Sears and Kmart Mobilize to Help Residents Recover From Superstorm Sandy

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of a long standing commitment to their customers, two of America's largest retailers, Sears and Kmart, are helping to lead the charge in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy by mobilizing their national distribution network, ensuring much-needed supplies arrive quickly to the East Coast, and through SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS, providing up to $350 million in Points to existing Members.  

More than 100 truckloads filled with the most needed supplies are now arriving from 42 distribution centers from across the country. Truckloads of equipment including items like generators, some of which are being shipped directly from vendors into markets to speed the process; chainsaws shipped directly from the warehouse, wet/dry vacuums, flashlights, batteries and lanterns, along with dehumidifiers, utility and sump pumps are arriving daily.

Given the deep engagement with local communities and knowledge of where Members are impacted the most, up to $20 worth of Points will be added to the accounts of existing Members hit the hardest by the storm. Customers will see the points in their accounts Saturday and can use them from 11/3 through 11/8. The impacted areas include parts of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Vermont. Sears and Kmart estimate that millions of SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS Members were affected in some way by the storm.

"The resilience of these communities is once again being tested by Mother Nature. Kmart and Sears are helping residents and the thousands of employees who work in our stores get back on their feet," said Imran Jooma, senior vice president, Sears Holdings and president of Marketing, Online & Financial Services. "We recognize that the lives of people hit by the storm have been greatly affected. We feel it is our duty to step up and help them during this difficult time."

Sears and Kmart have partnered with Rebuilding Together, a nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership, and in the coming months to provide assistance to communities in their rebuilding efforts.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is a leading integrated retailer with over 2,600 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada and the home of ShopYourWay, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through ShopYourWay.com.  Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, fitness equipment and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, with a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, the Kardashian Kollection, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as Sofia by Sofia Vergara and The Country Living Home Collection. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 15 million service and installation calls made annually and have a long-established commitment to those who serve in the military through initiatives like the Heroes at Home program. We have been named the 2011 Mobile Retailer of the Year, Recipient of the 2012 ENERGY STAR® "Corporate Commitment Award" for Product Retailing and Energy Management and one of the Top 20 Best Places to Work for Recent Grads. 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. Twitter: @searsholdings | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SHCCareers

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation