When the Coldspot electric refrigerator debuted in 1928, it was somewhat of a novelty. Most early refrigerators were expensive and suffered from design and maintenance problems. The Coldspot, however, met with immediate public acceptance, and the 1929 model was a main point of interest for visitors to the Paris International Exposition that year.
Sears knew that there was a large market for electric refrigerators, but that costs prevented most people from buying them. So, Sears decided to design its own refrigerator. At the time, most refrigerator manufacturers were building 4-cubic-foot models. Sears wanted to build a 6-cubic-foot model and sell it at the price of a 4-cubic-foot model.
Sears hired Herman Price, a well-known refrigerator engineer, to help with the project. Then, in 1934, Sears hired industrial designer Raymond Loewy to completely redesign the Coldspot refrigerator. Price and Loewy incorporated a contemporary streamlined design, plus new ideas that improved both the reliability and serviceability of the refrigerator. These men also pioneered the use of aluminum for refrigerator shelving. In one year, sales of the Coldspot soared more than 300 percent.
Over the years, Sears' Coldspot line of refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners featured several other product innovations. In 1953, Coldspot upright freezers included dense fiberglass insulation that saved on electricity, plus a cabinet guaranteed not to ",sweat.", The Coldspot ",Cold Guard", debuted in 1960 as the first frostless refrigerator, and 1971's model included a built-in cold-water dispenser and an improved ",humidrawer", food crisper.
By 1977, however, the brand recognition of Kenmore was so great that most people surveyed by Sears believed that Kenmore already had a line of refrigerators, even though it did not. Sears then decided to replace Coldspot with Kenmore on all Sears refrigerators, freezers, and air-conditioning units.
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