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This week, Las Vegas becomes the latest city in a pilot program that aims to revamp the venerable department store chain, Sears, Roebuck and Company. Called "Sears Grand," the new stores are standalone stores with more "convenience" than the traditional mall store, says Sears National Marketing Director Julie Krueger.
The pilot program is already operating in Salt Lake City
"It builds on what we're known for," she says. "It's not different. For example, we've always had lawn and garden equipment," she explains pointing to the line of Craftsman lawn tractors and large stainless steel outdoor grills, "But now we have an outdoor garden center with live plants, soil, fountains and all the other things you need for the garden."
She also points to the advent of large racks of DVDs and CDs near the large home electronics department which features big screen TVs and a host of other entertainment equipment.
The stores are in the big box format and are already operating in Salt Lake City and Gurnee, Illinois. The company will open stores later in Austin, Texas and Southern California. The new store in the Grand Canyon Parkway center near I-215 and Flamingo Road covers 163,000...