Sears extending store hours for holiday shopping

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears announced it will offer extended shopping hours at its stores in 260 markets to give customers extra time to shop for those last-minute gifts. The company announced that select stores will stay open until midnight everyday from Wednesday, Dec. 14 through Friday, Dec. 23.

"We listen to our customers day-in and day-out and continually adapt to the ways they shop," said Monica Woo, chief marketing officer for Sears. "During the busy holiday season when family time and budgets are stretched, it's even more important for us to give our customers more time to shop and better value for their money."

In a national poll commissioned by Sears, 83% of participants who shop during the off-hours, such as early morning or late at night, shop these times to avoid crowds. Additionally, nearly half (46%) are motivated to shop these extended hours for better customer service while 36% go for promotional deals and prices.

Sears said it expects Saturday, Dec. 17 to be one of its biggest in-store shopping days and has announced special deals for that weekend inlcuding 75% off fine jewelry, 65% off men's outerwear and 65% off fashion boots.