Sears Outlet: One of a Kind
November 26, 2008

Smart shoppers in any economy are looking for high value at low cost. Many people get a feeling of accomplishment and even victory when they find an item they need at a price far below the norm. If you are one of these people (like I am), then girl are you in for a treat if you've never been to a Sears Outlet store.

Sears approached us with a special project last Spring. They took us on our first visit to a Sears Outlet store - the big one in San Leandro - and we got a grand tour of the operation. Most of the merchandise is either overstock or has some visual defect that forces them to sell it as a damaged item. If a customer returns an item for any reason it must be sold as a refurbished item. You can save 10%, 20%, 60% and more on these items: appliances, electronics, outdoor furniture, etc.

The challenge with the design was that each item on the site will be a unique item with a unique "defect", price and location. We needed to communicate this one-of-a-kind status of the merchandise and drive the customer to the physical store where they can view and purchase the item. But the site must also be as easy to navigate as any other retailer website. The current site is only a subset of our solution, more powerful features will come later. But for now, you can shop dozens of physical outlets without leaving your chair. Have you been thinking about replacing that old washing machine? Go get your victory on.

posted by Frank

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