Sears Home Services to Provide Delivery and Installation for Products Purchased at U.S. Military Exchanges

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears Home Services announced today that it has entered into separate agreements with the Exchange (previously known as the Army and Air Force Exchange Services) and Navy Exchange Services (NEX) to provide delivery and installation services for merchandise sold at these military exchange stores in the continental U.S.  The relationship began in October 2010 with a pilot between Sears Home Services and the Exchange in select locations.  Based on the initial success of the pilot, the organizations began the nationwide launch in Exchange locations on June 8, 2011.  Sears Home Services also introduced a similar program in NEXCOM facilities.  The NEXCOM national roll-out started on June 15, 2011.  

"This is an important strategic move for our Home Services business as we focus on external growth opportunities," said Stu Reed, president of Home Services for Sears Holdings. "And it's a fit with our corporate support of U.S. military, exemplified by our 'Heroes at Home' program."

For years, Sears Holdings has been one of the nation's strongest corporate supporters of the U.S. military personnel with programs like 'Heroes at Home', which aims to improve American military families' lives by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. The Heroes at Home program will renovate more than 300 homes in 2011 and Sears will celebrate the 1000th Heroes at Home renovation in September.

In addition to the Heroes at Home program, Sears Holdings is one of the top employers of military veterans and provides numerous recruiting and employment programs to support service members and their families. In May, the company launched its Permanent Change of Duty Station Promise to military associates employed by the retailer, which helps associates transfer to a Sears Holdings store close to their new community. Furthermore, Sears Holdings offers a military pay differential to full-time Sears associates who are reservists, serving on active duty. Reservists who are employed full time are allowed to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs.

About Sears Home Services

Sears Home Service, the nation's largest product repair service provider, is a key element in Sears Holdings' active relationship with over 44 million households.  With more than 8,600 service technicians making over 11 million service calls annually, this business delivers a broad range of retail-related residential and commercial services across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.  Sears Home Services also includes home improvement services (primarily siding, windows, cabinet refacing, kitchen remodeling, roofing, carpet, and upholstery cleaning, air duct cleaning and garage door installation and repair).  For more information about Sears Home Services, visit the website at www.searshomeservices.com.

Sears Home Services is a division of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with more than 4,000 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.  For more information, visit the website at www.searshomeservices.com.

About The Exchange

Based in Dallas, the Exchange is a joint command and is directed by a Board of Directors which is responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through the Service Chiefs of Staff. The Exchange has the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with articles of merchandise and services and generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR) programs. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http://www.shopmyexchange.com.

About NEXCOM

The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) is headquarters for the worldwide Navy Exchange System that oversees 104 NEX facilities and nearly 300 stores worldwide; 40 Navy Lodges; Ship's Stores; Uniform Program Management Office.  NEXCOM's parent command is the Naval Supply Systems Command.  NEXCOM's mission is to provide authorized customers quality goods and services at a savings and to support quality of life programs for active duty military, retirees, reservists and their families.  The Navy Exchange enterprise operates primarily as a non-appropriated fund (NAF) business instrumentality.  Revenues generated are used to support Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs.  In FY10, $2.6 billion in sales were generated with $48.4 million in dividends provided to Navy MWR programs.  

SOURCE Sears Home Services