July 11, 2001
Sears is taking off the make-up. The giant retailer said it's eliminating its own "Circle of Beauty" brand and eliminating the sale of other brands as well, including Avon Products, which it started selling last fall.
The Sears announcement hinted at additional changes in the works, calling it the "first element in a repositioning" of its 860 stores.
Sears isn't completely exiting cosmetics. It said it will continue to sell selected fragrances, bath and body products, including its own "Time Out" brand.
Sears began emphasizing its "softer side" in the mid-1990s but analysts said the effort was largely a flop. Cosmetics amounted to less than one percent of total sales as drug and discount chains offered larger selections and lower prices.
Avon kept a stiff upper lip. A spokesman said the company was disappointed that Sears was dumping beauty products just a few months before a major promotion campaign to support Avon's presence in Sears and J.C. Penney stores.
