Newsletter - Sears Holdings Alumni

NewsletterSummer 2011Sears Holdings Corporation Announces New CEOOn Feb. 24, 2011, the Boardof Directors elected LouD’Ambrosio as the CEO andpresident of Sears HoldingsCorporation.Mr. D’Ambrosio mostrecently held the position ofChief Executive Officer atAvaya, a Fortune 500 globaltelecommunications andtechnology firm. Prior to hisposition at Avaya, he workedat IBM for 16 years, occupyingvarious executive positions. Mr.D’Ambrosio holds a Bachelorof Science from PennsylvaniaState and an MBA fromHarvard.Mr. D’Ambrosio held anassociate Town Hall meeting onJune 1, 2011, at the HoffmanEstates Support Center, todiscuss performance, strategy,culture, opportunities andchallenges.Posed with the challenge toenergize associates followingdisappointing first quarter results,Mr. D’Ambrosio communicatedhis vision for Sears Holdings,providing those watchinga reason to believe in ourcompany once again.Mr. D’Ambrosio began hispresentation by establishing thetop three criteria that mattermost to him:of change, and outlined forassociates his vision for theculture of the company:1) Everything will begin and endwith the customer.2) Activity is Interesting; ResultsCount:Output and input areimportant to the company,but at the end of the day weexist to produce results.We have to be heldaccountable for the promiseswe make. Brilliant ideas aregreat in theory, but it is theexecution of brilliant ideasthat make a successfulcompany.3) Culture - Create a thrillingand rewarding culture:Culture allows for the first twocriteria to be sustainable.Culture acts as ourfoundation. Without culture,we cannot execute and wecannot achieve greatness.Mr. D’Ambrosio built upon histhree criteria by clarifying thestrategic thrust of the company:Become the leader inintegrated retail: in store,online, at home1) Play to Win:Sears Holdings isn’t aspectator sport. We need theinput, the participation, theinsights and thoughtfulnessof everyone. We all shouldhave victory in our sights.Our company, Mr. D’Ambrosiobelieves, has the assets thatgive us the ability to combinestore, online and at home to anextent no other company canmatch.2) Execution - Get into fightingshape:Throughout the meeting,D’Ambrosio stressed the aspectwww.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com3) Speed – with Purpose andLearning:We, as a company, need tomove forward with directionand learn from what we doto provide the best qualityproducts and services to ourcustomers. The quicker wecan do something, learn fromit, and fix the problems, thebetter we will be.4) No Spectators Allowed:We are raising the level ofresponsibility throughoutthe company. Opencommunication is vital. Theleaders of the companyneed to be open to input, butwe need the insights of ourassociates. Everyone needsto roll their sleeves up and bewilling to get their hands dirty.5) The Power of 10:If there are too many peoplein one meeting, productivitycan suffer. Break assignmentsdown into chunks, andreflect on what is vital to thesuccessful completion of thetask at hand.6) Unwavering Integrity TrumpsEverything.D’Ambrosio also provided a listof questions to gauge where(continued on page 3)

More ways to use Associate DiscountsIncrease inMore DiscountsAssociateEqual MoreDiscount onSavings for You!Fragrances and Sears Outlet Stores recentlyannounced it is offeringCosmetics ateligible associates andretirees a 10 percentSears!associate discount. ThisRememberWhen?*At its peak in 1952,Sears sold 1,566 Allstateautomobiles. TheAllstate automobiledisappeared from Searsstores in the fall of 1953.Look for morearchives throughoutthe newsletter.10GO TO WEBSITE FOR MOREOFFERS AND VALUABLE COUPONS%OffAre you ready to save evenmore money on Sears’ highquality products? The SearsFragrance and Cosmetics teamrecently announced that eligibleassociates and retirees* cannow receive an additional 10percent discount on Fragrancesand Cosmetics at Sears. Thisbrings the total associate/retireesavings on purchases to 20percent! This discount applies to: Fragrances purchasedin only Sears Full-line, SearsGrand and Sears Essentialsstores or on Sears.com Cosmetics purchased inSears Full-line stores onlyNow you can buy all yourfavorite scents and cosmeticsand save even more!*Qualifying associates and retireesmust present their associate discountcard at the time of purchase. Somerestrictions and eligibility requirementsapply. Please refer to the SearsHoldings Associate Discount Policy.SEARSAUTO.COMProper wheel alignment: reduces tire wear improves fuel economyand handling increases driving safetyand enjoymentWheelAlignment*Reg. 79.99*Most vehicles. One coupon per purchase. Void where prohibited by law. Cash value 1/20 .May not be used with any other coupon or associate discount. #16372. Valid 9/1/11 thru 10/15/112www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.comdiscount applies tomerchandise purchasedat Sears Outlet Stores. Yourdiscount offers you reducedprices on all of the greatproducts Sears Outlet sellsincluding: refrigerators,washers, dryers, ranges, TVs,fitness equipment, mattresssets and so much more! Youcan be assured that productssold in our Outlet stores arenew/in-box, one-of-a-kind,discontinued or reconditionedmerchandise. Allreconditioned merchandisemust pass a rigorous testing/approval process and comeswith the manufacturer’soriginal warranty.You may be asking yourself,“What if I don’t live near aSears Outlet Store?” That’sthe best part! No matterwhere you live in the countryour outlet deals can beconveniently delivereddirectly to your doorstep.Our website,www.searsoutlet.com, nowoffers nationwide delivery forany Outlet product.We hope you take advantageof the new associate discounton merchandise alreadyreduced 20 to 70 percentevery day! Please help us byspreading the word about ourstores and website.*Qualifying associates and retireesmust present their associatediscount card at the time ofpurchase. Certain eligibilityrequirements may apply. Pleaserefer to the Sears Holdings AssociateDiscount Policy.

Meet the New CEO (cont. from Page 1)the period of implementationahead of us.“Change is never easy. But thechange is going to be good forour company going forward.”In order for this change tosucceed we need to beproactive toward our goals.“We have an opportunity hereto author one of the great nextchapters of American businesshistory,” said D’Ambrosio. “I usethe word author very specifically,because that’s what everybodyhas to view themselves as.Not a passive reader, but anactive author.”the company is during thisperiod of change, including:By harnessing the assetswe have, according to Mr.D’Ambrosio, nothing can stopus from moving forward.Are we obsessed with ourcustomers and delivering anextraordinary experience eachand every time – at the store,online and at home?Are we being hardnosed aboutALL spending and investments,so that we can invest in the rightareas?“Nobody has the breadth wehave, nobody has the assetswe have, nobody has thecombination of in store, online,at home that we have,” saidD’Ambrosio.What is getting in the way of theWe will continue to providevirtuous cycle of great peopleupdates in subsequentexcited to come to work everynewsletters as Mr. D’Ambrosio’sday and nail the results?vision for the culture of thecompany continues to unfold.Mr. D’Ambrosio closed hispresentation by addressingHave YouJoined TheMykmartand MysearsCommunitiesYet?Here’s how you can join:1) Visitwww.MyKmart.com/alumnior www.MySears.com/retired2) Create a Screen Name(this is the name otherpeople will see whenyou’re on the site, sodon’t use your full name)3) Choose and confirm aPassword4) Enter your Email Address5) Enter your Zip Code6) Read and agree to theTerms of Service7) Click on the Sign UpbuttonOnce you have joined thecommunity, please clickon the My Home tab atthe top of the screen andcomplete your profile. If youhave questions, click on theFeedback tab at the bottomof each page and tell ushow we can help you.RememberWhen?The JoeNamathSignatureCollectionwas offered inthe 1984 Searscatalog.www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com3

Stories from Our Own American HeroesIt was 1965 and Gary Nordstromwas fresh out of high school whenhe joined the United States Army.Stationed in Okinawa, Japan, until1967, he was then sent to Vietnamand assigned to the 1st CalvaryDivision (Airmobile).Nordstrom was placedin the 5th Battalion 7thCavalry.Nordstrom returnedhome from Vietnamin October 1968. Hismother organizeda special welcomehome event forhim. His entire familygreeted him at theairport and a largebanner, signed byseveral neighbors, wasplaced in their frontyard. Nordstrom stillholds on to that sign,a reminder of thelove and support hereceived from thoseclose to him duringa time when soldierswere not welcomedback with the sameadornment as today.He maintains contact with manyof his friends from the unit andattended a reunion in Nashville,Tenn., 10 years ago.The 7th Cavalryoutfit holds historicalsignificance – it’s thesame 7th Cavalry fromthe infamous “Battle ofLittle Bighorn,” led byGeneral Custer.Nordstrom’s 1st CavalryDivision holds a verydistinguished recordfrom the Vietnamconflict. In fact, amovie with Mel Gibson(“We Were Soldiers”)dramatized the Battleof the la Drang Valleywith an emphasis on the role ofthe 1st and 2nd Battalion of the7th Cavalry Regiment.girls, Kelly and Nicole, and a son,Paul. Nordstrom currently sells realestate with his wife, Gail, and livesin the same house his mom anddad purchased 60 years ago.Sears Holdings has continuallyplaced a large focus on providingsupport and encouragement toour country’s armed troops. Infact, the company recentlyteamed with First Lady MichelleObama, Dr. Jill Biden andSecretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, toprovide more career opportunitiesfor military associates and theirfamilies. Lou D’Ambrosio, CEOand president, spoke at the eventand expressed the company’sexcitement to be involved withthe project.“It is an honor to be working withMrs. Obama, Dr. Biden and HildaSolis in a joint effort to provideopportunities for the heroes whohave served for our country,”D’Ambrosio said.The troops he served with willnever be forgotten and thememory of those who werewounded or made the ultimatesacrifice for our country willremain forever.Upon his return from the war, hefound a job at a San Diego Searsstore and assisted the men’sdepartment during the Christmasseason. From there, he landed afull-time job in a Sears Outlet Store.Nordstrom went on to retire atthe age of 55 as a store managerfor Sears store 1358, Chula Vista,Calif. He has three children; twin4www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.comThe “Permanent Change ofStation Promise” (PCS) is one ofthe ways we are showing ourcommitment to the collaboration.With the PCS Promise, thecompany will do everything in itspower to give military associatesand their family members whoare employed by us a job at aSears, Kmart or Lands’ End storeconvenient to their new locationwhen they are transferred.We demonstrated our pride for