With speculation about the future of Sears Holdings SHLD +0.85% running rampant among analysts and amid news of additional store closures, one has to wonder which retailers might step up with shoppers should a Sears shutdown become a reality. Earlier in the year, I detailed the highs and lows for Sears, according to insights from Prosper’s consumer survey of more than 6,000 U.S. adults 18+. One positive that remained for Sears was its first place position in appliances; however, while Sears currently leads in this category, the once dominant department store’s share is undoubtedly slipping with shoppers. With some of retail’s biggest boxes, including Home Depot HD -0.23% and Best Buy BBY +2.09%, vying for the appliance crown, recent analysis reveals that Lowe’s Cos LOW +0.17% appears to be best positioned to succeed Sears’ reign.
