Kmart® And Sears® Announce Ship-To-home For All Online Layaway Purchases This Holiday Shopping Season; Sears Announces Free Layaway

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To provide holiday shoppers with even more accessibility, Kmart and Sears today announce all products purchased through online layaway are available for ship-to-home delivery. The new service – also available on store kiosks now enables shoppers to select, purchase and have the items delivered directly to their homes, bypassing the layaway line altogether. Both retailers will begin the exclusive layaway ship-to-home service starting Nov. 7.

Additionally, customers will have even more value at their fingertips as Sears is removing all layaway service fees both online and in-store leading up to the holiday season. Kmart announced its free layaway program last month.   

The removal of layaway service fees recognizes the extra financial burden the holiday season brings and provides added value for holiday shoppers. Credit experts from organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling have backed layaway as a smart shopping practice year-round, especially during the holiday season when shoppers need to be more disciplined with their finances.

"We witnessed a positive consumer response from Kmart's free layaway news, and the latest announcement of home delivery and Sears' free layaway are proof of our commitment to providing our customers value and convenience," said Jai Holtz, vice president, financial services, Sears Holdings. "Our exclusive online layaway ship-to-home delivery service provides a convenient alternative to customers who prefer to make their layaway purchases from the privacy of their own home."

Kmart has removed layaway service fees through Nov. 17; Sears has eliminated layaway service fees from Sept. 29 to Oct. 29, and Nov. 2 to Dec. 3. The ship-to-home layaway option begins Nov. 7 and includes the widest selection of layaway products to purchase from.

For more information please visit www.kmart.com and www.sears.com.   

About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is a leading integrated retailer with over 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada and the home of ShopYourWay, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through ShopYourWay.com.  Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, fitness equipment and automotive repair and maintenance.  Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, with a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, the Kardashian Kollection, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as Sofia by Sofia Vergara and The Country Living Home Collection. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 15 million service calls made annually and have a long-established commitment to those who serve in the military through initiatives like the Heroes at Home program. We have been named the 2011 Mobile Retailer of the Year, Recipient of the 2012 ENERGY STAR® "Corporate Commitment Award" for Product Retailing and Energy Management and one of Top 20 Best Places to Work for Recent Grads.  Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.  For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com. Twitter: @searsholdings||Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SHCCareers

*Cancellation fees apply. Offer valid on new Kmart layaway purchases made on 9/7/2012 through 11/17/2012 and new Sears layaway purchases made on 9/29/2012 through 10/29/2012 or on 11/2/2012 through 12/3/2012. Requires down payment and biweekly payments. Free Layaway promotion will waive $5 service fee on an 8-week contract and $10 service fee on a 12-week contract at Kmart on 9/7/12 through 11/17/12 or at Sears on 9/29/2012 through 10/29/2012 or on 11/2/2012 through 12/3/2012. All fees nonrefundable. Not available at all Kmart or Sears stores. 12-week layaway option available on purchases of $300 or more. Exclusions apply, see store for details.

**Shipping costs start at $5.95, and home delivery starts at $69.99. Layaway will not qualify for free shipping or free delivery deals that are running on the website for this season.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Shannelle Armstrong-Fowler
Sears Holdings Corporation
(847) 286-0715
shannelle.armstrong@searshc.com

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation