91Èȱ¬

Men have long been considered notorious shopping procrastinators, so it's no surprise that more than three-fourths (77 percent) of all men wait until the last week of the holiday season to do their shopping, according to a new survey by Sears.

What most people don't know is how heavily sports come into play when December gift-giving season rolls around. Nearly nine out of 10 men (89 percent) surveyed said they'd rather watch their favorite team LOSE to their biggest rival than tackle gift shopping during the holidays.

Shoppers who find themselves more likely to stay on the couch and out of the mall can benefit from championship tips from Sears' special holiday consultant, Troy Aikman.

Aikman, the former Dallas Cowboys Pro-Bowl quarterback, three-time Super Bowl winner and current FOX analyst, has teamed with Sears to lead last-minute shoppers into the end zone this holiday season. By following Aikman's "Two- Minute Warning Shopping Tips," football fans can find all of the gifts on their loved ones' wish lists -- and not miss any exciting football action leading up to the postseason.

Take it from Aikman, who has been scoring gift-giving points with his wife for years, "It's never too late for a drive to the game-saving score with a well-conceived two-minute drill."

Here are some ways to score a shopping touchdown in the closing minutes of the holidays:

   -- Control the Clock: 77 percent of men wait to shop until the last week
      leading up to the holidays.  Try shopping during non-peak hours to
      avoid last-minute crowds.  In addition, many stores hold longer hours
      during the holidays to accommodate last-minute shoppers, so take
      advantage!  For added convenience, Sears' expanded store hours for
      Saturday, December 18, through Thursday, December 23, are 7 a.m. -
      11 p.m. and from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday, December 24.

   -- Devise a Solid Offensive Strategy: 89 percent of men agree that if
      they could fulfill all of their significant others' holiday wish list
      items at one store, then they would shop there.  If their wish list
      includes consumer electronics, clothes, home fashions and jewelry, aim
      for Sears, which offers everything from home appliances and tools, to
      better quality apparel and accessories.

   -- Run the Option: More than one-third of men surveyed (37 percent) said
      they would rather bake cookies than spend an afternoon holiday
      shopping in a crowded mall.  This year, help is on the way -- Sears
      added one million man-hours of seasonal associates to make
      procrastinators' shopping experience as hassle-free as possible.  So
      men ... step away from the oven and start shopping!

   -- Avoid Getting Sacked: Visit sears.com to allow for easy online
      ordering of everything on holiday gift lists, then pick up purchases
      at a conveniently located Sears full-line store.

   -- Choose an All-Star Line-Up: 71 percent of men indicated that the
      success of their favorite football team impacts the amount of time
      they spend on holiday shopping.  To accommodate both, print out a
      schedule of can't-miss games and shop during downtime, or catch the
      game's conclusion on a big screen plasma TV in Sears' home electronics
      department.

   -- Listen for the Audible: It can be difficult to come up with
      championship gift ideas, but Aikman compiled a list of some of the
      most wished-for items for women available at Sears.

        * Clothes:
            - Angora Blend Apostrophe Sweater ($36)
            - Curve velour jacket and pant ($39.99 each)
            - Lands' End® Turkish Terry Robe ($68)

        * Jewelry:
            - Sapphire bracelet ($299.99)
            - Three-stone diamond pendant ($399.99)
            - 1/2 ct tw diamond stud earrings ($499.99)

        * Electronics:
            - Sony Worry Free 5.1 MP Cybershot Digital Camera DSCT1 ($499)
            - JVC Home Theater in a Box ($399)
            - Sony Network Walkman Digital Music Player ($399)

        * Small appliances:
            - Red Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer ($249.99)
            - Kenmore Elite® Wine Cellar ($399.99)

        * DIY tools: (Believe it or not, more women are rolling up their
          sleeves and taking the lead on DIY projects)
            - Craftsman® Laser Combo Kit (includes Laser Trac™ Level
              and Laser Guided Measuring Tool) ($49.99)
            - New, lighter-weight cordless power tools ($119.99-$199.99)
            - Craftsman Fold-N-Lockâ„¢ Screwdriver ($9.99)

  About Sears

Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S) is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. With revenues in 2003 of $41.1 billion, the company offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the U.S. and Canada, which includes approximately 870 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears is the only retailer where consumers can find each of the Kenmore®, Craftsman, DieHard® and Lands' End brands together -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the largest provider of product repair services with more than 14 million service calls made annually.

*The Sears study was conducted by StrategyOne on Nov. 18, Nov. 22, and Nov. 23, 2004. The online survey was completed nationwide among 710 men who are holiday shopping procrastinators and sports fans. Margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence.

SOURCE: Sears

CONTACT: Media, Corinne Gudovic of Sears, +1-847-286-3226,
cgudovi@sears.com , or Caitlin Allen for Sears, +1-312-297-7544,
caitlin.allen@edelman.com

Web site: