Sears.com Announces Free Holiday Shipping to APO/FPO Addresses, Reduced Shipping Rates Post-Holiday
Change Helps Families Spread Holiday Cheer and Good Wishes to Troops and Others Serving Abroad
As part of its ongoing effort to support the families and friends of U.S. military troops and civilians serving abroad, Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s (NYSE: S) online channel, Sears.com today announced that it is extending its free holiday shipping promotion to include APO/FPO addresses. Sears.com is also reducing its shipping rates to APO/FPO addresses to match those of standard U.S. addresses.
The changes will help families and friends of loved ones serving abroad send gifts and good wishes more affordably and more conveniently. Sears.com () had previously offered free holiday shipping only to standard U.S. addresses. Shipping to APO/FPO addresses throughout the year was done at a higher rate as it is often a challenge to find shippers or retailers who can get packages to APO/FPO addresses and customers often pay higher shipping rates to get gifts to troops. "With record numbers of military and civilian personnel deployed, we feel strongly that we need to make sharing gifts easier for military families and friends," explained Bill Bass, vice president and general manager of Sears Customer Direct.
More than half of this year's holiday shoppers will be using the Web to research gift ideas and make purchases online, and Sears wants its customers to take full advantage of these values.
Sears' offerings to online customers this holiday season include:
-- The option to buy products online and pick them up in store
-- Free shipping on most items under 70 lbs. - including APO/FPO addresses
- purchased before December 21, 2004
-- A new holiday gift center to guide consumers in selecting gifts by
price, popularity and gender
-- Popular gifts including the Apple iPod by HP- 20GB MP3 player only
available on Sears.com, Halo 2 for XBOX, and the 4-in-1 Laser Level and
Laser-guided Measuring Tool Combo Kit featuring Laser Trac
This holiday, Sears' customers have more choices than ever for getting the best gifts for everyone on their lists - no matter where they live.
About Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. With revenues in 2003 of $41.1 billion, the company 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 U.S. and Canada, which includes approximately 870 full-line and 1,300 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears is the only retailer where consumers can find each of the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End brands together - among the most trusted and preferred
brands in the U.S. The company is the largest provider of product repair services with more than 14 million services calls made annually.
About Sears' Commitment to Military Families
Sears recently made a $2 million contribution to the military community through the National Military Family Association (NMFA). The company's support for military families is part of the Sears American Dream Campaign's commitment to strengthening families, homes and communities nationwide. Sears' American Dream Campaign is the company's multi-year, $100 million commitment to strengthen families, homes and communities. From helping low- and moderate-income homeowners nationwide outfit and maintain their homes, to assisting victims of natural disasters, to providing thousands of children with new apparel, the Sears American Dream Campaign is making a meaningful difference in communities across the nation.
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
CONTACT: Media: Jessica Priego, +1-847-286-0751 or jpriego@sears.com, or
Chris Brathwaite, +1-857-286-4681 or cbrathw@sears.com
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