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Leading

the Charge

Rather than panicking about how to handle holiday shoppers, Sears Holdings became focused and boosted its online presence. Imran Jooma gives us the scoop. o say consumers are more sensitive to saving time and money this year is an understatement. But to say retailers are in a panic aboutfindingways to offer both is quite accurate. In the midst of this maelstrom, Sears Holdings has stayed focused by positioning itself as a leader in the world of online retail by transforming the way shoppers can approach this holiday season. To start, the company launched a campaign called Shop Your Way, which gives customers the flexibility to quite literally shop the way they feel most comfortable.

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Whether it's coming into any Sears or Kmart location; going online to Sears.com, Kmart.com, LandsEnd.com, or TheGreatIndoors.com, all of which fall under the Sears Holding umbrella; or going on the company's new Sears2Go mobile application site, the strength of this campaign lies in the tact that the company offers consumers the ability to select any item, anywhere, and any way. "Sears.com is so committed to providing an exceptional shopping experience that we will personally help you find the exact product you are looking for, even if it is not from our Web site," said Imran Jooma, senior vice president, online for Sears Holdings Corporation. "Simply send in your request to our Personal Shopper via e-mail or chat, and we will do the rest of the work for you,"

in-depth details on a specific product. There are also decisionmaking and search tools to pin down which product would best fit a customer's need and to let the customer know exactly where to find it. Sears Holdings also developed a community site, MySears.com, to give consumers unbiased reviews on products, as well as a place to participate in getting ideas, giving ideas, and sharing knowledge. "We have placed a lot of emphasis on product reviews because we want our customers to feel absolutely...