Retail Refresh: Four Sears Hometown Stores in North Carolina Reveal New Appliance Merchandising Strategy

 Grand Reopening Celebrations December 3-6 to Unveil New Product Assortment, Redesigned Merchandising, Comprehensive Employee Training and More

BOONE, N.C. (November 30, 2015) – Evolving to meet changing consumer needs and to embrace its nationwide branding as “America’s Appliance Experts,” the refresh of four Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores in North Carolina culminates with a grand reopening celebration December 3-6, 2015 at the locations in Boone, Brevard, Marion and Spruce Pine. The store refresh includes a new product assortment, redesigned merchandising, new fixtures & signage, and comprehensive employee training, among other changes.

“Our goal with the refresh is to make the often overwhelming experience of appliance shopping much faster and more approachable,” said Jamey Jones, a district manager of Sears Hometown Stores in North Carolina. “The community can rely on our sales associates, who are specially trained to become America’s Appliance Experts and deliver the best and most up-to-date information about our wide variety of products.”

In the new store design, appliances will occupy more than half of the sales floor and include more brands with an improved presentation. The stores will also focus its appliances on innovative and value-added products from Whirlpool®, Maytag®, KitchenAid®, Samsung® and Kenmore®.

The new floor plan also includes the ability to showcase complete kitchen packages through the addition of three kitchen vignettes. This allows stores to display an entire four-piece kitchen from multiple brands in a small amount of floor space, making it easier for customers to choose products. Another new feature that simplifies the buying process is a designated laundry innovation area, showcasing multiple brands and innovations that lets customers easily explore the differences between the various product lines.

Customers in North Carolina also benefit from a new touch-screen kiosk where they can work with a salesperson or browse on their own to explore product options or make purchases. In addition, the North Carolina Sears Hometown Stores provide industry-leading, comprehensive training to store associates, including brand specific selling certification. These brand certified sales associates incorporate tablets when helping customers to ensure they find the best product for their needs at the best possible price. With the tablet, associates and customers can review product features and benefits as well as various models from the entire online database of Sears products – all while browsing models around the sales floor. Among major retailers, the North Carolina Sears Hometown Stores are leading the way for the integration of tablets into the sales process.

The North Carolina locations are part of a system-wide refresh of all Sears Hometown Store locations. The Company began updating units earlier this year and now has nearly 180 “America’s Appliance Experts” locations across the United States. To learn more about Sears Hometown Stores, visit www.searshometownstores.com.  

For more information contact: Jayne Levy at (847) 945-1300 or jlevy@fishmanpr.com or visit our corporate website at www.shos.com.

About Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOS) is a national retailer primarily focused on selling home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, tools and hardware. As of
August 1, 2015, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. and its dealers and franchisees operated 1,215 stores across all 50 states as well as in Puerto Rico and Bermuda.

In addition to merchandise, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. provides consumers with access to a full suite of services, including home delivery, installation and extended service contracts.

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. operates through two segments—the Sears Hometown and Hardware segment and the Sears Outlet segment. The Sears Hometown and Hardware segment’s stores are designed to provide customers with in-store and online access to a wide selection of national brands of home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, tools, sporting goods and household goods, depending on the particular store. The Sears Outlet stores are designed to provide customers with in-store and online access to purchase new, one-of-a-kind, out-of-carton, discontinued, reconditioned, overstocked and scratched and dented products across a broad assortment of merchandise categories, including home appliances, apparel, mattresses, sporting goods, tools and lawn and garden equipment at prices that are significantly lower than list prices.

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