Sears Adds Top Appliance Brands to Local Hardware Store

Tomorrow, Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S), will celebrate the opening of appliance departments and the addition of the nation's top appliance brands in 28 Sears Hardware stores in six states. During grand opening weekend, consumers can enter a drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree*; enter a drawing for a $1,000 set of Frigidaire appliances*; 0% financing; discounts of $5 off a $25 purchase or $10 off a $50 purchase.

Sears Appliances and Hardware sells products in four core businesses: Appliances, Lawn and Garden, plus Paint and Tools, in addition to a robust Hardware offering. Consumers can select from 260 appliance models, including up to 50 models that can be bought and taken home by customers the same day. Major appliances sold at the stores include: Countertop microwaves, dishwashers, dryers, freezers, over-the-range microwaves, ranges, refrigerators and washers. Sears also has increased its offering of economy appliances and is displaying appliances by brand in a "good," "better," "best" floor layout in the stores.

The addition of appliances is not the only change at these 28 stores. Other changes include:

  * Permanent displays of patio furniture and grills;
  * Elimination of "top stock" inventory and signs over the aisles, both of
   which improve the visibility and lighting in the stores; and
  * A new assortment of hardware merchandise for the "do-it-yourselfer".

"Sears is the leading retailer of appliances with double the market share of our closest competitor. This format gives us the ability to extend our great appliance offering in a new way, right in our customers' neighborhoods," said Bob Gartner, vice president and general merchandise manager of Sears Hardware.

Only Sears sells the top six appliance brands, including: Amana, Frigidaire, G.E., Maytag, Whirlpool and the nation's leading appliance brand -- Kenmore and Kenmore Elite.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. operates more than 160 "Sears Hardware" stores nationwide. The first Sears Appliances and Hardware store opened in Batavia, Ill. in March, 2003. Sears, Roebuck and Co. opened its first Sears Hardware store in 1983, debuted the larger 20,000-sq. ft. store format in 1995 and introduced 55,000-sq. ft. Sears Hardware stores in 2000. Sears also operates 82 "Orchard Supply Hardware" (OSH) stores in California.

  * Shopping Spree:  No Purchase Necessary, Must be a legal U.S. resident,
   18 and over.  Sweepstakes a starts 10/16/04 and ends 10/23/04.  Void
   where prohibited.  Official rules posted in store.

Frigidaire Appliances Sweepstakes: No Purchase Necessary. To enter the sweepstakes without making a purchase, hand-print your name, complete address, birth date and daytime phone number on an approximately 3"X5" card, place in envelope and mail to: Sear Hardware/Frigidaire Appliance Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 932, Lombard, IL 60148-0932. All entries must be postmarked by 10/25/04 and received by 11/1/04. You may enter as often as you wish, but limit one entry per postmarked envelope. Must be a legal U.S. resident, 18 and over. Sweepstakes starts 10/16/04 and ends 10/23/04. Void where prohibited. Official Rules posted in store.

   Sears Hardware Stores Opening Appliance Departments on Oct. 16, 2004

   Connecticut:
   Hamden                            2335 Dixwell Ave. (Rt. 10)
   Shelton                           705 Bridgeport Ave.
   Wallingford                       852 N. Colony

   Illinois:
   Lake Zurich                       832 South Rand Road
   Lake in the Hills                 120 N. Randall Road
   Lemont                            1146 State Street
   McHenry                           1750 Richmond Road
   Schaumburg                        301 S. Barrington Rd.

   Indiana:
   Valparaiso                        1270 Strongbow

   New Jersey:
   Bergenfield                       450 S. Washington St.
   Cedar Knolls                      235 Ridgedale
   Glassboro                         616 N. Delsea Dr. (Rt. 47)
   Hackettstown                      1885 Route 57 Unit 400
   Howell                            4010 Route 9 South
   Newton                            13 Hampton House/Rt. 206N
   Roselle                           551-556 Raritan Road
   South Plainfield                  911 Oak Tree Road
   West Caldwell                     985 Bloomfield Ave., Ste. 2
   West Orange                       I-280 and Prospect Ave.

   Pennsylvania:
   Collegeville                      305 Second Ave., Ste. 201
   Easton                            3762 Easton-Nazareth Hwy.
   Huntingdon Valley                 2170 County Line Road
   Kennett Square                    817 E. Baltimore Pike
   Morrisville                       229 Plaza Blvd.
   Trexlertown                       7150 Hamilton Blvd., Box 808
   Warrington                        1661 Easton Rd, C-1

   Wisconsin:
   Germantown                        N 96 W 18650 Country Line Rd.
   Grafton                           1715 Wisconsin Ave.

  About Sears

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. With revenues in 2003 of $41.1 billion, the company 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 U.S. and Canada, which includes approximately 870 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears is the only retailer where consumers can find each of the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End brands together -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the largest provider of product repair services with more than 14 million service calls made annually.

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

CONTACT: Larry Costello, Sears PR, +1-847-286-9036, lcoste5@sears.com; or
Marlene Tsareff, MR&A, +1-317-769-7600

Web site: http://www.sears.com/