Sears Holdings to open in-store golf shops

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. Sears Holdings has announced a multi-year agreement with Edwin Watts Golf Shops, one of the world's largest specialty golf retailers, to establish the first U.S. based "store-within-a-store" retail model for the golf industry. As a result, Edwin Watts will open 12 new service-oriented golf shops inside of existing Sears stores in key locations nationwide, the company reported.

The first Edwin Watts Golf Shop is scheduled to open in the Murray, Utah Sears location by May 31, and will be followed by openings at Sears store locations in Hicksville, N.Y.; Falls Church, Va, and Friendswood, Texas.  Following the initial openings, eight additional Edwin Watts Golf Shops are slated to open at Sears store locations in Maryland, Illinois, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

"Sears Holdings is very pleased to welcome Edwin Watts Golf Shops into our Sears locations.  We believe they are the perfect complementary retailer to our expansive sporting goods business and we look forward to seeing them surprise and delight customers with their first-class array of products and customer service," said Jeff Stollenwerck, Sears Holdings' president of real estate.

Each Edwin Watts Golf Shop housed inside a Sears location is designed as a specialty store format with footprints ranging from 2,700-3,000 sq. ft., while offering the familiar layout and shopping experience as the company's free-standing golf shops.  The shops, which will be strategically positioned near other major Sears departments (electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods), will be staffed by Edwin Watts Golf associates.

Each store will feature select product assortments in golf equipment and apparel, electronics and related golf accessories from top brands such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist, FootJoy, adidas Golf, Cleveland, Cobra, Adams, Wilson, Champions Tour and others.  The shops will present consumers with a service-based, interactive golf experience showcasing product testing, via an in-store putting green and hitting bay, game improvement clinics, expert golf club and golf ball performance fitting, the latest equipment technology, apparel styles, other innovations and much more.  In addition, customers who carry the Sears credit card will have the ability to use their credit card for in-store Edwin Watts Golf Shop purchases at the participating locations.