Broadline retailer Sears Holding Company (SHLD) is continuing to make good on its March 2009 promise to expand its global online strategy with the official launch of the ManageMyHome home improvement site, saysRetailerDaily.com. ManageMyHome offers online services, products and information aimed at consumers looking to perform home improvement projects.
ManageMyHome allows customers to download online product manuals, receive expert project advice, organize lists of parts and materials needed for projects, calculate estimated project costs, read how-to articles, and also schedule Sears home improvement services and purchase home improvement products and materials. In addition, a team of volunteer homeowners called “Neighborhood Helpers” provide advice through an interactive blog and by posting “tweets” on the Twitter social networking site.
Sears’ attempt to build an online social network of home improvement customers and experts is similar to its recently launched MySears.com andMyKmart.com community sites. MyKmart.com and MySears.com enable users to write reviews, view polls and blogs, and follow either retailer on Facebook,Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Videos, a “featured reviewer” section and how-tos also feature prominently on each landing page. The company hopes the sites serve as a “stepping stone” to introduce younger customers to Sears, much as ManageMyHome is designed as an entry point for home improvement customers.
Sears announced its expanded digital strategy in March on the heels of purchasing Israeli social networking engine Delver, and Sears’ new community sites and ManageMyHome are clearly efforts at developing proprietary social networking communities. However, Sears has also launched a number of other online initiatives this year that do not directly fall into the social networking category.
Earlier this month, Sears offered a special presale of two new Samsung DualView cameras, allowing customers can purchase the cameras either online or via mobile phone before they become generally available in September.
In June, Sears partnered with web services provider AOL to create a a new site called Good News Now featuring “feel good” content.
Other recent online developments from Sears include the launch of a service called givetogether which enables a group of customers to select and give a gift. The organizer or recipient can select any Sears product or service and create a group gift goal, and then invite contributors via email.
In addition, Sears recently launched ServiceLive.com, an online marketplace where US homeowners and businesses can name their price for a variety of services, improvements and repairs, and the unified ShopYourWay banner that allows customers to have a consistent shopping experience, online or offline, across all Sears and sister retailer Kmart channels. Last year, Sears enabled customers to perform social shopping for prom dresses via Facebook.