Maggie Bryant, T’iundra Evans, Kevin Ross,
Megan Schneider, Matthew Windle
Company History
 Sears was officially formed in
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1893
Publicly held company held
under Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Currently there are 867
stores, 834 are full-line stores
Each store 134,000 sq. ft.
typically inside malls
Many product categories
Many private label brands
Current Target Market
 1st Target Market
 Affluent
 Trendy
 Deals
 2nd Target Market
 Young family
 Intelligent purchase
 Price consideration
Current Value Proposition
 Knowledge
 Selection
 Helpfulness
 Value Style
Current Marketing Strategy
Digital and Non-digital
 Multiple Facebook Pages
 Irrelevant Postings
 Too many mobile apps
 Sears2go
 Sears Craftsman
 Sears Craftsman Garage
 Sears Personnel Shopper
 Sears Kenmore
 Sears Auto
Current SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
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• Soft good lines are unsuccessful
• Target market not clearly defined
Exclusive brands
Craftsman warranty
Selection and durability of appliances
Long history which gives strong
reputation and trust
• Only department store to include
automotive
SWOT
Opportunities
Threats
• Digital offerings could be more
streamlined
• Employee knowledge and training
• Little interaction with the brand and the
consumer
• Competition
• Downsizing
• Bankruptcy
Mock ups
Entrance
New Mock Ups
New Target Market
 New home buyers
 20’s to 30’s young family
 Informed decision reduce buyers remorse
 Value and style
Social Media & Mobile
 The more simple, the better
 Make all mobile apps one cohesive app
 Streamline all social media
 Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
 Use Pinterest to encourage customers to share their
“create-a-space ideas”
 Helpful tips posted through Twitter
 Relevant Facebook posts
Sears Spark
 Sears Spark Mascot
 Used for in-store signage
 Use with Facebook
 Gives consumers
‘someone’ to talk to and
connect with
 Makes selling easier
“Create-a-Space”
 Consumer generated
 “Create-a-Space” by choosing
 Room type
 Paint colors
 Home accessories
 Appliances
 Scroll over to show price,
dimensions, buy now link, and
DIY tips
 Post to FB and Pinterest
Bookshelf DIY
• Craftsman Table Saw
$149.99 BUY NOW
• Step-by-Step DIY
Magnavox 32”
Class LCD TV
$299.99
BUY NOW
“Create-a-Space”
 Create consumer involvement with
Sears
 Facebook Contest
 Each month $500 Sears gift card
 Each quarter $1000 Sears gift card
and their space created in their
own home
 Once a year their space will be
created in their own home, a
mock-up in their Sears hometown
store, and several other stores
More diversity in the work place
 Hiring to win and hiring smart.
 Hiring a mixture of women and men, so that the
consumers will feel comfortable asking for help.
 Some men don’t want to ask a lady for help with tools
and vice versa, some women might feel comfortable
asking other women about home décor.
Training program
 Employees need to be knowledgeable about the
products in the store.
 A training class on each sections of the store.
 Quiz over every section that the employee was trained
on. Employees must get score a 90 or above to
complete the class.
 Everyone must be crossed trained, so that they are all
experts at all appliances at the store.
 People must be knowledgeable about a product to be
confident in it and confidence sales.
Partnerships
HGTV
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33% of users makes decisions off what
HGTV suggest along with a 95% of
consumers are brand aware
Candice Olson
Vern Yip
DIY network
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18% of consumers decides to purchase
products based on this site.
Josh Temple
Amy Matthews
Post SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
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• May lose customers by eliminating soft
line product categories
• Lose of customers that are not interested
in DIY
Trained and knowledgeable employees
Clear understanding of target market
Customer experience in-store and online
Connection with consumers through
social media
SWOT
Opportunities
Threats
• Grow and expand the “create-a-space”
program
• Gain more customers in the home owner
and DIY market
• Negative ROI
• Stronger competition
References
 Shapiro, L. (2012, April 12). Majority of us smartphone owners use devices to aid
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shopping. Retrieved
from http://www.digby.com/mobile-industryresources/mobile-industry-statistics/
Smith, S. (2011, August 18). Sears reports deeper loss; ce sales lower. Retrieved
from http://www.twice.com/article/472534Sears_Reports_Deeper_Loss_CE_Sales_Lower.php
Stambor, Z. (2011, September 12). Social media dominates the web time of american
consumers . Retrieved from http://www.internetretailer.com/2011/09/12/socialmedia-dominates-webtime-american-consumers
Newsroom. (2012). Sears Holdings Website. Retrieved from
http://searsmedia.com/sears/sears.htm
Vranica, S. (2012). Knights, Pirates, Trees Flock to Facebook. Wall Street Journal, B1.
Zimmerman, A., & Chon, G. (2012). Corporate News: Sears Seeks Offer for Lands’
End. Wall Street Journal, B4.