Sears Eliminates Gift Card Expiration Dates

Just in time for last-minute holiday shoppers, Sears (NYSE: S) today announced it is eliminating expiration dates from all Sears gift cards issued beginning tomorrow.

"Sears customers have told us they want gift cards without fees or expiration dates," said Kris Crow, vice president of customer relationship management for Sears, Roebuck and Co. "While other retailers charge fees and enforce expiration dates, Sears has never attached maintenance fees to its gift cards and now our gift cards never expire." Previously, Sears gift cards generally expired two years from the date of purchase.

"Gift cards have been very popular this holiday season, and now there is another reason for Sears shoppers to purchase a gift card for family and friends," Crow said.

Sears gift cards can be purchased in increments of $5-$500 and can be redeemed at all Sears store locations.

About Sears

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. With revenues in 2002 of $41.4 billion, the company offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,700 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the U.S. and Canada, including approximately 1,000 full-line stores and 1,600 specialty stores. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears is the only retailer where consumers can find each of the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End brands together -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the largest provider of product repair services with more than 14 million services calls made annually.

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

CONTACT: Rochelle Williams of Sears, Roebuck and Co., +1-847-286-2081

Web site: http://www.sears.com/