There’s nothing better during the holiday season than a wonderful dose of nostalgia and this year, Sears is here to help with the return of their iconic ‘Wish Book’, which they discontinued in 2011.
The 120-page gift guide includes everything from holiday decorations and home furnishings to toys, clothes and even appliances.
So pretty much, all your holiday wishes right in one place! And this time around, it will be even easier to search the catalog, with access via mobile and online.
“The new ‘genie in the bottle’ is our Sears Wish Book. From drains to drills to dresses…from tools to TVs to tablets, we’ve got your back! We know the holiday hustle is on! And we’ve got you covered with the Wish Book,” Kelly Cook, chief marketing officer for Sears and Kmart said in a press release.
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“Our members told us they missed the Wish Book, so we had to bring it back, but in a special way that lets you share more joy wherever you are. There’s gifting inspiration on every page to help you live life now – during the holiday season and throughout the year.”
Reconnecting With Established Customer Base?
It’s no secret that Sears has been struggling recently. They’ve closed dozens of Sears and Kmart locations around the country as they try to remain relevant in a crowded retail marketplace. Experts were mixed in their opinions on whether bringing back to the Wish Book would help attract new or old customers.
It appears that they might be targeting their most loyal fan base—those customers who are used to shopping in stores and via catalog, as opposed to online.
“The goal was to connect with our members and their memories in a deeper level than just social media interaction,” Kelly Cook, Sears’ chief marketing officer, told MarketWatch.
One analyst told MarketWatch that Sears should instead be spending its time and money on attracting digital shoppers.
“This might be missing the critical need of growth, expansion and regaining of lost market share during a time when Sears is closing stores nationwide,” Jim Fosina, founder and chief executive of Fosina Marketing Group, told MarketWatch. “If I were Sears, I would be heavily focused on my digital strategy to pivot the company from ‘old school retail and direct’ to today’s point, click and receive purchase economy–or another icon falls.”
Nostalgia For Sears’ Catalogs
The first Sears Wish Book, which was then known as the Sears Christmas Book catalog, came out in 1933. It featured items like a battery-powered toy car, fruitcakes, the “Miss Pigtails” doll, a Mickey Mouse watch, a five pound box of chocolates (!!!) and electric trains.
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Using the digital Wish Book is pretty simple; you just flip through the pages. Hovering over items will show you prices and descriptions.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNvCfiuhni9/?tagged=searswishbook
You can then click on the heart icon to add it to your wish list, making it easy to keep track of gifts for everyone on your list.
The retailer says pricing will get updated throughout the season, so you can keep returning to the digital Wish Book to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZCvSxhnSt5/?tagged=searswishbook
If you prefer your nostalgia in print form, select Shop Your Way members will receive an email inviting them to pick up a copy at their local story and some of Sears’ “best members” will receive a copy in the mail.
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For the rest of us, we’ll just have to flip through digital pages instead.
The digital Wish Book is now accessible at sears.com/wishbook or through the Sears app. Happy shopping!
Kaitlin is a freelance multimedia journalist with a degree in journalism and psychology. Along with Don't Waste Your Money, she also writes for Simplemost, where she covers new product and food launches and overall general news. You can email her at kaitlingateswrites@gmail.com or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/KaitlinGatesWrites. More.
