Boutros, a former Disney executive who's been at Sears almost three years, said Whirlpool and other vendors are now on board. Whirlpool had requested the return of goods shipped to Sears in the 45 days leading up to its bankruptcy, according to an Oct. 25 letter.
"I've been at the table with Whirlpool and with other vendors, and they are now shipping products to us and to our stores. There was a pause while we negotiated," he said. "We got an agreement back in place, and we are now starting to see inventory flow back into the stores and into our distribution centers."
Whirlpool did not immediately respond to requests for comment about its business with Sears.
In the toy category, Boutros said he expects brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels and Disney to be top sellers at Kmart, along with Adam Levine and Jaclyn Smith clothing. At Sears, the company is highlighting a $150 320-piece Craftsman tool set and a new Kenmore refrigerator with an Amazon Dash button built in, along with a new line of Kenmore-brand cookware.
The company's fight to survive is bringing out the best of its employees, Boutros said.
"It was fascinating to see the jolt that Chapter 11 did to our culture," he said.