Newsletter - Sears Holdings Alumni

Newsletter
Summer 2015
Meet Alasdair James, President & Chief Member Officer, Kmart
Alasdair James joined SHC as
President and Chief Member
Officer for the Kmart business in
August 2014. In his role, he works
directly with our Chairman and
CEO, Eddie Lampert, and is
responsible for driving the Kmart
format strategy and aligning
merchandise, marketing, pricing
and selling with the needs
and wants of our
Shop Your Way®
members.
In the interview
below, Alasdair
shares his
perspective on
returning the
Kmart business to
profitability and
relevancy, as well as
the format’s plan to
become more member-centric.
In the year you’ve been here,
what part of Kmart has surprised
you the most?
I’ve been very pleasantly
surprised by the Kmart
family. When I visit stores, the
associates’ pride for the Kmart
brand and the desire to improve
the business is palpable. Their
aspiration translates into real
commitment to provide better
service to each of our members
every shift, every day. And
even though our financial
performance is not currently
where we want it to be, I have
confidence that we will succeed
and achieve great things
because of Kmart’s committed
and determined associates.
What can members and
customers expect to see from
Kmart in the future?
We are focusing on a strategy
to return the Kmart business to
profitability and relevancy. The
Kmart strategy will concentrate
on three key components.
First, I am focusing on Kmart’s
branding. We have a strong
brand, but it needs to be
clearer to our members
what Kmart stands for.
They need to understand
why they should shop
Kmart and what they can
expect from us. Second,
it’s important to me to
meet our members’
complete shopping
needs in a personalized
way. The data we
have and are continuing to
gather from Shop Your Way
helps us develop approaches
that are more personalized.
These tailored offers bring key
opportunities for us. And third, I
am working relentlessly to make
the Kmart business more efficient
so we can return Kmart to
profitable growth.
Can you expand on how
your team is building more
personalized relationships with
members?
I have an example from a
recent encounter that I think will
help show you how my team
is personalizing relationships. I
recently met a member who
was visiting our store three times
a month but only spending
www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com
$500 in a full year. In talking to
the member it became clear
she had a dog. I asked a few
questions and discovered that
we carry the brand of food
her dog eats, but she currently
wasn’t buying this brand from
Kmart. If she bought her dog
food from Kmart each month
and we even carried it to her
car, we would double our sales
for this particular member. But
to achieve this goal, we have to
properly understand the needs
of the members in the first place
and go above and beyond to
provide them these services.
We are doing this through our
Shop Your Way system which
helps us narrow down this
task by providing us valuable
information so we understand
what matters most to each
member. For several years
Sears Holdings has been
building capabilities to use that
information to serve product
recommendations and offers
targeted to individual members.
Part of my mission is to develop
experiences for members that
bring those capabilities together
in an intuitive way, such that we
can have a meaningful impact
on members’ lives by meeting
the needs that are most
important to them. By being
relevant and providing best-inclass experiences, we will win
more loyalty from our members
which will improve our results. I’m
excited about the possibilities
these efforts can unlock.
Shopping for Appliances Made Easier
at Sears with Digital Product Signs
before. Touching
the tablet reveals
additional colors,
or more information
on the product, like
specifications and
dimensions.
At Sears Holdings, we
continuously seek new ways
to make shopping more
convenient for our members.
We also look for ways to reduce
manual tasks by automating
them for our store associates
so they can spend more time
assisting our members.
Last year, we deployed new
digital price signs in the Home
Appliances department at
more than 300 Sears stores.
These digital signs ensure that
our members not only get the
most accurate pricing, but
also more product information
such as description, color
choices, specifications, reviews
and ratings. It also enables
our associates to focus their
attention on finding the right
products and meeting the
needs of our members rather
than manually changing signs
when prices fluctuate.
There’s also a strong
environmental impact. Last
year, over 100,000 signs were
replaced with digital signs –
allowing us to greatly reduce
the amount of paper we use to
print signs.
Among the many benefits of
this technology, we can now
quickly change pricing to
provide the best value or share
helpful product information
within seconds as members
research top appliance brands
we carry.
Also, many of our products use
digital tablets as price signs,
allowing members to interact
with the product like never
2
325 off
$
Central Heating &
CoolingSystems*
Call 888-255-5353 to
schedule your FREE
in-home consultation.
*Offer ends 10/31/15. Not valid on prior sales or in
combination with any other offer. Sears Home Improvement
Products, Inc. is a division of Sears Roebuck and Co.
As we look ahead in 2015 we
plan to expand these digital
signs to Home Appliances
departments in another 250
stores and continue to test in
other areas of our stores like our
shoe department.
Our focus continues to be to
find new ways to make it easier
for our members and customers
to research products, regardless
of whether they start their
research online or in-store.
We look forward to your
interaction with this new
integrated retail capability
in our stores as we continue
to find new ways to save you
time and make your shopping
experience more convenient.
www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com
For Questions on:
Contact:
Address Change See each plan
Death of a retiree or spouse
See each plan
*Retiree Medical Benefits for general questions or to enroll in medical coverage: See Aetna information below
For specific questions about the Aetna Medical plans and prescription drugs,
you can call Aetna directly at the numbers provided below.
Aetna Medicare Rx Access Prescription Drug Plans 1-800-254-2239
http://searsretiree.aetnamedicare.com
Aetna Member Services (for general questions)
Pre-65: 1-800-432-1623
Post-65: 1-800-254-2239
Aetna Rx Home Delivery™
Pre-65: 1-800-432-1623
Post-65: 1-800-254-2239
Aetna preferred drug list (Formulary)
Pre-65: www.aetna.com/formulary
Post-65: www.aetnamedicare.com
Members can also
read reviews on the products
from others who have previously
purchased the item.
We also added a feature
to enter your email address
directly into the digital tablet
and receive an email with the
product you looked at in the
store. That way, members can
do more research at home and
have the product information
at their disposal.
Who to Contact
The following licenses are held by or on behalf of Sears Home Improvement Products,
Inc.: AL (Res. Bldr. # 11276; HVAC #8186); AR (HVACR #1004181-B; Gen. Bldg. Contr.
#203740613-B); AZ (Res. Remodeler #ROC117628B-03; HVAC #ROC206649 C-39R; Dual
Res. & Small Comm. #ROC260459 KB-02); CA (Gen. Bldg. Contr. #721379-B, Insulation
& Acoustical #721379-C2, HVAC #721379-C20, #721379-C33; CT (HTG, Piping & Cooling
Un-Ltd. Cont. #HTG.0400133-S1; HIC #0607669); DE (Master HVACR #HM-0000804); FL
(Gen. Contr. #CGC012538; HVAC #CMC1249510; GA (HVAC #CR109873,); ID (HVAC #
HVC-C-6134, Contracting Bus. #RCE-25219); IL (City of Chicago Home Repair #1248977); IN
(Evansville Res. Remodeling Cont. #21015); IA (Master HVAC #677); KS (Salina Gen. Contr.
#5985); KY (Master HVAC #HM04667); LA (Res. Bldr. #84194; HVAC #45862); MD (HIC
#87854; Contractor/Salesman #46542; HVACR #75581); MA (HIC #148607, All plumbing and
electrical services performed by licensed subcontractors); MI (Res. Bldr. #2102131369; HVAC
#7100915); MN (Res. Remodeler #CL090017); MS (Res. Bldr. #RO5222); NV (Carpentry
#43242-C3; Gen. Contr. #60609-B; Plumb. & Htg. Contr. #60610-C1; Refrig. & AC Contr.
#60608-C21; Gen. Serviceman #S1469; HVAC #A0072; NY (NYC HIC #1225166, Nassau
County HIC #H1809170000, Rockland County HIC #9990-A6-00-00, Suffolk County #41506H, Westchester County WC #18371-H06, Putnam County #PC3159-A, City of Yonkers #4213);
NM (Gen. Bldg. Contr.#GB98 58598; HVAC #MM98 58598; Elec.# EE98 58598, MHD HVAC
#MM98 C58598, MHD Elec. #EE98 C58598); NC (Bldg. Limited. #47330; HVAC #15343
H-2, H-3-1, HVAC #30249 H-3-II); OH (HVAC #44752); OK (HVAC #106841, Roofing
Cont. #80000449); OR (Gen. Contr. #113202); PA (HI Contractor #PA005499); RI (Res. Contr.
#27281, HVAC #7935); SC (Res. Bldr. #20195; Gen. Contr. #105836-BD5; HVAC Res. #RBH919; Mechanical Contractor #110634); TN (HIC #2319; HVAC-Unlimited Contr. #54995;
Res. & Small Comm-Unlimited BC-A #54995); TX (HVAC Dallas #TACLB00020401E, San
Antonio #TACLB00029020E, Lubbock #TACLB00027780E; Houston #TACLB00027482E);
UT (Gen. Bldg. Contr. #B-100 318604-5501; HVAC #S-350 318604-5501); VA (Class A Contr.
#2705084717; HVAC #2710046587); WA (Gen. Contr. #SEARSHI011LA); Washington,
DC (Perm No. #8075; HIC #50006423); WI (Dwelling Contr. Cert. #15151; Dwelling Contr.
Qualifier #982570; HVAC #15151);WV (Res. Bldr,. #WV025882, HVAC WV025882);Some
services performed by Sears’ associates. Other services and installation performed by SearsAuthorized licensed contractors; additional Sears license information available upon request.
The following licenses are held by or on behalf of Sears, Roebuck and Co.: AL (Res. Home
Bldr/Remodeler #8398, HVAC #91067); AK (Gen. Contr.–Exc.Res. #675); AR (Mast. Contr.
#0117740413); AZ (Res. HVAC Contr. #ROC013509, Com. HVAC Contr. #ROC079967,
Gen. Com. Contr. #ROC080918, Gen. Res. Contr. #ROC092564, Res. Plumb. Contr.
#ROC080304, Com. Plumb Contr. #ROC080305, Res. Elect. Contr. #ROC079952); CA
(HVAC #25455-C20, Plum. #25455-C36, Elec. #25455-C10, GDO #25455-D28); CT
(HIC.0584068, HVAC.303642-S1); FL (HVAC #CAC1816562, Plumb. #CFC057295, Bldg.
Contr. CBC015949); GA (HVAC #CN003489); IN (Plumbing PC10701057); KY (HVAC
#HM04060); LA Mech./Spec. Contr. #5526, Master Plumber #1885); MA (Home Imp. #141873,
All plumbing and electrical services performed by licensed subcontractors); MD (MHIC #32117, HVAC #16861); MI (Res. Bldr. #2101175210); MN (Res. Bldg. Contr. #BC155409); NY
(Nassau County, HIC #H1809170000); NJ (A substantial part of the work which we undertake
in the State of New Jersey may be performed by independent licensed plumbing contractors
or subcontractors); NV (Gen. Contr. #0054530, #0005543A,B,C,D,E,F,G; OH (Elec. Contr.
#26034); OR (Gen. Contr. #0001051); RI (Gen. Contr. #4667); TX (HVAC #TACLB00019163E,
#TACLB00009563C, #TACLA00027233E, Master Plumber #15949); VA (Class A Contr.
#27050-57009A); WA (Gen. Contr. #SEARSR*372NT, Elec. Contr. #SEARSRC890M8) Some
services performed by Sears associates. Other services and installation performed by SearsAuthorized licensed contractors; additional Sears license information available upon request.
Electrical services not available in NJ. Sears, Roebuck and Co. is licensed under the following,
and related Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. United States Patents: 5, 128, 984,; 5,
561, 707; 5,684, 863; 5, 828, 734; 5, 917, 893; 5, 974, 120; and others.
Retiree Life Insurance- For questions about: reporting Prudential
a death; change of address; investment changes
1-800-778-3827
Group Universal Life Insurance
For questions about: reporting a death; change of
address; investment changes
Prudential
1-800-778-3827
Pension Plan- For questions about: reporting a Sears Holdings Pension Service Center
death; change of address; checks; pension options; 1-800-953-5390
direct deposit
The Savings Plans (formerly 401(k) Savings Plan)
For questions about: reporting a death; change of address; investment changes
Sears Holdings Benefits Center
1-888-88sears (1-888-887-3277)
Follow the prompts to financial
benefits and speak to a
Benefits Center representative.
*Retiree Discount Cards For questions or to order a replacement card
Sears Holdings HR Support Services
1-888-887-3277 Follow the prompts and speak to a Sears Holdings HR Support
Services representative (option 6)
Credit Customer Service: Sears Card®
Sears MasterCard®
1-800-917-7700
1-800-669-8488
To find a Sears or Kmart store Go to Sears.com or Kmart.com
Sears Holdings Archives E-mail: Sears/Kmart archives web site
SHCarchives@searshc.com
www.searsarchives.com
Sears/Kmart Retiree Web Site
www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com
Sears Holdings retiree newsletter
Submit stories/ideas to e-mail:
CorpComm@searshc.com
*Please note the new contact information for the Retiree Medical and the Discount Program.
www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com
3
Alumni Clubs
Detroit Region Retirees Club:
contact Stanley Hreneczko at 586268-3656. The club meets five times
a year at various restaurants in the
Detroit area.
Are you looking to increase the
membership of your local Kmart or
Sears retiree club? Send your club
name along with the name, phone
number and/or email address of
your club’s contact to CorpComm@
searshc.com or the address
on the back of this newsletter.
Club information will appear in
the next issue and be posted to
SearsHoldingsAlumni.com. Please
feel free to send in images of your
events as well!
Great Northern DieHards Club:
contact Edie Lester at 440-3274048. The group meets the fourth
Wednesday of every month at the
Denny’s restaurant in North Olmsted,
Ohio.
Ventura County Retiree Club:
contact Jim Holbrook at 805-4851688 or at ajandjess@webtv.net.
Jim is looking to start a retiree group
in the Ventura County area. If you
are interested in meeting or
helping start the group, please
contact Jim.
Dubuque, Iowa Retiree Club:
contact Denny Gansemer at 815747-3762 or jdgansemer@mchsi.com.
The group is gathering for a bus trip
to the Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona
Diamondbacks baseball game
on Friday, Sept. 4. Please contact
Denny for more information about
the event.
Alumni/Retiree Family of Huntsville,
Alabama: contact Jim Duncan at
cdduncan@outlook.com. The club
meets once a quarter at 9 a.m. at
the Blue Plate Café in Huntsville.
Washington, DC Retiree Club:
contact Tom Nally at 703-451-5358 or
nally1000@cox.net. The group meets
in the DC area two to three times a
year.
10
Off
with purchase of 50 or
$
$
more on regular and salepriced clothing, accessories,
sleepwear, lingerie and shoes
Valid in-store only 8/15/15 - 10/22/15
Purchase requirement before taxes and after other discounts. Not valid on clearance merchandise,
everyday great price items, Insane Deals, Lands’ End® merchandise, Levi’s®, baby gear and
furniture, Two Hearts™ Maternity, Scrubology, fragrance, cosmetics, Timberland Pro, Keen Utility
Boots, Bates work boots, Cat Footwear, Deal Flash, introductory offers, fine jewelry, Outlet Store
purchases, and Gift Cards. Redeemable at Sears stores only. One coupon per purchase. Void if
copied, transferred, obtained via unapproved means or if prohibited. Any other use constitutes
fraud. Cash value 1/20¢. On return, coupon savings deducted from refund.
Sales associate: If unable to scan, manually enter the coupon
number. Valid in the U.S.A. only; not to be not to be used with any
other coupon, associate discount or during Family and Friends or
member events.
www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com
Obituaries
Richard Callahan
Mr. Richard
Callahan, 75, of
Orange, California
died August 7, 2014.
Richard was born
on May 21, 1937 in
Pasadena, California
and was an East
Orange resident for 15 years. He
served as a first Lieutenant in the
U.S. Army Armor Corps. Richard was
a Comptroller of the Western and
Midwestern territories for Sears and
spent several years assigned to the
Sears Tower in Chicago during his 32
years of service with Sears, Roebuck
and Co.
He is survived by his loving wife,
Joanne; his children, Michael,
Brian, Maureen, Lydia and Lynn;
and his five grandchildren. He was
passionate about being involved
with community issues and watching
all types of sports. Richard’s
family and friends also enjoyed
his gourmet cooking. He deeply
affected those who knew him with
his loving, caring spirit.
Bangor, Maine Retiree Club:
contact Richard Dufton at
207-862-4275 or at Ddufton@
gmail.com. The club meets on
the second Tuesday of each
month at various restaurants in
the area.
Louisville and Southern Indiana
Derby City Retirement Club:
contact Dale Winchell at 812-2461927 or gin8ge@yahoo.com. The
club will meet again in December.
4
Retirees of Lehigh Valley,
Pennsylvania: contact George
Ryba at 610-398-1786 or gcryba@
aol.com. The club meets every other
month for lunch. Please contact
George for more information.
Save the Date!
FAMILY&
FRIENDS
Sears Stores
All Day Sunday,
August 16 until 9 p.m.
Hackensack and Paramus, NJ; St. George,
West Jordan, Ogden, Salt Lake City and
Provo, UT; and Charleston, WV hold the
event all day on Saturday, August 15.
William E.
Roswell, Sr.
Mr. William
E. Roswell,
Sr. 84, of
Moorestown,
New Jersey
passed away
peacefully on
March 29, 2014
surrounded
by his loving wife and children.
Born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Bill
moved with his parents and siblings
to Washington, DC in 1941. While
attending Georgetown University, Bill
began working at Sears, Roebuck
and Co in Washington, DC selling
shoes. He met his future wife,
Wanda, who was working in the
candy department at the same
Sears store. Upon graduating, Bill
married Jeannie (Harner).
He is survived by his four sons and
six daughters. Bill is also survived
by 27 grandchildren, 19 greatgrandchildren, and a multitude of
nieces and nephews. Bill derived
great pleasure from the crop of his
vegetable garden every summer,
especially his prized tomatoes. After
retirement Bill enjoyed golf and
traveling across the United States.
He was also an active member of
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
in Moorestown where he served as
a Eucharistic Minister.
Charles J. Trentalange
Mr. Charles J.
Trentalange,
82, of South
Abington Township,
Pennsylvania died at
Allied Skilled Nursing
Center on November
9, 2014 in Scranton.
He was the husband
of Elaine Warren
Trentalange. The
couple was married for 60 years.
Charles was an Air Force veteran
serving in Korea and operating on
photo reconnaissance missions.
He retired in 1972 as a captain in
the Air Force Reserves. After active
military service, he was employed
by Sears Roebuck and Co. where
he recruited for the executive
training program and worked in
many other positions within the
company in the Mid-Atlantic zone,
including Harrisburg, Oneonta, New
York, Lancaster and Philadelphia. In
1967 he opened the new Scranton
store at the Viewmont Mall where
he served as store manager for 26
years until his retirement.
Throughout his life Charles was
active in community and civic
work. He was past president of the
Scranton Chamber of Commerce,
served for many years on the boards
www.SearsHoldingsAlumni.com
of the Salvation Army, Community
Medical Center, Lackawanna
Savings Bonds Committee and the
Visiting Nurses Association. He was
also active in Kiwanis International
and served on the board of
Northeastern Bank, Viewmont Mall.
He was a member of the Scranton
Country Club and the Scranton
Sears Retirees Club.
His is survived by his two daughters,
three grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. His brother,
sister, nieces and nephews also
survive him.
Arthur E. Leckner Jr.
Mr. Leckner, 94, of
Chicago passed
away peacefully
at his home in Gold
Coast, Chicago
on September
12, 2014. He was
preceded in death
by his parents,
Wanda and Arthur
Leckner, Sr. of St.
Joseph, Michigan. Arthur earned
a Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Administration from the University of
Michigan. Following graduation, he
joined the U.S. Navy and served as
a fighter pilot in the Pacific Theater
on the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise.
Following WWII, he returned home
to Michigan where received his
MBA degree at the University. He
then joined Sears Roebuck and Co.
as a trainee and later as a store
manager in two different locations
in the Midwest. Promoted to Sears’
National Headquarters, he then
served in several executive positions
as a buyer, sales manager and later
retired in 1977 as the coordinator of
National Advertising.
In retirement, Arthur actively
pursued his interests including
volunteer work, travel, horticulture,
tennis, skiing, sailing and cycling.
Arthur is survived by two goddaughters and many friends.
5
Sears Holdings Alumni Newsletter
6250 West Howard Street
Niles, IL 60714
$
5 off
tools purchase
of $50
or
more
Savings off regular and sale prices apply to merchandise only. Purchase requirement
is before taxes and after other discounts. Not valid on clearance and closeout, special
purchases, every day great price items, introductory offers, Hometown, Appliance
showrooms, Outlet and Hardware stores, Parts and Repair centers, catalog orders, and
Gift Cards. Redeemable at Sears stores only. One coupon per purchase. Void if copied,
transferred, or obtained via unapproved means and where prohibited. Any other use
constitutes fraud. Cash value 1/20 cent. In an event of a return, coupon savings may be
deducted from your refund.
Sales associate: Please collect this coupon.
If unable to scan, manually enter the coupon number.
Valid 8/15/2015 to 10/22/2015 in U.S.A only.
Not to be used with any other coupon, associate
discount or during Family and Friends or Member
events.
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 202
CAROL STREAM, IL