Buying a Sears branded appliance should not be a problem as they are made by major manufacturers and parts would be available from them. As for the gutting of Sears accountants masquerading as retailers  were concerned more so with percentages than reality. One week is was markup the next sales and so on. I remember seeing snow blowers in stores in the Vancouver market why because they were part of the line and ranked as a basic item so the computers ordered them. Used to be a good place and frankly not a bloated retailer but one that has not been run by merchants for decades.

As for the Bay they were a little sharper and spun off their home lines to their own subsidiary creating a second viable chain but I wonder why they are trying to buy a larger bricks and mortar presence rather than digesting what they have already bought.