Sears eases access with OpenID

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. Sears Holdings announced that it will utilize the OpenID platform for its online community Web sites.

According to Sears, it is the first major retailer to use the OpenID login system that allows users to use a single login for all of their online interactions. Visitors to My Sears and My Kmart communities can now use their social IDs rather than set up new accounts.

"We're constantly looking for ways to stay innovative in our online initiatives by identifying and implementing technologies that help our users navigate our communities with ease," says Rob Harles, Sears' VP community. "Our adoption of the OpenID technology helps simplify our customers' online experience and ultimately helps us meet our goal of ensuring our customers have the most efficient shopping experience possible."

MySears and MyKmart community sites are online destinations that give consumers a variety of ways to share in-depth information about products, helping make their purchase decisions easier. Visitors to MySears and MyKmart have the opportunity to write product reviews, post comments on the reviews of others, participate in discussion boards and post ideas for the community to vote on. Customers also have access to special offers and coupons in return for their participation in the community.