ShipVantage - Save on Shipping this Holiday!

Nov

20

2009

 

Talk about a great deal…has anyone heard of the new Holiday ShipVantageprogram on Sears.com? In my opinion, this has got to be one of the greatest deals – ever!

 

I was on Sears.comlooking for a new headboardfor my daughter’s bedroom when I noticed my selection was eligible for ShipVantage. With ShipVantage you can receive unlimited shipping on all mailable items to the U.S. for just $19.99 for a 60-day trial or $79 for 12 months. And yes, the headboard was flagged mailable!

 

Benefits include:

-shipping of 3.5 million items

-shipping as often as you want - unlimited free shipping

-shipping as many as you want - no minimum purchase required

  

Now, with the holidays near, this is a perfect option for me. I love shopping online, but the thing that drives me crazy is paying all the shipping charges. Just last week, I just purchased an item on a web site and then two days later I saw something else I wanted – thus, I had to pay two base shipping rates. The second item I bought was only $9.99 on sale (which was great price), but with shipping, it was $16 – nearly the same price I would have paid in store.  

 

With ShipVantage, I don’t have to worry about any of that. Shipping is free once I’ve purchased the membership, so I can place 10 $10 orders and don’t have to pay shipping each time. Also, if I want to expedite my shipping, I get a discounted rate.

 

*Membership includes unlimited FREE Standard shipping

*Expedited shipping is $.99 per item

*Premium shipping is $3.99 per item

 

As Black Friday nears (and with all the special promotions and Deals of Day on Sears.com), this is a great option for someone like me, who is a bargain shopper, looking for good buy.

 

SHC-MichelleH is a wife, mom and Sears Holdings employee who blogs about her experiences using Sears.com.

Pajamas: my favorite fashion for my favorite time of day

Nov

13

2009

Hi, my name is Cathy and I’m addicted to shopping for clothes!  Sometimes I feel like I need to attend a “shoppers addict” group because of how much I love to shop.  As seasons come and go, I keep my eye out for the latest trends and always buy new pieces to add to my collection.  Each day, I get out of bed and try on different combinations of items until I’m satisfied with my look.  I go on with my day of running to meetings, running errands, running around the house, or just plain running until I’m exhausted.  But I have to say, at the end of the day, there is nothing better then coming home, jumping into my comfy PJs and relaxing.

I recently realized that I love my pajamas and they are a staple to my fashion wardrobe!  Pajamas offer the opportunity for me to express a whole different fashion personality then the rest of my closet.  I have polka dots for when I’m in a happy mood, black for when I’m feeling somber, shorts for those summer days, and an oversized t-shirt for when I just care about comfort!  I even have some flannel PJs with dogs all over them for the fun of it!  Regardless of how professional I have to be for work that day or how nice I have to dress for an evening out, I can always come home and be a completely different person in my pajamas!  Here's an example of a pajama outfit I love:

 

  As I begin my holiday gift shopping, I also realized that I like buying pajamas as gifts.  My husband gets a new pair of flannel pants ever year, my niece will probably get one of the cute styles with monkeys (monkeys are so big this year), and I might have to get something fun for my sister-in-law too (since there are grown up styles with monkeys too).

   

  
If you shop in a Sears store through Saturday, 11/14, you can earn a $10 Fashion Reward Card for every $50 you spend in apparel.  I can get all 3 Christmas gifts, plus $10 back to shop again next week!*  There goes trying to get over my addiction!

* While reward card quantities last.  Offer valid 11/8/09-11/14/09.  Reward card valid 11/15/09-11/21/09, except in states where prohibited by law.  Offer available in-store only.  In the event of a return, reward card will be deducted from your refund amount.  Not valid with any other promotional offer.  Some exclusions apply.  Valid on future purchases only.  See store for details.

 

Images from top to bottom: Paul Frank Spot Julius Cap-Sleeve Sleep Tee, Paul Frank Poplin Pj Pant, Carter's Toddler Girl's 2-Piece Monkey Print Fleece Pajamas, US Polo Assn. Sleep Tee and Fleece Pant Set

Black Friday Now!

Nov

06

2009

 

The holiday shopping season is fully upon us!  Here at Sears, we've decided that just one Black Friday isn't enough - we're going to have Black Friday deals every Saturday through Christmas.  There are some AMAZING deals happening this weekend, here's a preview of some of the best ones:

• $499.99 Zenith 42” 720p plasma HDTV (reg $649.99) (Limited quantities. 2 per store. No rainchecks. Also available NOW for pre-order on sears.com)
• $99.98, save 50%, Crafstman 8-drawer basic tool chest, 500-lb capacity
• $374.99, save $125, Kenmore gas range
• $19.99 Your choice coats for the family (reg $55-$80)
• $2.99, reg $7.99 Colormate Basics bath towel

Doors open early on Saturday at 7:00am and the deals run through Noon.  Don't forget to come back to MySears and review your purchases!

Tips for Holiday Shopping

Nov

06

2009

This holiday, things will be a bit tight for my family; as I’m sure it will be for many families across the country. Anything I can do to make my dollars stretch, even just a little bit, will help tremendously.

Between my husband and I, we have about 25 people to buy for this year with a $750 budget. We have one daughter, seven parents, seven grandparents, seven younger siblings, and six nieces and nephews – so it’s going to take a lot of hard work and creativity.

Over the next 6-8 weeks, I’ll write about my holiday shopping journey. Hopefully, we can work together to take control of our budgets and make our dollars work harder and smarter for us. Feel free to share what you have learned over the years. We're all in this together!

 

Below are a few tips that I will be implementing into my holiday shopping routine.

 

1. Set a Budget – This is a must! I have found that if I don’t formally decide on a budget (and put it in writing), I could spend up to 2-3 times what I had unofficially intended. And, this year isn’t a good year to get off track.
2. Make a Holiday List – We don’t realize just how many special people we have in our lives until we pull out the pile of presents from the closet and start wrapping. Be careful. This could throw off our budget! Take control by deciding from the start when it’s appropriate to provide a group gift or shop just for kids.
3. Don’t Forget About Those Gifts You Bought on Sale – In January! – If you are like me, you buy things when they are on clearance and put them away for future use. This could save you money or it could cost you. Most of the time, I find that I have way too many gifts for the number of people I have to buy for, because I bought things just because they were on sale. If you do this, just be sure to add the items you already purchased to your budget document/holiday list to help you pair up those great bargains with a loved one.
4. Buy Popular Items Now – Yes, I love sales, too, but popular items will sell out quickly, so get them while you can. If you don’t want a repeat of the Cabbage Patch dilemma of the 80s, purchase those special gifts now. If you aren’t able to purchase, see if your item qualifies for Layaway. For a small fee, you put your items aside and pay a little each week until you pay it off. Check out Sears’ new Online Layaway program for added convenience.
5. Get a Christmas Club Card –Purchase a Christmas Club Card online at Sears.com or Kmart.com. It is quick and easy, and you can earn a 3 percent reward just for purchasing. 

SHC-MichelleH is a new Sears Holdings associate writing about her experiences utilizing Sears.com.

Donate your old coat and receive a 20% discount

Oct

29

2009

Do you have an old winter coat that you're not using?  I guarantee that someone out there could probably put it to good use.  That's the whole point of the Big Warm-up.  Donate your used winter coat by bringing it into any Lands' End Shop at Sears and you'll get 20% off the purchase of one new regularly priced Lands' End coat.  This is a great way to make a difference and warm a heart during this upcoming holiday season.  This promotion ends November 30th so make sure you take advantage of it fast! You can easily share the Big Warm-up with your friends and don't forget to check out the video, keep an eye out for a special surprise.

Read America!: Buy a book, get rewarded

Oct

20

2009

BUY A TOP 10 PRE-SELLING BOOK AND SEARS.COM WILL REWARD YOU

 

SEARS MAKES IT LIKE GETTING BOOKS FOR FREE!

 

Hoffman Estates, Ill., (Oct. 20, 2009) – Reading is important, regardless of where the book is purchased. That’s why today, Sears Holdings is announcing that it will reward customers for qualifying book purchases on Sears.com, Target.com, Walmart.com and Amazon.com.

Sears.com’s new, innovative program is both simple and rewarding:

(1) Buy an eligible book* on Sears.com, Target.com, Amazon.com or Walmart.com;

(2) Email the receipt to us at readamerica@customerservice.sears.com; and

(3) Get an online credit equal to the purchase price (up to $9) to use towards a purchase of $45 or more on Sears.com.**

 

How much have you saved on your Christmas Club card for holiday gifts?

Oct

05

2009

 

Take advantage of an extra 3% reward before it's too late!  Haven't started saving yet? 

 No worries,

click here to start saving TODAY or pick up your club card at a Sears location near you!

Sears Hometown Shop Talk – $100 Giveaway, Christmas Club Card

Oct

05

2009

We're giving away a $100 Sears Christmas Club Card every day on Twitter October 5th to October 20th!  That's 16 Sears Christmas Club Cards in 16 days!

 

Here’s how to enter (see below) or you can click here: http://bit.ly/Hometown

 

1) Follow @SearsHTS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SearsHTS

 

2) Send the following Tweet (only one entry per day):

 

Follow @SearsHTS $100 Christmas Club Card giveaway in Oct! #Sears Hometown Stores & HA Showrooms #giveaway: http://bit.ly/Hometown

 

3) Send the same Tweet as above everyday for another chance to enter. Only one entry per day.

 

And, receive special offers from Sears Hometown Stores. (Did we mention you get $10 in welcome coupons from Sears.com for “EMAIL SIGNUP”?).

 

Please learn more about Sears Christmas Club Card savings program. Add value to your card until Nov 14th and we'll give you a 3% reward* bonus for cards activated through Nov 14th.

 

Good Luck!

Sears Hometown Stores

www.SearsHometownStores.com/twitter

 

The Kmart Smart Assist has been launched nationwide!

Oct

02

2009

Have you heard? The Kmart Smart Assist Savings Program is going nationwide. On Sept 25th 2009, Kmart began offering a 20% discount off regularly priced own brand label grocery and drugstore merchandise (not including sale or clearance merchandise) to eligible customers who are unemployed and register for a Kmart Smart Assist Card on http://www.Kmart.com/smartassist.  More than 1,500 own brand products are available with the Kmart Smart Assist Savings Program.

Kmart began its Smart Assist program in Michigan earlier this year in June. We hoped we could make the most impact on our customers’ lives in Michigan because it was where the unemployment rate was highest. Our experience in Michigan was met with great success. Now, Kmart has begun extending a helping hand to all the unemployed across America.

Please use this forum to ask your questions and discuss your issues surrounding the Kmart Smart Assist Savings Program.

Kmart is here to help you in your hardest of times.

MySears.com and MyKmart.com Halloween Costume Photo and Essay Contest Official Rules

Sep

30

2009

MySears.com and MyKmart.com Halloween Costume Photo and Essay Contest

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTEST: The MySears.com and MyKmart.com Halloween Costume Photo and Essay Contest (“Contest”) is designed to give entrants the opportunity to submit a photo and brief essay showing the connection between their Halloween costume and either the Sears or Kmart brands to Sears Holdings Management Corporation (“Sponsor”).  Prizes will be awarded to the entrants who submit the best entries as determined by the judges and voters in accordance with these Official Rules.

2. ELIGIBILITY:  This Contest is open only to residents of the United States who are 18 or older at the time of entry and are registered users of either www.mysears.com or www.mykmart.com at the time of entry.  Void where prohibited by law.  Employees of Sponsor, its parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries, its participating advertising and promotion agencies as well as members of their families and/or those living in the same household as such individuals are not eligible to enter.  You must also have access to the Internet and a valid email address in order to enter.  By entering, submitting content, and/or uploading a photo and/or essay, you agree that you have read and consent to be bound by these Official Rules, Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at http://www.mysears.com/privacy_policy and  http://www.mykmart.com/privacy_policy) Eligibility is conditioned on the acceptance of these Official Rules at time of submission.

3. HOW TO ENTER:  This Contest begins at 12 a.m. Central Time on October 1, 2009 and ends on 11:59 p.m. on November 6, 2009 (“Contest Period”).  To enter, go to http://blogs.mysears.com/2009/09/mysearscom-halloween-costume-contest.html or http://blogs.mykmart.com/2009/09/mykmartcom-halloween-costume-contest.html   (the “Contest Site”) and follow the onscreen instructions for submitting one photo and brief essay to Sponsor via electronic mail. Contestants will be invited to submit one (1) photo showing their Halloween costume along with one (1) brief essay explaining the connection between that Halloween costume and the Sears or Kmart brands (“Submission”). Submissions may be made beginning at 12 a.m. Central Time on October 1, 2009 and must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Central Time on November 1, 2009 (“Submission Period”).  Limit one entry per person. Subsequent Submissions will be disqualified.  Retain a copy of your Submission in its original format after submitting it to Sponsor.  If you are a winner, you may need to provide Sponsor with your Submission in its original format.  Failure to do so may result in disqualification, and the selection of an alternate winner.

4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:  Each Submission must include no more than one (1) photo showing entrant’s Halloween costume along with one (1) brief essay explaining the connection between that Halloween costume and the Sears or Kmart brands.  Each Submission must also comply with the following:

A. Each Submission must meet Sears.com’s technical requirements for uploading.  Recommended formats for photos include JPEG or GIF.  Photos should not exceed 5 megabytes in size.  Essays should not exceed 2000 characters in length.  Submissions (including both photo and essay components) should not exceed 6 megabytes in size.  Any Submission that exceeds the recommended size limitations for the photo component, the essay component, or total file size may be disqualified at any time in Sponsor’s sole and unfettered discretion.  Any Submission that fails to meet the Sponsor’s specifications may be disqualified at any time in Sponsor’s sole and unfettered discretion.

B. The Submission must be your own original work, created solely by you, and must not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other personal or proprietary rights of any person or entity. 

C. If any persons appear or are referred to in the Submission, you are solely responsible for obtaining, prior to submitting your Submission, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the Submission by Sponsor, including, but not limited to, the right to make screenshots, animations and video clips available to the public for advertising, promotional and publicity purposes.  If any person appearing in any Submission is under the age of majority in their state, country or province of residence, the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release. 

D.Submissions that are lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, disparaging, defamatory, libelous, obscene, or Submissions that otherwise contain inappropriate content or objectionable material may not be submitted and may be removed at any time in Sponsor’s sole and unfettered discretion.  

E.The Submission must not contain any personally identifiable information of any person other than yourself.  Should you include personally identifiable information about yourself in your Submission, you acknowledge and agree that such information will be disclosed publicly and you are solely responsible for any consequences thereof.

F. You may not be, nor may you work with parties in conjunction with your Submissions who are: 1) represented under contract (e.g., by a talent agent or manager) that would limit or impair Sponsor’s ability to display your Submission in any media form; 2) subject to an acting or modeling contract that would make your/their appearance in the Submission a violation of any third-party rights; or 3) under any other contractual relationship, including but not limited to guild and/or union memberships, that may prevent Sponsor from being able to use the Submissions worldwide in all media in perpetuity on a royalty-free basis, without any payment or fee obligations. 

Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify any Submission that it believes violates or potentially violates any of the foregoing requirements or otherwise fails to comply with any provision of these Official Rules or the terms of service for the Contest Site.  The decision of the Sponsor on this and all matters pertaining to the Contest shall be final and binding. 

5. JUDGING:  

A. Phase One:   A panel of judges made up of Sponsor employees (the “Judges”) will review the Submissions and select five (5) finalist entries for the Kmart brand (“Kmart Finalists”) and five finalist (5) entries for the Sears brand (“Sears Finalists”) based on the following judging criteria: (1) creativity of the Submission (75%); and (2) communication of the relationship to the Sears or Kmart brands (25%) (the “Judging Criteria”).  In the event of a tie, the Submission among the tied entries with the highest score in “creativity” will be deemed a potential finalist entry.  Potential finalist entries are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the Official Rules and Terms of Service for the Contest.  Kmart Finalist entries and Sears Finalist entries may be displayed on the Contest Site in perpetuity.

B. Phase Two:  From 12:00 a.m. on November 2, 2009 through 11:59 p.m. on November 6, 2009, registered users of mysears.com will be able to vote for the Sears Finalist Submission of their choice.  Votes generated automatically, by software script or otherwise, may be disqualified as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  From 12:00 a.m. on November 2, 2009 through 11:59 p.m. on November 6, 2009, registered users of mykmart.com will be able to vote for the Kmart Finalist Submission of their choice.  The Sears Finalist Submission with the highest number of votes, as determined by Sponsor, whose decisions are final on this issue, will be deemed the Sears Grand Prize Winner, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the Official Rules and Terms of Service for the Contest.  The Kmart Finalist Submission with the highest number of votes, as determined by Sponsor, whose decisions are final on this issue, will be deemed the Kmart Grand Prize Winner, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the Official Rules and Terms of Service for the Contest.  In the event of a tie, the tied candidates will be announced on the Contest Site and votes will be accepted for those candidates only for a 24-hour period.  Decisions of Sponsor are final and binding.  The Prize Winners will be announced on or about November 7, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time and displayed on the Contest Site on or about November 7, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time.      

6. PRIZES AND APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES:  

A. One (1) Sears Grand Prize:  $100.00 Sears Gift Card. Gift card restrictions may apply.    Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of Sears Grand Prize:  $100.

B. One (1) Kmart Grand Prize:  $100.00 Sears Gift Card. Gift card restrictions may apply.  ARV of Kmart Grand Prize:  $100.

ARV of all prizes: $200.  All expenses not specified herein are the responsibility of the winner.  ALL TAXES AND ANY APPLICABLE WITHHOLDING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.

7. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION.  All federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations apply.  Submission of entry into this Contest constitutes entrant’s agreement to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. Return of any prize/prize notification may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Any potential winner who cannot be contacted within two (2) days of first attempted notification will forfeit his/her prize. Potential prize winner may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability & Publicity Release within two (2) days following the date of first attempted notification.  Failure to comply within this time period may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.  The intellectual rights to the Submission, if any, will remain with the Entrants, except that these terms do not supersede any other assignment or grant of rights according to any other separate agreements between Entrants and other parties. As a condition of entry, Entrants agree that Sponsor shall have the right to use, copy, modify and make available the Submission in connection with the operation, conduct, administration, and advertising and promotion of the Contest via communication to the public, including, but not limited to the right to make screenshots, animations and video clips available to the public for promotional and publicity purposes. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for, and winner’s consent to, Sponsor and its agencies to use the winner’s name, likeness and/or entry for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.  To the extent permitted by law, Entrants and voters agree to hold Sponsor, and each of its parent, subsidiaries, agents, directors, officers, employees, representatives, and assigns harmless from any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Contest and/or use or acceptance of any prize won, except to the extent that any death or personal injury is caused by the negligence of the Sponsor.  Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Contest or in the announcement of the prize.  An Entrant and/or voter may be prohibited from participating in this Contest if, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, it reasonably believes that the Entrant and/or voter has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest by cheating, deception, or other unfair playing practices or annoys, abuses, threatens or harasses any other Entrants, other voters, the Sponsor or associated agencies.

8. NO RECOURSE TO JUDICIAL OR OTHER PROCEDURES: To the extent permitted by law, the rights to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Contest are hereby excluded, and any Entrant and/or voter expressly waives any and all such rights. Entrants and/or voters agree that these Official Rules are governed by the laws of Illinois.

9. WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY:  Entrants certify that their Submission is original and that they are the sole and exclusive owner and right holder of the submitted Submission and that they have the right to submit the Submission in the Contest. Each Entrant agrees not to submit any Submission that (1) infringes any third party proprietary, intellectual property, industrial property, personal rights or other rights, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret or confidentiality obligation; (2) includes any personally identifiable information or (3) otherwise violates applicable law in any countries in the world.  To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Entrant indemnifies and agrees to keep indemnified the Sponsor at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any act, default or omission of the Entrant and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein.  To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Entrant indemnifies and agrees to keep indemnified the Sponsor at all times from and against any liability, actions, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses for or in respect of which the Sponsor may become liable by reason of or related or incidental to any act, default or omission by an Entrant under these Official Rules including without limitation resulting from or in relation to any breach, non-observance, act or omission whether negligent or otherwise, pursuant to these official rules by an Entrant.

10. ELIMINATION:  Any false information provided within the context of the Contest by any Entrant concerning identity, postal address, telephone number, ownership of right or noncompliance with these rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the Entrant from the Contest.  Sponsor further reserves the right to disqualify any Entry that it believes in its sole and unfettered discretion infringes upon or violates the rights of any third party or otherwise does not comply with these official rules.

11. INTERNET:  Sponsor is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission.  Sponsor is not responsible for theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind.  Sponsor is not responsible for inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site or any combination thereof, except to the extent that any death or personal injury is caused by the negligence of the Sponsor.  If for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, disruption or termination of the Contest site for any reason or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to immediately cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest.  Sponsor reserves the right to select winners from eligible entries received as of the termination date.  Sponsor further reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process.  Caution: Any attempt by an Entrant and/or voter to deliberately damage any Web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such Entrant and/or voter to the fullest extent of the law.

12.   SEVERABILITY:  If any provision(s) of these Official Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.

13. WINNER’S LIST:  For winner’s name, visit http://blogs.mysears.com and http://blogs.mykmart.com between November 3, 2009 and December 30, 2009.

14. SPONSOR:  Sears Holdings Management Corporation, 3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60179.