National Layaway Week Marks the Beginning of the Holiday Shopping Season

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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- With budgeting becoming a greater concern over the past few years, Kmart and Sears have made their interest-free layaway a greater focal-point for their customers.  To encourage shoppers to take advantage of this incredibly relevant shopping solution, the mass retailers are again declaring National Layaway Week Oct. 4 through Oct. 8, 2010.

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Along with in-store layaway, customers continue to enjoy the benefit of the online layaway program by visiting Kmart's and Sears' websites.  Online layaway allows customers to shop for items, pay over time and pick up their merchandise right in time for the holidays.  

To further help their customers, Sears and Kmart have extended their layaway programs to include home appliances for the very first time. In addition, Kmart and Sears stores nationwide now offer extended layaway, giving shoppers the option of paying over eight or 12 weeks (minimum purchase required).

"We are proud to be the leader in offering layaway to today's shoppers," says Susan Ehrlich, President, Sears Financial Services. "Layaway is an easy, convenient option for paying off merchandise purchases over time with no interest – and our online payments option makes this even easier today. We're helping make those big purchases as affordable as possible."

Major markets around the country, including Los Angeles, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Louisville, Ky., have all issued proclamations declaring Layaway Week.  In addition, comedian, author, TV show host and radio personality Steve Harvey will broadcast the Steve Harvey Morning Show live at Kmart located at 2915 N Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 8th.

For more information about the layaway programs* available at Kmart and Sears, visit http://www.kmart.com/layaway or http://www.sears.com/layaway.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.  Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics and automotive repair and maintenance.  Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands.  It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart.  We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually.  Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.  For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com.

*Requires down and biweekly payments.  All fees non-negotiable.  Cancellation fees apply.  Not available at all stores.  Exclusions apply.  See store for details.

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation