CONTACT:
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
Holiday Traditions Prove to Be More Important During Recession
New survey shows Americans are putting a greater emphasis on traditions to
make the Holidays special
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When it comes
to celebrating the Holidays, Americans have always relied on traditions to
make the season special. From baking cookies, to singing Christmas carols,
to decorating the tree, families draw on festivities to not only make
memories, but also as a way to have fun and stay connected. This year they
are putting traditions at the top of their list of "must haves." In fact, a
new consumer survey, commissioned by Sears*, reveals that during
challenging economic times, 90 percent of Americans become more focused on
celebrating family traditions as well as creating new ones.
"This Holiday season more than ever, Americans are getting creative
with how they will make the most of their Holiday celebrations with
everything from adopting new traditions to altering the way they shop,"
said Don Hamblen, vice president and chief marketing officer for Sears.
"Our company is known for its long-standing traditions so we understand
just how important traditions are to families. Whether it's putting a twist
on an old favorite with the new interactive, online version of the Sears
Wish Book, or something entirely new, Sears continues to look for ways to
bring value to our customers this Holiday season by helping them create and
keep family traditions."
According to the survey, 18 percent of Americans plan to develop new
traditions such as using a grab bag or secret Santa approach to gift
giving, 25 percent are buying an artificial tree rather than a real one, 43
percent are asking their guests to bring food to the festivities so costs
are shared and 63 percent are setting spending limits on gift giving. While
many will give fewer gifts to friends and family, and send e-cards instead
of paper cards, 80 percent of Americans admit that celebrating the Holidays
without traditions would be worse than a Holiday without gifts.
This year, the Sears Wish Book, a long-time shopping tradition for
families to make their Christmas wish lists, is being spiced up with the
launch of an interactive, online version available at
http://www.sears.com/wishbook. And for those customers planning to buy more group
gifts this year, the Sears GiveTogether tool offers an easy way for them to
do so.
Black Friday, another long-time shopping tradition is made easier this
year with Sears' "Black Friday Now!" doorbusters - providing earlier
savings on everything from home electronics and housewares to jewelry and
apparel - on each of the Saturdays leading up to Christmas. Sears also
offers layaway, which is available, both in-store and online, enabling
customers to reserve Holiday gifts, including "Black Friday Now!"
doorbusters, pay for them over time and pick them up right before the
Holidays.
ShopYourWay(TM) serves to change traditional Holiday shopping
altogether by giving customers a wide variety of new, convenient ways to
shop. Sears ShopYourWay offers personalized and convenient shopping options
which allows for shopping to revolve around the customer 24/7. With
convenient options such as Web2Store and Sears' Personal Shopper, customers
can get what they want, when they want and how they want it when they shop
in-store or online.
For more information, visit http://www.sears.com.
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 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and
Canada, which includes approximately 929 full-line and approximately 1,200
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 12 million service calls
made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck Web site at
http://www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation Web site at
http://www.searsholdings.com.
*About the Survey
The Sears Holiday Traditions Survey was conducted by Kelton Research
between Oct. 16, 2009 and Oct. 22, 2009 using an email invitation and an
online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate
representation of the total U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of
any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the
variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the
level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study,
the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or
minus, by more than three percentage points from the result that would be
obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe
represented by the sample.
SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation
Web site: http://www.searsholdings.com
Company News On Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/923204.html
CONTACT: Natalie Norris-Howser of Sears Holdings,
+1-847-286-6080, natalie.norris-howser@searshc.com; or Carolyn
Goldberg of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, +1-212-367-6947,
carolyn.goldberg@eurorscg.com, for Sears Holdings
