corporate info

ST. CATHARINES, ON, Oct 28, 2004 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- Sears Canada Inc. (TSX: SCC), who sells more window coverings than any other retailer in the country, today opened a Sears Coverings store in St. Catharines, the first of six off-mall specialty format stores to open in Canada this year.

"We are very excited about the opening of this new store and are eager to serve the St. Catharines community with their decorating needs," said John Grace, Manager of the Sears Coverings store in St. Catharines. "Our staff are highly qualified in not only knowing what we sell but matching the right merchandise with our customer's needs."

The new 10,500 square foot Sears Coverings store offers home decor solutions for the "Do It For Me" customer from a broad range of custom and ready-made window coverings including drapes and sheers, many styles of blinds and shutters, flooring, custom wall-to-wall carpet, and area rugs to paint and wallpaper. The associates in the new store have the training and knowledge required to ensure the decorating needs and wants of their customers are met. For additional shopping convenience, the store houses a catalogue merchandise pick-up location.

"Sears has one of the largest assortments of custom and ready made window coverings in Canada," said Larry Moore, Group Vice President, Service Sales, Sears Canada. "The new Sears Coverings store in St. Catharines offers value and convenience. It complements our general merchandise selection including home improvement solutions currently offered at our full-line department store in this community and in the Sears catalogue," says Moore. "This store is built on the same foundation of Sears unique assets - exceptional customer service, broad selection of quality merchandise, satisfaction guaranteed and trust."

As part of the grand opening celebrations, in honour of the opening of the new Sears Coverings store, Sears presented a $5,000 donation to Jim Marino, Executive Director of the Niagara Peninsula Children's Centre Foundation.

The store's hours of operation are Monday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 9:00p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

John Grace started working for Sears in big-ticket sales in Hamilton 28 years ago. For the past 10 years he has filled a number of management positions including Associate Store Manager, Home & Hardlines in the Sears St. Catharines full-line department store. John has lived in St. Catharines for 29 years, has three children and enjoys cycling, hiking, art, music and song writing.

Sears will open one more Coverings store (Mississauga, ON) and four Appliances & Mattresses stores (Stoney Creek, Burlington and Oshawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta) in 2004.

Sears Canada, the retailer with the most extensive multi-channel network in the country, began serving customers in 1953. The Company has 48,000 associates and, in an independent consumer survey, ranks high in customer service, trust, respect, and quality products and services. There is a Sears location within a 10-minute drive of 93% of Canadians, and Sears is dedicated to providing them with quality merchandise and exceptional service coast to coast through its 122 full-line department stores, 47 Sears Home stores, over 2,200 catalogue merchandise pick-up locations, 151 dealer stores, 12 outlet stores, 52 floor covering centres, 112 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and installation network. The Company also publishes Canada's most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

VIEW ADDITIONAL COMPANY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/orgDisplay.cgi?okey=58312

For further information: Contact: Christine Hudson, Sears Canada Inc.,
(416) 941-4423, christine.hudson(at)sears.ca; John Grace, Manager, Sears
Coverings, (905) 931-7532, jgrace2(at)sears.ca

News release via Canada NewsWire, Toronto 416-863-9350