Shares of Sears Holdings (SHLD) rose in morning trading after the troubled retailer announced it signed two licensing agreements intended to expand the reach of its Kenmore and DieHard brands internationally.

NEW LICENSING DEALS: Sears said in a statement this morning that Kenmore and Kenmore Elite vacuums will be manufactured by Cleva North America for distribution at retailers worldwide. Additionally, Sears said DieHard Alkaline batteries and flashlights will be manufactured by Dorcy, International for distribution in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Caribbean plus Latin America and some locations in the South Pacific. "We will have direct and active involvement in building the business with our licensing partners," said Tom Park, president of Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands at Sears.

WHAT'S NOTABLE: The licensing deals come after Sears' recent decision to launch a Kenmore dedicated brand presence on Amazon.com (AMZN). The Kenmore appliance brand page went live on Amazon last week, marking Amazon's first and only dedicated brand page for home appliances. The company also announced the integration of the full line of Kenmore Smart appliances with Amazon Alexa. "The launch of Kenmore products on Amazon.com will significantly expand the distribution and availability of the Kenmore brand in the U.S.," Sears CEO Eddie Lampert said at the time. Sears, which is seeking a turnaround, announced last month plans to close eight more locations and 35 unprofitable Kmart stores as it continues to focus on returning to profitability. Lampert said at the time that "This is part of a strategy both to address losses from unprofitable stores and to reduce the square footage of other stores because many of them are simply too big for our current need." Lampert noted that Sears is "well on track" to meet its cost savings goals.

RECENT ANALYST COMMENTARY: Baird analyst Peter Benedict said last month that that the Sears, Amazon pact introduces "improved competition" from a brand Lowe's (LOW) and Home Depot (HD) do not carry. While Amazon shouldn't be underestimated, appliance transactions are complex and Kenmore brand equity has declined, Jefferies analyst Daniel Binder said in July that the Sears deal may not be an indicator that more appliance manufacturers will sell direct via Amazon.

PRICE ACTION: Sears is up over 3% to $8.83 in morning trading.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Other brick and mortar home appliance retailers include Lowe's, Home Depot and Best Buy (BBY), which are all trading higher this morning.