Sears adds automotive, jewelry, watches and recreation to sears.com
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is expanding its online offering—and underscoring its commitment to a multi-channel strategy. Today it launched automotive, jewelry and watches and recreation/game room categories on sears.com. And while it made clear that it is equally happy whether customers buy jewelry, watches and recreation and game products online or shop and compare online, then buy in Sears stores, it noted that the automotive section is for online shopping only. Because tires and batteries must be installed in cars, shoppers can only shop and compare online for those products. They must take their cars to Sears to have them installed.
"For the past two years, we have continually evolved and enhanced sears.com, leveraging the strengths of Sears and responding to customer feedback," said Dennis Honan, vice president and general manager of Sears Customer Direct, which includes sears.com and Sears specialty catalogs. "In response to our enhancements, our sears.com traffic, sales, and influence on in-store Sears purchases continue to increase."
Recently, sears.com changed its look and navigation, based on customer input and user studies. "Immediately after we began listing all product categories and subcategories on the home page in early August, our online sales increased," said Honan. Site changes in August included the ability for customers to make four, instead of three, side-by-side comparisons of similar products. "We expect that our enhancements will make sears.com even easier to shop for the upcoming Holiday season," Honan said. During the 2000 Holiday shopping season, sears.com sales were four times its online sales for Holiday 1999.
At sears.com under the "Jewelry & Watches" heading, shoppers now find 10 categories of fine jewelry: Bridal diamonds, fashion diamonds, gemstone and gold jewelry, including bracelets, earrings, pendants, necklaces and rings, as well as tradition certified diamonds and watches.
In addition, the jewelry and watches Buying Guide offers purchasing tips, suggestions for maintaining and cleaning fine jewelry and answers to frequently asked questions.
The new recreation category features games and game tables.
Online consumers researching tires and batteries, enter the year, make and model of their vehicle to receive a list and product detail for the choices of tires and batteries. They may sort tires and batteries by price, brand or product name, and can then compare up to four similar items side by side. By inputting a local zip code or address in the store locator, consumers will receive a list of the nearest Sears Auto Centers, addresses and phone numbers, along with directions and a map to the store.
"On sears.com, auto owners can research the advantages of various products, compare prices and make decisions in the comfort of their own home," said Bill White, president of Sears Automotive. "When they arrive at Sears, auto owners can have a better understanding of what they want, and why, and can discuss any questions with our tire and battery experts."
"Savvy consumers frequently come into their local Sears store with their sears.com printout of side-by-side comparisons,” Honan said. “Automotive is another category where sears.com can help consumers make fact-based decisions for important major purchases. This is the most recent example of how we are evolving sears.com, responding to customer demand."
At www.sears.com/auto, auto owners also can find the services that Sears Auto Centers offer, such as alignments, brake service, wheel balancing, and more, and a list of what is included in each service.
Sears’ research reveals that sears.com already influences one out of 10 major appliance purchases in a Sears store -- that`s upwards of $500 million annually.
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