Is Amazon eyeing Sears to bolster its smart home strategy?

GUEST: In June, Amazon announced it would acquire Whole Foods in a $13.7 billion transaction. In an instant, rival grocers Kroger, Walmart and Target saw their market values drop an aggregate $22 billion.
Now this week, Amazon announced a partnership with Sears to sell Kenmore’s appliances on Amazon.com. In similar fashion, shares of Home Depot and Lowe’s plummeted, wiping out $12 billion in market value.
The appliance industry has been largely shielded from Amazon’s dominance.