The changes, which also are being made at stores in the Indianapolis and Milwaukee markets, are being studied as a pilot for 850 Sears stores nationwide. At Indianapolis' Greenwood Park Mall store, Sears has added a cybercafe.
Customers can shop, eat, drink and even complete leftover business deals.
Sears may be one of the first retailers to go to such extremes, but it won't be the last, he said. You improve the things you do best, which is the more relaxing in-store experience of touching, feeling the merchandise. Let customers walk around with a cup of coffee while they shop to relax and you further differentiate yourself from the Web. The retailer, which still dominates the appliance and tool industry, is losing ground from stiff competition from retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's. A year ago, Sears announced sales and profits were sagging, and company executives began searching for a market boost.