Sears Challenges America: Can You ReImagine You?

Even with a weak economic outlook, a recent survey found that Americans still want to update their homes and their looks. In fact, three out of five people say that despite financial concerns, they are still investing in small home improvements that can make a difference. And, nearly all Americans agree that in the current economy getting the best value for their money is more important than ever.

That's why Sears is embarking on a first-of-its-kind campaign to challenge Americans to ReImagine You. Designed to galvanize people to consider how they can reinvent their homes and their lives, ReImagine You aims to inspire imaginations and provide the tools and advice to make practical dreams a reality.

"Reinventing an aspect of your life is easier than you think," said Ty Pennington, master designer for Sears and a key member of Team ReImagine. "I teamed up with Sears ReImagine You because I'm dedicated to helping people find ways -- both big and small -- to improve and enhance their homes and ultimately their lives. From simple changes like repainting a room, adding new throw pillows or changing the hardware on your cabinets to bigger updates like replacing appliances, Sears is committed to helping customers become masters of reinvention."

The online survey conducted by Sears and Hearst Magazines asked more than 1,500 people how they felt about their homes and their lives. Highlights include:

  -- Sixty percent of Americans would like to make their home more "green"
     but are not sure where to start;
  -- More than three quarters of those polled say that they have dreams
     about making changes to their home but finances prevent those dreams
     from becoming a reality; and,
  -- Fifty-seven percent of Americans wish they had the vision to imagine
     their home's potential.

The campaign features an outstanding team of experts to serve on Team ReImagine. In addition to Ty Pennington, other experts include handyman Eric Stromer from HGTV, well-known NYC interior designer Eric Cohler and a team of editors from leading Hearst publications.

"Sears understands the importance of managing a budget and recognizes it can be difficult to know where to save and where to invest," said Stromer. "Cabinet refacing is a great way to get a new look, while still reducing costs, and investing in Energy Star appliances adds significant value to your home, saves you money in the long run and helps you be more environmentally friendly."

To help inspire people to find ways to improve and enhance their homes, the campaign's dedicated website http://www.reimagineyourself.com/ consists of a digital magazine featuring makeover spreads from the ReImagine You magazine (found in Sears stores and available to seven million Hearst Magazine subscribers) with direct links to purchase the products on Sears.com. Online content also provides financial and green tips, videos from Team ReImagine, custom design content; an ask the experts section and a chance to enter the Sears Reimagine Your Home $300,000 Giveaway sweepstakes on Sears.com. The Sears Reimagine Your Home $300,000 Giveaway is the ultimate way for a customer to reimagine their home. Each time customers use their Sears credit cards from March 2-29, 2008, they will be automatically entered to win $300,000 toward their mortgage or toward the purchase of a new home. Go to sears.com for contest rules and additional details.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 926 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at http://www.sears.com/ or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at http://www.searsholdings.com/.

About Hearst Magazines

Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (http://www.hearst.com/), one of the nation's largest diversified communications companies with interests in magazines, newspapers, digital media, business media and television. As one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, Hearst Magazines has nearly 200 editions around the world, including 19 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (77.4 million total adults, according to MRI, fall 07). Through its digital media unit, Hearst Magazines operates 18 Web sites and nine mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and Seventeen, as well as non-magazine brand sites such as TheDailyGreen.com, MisQuinceMag.com and MyPromStyle.com. In 2007, Hearst Digital acquired the eCrush Network (eCRUSH.com, eSPIN.com), Kaboodle.com and RealAge.com to round out its growing portfolio of interests for teens and women.

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SOURCE: Sears

CONTACT: Taline Kundakji, +1-212-367-6922, Taline.kundakji@eurorscg.com,
or Kirsten Whipple, +1-847-286-3037, kwhippl@searshc.com, both for Sears

Web site: http://www.reimagineyourself.com/
http://www.sears.com/
http://www.searsholdings.com/
http://www.hearst.com/