Sears Stores Across the Country to Extend Shopping Hours Till Midnight; New Survey Confirms Extended-Hours Holiday Shopping

Sears stores in 260 markets will offer extended shopping hours for the remainder of the holiday shopping season, staying open until midnight from Wednesday, Dec. 14 through Friday, Dec. 23. The extended store hours come as a new survey reports 71 percent of consumers said they have already or were planning to shop during off-hours, according to a national poll by Wakefield Research, commissioned by Sears. Furthermore, nearly one in five Americans said they have or are planning to shop a late-night in-store sale, beginning at 9 p.m. or later. "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." The national poll also found that more than eight in 10 respondents who shop during the off-hours, such as early morning or late at night, shop these times to avoid crowds. Additionally, nearly half are motivated to shop these extended hours for better customer service while 36 percent go for promotional deals and prices.