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Exhibit 31(a)

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Alan J. Lacy, certify that:



|1. |  | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Sears, Roebuck and Co.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
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|2. |  | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the
period covered by this report;
|  
|3. |  | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included
in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;                   
|  
|4. |  | The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e)
and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:                                                                            



| | (a) |  | Designed such disclosure
controls and procedures,
or caused such disclosure
controls and procedures to
be designed under our
supervision, to ensure
that material information
relating to the
registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries,
is made known to us by
others within those
entities, particularly
during the period in which
this report is being
prepared;         
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|
| | (b) |  | Evaluated the
effectiveness of the
registrants disclosure
controls and procedures
and presented in this
report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of
the disclosure controls
and procedures, as of the
end of the period covered
by this report based on
such evaluation; and                                                                                                    
|
| | (c) |  | Disclosed in this report
any change in the
registrants internal
control over financial
reporting that occurred
during the registrants
most recent fiscal quarter
(the registrants fourth
fiscal quarter in the case
of an annual report) that
has materially affected,
or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the
registrants internal
control over financial
reporting; and



|5. |  | The registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most
recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors
and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the
equivalent functions):
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| | (a) |  | All significant
deficiencies and material
weaknesses in the design
or operation of internal
control over financial
reporting which are
reasonably likely to
adversely affect the
registrants ability to
record, process, summarize
and report financial
information; and
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|
| | (b) |  | Any fraud, whether or not
material, that involves
management or other
employees who have a
significant role in the
registrants internal
control over financial
reporting.                                                                                               

Date: November 4, 2003

/s/ Alan. J. LacyAlan J. Lacy
Chairman of the Board of Directors,  
President and Chief Executive Officer of  
Sears, Roebuck and Co.