Lowe’s could fill appliance gap

NEW YORK ― As the future of Sears Holding comes under question, an analysis in Forbes looks at which players stand to pick up the most business from its appliance segment. As the current number-two in that department, Lowe’s is a likely contender to see the most growth if Sears’ business continues to implode. A Prosper consumer survey found that Lowe’s ranked second in shopper preferences when seeking appliances, clocking in at 14.3% next to Sears’ 21%. Both Best Buy and Home Depot hover near 10%. In the meantime, Lowe’s is closing in Sears, with the gap between the two narrowing to a single digit point over the past year.