Business Rebranding – New Sears Canada Logo Gets Simpler

Trying to reinvent itself as a business with a stronger online presence and a smaller physical footprint, Sears Canada redesigned its logo last year. Replacing the stocky blue-and-white logo with a simpler, yet more elegant black one, Sears hopes to adapt to the fluid reality of online shopping. This is an example of business rebranding that companies sometimes need to do in order to keep up with the times.

Photo above: Sears – West Town Center, by Mike Kalasnik

The new logo is a simple succession of svelte black letters, separated by ample even spaces for a clean and uncrowded look, and accompanied by the red maple leaf that has been the symbol of the Canadian retail chain for the last 20 years.

Photo: Financial Post

This is indeed a major change from the well-known blue logo halved by a white line, a logo that is more reflective of the ‘80s tastes than of today’s online shopping reality.

Sears – Photo by Mike Mozart

This is the third Sears logo redesign since the ‘50s, when the company was founded. The former blue-and-white logo became the store’s face to the world in 1984. In 1996, a small maple leaf was added to the end of the logo, a touch meant to differentiate between the Canadian retail chain and its American counterpart.

The new logo is a streamlined version that keeps up with the current changes in general aesthetic preferences. Most of all, it is meant to exude confidence in the new role that Sears wants to play in tomorrow’s retail market. The new logo is just a symbol of this readjustment effort.  

This business rebranding effort comes after a period of decline in foot traffic and revenue. Combined with the aggressive competition from other online retailers, these prompted the current changes in the way Sears intends to do business. The redesign of its logo is only a part of the process through which Sears wants to improve customer experience.

Sears – Photo by Mike Mozart

Seizing a larger part of the online shopping market and relying less on physical stores are only two of the goals the new logo stands for. In addition, Sears intends to work on new store layouts and improve its customer service model. The new logo is a sign that Sears is breaking with the past and looking into the future, where the quality of online shopping experience is key.

Please take a look at our Before and After images of selected projects from 2016 HERE.

If you are thinking to open up a new business or in a process of rebranding and remodeling your existing business, contact us to get a free consultation from Mindful Design Consulting. Click HERE to price your project design.

Also, take a look at the “Branding By Interior” e-book, the only book written on this subject at this time. It brings insight into how you can turn your business into a market-dominating competitor by using human cognitive responses.