Sears launches virtual shopping experience

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. Sears has partnered with myvirtualmodel.com and meez.com to create E-Me, a new online shopping experience for tweens.

According to Sears, customers can create a personalized E-Me, or avatar, online and dress it in a wide selection of Sears apparel and shoes, and save the selections in his or her closet. By printing the E-Me and closet and bringing a copy into the store, parents will not only know which clothing items their children want, but they will receive a 10% discount on those items.

"The Sears E-Me is all about making back-to-school shopping easier for mom and a lot more fun for kids," said Paul Miller, senior vp of direct commerce for Sears Holdings. "The site also shows moms and kids that Sears has great looks for back-to-school, from The Cheetah Girls exclusive line and colorful camo skorts to hot jean looks and hoodies."

Other elements of the site include an E-Me Fashion Show, where kids can submit their E-Me outfits to be rated by other site users, a variety of interactive backdrops allowing E-Mes to dance, flip burgers and more. An E-Me and closet can be saved from session to session and no personal information is requested from users.