Sears Connects With Holiday Shoppers With New Approach to Online Toy Shopping

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Sears has expanded its popular online Sears Toy Shop to provide parents with a trusted and fun resource for toy advice. The Sears Toy Shop website offers a full range of toys, from the hottest of the holiday season to all-time-favorite classics and Sears exclusives that will inspire imaginative play.

In today's tech-savvy society, consumers are going online for toy shopping at an increasing rate. Even in a flat toy market, Forrester Research reported in January 2010 that the two-year compound annual growth rate for online sales in the category is 21.5 percent. To help make shopping for toys more convenient, Sears designed Sears Toy Shop as a hub of tips and advice to empower parents as they seek the right mix of toys that will engage their children in meaningful and enriching ways.

"We know that our customers are shopping online for their gifts this holiday season, and Sears is committed to providing parents with the tools, guidance and toy selection they want," said Hugo Malan, SVP and president, Fitness, Sporting Goods and Toys. "We are always looking for new and exciting ways to reach out to kids and parents. The Sears Toy Shop is just one of many offerings to help make the holiday shopping season more fun and enjoyable."

To help parents build a collection of the all-time best toys and games, the Sears Toy Shop features a unique Toy Chest Essentials tool that hosts toy expert advice combined with timeless toys for each age group. To help guide gift givers, Toy Chest Essentials features toy expert reviews to help shoppers easily find the perfect gift, highlighting benefits that ignite play.  Contributing experts include some of the most respected and knowledgeable professionals in the area of toys, play and child development, including Stevanne Auerbach, also known as Dr. Toy, and Chris Bensch, curator from the Strong® National Museum of Play, a highly interactive, collections-based educational institution devoted to the study and exploration of play.

Beloved classics that moms and dads will likely remember as favorites from their own childhood -- from the iconic Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots to exclusives like My First Kenmore Elite™ Kitchen -- can be found using the Toy Finder function. Shoppers can search the entire toy collection by age or brand using the Toy Finder tool to ensure that every purchase is a perfect match.

The website also features a Sears Top Toy Picks section that lists the latest products that seasoned Sears toy buyers agree have great play value and will keep kids entertained far beyond the holidays. Another valuable feature available on the Sears Toy Shop site is Playdate Place, a community where parents can share tips and advice on the best toys to help them create the ultimate play date.

“In today’s tougher economic times, parents are really looking to find toys for their kids that have lasting play value,” said Julia Fitzgerald, Chief Digital Engagement Officer, Toys and Sporting Goods for Sears Holdings. “With so many toy options these days, it’s important that parents find the best toys to keep their kids engaged far beyond the holidays, and the Sears Toy Shop website offers a variety of tools to help.”

In the tradition of the iconic Sears Wish Book, now kids can create their own Sears Toy Shop Wish List online. When a parent shares the Wish List on Facebook, they will receive an instant coupon code and be entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win $25,000 for education expenses.

Additional highlights of the Sears Toy Shop include:

• A wide variety of toys that excite kids and parents alike, such as, power brands like Fisher Price, LeapFrog, Hasbro, Bakugan and VTech; specialty items from brands like Schylling, Thomas Wooden Railway, Gund Plush, Madame Alexander and more; as well as Sears' exclusive brands like My First Craftsman, My First Kenmore and Just Kidz.
• Plus, this season customers can take advantage of free gift wrapping on many of our toy items.
• Exclusive sales and shipping promotions, on toys that will delight kids and help customers stay on budget.  

For more information, or to shop online visit www.sears.com/toys.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck 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 United States and Canada, which includes approximately 929 full-line and approximately 1,200 specialty stores in the U.S.  Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Sears, Roebuck and Co.