Who Makes Kenmore Appliances, And Are They Still Popular?
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Perhaps one of the oldest names in Western home appliances is Kenmore. Since the brand got its start all the way back in 1913, it has remained a constant in the appliance scene, first exclusively available at Sears before branching out to other major retailers like Lowe's and Amazon. At one point, nearly 25% of all home appliances sold in the United States were of the Kenmore brand.
Due to Sears' own difficulties in recent years, the brand isn't quite as ubiquitous as it used to be, but there are still plenty of Kenmore products coming and going at your local big-box retailer. For a brand to exist for over a century, especially in the face of fierce competition both locally and internationally, they have to be doing something right. Where exactly do Kenmore products come from, though, and perhaps more importantly, has the brand's popularity endured for all these years?
Kenmore products, then and now
When the Kenmore brand was first starting out, it exclusively created sewing machines, debuting its first model in 1913. With the success of that first sewing machine, the company then branched out to washing machines a few years later, followed by vacuum cleaners, kitchen ranges, and so on.
Despite its longstanding prestige, Kenmore doesn't actually manufacture its own products. While the company is based out of Chicago, Illinois, it doesn't have a dedicated factory or assembly line there. Rather, Kenmore's various appliances are manufactured by other major appliance brands around the world, specifically for the Kenmore brand.
Each of Kenmore's various appliance types are created by a different appliance brand, many of which you've likely heard of. For instance, Kenmore products that utilize water in some way like dishwashers and laundry washing machines are manufactured primarily by Whirlpool. Cooking and kitchen appliances like ovens, ranges, and refrigerators are manufactured primarily by Frigidaire, with a little extra help from Whirlpool and LG. Kenmore's vacuums were originally manufactured primarily by Panasonic, but after Panasonic took a step back from the Western appliance scene in 2017, another company called Cleva took the reins.
Are Kenmore products still used?
Kenmore isn't the behemoth that it used to be, thanks in no small part to the loss of financial backing from Sears Holdings due to its bankruptcy filing in 2018. Even so, Kenmore products are still being manufactured by its various partners and sold at both big-box retailers like Walmart and hardware stores like Home Depot.
Are Kenmore's offerings still as beloved as they once were? That depends on who you ask. On individual store sites like Amazon and Lowe's, Kenmore products like washers, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners maintain mostly good ratings, hovering around the 4 out of 5 range. Those who leave these reviews have praised the products' reliability and ease of use, especially in the case of pet hair cleanup.
On the other hand, review aggregate sites like TrustPilot and ConsumerAffairs paint a less pleasant picture, with scores averaging 1-2 stars out of 5. Customers have complained of sudden mechanical failures and degrading parts, as well as sub-par assistance from the company and refusal to honor warranties.
It's difficult to say whether or not Kenmore products are a good investment, given these two extremes. It pays to remember, though, that the Kenmore name is just that, a name. While the brand has a pedigree, it may be wiser to buy appliances directly from its manufacturing partners to ensure full support.