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The Sears Hometown Difference

Starting your own business can be both a rewarding and complex process. As one of America's premier retailers, Sears Hometown makes it easy for you. Unlike many other dealer and retail franchise concepts, Sears Hometown offers smart business models that allow you to do what you do best – develop and maintain relationships with both customers and the community. There is a low cost of entry with no inventory investment, license fees, or transportation expense.

Store Concepts

Our various store formats set the standard of excellence for quality and dependability for millions of households across the United States.
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Sears Hometown store

Sears Hometown Store

Open a New Hometown Store in Your Market

In this model, we own inventory in the store, which averages $200,000-$300,000 per store. The store owner is responsible for operating costs, including rent and payroll, and is paid a commission on sales. In addition to selling merchandise, store owners also sell and earn revenue on Protection Agreements, Credit Offerings, and Delivery and Installation services. Other notable details about Sears Hometown Stores include:

  • 98% owner operated with a national footprint of over 800 stores
  • Average 6,000 selling square feet
  • 60% of sales are home appliances, 23% of sales are lawn and garden
  • An average of 27 new stores opened in each of the past five years

Store-Within-a-Store

Open a Sears Hometown Store Inside Your Existing Home Service Business

Just like the full assortment Hometown Store model, you will have no inventory investment when opening a Sears Hometown Store-Within-a-Store. Owning a Sears Hometown Store-Within-a-Store offers additional income opportunities for existing home-related businesses by placing an Appliance Only, or Appliance/Lawn & Garden department inside an established business. The dealer/business owner receives commissions on sales of product and services.

Additional requirements for placement of a Store-Within-a-Store concept include:

  • Dedicated minimum 1,800 square foot sales space within store
  • Start up capital of $20,000 to $26,000 for fixtures and Point of Sale Equipment (depending on the size of store and merchandise carried)
  • Separate exterior Sears Hometown Store sign installed (paid for by Sears Hometown & Outlet)
  • Staffing plan for consultative big ticket sales
  • Delivery capability - either via your own truck or through a local third party partnership
 Store-Within-a-Store concept

Marketing

Sears Hometown & Outlet provides continuous marketing support throughout the life of your retail business. Through weekly circulars, weekly updates of digital and social media platforms, seasonal programs, rebranding opportunities and ongoing cause-related local and national marketing partnerships, Sears Hometown & Outlet invests over $40 million annually across all the Hometown format stores.

Sears Hometown & Outlet ensures you will have access to an experienced retail franchise development team who will guide you through market analysis, site location, lease negotiations and construction/retrofit. Additionally, we will provide assistance with fixture set up and merchandising the store, as well as preparing for your opening.

Training and Support

Sears Hometown invests considerable time and resources to help our owners be successful. New Owners receive extensive training and support which continues throughout the ownership of your store. This continuous support of our owners is a priority, because we are successful only when you are successful!

For New Owner Training we provide:

  • Initial training in one of our Certified Field Training Stores
  • An in-depth week of training at our Training Store in Dekalb, IL and our Headquarters in Hoffman Estates, IL
  • Field Trainer visits to your store prior to and during your Soft Opening

Once your store is open we provide:

  • Continuing support through an online curriculum
  • Intermediate owner training at our Headquarters 6-12 months after you open the store
  • In store training opportunities throughout the year with our Field Trainers and Vendor Partners
  • An annual National Hometown Celebration providing training on new products, the sharing of best practices, motivational speaker presentations, Q & A sessions with the Sears Hometown Staff as well as an opportunity to meet and connect with other owners and enjoy world class entertainment.
  • Sears Hometown also provides a Hometown Solutions Team to support your day to day needs and is available to assist you 7 days a week on issues such as systems, products and procedures.

Most importantly your store will be assigned to a District Sales Manager who will partner with you to coach you and your associates on skills needed to drive sales and profits for your business.

 Cutting the ribbon in front of a new Sears store

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What Owners Say

"The Sears Hometown team for store set up, training and District Manager were excellent. They really made the process very easy for me on my end. The new AAE signing and displays are great, the store looks bright and inviting, customers love it!"

Photo of Tom Iacobucci, Owner in North Kingstown, RI

Tom Iacobucci, Owner in North Kingstown, RI