Kmart® Welcomes Back-to-School Shoppers with 'Epic Year, Epic You!' Campaign

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kmart is launching a comprehensive back-to-school campaign, "Epic Year, Epic You!," centered around meeting customers' evolving needs for the 2011 back-to-school season. Recognizing that value means more than low prices to customers, Kmart is committed to providing back-to-school shoppers with the quality products, services and offerings they are seeking while also maintaining affordability.

"We're thrilled to be launching our 'Epic Year, Epic You!' campaign, especially as shoppers are looking for better back-to-school deals even earlier in the year so they can enjoy the rest of their summer," said Mark Snyder, chief marketing officer, Kmart. "This back-to-school campaign and respective offers are a reflection on our focus to ensure our customers have an amazing variety of quality products that are truly affordable."

"The back-to-school shopping season is more than just for students, with some 7.2 million teachers and other school employees going back to work and among the pool of potential shoppers," Michael Niemira, vice president, chief economist and director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), told DailyFinance(1). With that knowledge in mind, Kmart is continuing to be responsive to its customers' needs, both by offering more products shoppers want and by providing them with more ways in which to purchase them.

Just in time for back-to-school, Protege is launching the Protege Giveback Movement, aimed at empowering our communities and giving back to young people. For more information, please visit www.protegemvp.com.

As added incentive to explore and purchase, Kmart continues to provide shoppers with the most convenient ways to shop. The retailer's multiple online buying options include traditional online purchasing, its industry-leading Buy Online, Pick Up in Store option (powered by mygofer, this service is now available in more than 600 Kmart stores via either mygofer.com or Kmart.com) and its easily accessible online layaway plan. Kmart also offers customers the ability to earn points buying the things they want and need through its Shop Your Way Rewards loyalty program.

In addition to its in-store layaway program that allows customers the ability to reserve purchases now, pay over time (with eight- to 12-week contracts) and pick up items right in time for the beginning of the school year, Kmart is offering the new option this year for college students and their parents to shop online, make four easy payments throughout the summer and pick up the items at a Kmart store nearest their campus.

Layaway is a reflection of Kmart being nimble in these tough economic conditions—honoring its commitment to improve the lives of its customers by providing quality services, products and solutions that earn their trust and build lifetime relationships. In fact, Kmart's in-store layaway option has experienced double-digit growth since 2008, and the layaway program at Kmart and at its sister company Sears has resulted in more than three million new customer relationships in 2008 and 2009. For more information, visit www.kmart.com/layaway.

Kmart is also addressing the growing multicultural market this back-to-school season. The retailer has recently kicked off its Latina Smart platform as an avenue to reach the online-savvy Hispanic female blogger community. And alongside its fashionable Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez line, Kmart recently entered into an exclusive apparel agreement with Sofia Vergara, the "Modern Family" star who has become a beauty and fashion icon across the country.

For more information on Kmart throughout the back-to-school season, visit http://www.kmartepk.com/ and http://www.kmartepk.com/espanol.html.

About Kmart

Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that includes Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, County Living, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company's website at www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

(1) http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/08/retail-watchers-predict-a-better-back-to-school-sales-season/

SOURCE Kmart