HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As consumers continue to shop with a bargain-driven mentality, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq:SHOS) (the "Company") is providing entrepreneurs across the nation with an opportunity to serve these consumers with the launch of the Sears Outlet franchise opportunity.
The franchise opportunity is now available nationwide, with the first three franchised stores recently opened in Houston, Texas by local owner Stephen Stark. In addition to the three Sears Outlet locations, Stark was also the first franchisee to open stores for each of the Company's three other store formats. He currently owns 12 Sears Home Appliance Showrooms, one Sears Appliance & Hardware Store and one Sears Hometown Store.
"It's not often that you get to own your own business with Sears on the outside of the building, so when the franchise opportunity arose, I jumped on it," said Stark, who began his career with the Sears brand in 1990 as a store manager. "There is tremendous value in each of the store formats. Plus, the ongoing support from the home office allows me the time to focus on keeping all of my current stores healthy while still pursuing new opportunities and expanding my portfolio."
The retail franchise is continuing to attract business-savvy, experienced, multi-unit operators seeking to diversify their portfolio and offer high-value brands at rock-bottom prices. Sears Outlet stores offer a unique business opportunity with valuable brand recognition for entrepreneurs interested in a scalable model.
"The Sears Outlet Stores have been providing customers with convenience and accessibility to great products they need and want at tremendous value for over 45 years," said Bruce Johnson, president and CEO of Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores. "The format is quite successful and franchising select stores is a logical next step in its evolution. With this new opportunity, we're giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to serve customers with their own stores and with the support of a successful national retailer."
The Sears Outlet store franchise opportunity offers entrepreneurs the chance to own a retail business without the responsibility of sourcing inventory. Our franchising model provides owners with their entire merchandise inventory on consignment to alleviate the burden of inventory selection, financing and transportation logistics. This great benefit allows owners to focus on product sales, customer service, and growing their businesses.
Each Sears Outlet store, on average, offers shoppers more than 18,000 square feet of retail space stocked with hundreds of items marked significantly lower than manufacturers' suggested retail prices. Each location provides customers in-store and online access to new, one-of-a-kind, out-of-carton, discontinued, used, reconditioned, overstocked, and cosmetically blemished products across a broad assortment of merchandise categories—including home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, apparel, mattresses, sporting goods and tools.
For more information about Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores, Inc., including Sears Outlet stores, please visit www.shos.com. To learn about the opportunity to own and operate a Sears Outlet store or other store format, please visit www.ownasearsstore.com.
About Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc.
Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq:SHOS) is a national retailer primarily focused on selling home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, tools and hardware. As of February 2, 2013, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores and its dealers and franchisees operated 1,245 stores across all 50 states as well as in Puerto Rico and Bermuda.
In addition to merchandise, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. provides consumers with access to a full suite of services, including home delivery, installation and extended service contracts.
Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. operates through two segments—the Sears Hometown and Hardware segment and the Sears Outlet segment. The Sears Hometown and Hardware segment's stores are designed to provide customers with in-store and online access to a wide selection of national brands of home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, tools, sporting goods and household goods, depending on the particular store. The Sears Outlet stores are designed to provide customers with in-store and online access to purchase new, one-of-a-kind, out-of-carton, discontinued, obsolete, used, reconditioned, overstocked and scratched and dented products across a broad assortment of merchandise categories, including home appliances, apparel, mattresses, sporting goods, tools and lawn and garden equipment at prices that are significantly lower than manufacturers' suggested retail prices.