Sears Hometown Stores Reveals Updated Retail Strategy in Three Maine Locations

CARIBOU, Maine, Oct. 10, 2016 -- Evolving to meet changing consumer needs and to embrace its nationwide branding as “America’s Appliance Experts®,” the refresh of three Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores in Maine culminates with a grand reopening celebration October 14-15, 2016 at the locations in Belfast, Caribou and Newport. Throughout the celebration weekend, consumers are invited to enjoy an additional discount of 10 percent off almost everything in the store.*

The store refresh includes a new product assortment, redesigned merchandising, new fixtures & signage, and comprehensive employee training, among other changes.

“The implementation of our new retail strategy modernizes the way customers will shop at our stores, making the process faster and easier,” said Denise Cross, a district manager of Sears Hometown Stores in Maine. “Our highly trained sales team is able to lead customers to the brand name and high-performing appliances that suit their needs the best, while still offering the lowest prices possible. We’ve also redesigned the sales floor to create easy-to-shop vignettes and displays showing key differentiators between 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.

As part of the refresh, the Maine Sears Hometown Stores provide industry leading comprehensive training to store associates, including brand specific selling certification. These brand certified sales associates help ensure customers find the best product for their needs at the best possible price. Maine customers 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. With the touch-screen kiosk, 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 Maine Sears Hometown Stores are leading the way for the integration of touch-screen devices into the sales process.

The Maine locations are part of a system-wide refresh of all Sears Hometown Store locations. The Company began updating units in 2015 and now has more than 480 “America’s Appliance Experts” locations across the United States. To learn more about Sears Hometown Stores, visit www.searshometownstores.com. 

* Subject to certain exclusions, as detailed in print ad promotions available in the store. Also, not available on price-matched merchandise.

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 July 30, 2016, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. and its dealers and franchisees operated 1,123 stores across all 50 states as well as in Puerto Rico and Bermuda. In addition to merchandise, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. provide consumers with access to a full suite of services, including home delivery, installation and extended service contracts.

Operating through two segments—the Sears Hometown and Hardware segment and the Sears Outlet segment—Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries offer franchise and dealership opportunities focused on selling, as applicable, top brand home appliances, hardware, tools, lawn and garden equipment and outlet merchandise. For more information about Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores, Inc., visit www.shos.com. To learn about the opportunity to own and operate a store format, visit www.ownasearsstore.com.

For more information contact: 
Jayne Levy, (847) 945-1300 or [email protected] or visit our corporate website at www.shos.com.