Weekly Sears Ads Online: More Than Just Photos of Print Ads
Sears, CrossMedia Services Team Up So Shoppers Can Search, Create Lists -- And Buy Directly From Online Ads
Even in this technology savvy age, when shoppers go online to find the local weekly ad of a clicks and bricks retailer, they typically find photographs of the newspaper ad insert -- and little else. On sears.com, customers find a much more useful resource: an ad that allows Sears shoppers to easily conduct searches, create a shopping list -- and even buy directly from the online ad. Sears ads online showcase how the Internet truly can help simplify life's routines, such as shopping the local Sunday Sears ad.
When customers click "Weekly Store Ad" on sears.com, they now can insert their zip code to see the local ad for their nearest Sears full-line store. Shoppers also can:
-- Browse ads via a specific product, product category or brand search
-- Create "My Printable Shopping List" from the ad to bring to the store
-- Click an option to purchase products immediately online -- or via phone
-- for those advertised products also sold on sears.com.
To provide the Internet-enhanced ads online service, Sears, Roebuck and Co. teamed up with CrossMedia Services, Inc., of Chicago, a leading online provider of in-store promotional services for the Web sites of retail advertisers and manufacturers.
"Our interactive online ads allow Sears customers to shop our promotional ads in a way never before possible, while providing an additional channel of distribution for one of Sears most important communications vehicles," said Matthew Spahn, Sears director of media planning and analysis. "Sears shoppers can browse the localized ads online for sales in each of our product categories, or be very focused on what they're looking for and conduct word searches for local promotional sales on specific types of products -- such as Levi's jeans, watches, microwaves, laptop computers, Makita drills or Craftsman tools."
Spahn added, "The capabilities of searching, creating shopping lists and buying directly from the ad foreshadows the future of retailing and the Internet. The unusually strong ad search capability provided by CrossMedia Services helps shoppers even more easily shop Sears."
"CrossMedia Services helped Sears, one of the nation's largest print advertisers, to leverage the convenience and efficiency of the Internet to distribute sales and promotional content in a way that is truly meaningful to consumers," said Brian Hand, CEO and founder of CrossMedia Services. "Based on the strong initial consumer interest in Sears ads online, we expect other retailers to follow Sears example of enhancing the online ad shopping experience."
Sears ads online are updated twice weekly, to reflect Sears most recent promotions. Currently, the online ads include all primary in-store product categories in Sears full-line stores, except tires. At this time, online ads do not include promotions for Sears Home Central home improvement products and services, nor for Sears licensed businesses such as Sears Portrait Studio and Sears Optical.
Product categories that may be ordered online or via phone directly from the weekly Sears ad online include: major and small appliances, housewares, home electronics/home office, lawn and garden equipment, tools, fitness and recreation equipment and some baby products. These are the categories sold on sears.com.
CrossMedia Services, Inc., formerly SalesHound, Inc., is the leading online sales and promotional service provider offering retail advertisers and manufacturers a complete solution for extending their print advertising to millions of online consumers. CrossMedia Services strengthens shopper loyalty and shopping frequency by presenting up-to-date, localized promotions to consumers through retailers' or manufacturers' Web sites. The sales information is also distributed to millions of users through third party Web sites, including some of the most popular online destinations. For more information, visit http://www.crossmediaservices.com/ .
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading retailer of apparel, home and automotive products and services, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. The company serves families in the U.S. through Sears stores nationwide, including approximately 860 full-line stores. Sears also offers a wide variety of merchandise and services through its Web site, http://www.sears.com/ .
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Contact: Ann Woolman for sears.com, +1-847-286-7079, awoolma@sears.com ,
or Marc Kravitz of CrossMedia Services, +1-312-280-5800 ext. 122,
mkravitz@crossmediaservices.com
Website: http://www.crossmediaservices.com/
Website: http://www.sears.com/