(Reuters) - Sears Holdings Corp on Thursday named former Sony Electronics executive Steve Haber to lead its home appliances business, a key unit for the struggling retailer.

Sears, which sells its own Kenmore line of appliances along with products from companies such as Whirlpool Corp , has long been a leader in the industry but faces stiff competition from Home Depot Inc , Lowe's Cos Inc and other retailers.

At Sony <6758.T>, Haber most recently served as executive vice president leading the product to consumer marketing division and the home and digital reading business, Sears said. He got his start founding Trolley Stereo during his college days and worked at Sony for more than 20 years, Sears said.

Earlier this month, local media including the Chicago Tribune reported that Dev Mukherjee was leaving his role as head of Sears' home appliance business.

Sears Holdings has seen its sales fall every year since hedge fund manager Edward Lampert merged two of America's iconic retail chains - Kmart and Sears Roebuck and Co - in 2005 in an $11 billion deal.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl in Chicago, editing by Dave Zimmerman)