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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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7

Desperate in July, Sears Looks to Santa for Bailout

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(Newser) – Sears is taking the “Christmas in July” trope to a whole new level. With June retail sales tumbling, the company is looking for a boost by selling actual Christmas products, Time reports. Soon, 372 Sears stores will roll out displays hawking tree ornaments, stocking stuffers, and other decidedly off-season wares. Online, Kmart and Sears invites customers to “Shop Christmas Lane.”

“Customers told us they wish they had seen some of our merchandise earlier,” said a Sears spokeswoman. “People are buying earlier.” Many analysts think the buzz generated by the unusual move is a reward in and of itself. But others say it sends the wrong message. “It looks more like desperation than inspiration,” said one retail-group exec.

"Career" Santas are seen on sale in a Kmart store, Dec. 19, 2005, in Norridge, Ill.   (Getty Images)
Patrons shop in a Sears store in North Olmsted, Ohio, May 29, 2008.
Patrons shop in a Sears store in North Olmsted, Ohio, May 29, 2008.   (AP Photo)
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I think you're going to see a lot of this on the retail front. They're going to be looking for novel strategies to drive competitive advantage, even if they have to rethink the typical calendaring of events. - Pete Blackshaw, brand strategist,
Nielsen Online

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7 comments
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schmidtkoff
Jul 15, 09 11:02 AM CDT
christmas is dead. going to grandmas house in a one horse sleigh has been dead for years. christmas carols under your window is dead. the magic and wonder is dead. christmas cookies, trimming the tree, christmas cards have been replaced by vapid emails. time marches on. the old guard is dead. welcome sears. sell it. buy it. lose the meaning. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
NewserHound
Jul 15, 09 11:07 AM CDT
Well I guess if you can have Christmas in July you can have Grinch's in July as well!
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+4
wwwonderer
Jul 15, 09 11:27 AM CDT
Great!!! Now obnoxious Christmas themes will run from July to January. I better start getting ready for the catalogs to start coming. Really? I wonder how the church feels about using the holiday ASSOCIATED with the birth of Christ being used for sales. Hmmmm. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Cegorach
Jul 15, 09 12:48 PM CDT
You know what they say, Christmas comes earlier every year...
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IN RESPONSE:
Yourself
Jul 16, 09 10:29 AM CDT
"you know what they say, Christmas comes earlier every year" ain't that the sad truth. but JULY? just another reason NOT to shop at sears.
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