I used to work in that industry.

Sears had no manufacturing, so they contracted it out. I believe the design was their own, but I'm not positive. Whirlpool was commonly the manufacturer, though it varies by year. Other manufacturers could offer a lower price (attractive for Sears) but had other issues, so the contract commonly went back to Whirlpool.

I have a Kenmore refrigerator that's nearly 40 years old and still running great. I'm going to hate it when that thing goes and I have to replace it with today's junk.

I'm not sure where you live but the payback on a modern refrigerator is likely within a year due to electricity consumption costs. Old refrigerators are crazy inefficient.

My 30 year old refrigerator uses about $9 worth of electricity per month. If I bought one which was twice as efficient, I’d save about $55 a year. That’s a 20 year payback (neglecting lost investment opportunity) for a $1100 model, plus the replacement hassle. So, I expect to run it until it breaks.

A year sounds crazy optimistic. The new fridge would have to lower the power bill by $1000. That's as much as some households spend on all electricity in a year.