CONTACT:
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
EPA Names Sears Holdings 2010 ENERGY STAR(R) Retail Partner of the Year Sears Gains National Recognition for its Longstanding Commitment to ENERGY
STAR
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Sears Holdings Corporation
(Nasdaq: SHLD) the 2010 ENERGY STAR? Retail Partner of the Year for its
outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through its
numerous initiatives focusing on educating customers about energy-efficient
products. Sears' efforts also made it easier and more affordable for
customers to obtain ENERGY STAR products. In honor of the national
recognition and to show appreciation for customers' ongoing support, Sears'
stores nationwide and online at Sears.com will offer an extra five percent
off all ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances from March 1-4, 2010.
"We're honored to be named this year's Retail Partner of the Year for
our efforts to make ENERGY STAR-qualified products more accessible and
understandable to our customers," said Bruce Johnson, interim chief
executive officer and president for Sears Holdings. "ENERGY STAR-qualified
products address environmental concerns while simultaneously providing
great value to our customers. We are pleased that our home appliance
business was able to increase sales of ENERGY STAR-qualified products in a
very challenging economy. And 91 percent of our home electronics products
sold were ENERGY STAR-qualified. We have taken out a national print ad
today thanking our customers for making the switch to ENERGY STAR-qualified
products," said Johnson.
Sears' efforts in 2009 to promote ENERGY STAR-qualified products helped
customers save money on their utility bills, which in turn, contributed to
helping protect the environment. In fact last year alone, Americans, with
the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $17 billion on their energy bills and
reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 30 million
vehicles.
Sears Holdings, an ENERGY STAR partner since joining in 1998, has been
recognized for its leadership in educating customers about energy-efficient
products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol of energy
efficiency. The following efforts by Sears, Roebuck and Co. contributed to
Sears Holdings earning the 2010 ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year:
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-- Responsible Appliance Disposal: Sears is proud to be the only retail
member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Responsible Appliance
Disposal program - RAD. Through the RAD program, Sears took millions of
energy inefficient appliances off the grid and disposed of them
properly. Sears and its partners ensure that the disposal process takes
place in an environmentally friendly manner to avoid the discarding of
appliances in landfills. Many of the components of the old appliance are
then recycled.
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-- Customer Awareness and Marketing: Sears strongly featured the ENERGY
STAR logo in print materials, increasing by 40% the number of ENERGY
STAR logos in its ads, achieving over 40.8 billion impressions. Sears
also provided customers with information on the benefits of ENERGY STAR
through brochures, "Did You Know" circulars and its various Web sites.
In February Sears' Home Appliance business introduced the Home Appliance
Research center and online rebate center as a means for consumers to get
product information, access utility rebates and find competitive
pricing, all while in the store or on sears.com/energystar. In broadcast
media Sears ran two dedicated ENERGY STAR commercials, and also featured
ENERGY STAR products in popular television shows such as ABC TV's
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Sears also promoted ENERGY
STAR-qualified products through its public relations activities at the
Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and donated products to worthy families in
collaboration with Rebuilding Together and Sears' "Heroes at Home" cause
marketing program. This included events in Washington, D.C. and New
Orleans.
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-- Product Selections: Sears increased the number of ENERGY STAR-qualified
products available across all eligible areas including: tools, lawn and
garden, seasonal lighting, televisions and home appliances. For example,
the lawn and garden business introduced its first ENERGY STAR-qualified
product. The Home Appliance business increased total ENERGY
STAR-qualified SKUs to over 200, representing over 60 percent of the
total assortment
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-- Training: Sears continued its rigorous Home Appliances and Home
Electronics training programs to ensure a best-in-class sales force that
is knowledgeable about energy efficiency. Key training initiatives
included road shows where associates from more than 100 locations across
the U.S. received hands-on ENERGY STAR training in preparation for the
"Cash for Appliances" rebate program. Sears also developed training DVDs
that featured ENERGY STAR information.
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-- Partnerships: Sears made significant strides in developing its
partnership with the EPA and other non-utility entities in 2009
including the Boston ENERGY STAR exhibit house, helping with the ENERGY
STAR partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, and serving as the lead
sponsor for the Department of Energy's and EPA's annual ENERGY STAR
partner meetings for Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances. Sears
also continued its commitment to developing utility partnerships to help
make ENERGY STAR-qualified products more affordable for consumers.
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-- Promotions: Committed to giving consumers access to ENERGY
STAR-qualified products, Sears Home Appliance merchants ran multiple
promotions throughout the year specifically around these products.
Looking ahead through this year, Sears Holdings will continue to expand
upon its efforts to bring ENERGY STAR to consumers. Specifically, it plans
to:
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-- Move from providing customers with information to creating an experience
where customers can interact with ENERGY STAR
-- Increase the number of ENERGY STAR-qualified products offered as well as
expand the selection into new areas
-- Incorporate the online ENERGY STAR tools, such as the energy savings
calculator, into the store experience through its Home Appliance
Research Center, online kiosks or netbooks
-- Continue to create unique offers exclusively for ENERGY STAR-qualified
products, particularly around the U.S. Department of Energy's $300
million State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP), also
know as "Cash for Appliances"
-- Create more in-store "Did you Knows" to further communicate the savings
facts of ENERGY STAR-qualified products
"Sears Holdings is leading the way in creating solutions to climate
change through greater energy efficiency," said Gina McCarthy, EPA
assistant administrator for Air and Radiation. "Through the sales and
marketing of quality products in numerous categories that have earned the
ENERGY STAR, Sears Holdings is helping customers increase their energy
efficiency while reducing our nation's emissions of greenhouse gases."
The 2010 Partner of the Year Awards are given to manufacturers and
retailers that successfully promote and deliver ENERGY STAR-qualified
products, saving consumers money and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Award winners are selected from more than 17,000 organizations that
participate in the ENERGY STAR program. Sears Holdings' accomplishments
will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 18,
2010.
For more information on Sears ENERGY STAR efforts, visit
http://www.sears.com/energystar
For more information on Sears Green Corporate Initiatives, visit
http://www.sears.com/green
About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline
retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in
the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance
retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics
and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY
STAR? Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore,
Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such
well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the
Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection,
which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider
of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually.
Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including
Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit
Sears Holdings' website at http://www.searsholdings.com.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers
businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money
and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 17,000
organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy
efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more
information about ENERGY STAR, visit http://www.energystar.gov or call toll-free
1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
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Media Contacts:
Larry Costello Sarah Yansura Maria Vargas
Sears Holdings Euro RSCG Worldwide PR EPA
847-286-9036 212-367-6804 202-343-9178
Larry.costello@searshc.com Sarah.Yansura@eurorscg.com vargas.maria@epa.gov
SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation
Web site: http://www.searsholdings.com
Company News On Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/923204.html
CONTACT: Larry Costello of Sears Holdings, +1-847-286-9036,
Larry.costello@searshc.com; or Sarah Yansura of Euro RSCG
Worldwide PR, +1-212-367-6804, Sarah.Yansura@eurorscg.com; or
Maria Vargas of EPA, +1-202-343-9178, vargas.maria@epa.gov
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