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To: HG who wrote (56474)	5/13/1999 8:36:00 AM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Respond to of 164684

Sears to Begin Selling Appliances on Web Site By CALMETTA Y. COLEMAN Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Sears, Roebuck & Co., the nation's largest seller of appliances, plans to launch a Web site Thursday to sell them online. Sears wouldn't say how much revenue it expects to derive from the new Internet site, which will feature more than 2,000 appliances, including the six leading brands, Whirlpool, GE, Amana, Maytag, Frigidaire and Sears's own Kenmore brand. But Sears said it hopes the site will increase its 35% share of the appliance market and increase sales at its stores. "We do expect the Web site to drive traffic in the stores," said Alice M. Peterson, vice president of Sears's online division. Sears has been selling its Craftsman tools via the Internet since October 1997, and a recent study of 1,000 Craftsman customers showed that people who shopped Sears online tended to spend 27% more at Sears stores than before they made an online purchase. "The customer has a good experience at the Web site and they visit the stores more," Ms. Peterson said. She added that many people will likely use the Internet to research Sears' appliances offerings and then phone in their orders or go to a store to make the purchase. In addition to Craftsman tools, Sears last month began selling parts for appliances and electronics online. The appliance site will feature a Knowledge Center that will provide detailed information about each of the products, and shoppers will be able to view products by brand, color and functions. Shoppers can order the merchandise online by using a credit card. Ms. Peterson noted that the company has no plans to sell apparel online, even though the category makes up about 40% of Sears's department-store sales. One benefit Sears has in selling online is that it already delivers appliances to homes across the country, which means it won't have to incur extra costs in setting up a delivery system. Delivery time for appliances ordered online will be three to seven days, the same as for in-store purchases. The price will be the same, too. Sears, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., is the nation's second-largest retailer, behind Wal-Mart Stores Inc. To promote its electronic-commerce business, Sears plans to put its Internet address on cash-register receipts and provide links from related Web sites. In New York Stock Exchange composite trading Wednesday, Sears fell $1.3125, or 2.5%, to $51.125. Sears, which had 1998 revenue of $41.32 billion, doesn't break out its Internet sales.