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Sears recently introduced Connected Solutions, experiential shops that bring together assortments of smart, connected home and personal automation products. For example, a customer could program his garage door opener to be notified by text when the door is open and closed.
Could definitely be a good move for the company, with the connected solutions industry projected to generate hundreds of billions in sales over the next five years.
“Many of our members are aware of ‘smart’ devices or ‘home automation’ products but don’t fully understand how they are used to make their lives better,” says Craig LaRosa, DVP in-store experience and design for Sears Holdings in a company press release. “Connected Solutions offers an entertaining and interactive environment to learn about the products and develop solutions that are relevant to them.”
Members can find a cross-category assortment of smart offerings for automotive, electronics, fitness, home and mobile devices in the 1,700 square foot shops at three Chicago-area pilot locations and online at Sears.com/ConnectedSolutions.
Products available from Sears Connected Solutions include:
- Home automation (thermostats, smart locks, lighting, switches and sensors, etc.)
- Mobile phones, tablets and other connected devices
- Smart watches
- Fitness products such as treadmills, fitness watches and heart rate monitors
- Home monitoring cameras
- Connected baby monitors, which let parents see, hear and talk with their baby from their mobile device
- The first three Connected Solutions pilot shops recently opened at: the Sears Woodfield Mall store in Schaumburg, Ill.; Sears Vernon Hills, Ill. store and at the Sears Oakbrook Center store in Oakbrook, Ill.
