Whirlpool Corp., Sears Holdings Corp.’s biggest unsecured trade creditor, said the retailer’s chapter 11 filing would have a “very limited short-term impact” on the appliance maker’s finances because Sears accounted for less than 2 percent of sales, according to a WSJ Pro Bankruptcy commentary. Sears filed for bankruptcy yesterday, listing Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool as its biggest unsecured trade creditor with a claim of $23.4 million. Trade creditors are those supplying products or services. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday, Whirlpool said that its exposure to Sears was about $30 million, or roughly 1 percent of its accounts receivable — money owed to a business by customers who have bought products on credit. Whirlpool also said that Sears accounted for less than 2 percent of its sales.
