done anything to hurt Lands' End.
Perhaps the parent company has tarnished the image locally with their constant fight with the city of their tax assessments and with eliminating local projects they have previously supported financially but that does little to harm the brand locally. And the brand is what makes Lands' End what it is.
Sears has had its problems. âSome have been under investing in its own brand and failing to stand up to competitors such as Wal Mart and Target.
But the good thing is they have not seemed to place Lands' End on a downward swing with them.
In short, the Lands' End brand still has integrity and that is what gives off a feeling of hope the spin off will be a very good thing.
The Milwaukee Journal quoted Mequon's Dick Seesel, owner of Retailing in Focus, LLC who said, "Iâthink the brand and the product quality along with the brand image have a reasonable amount of integrity that Lands' End has been able to maintain."
It appears that Lands' End has pretty much operated independent of Sears anyway. Going on their own should allow the company to do better and allow some flexibility.
Lands' End has done its best to assure the customer one thing over the years and that is quality. They have a tremendous amount of heritage standing behind them and that is good.
That is the hope.
Lands' End is a huge employer and this area would be greatly hurt if for some reason they would pack up and leave.
Friday's filing gives this area hope that will not happen.
Hopefully the company will chart a new plan and develop it independent of Sears.
They have proven they can be successful on their own and for the company, that is a good thing.