Sears Canada launches 60th anniversary shoppable iPad application for Wish Book

Celebrating 60 years of Wishes

TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2012 /CNW/ - In 2011 Sears Canada gave customers a new way to experience the much-loved Wish Book with Canada's first shoppable iPad catalogue application.

Recognized as one of the most trusted authorities for all Holiday must-haves and really-wants, a family's Wish Book is a highly coveted household fixture during the Christmas season.  Family members often find it difficult to be permitted the time they need with the catalogue at any one sitting, with children hovering impatiently over their shoulders waiting for their turn.  With a tug-of-war averse frame of mind, or just for the convenience of toying with the app and taking advantage of all of its features, Canadians responded overwhelmingly in 2011 with thousands of downloads of the app from the Apple iTunes store.

Due to the tremendous response, Sears developed a permanent Sears iPad Catalogue App on which will be placed various content throughout any given year, the first of which appears today in the form of the 60^th anniversary Wish Book.

"As Sears celebrates 60 years of wishes this Holiday season we are thrilled to offer our customers another exciting way to shop for all their Holiday gifts through our new iPad Catalogue app, which launches with the 2012 Wish Book," said Calvin McDonald, President and CEO, Sears Canada.  "It's fun, interactive and filled with convenient advantages that make Christmas shopping easier than ever and a lot of fun!  The app solidifies Sears as a leader when it comes to innovative approaches to Holiday season gift shopping, a place it has held in the hearts and minds of Canadians for six decades."

The app features a smart, responsive pinch and zoom function, as well as a simple, intuitive navigation and browsing experience, new for 2012.  An additional incentive for customers is access to exclusive notifications of new catalogues, promotions and specials.

Great Holiday gifting solutions included in the app:

• Wish Lists: Each family member can create their own Wish List of must-haves and share via email, Twitter or Facebook
• Bookmarks: Highlight individual pages to remember that special gift for that special someone
• Sears Products go Social: Share individual products via email, Twitter or Facebook to let everyone know the wishes of the season.

As Sears builds its mobile presence in the market, this Holiday season it has also released an iPhone Toy Chest game app.  This tap-and-play app includes three fun, brain-teasing games that are perfect for preschool kids aged 2-5. The three games featured are all unique, with varying levels of difficulty:

Memory Match

• Challenge a child's memory!  Tap on cards to uncover hidden toys: find matching pairs and score points

Bug Explorer

• In this bug hunt kids see how many bugs they can catch before time runs out.  Kids can choose from 15 different bugs to catch, including lady bugs, butterflies, purple beetles and bumble bees.

Picture Sleuth

• This is an update on the classic spot-the-difference game.  The child simply taps all the spots that are different on one of the drawings to win the game.

Sears continues to lead the Canadian retail industry in the use of technology and innovation, helping make shopping for the Holiday season a little less hectic and a little more fun.

The iPad Sears Catalogue app and iPhone Toy Chest app are available for download via the Apple iTunes App Store or www.sears.ca/app.

Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network that includes 197 corporate stores, 276 hometown dealer stores, 20 home services showrooms, over 1,500 catalogue and online merchandise pick-up locations, 104 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and installation network. The Company also publishes Canada's most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

SOURCE: Sears Canada Inc.