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Sears Holdings Corp., the retailer being reorganized by hedge fund investor Edward Lampert, said Bank of America Corp. refused to renew a $1-billion letter of credit under existing terms, sending the shares down 3.2% in after-hours trading Friday. Losing the credit probably won't affect Sears' access to cash, the Hoffman Estates, Ill., company said in a regulatory filing. The retailer had $1.62 billion in cash as of Feb. 2, a 58% decline from a year earlier. Retailers use letters of credit to assure vendors that they have money to pay for goods, and losing a bank's backing may mean having...

Jury finishes first day of deliberations in terror trialAssociated Press - March 28, 2008 5:33 PM ET MIAMI (AP) - A Florida jury has wrapped up its first day of deliberations in the trial of 6 men accused of plotting terrorist attacks against Chicago's Sears Tower and FBI offices. Before the deliberations started, prosecutors appealed to the jury not to buy defense claims that the plot was really just a con aimed at getting some money. The alleged ringleader testified that he faked interest in terrorism in an effort to scam $50,000 out of a man he thought had been...

Democrats for Boeing The truth about the tanker deal. by Christian Lowe 03/24/2008, Volume 013, Issue 27 It was one of those insider deals that give the defense industry a bad name, conjuring up images of smoke-filled negotiations between the brass and corporate fat cats in plush leather chairs. By the time it was over, two fat cats were in jail, a top Pentagon official had been forced to resign, a corporate CEO had lost his job, and the reputation of an iconic company that had served American troops for decades had suffered irreparable damage. Then it turned out it...

Firestone. American Motors. Texaco. Pan Am. Worldcom. At one point or another these large American companies were at the top of their industries. Pan Am was the leading global airline for decades. All are gone. Some were sold off. Others went bankrupt. Who could have predicted it? There are several iconic US companies that may well not exist at the end of 2008. Some may not even make it halfway through the year. Not all will go out of business. Some may simply be auctioned off in pieces. Others may be bought. These companies will not exist in their current...

If you've signed up to receive e-mails from Sears, and then clicked on to join the retailer's "My SHC Community," it's likely you've been providing more information to more people than you thought. Even more troubling, it turns out that you're not just sharing information with Sears, but also with a company called comScore, which tracks and aggregates Internet browsing habits. Installing the software from Sears results in the installation of software called VoiceFive, which provides data to comScore. It's essentially spyware. comScore is the company behind the (disputed) numbers that indicated more people were stealing Radiohead's latest album than...

Want to see all the major appliances and repair services that your friends and neighbors... (and anyone else who you can look up in the phone book) have ever purchased at Sears? Want to know what your mom might have purchased for your birthday? Want to know which houses in your neighborhood have really nice expensive TVs? Sears provides a website, www.ManageMyHome.com where anyone can look up anyone elses' entire purchase history at Sears—using only their name and address. This is especially convenient because these strange men keep dropping off huge lists of names and addresses on our door every...

Sears and Kmart are places you might go when you need a new air conditioner filter or a lawnmower; they're not generally thought of as havens for spyware. But that's what the two stores have become, at least online, where their websites were found to be installing software to track users' every online move—all without their knowledge. Security researchers are now hammering Sears (the owner of both Sears.com and Kmart.com) for the move, despite Sears' claims that users were notified adequately beforehand. The story goes like this: late last year, Sears.com and Kmart.com began asking users if they wanted to...

Holiday Fundraiser for Military Families Week of December 10, 2007 Sears recently launched a fund-raising effort in stores, and online, to benefit Heroes at Home, a charitable program created in association with the nation's leading non-profit home rehabilitation organization, Rebuilding Together. Heroes at Home seeks to improve the lives of military families and veterans by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. To help raise funds for this program Sears will make a donation to Heroes at Home for every credit card purchase made at any of its Sears stores through Dec. 28, 2008. Customers can also make...

Liberty Counsel targets K-Mart, Sears for refusing to use 'Christmas' in ads Allie Martin OneNewsNow.com December 7, 2007 A Christian law firm is targeting two retail giants after they offended Christians with their advertising. Officials at Liberty Counsel say K-Mart and Sears have renamed "Christmas trees" to "holiday trees" in their advertising. According to Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, a ministry supporter asked K-Mart why it took the action. "A representative from Sears Holding Corporation, which owns K-Mart as well, wrote back and said that Sears is a diverse company and it did not want to offend any of its...

Shares of Sears Holdings dropped below the $100 mark on Thursday for the first time in their two-and-a-half year existence after the company reported disastrous third-quarter results that suggest its days as a retailer could be numbered. Fans of the company's chairman, Greenwich, Conn., hedge fund manager Ed Lampert, say that Sears may be a dying retailer, but it's cash can be invested elsewhere by a value-investing genius. Others say the path to riches at Sears lies in the hidden value of its real estate, which guarantees upside in the stock -- even in the event of a liquidation. With...

A disappointing October sales report Thursday sent a clear signal to retailers that they’ll have to pull out all the stops to get shoppers into their stores this holiday as declining home values, tighter credit terms and rising gas prices appear to have left consumers feeling spent. The nation’s biggest chain stores posted the second consecutive month of weak sales results, underscoring their concerns that sales growth this holiday season could be the slowest in five years. “Consumers are exerting a lot of caution,” said Mandy Putnam, vice president at TNS Retail Forward Inc., a Columbus, Ohio-based market research and...

A small leftist guerrilla group claimed responsibility for a homemade bomb that exploded outside a Sears store and another left outside a U.S.-owned bank in southern Mexico. The statement by the People's Revolutionary Army, or EPR, said the action was intended "to hit the interests of Mexican and foreign oligarchy." It was posted late Wednesday, hours after the blast, on a Web site that serves as clearinghouse for Latin American leftist and guerrilla groups. EPR statements with similar language and style have been posted there in the past. The bomb caused no injuries but damaged an entrance to the Sears...

OAXACA, Mexico — A small, homemade bomb exploded outside a Sears store in the troubled southern city of Oaxaca early Wednesday, damaging the entrance but causing no injuries, authorities reported. A similar bomb was found and deactivated outside the entrance of a nearby bank, state Attorney General Evencio Martinez told national radio station W Radio. "I believe it could be (the work of) local groups, given the type and style of device," Martinez said. He denied the bombs were related to the People's Revolutionary Army, a small leftist group that bombed gas pipelines in July. Sears in Mexico is operated...

CHICAGO, June 29 (UPI) -- In a bold move to jump-start years of declining sales, Sears is reportedly placing some free-standing stores inside some K-Mart facilities. The discount chain is renting about 7,000 square feet inside existing Kmarts to Sears dealers in four towns -- Claremont, N.H.; Freedom, Calif.; Pell City, Ala.; and Zephyrhills, Fla. The dealers sell hardware, appliances, lawn equipment and some consumer electronics, the Chicago Tribune reported. Some observers see it as another step toward an expected merger. During the past year, Sears Holdings Corp. has been moving its best Sears brands into Kmart in an effort...

Sears corporate officials have apologized to two police officers who were told to leave the retailer's store at a Des Moines mall because their uniforms distracted the store's security guards. Officers Richard Glade and David Coy said they were kicked out of the Sears store in Merle Hay Mall in separate incidents this month. "They told me that while I was in the store, I'd probably interfere with thefts they were monitoring," Coy said. "I said, 'Well, that's great.' She said, 'No, it's not,' and that they paid people to monitor that activity." Kimberly Freely, a Sears spokeswoman at the...

Sears Tower terror plot questioned CHICAGO, March 16 (UPI) -- Chicago officials say it is unlikely that the Sears Tower was the target of a terrorist plot. Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- told federal agents he planned and financed attacks on the Sears Tower and other U.S. skyscrapers, the Chicago Tribune reported. A spokesman for Sears Tower said there was never any credible threat to the building. "Federal authorities have not uncovered a specific threat or plot to target the Sears Tower," Mark Spencer told the Tribune. Chicago Police Supt. Philip...

--> Merry Christmas, Aztlan! From Sears (Or is that, "Feliz Navidad"?) By Debbie Schlussel What is it with "American" retailers and t-shirts? First, we documented Wal-Mart's Nazi Death's Head Battalion skull t-shirts (which Wal-Mart is still selling, over a month later). Now, SEARS is selling "AZTLAN PRIDE" t-shirts. Reader Mary sent us the tip and writes this: I was shopping for my young cousins on Sears.com. They are wonderful young men who always want T-shirts for Christmas. So I was looking online this afternoon and look what I found. Apparently Sears supports the reconquista movement. I called and cancelled our...

Two-minute infomercials sponsored explicitly by Sears helps keep the homosexual network on the air. Sears has thrown its support to the LOGO network. LOGO is the 24-hour cable television network dedicated to programming for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders according to a homosexual advertising website. It is carried on many cable systems around the country. Many of you have been forced to accept it as part of your cable package. Sears is now helping to make it mainstream! Sear's advertising will help LOGO air shows like "Sex 2K Drag Kings," "The Gayest and Greatest of 2006," and "Transgeneration." Sears advertising...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2006 -- Holiday shoppers turning to the Internet to avoid the mall crowds have an easy way to support servicemembers and their families this year thanks to a partnership between Sears Holdings Corporation and “USA Cares.”  America Supports You is a Defense Department program highlighting ways Americans and the corporate sector support the nation’s military. Sears Holdings is the parent company of Sears and Kmart department stores. “Sears has a longstanding commitment with the military, and we feel privileged to assist the troops and their families through this initiative,” Brenda Storch, a Sears Holdings spokeswoman, said. “We...

You've probably heard of Hooters -- the restaurant chain known for attracting male customers by hiring waitresses who are well-endowed and dressed to show it.The firm now employs more than 30,000 people. Some would consider this a success story, but our government didn't. Not because Hooters is using sex to sell -- but because its waitresses are -- get ready -- women!"Discrimination!" cried the federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).The business of Hooters is food, said the government, and "no physical trait unique to women is required to serve food." EEOC lawyers demanded Hooters produce all its hiring data,...

I just walked away from the press confrence on FOX about these 7 that were arrested for the plot to attack the Sears Tower. And I have yet heard them mention the fact that one of them was an ILLEGAL ALIEN! Do they not find this important? and I cant believe I havent heard one person from the press ask for them to comment on this yet. "Federal sources said five of the seven suspects were Americans, one was an illegal immigrant from Haiti whose visa had expired and one man was a resident alien."http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/23/miami.raids/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

CHICAGO Managers at the Sears Tower in Chicago say law officials have told them there's never been "evidence of a credible terrorism threat" against the landmark. The statement comes after authorities arrested seven young men in Miami on terror charges tied to alleged plots, including one to blow up the Chicago skyscraper. The Sears Tower statement says authorities have never reported a threat "that has gone beyond criminal discussions." Workers at the Sears Tower this morning said they didn't plan to change their routines. A federal indictment says the suspects conspired with al-Qaida to "levy war against the United States."...

A group of young men seized in a Miami warehouse have been charged in a federal indictment with conspiring with al Qaeda to commit acts of violence in the United States, including blowing up Chicago's Sears Tower. The seven individuals indicted by a federal grand jury were taken into custody Thursday when authorities swarmed the warehouse in the Liberty City area, removing a metal door with a blow torch. The indictment also alleges plans to blow a federal building in Miami in conjunction with the al Qaeda terrorist network. According to the indictment handed up Thursday, a young man identified...

CHICAGO, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- "It would be inappropriate for us to confirm or deny details of news reports about federal law enforcement action before an official statement from the Justice Department. "However, Sears Tower security officials regularly speak with the FBI and local law enforcement authorities who track and investigate terrorism threats. Today was no exception. Despite new information, law enforcement continues to tell us that they have never found evidence of a credible terrorism threat against Sears Tower that has gone beyond criminal discussions. "Among commercial office buildings, Sears Tower sets the standard for security. We have implemented...

> I assume you have all seen the reports about how Sears is treating its reservist employees who are called up? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up...Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs,for all called up reservist employees for up to two years. I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. > > > >...

(AP) HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. Sears Holdings Corp. says it is closing 20 of its hardware stores, including nine in Michigan and one in Illinois, because of sluggish sales. "These closings are related to the performance of the stores. They were identified by senior management as underperforming stores," said Larry Costello, a Sears spokesman for Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings. The stores are expected to remain open through the end of June while liquidation sales are held, Costello said. The closures will leave Sears with 119 hardware stores nationwide. Costello declined to say how many workers will be affected but said...

Fast on the heels of their impending merger with Sears, Kmart stunned the retail industry this week by announcing their plans to dump their longtime association with Martha Stewart and replace her with Rick Warren, best-selling Christian author of The Purpose-Driven Life. As part of their endeavor to “revive” their damaged reputation and spur growth, Kmart stores will phase out the Martha Stewart “Everyday” Collection later this year and introduce the Rick Warren “Purpose-Driven” Collection, which will reflect the hugely-successful philosophy of the popular pastor. Featured products in the collection will include a line of men’s Hawaiian shirts with matching...

TAMPA - Shoppers may be scratching their heads lately at the changes taking place at their local Sears and Kmart stores. First, Kmart Corp. merged with Sears Roebuck & Co. to form Sears Holdings Corp. Next, the merged company announced it would change up to 400 Kmart stores across the country into a new store called Sears Essentials. This week, the company said it is retooling its Essentials stores by changing their design and changing their name to Sears Grand. How to read Sears' actions is being debated. A Sears spokesman said the company has learned important lessons about running...

Auto safety made easy BY DAVE BARRY Automobiles are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, they provide us with benefits that were undreamed-of in the ''horse-and-buggy'' days. For example, any time we get hungry, we can simply hop into the car, pull up to the drive-through window of a fast-food restaurant, purchase a tasty hot meal, spill our coffee on our thighs and sue a major corporation for millions of dollars. On the other (or ''left'') hand, automobiles can be very dangerous. The modern car is a complex and powerful machine; if we do not treat it with proper...

Retailers agree to bring back Christmas themes this season Posted: December 9, 20055:00 p.m. Eastern By Alyssa Farah © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com In a mid-season turnabout, Target stores have pledged to re-introduce Christmas themes into marketing efforts, prompting the American Family Association to officially drop its boycott. "We are pleased to learn that Target has heard our concerns and decided to use Christmas in their advertising and marketing efforts," said AFA Chairman Donald E. Wildmon. "Since the company has responded positively, we see no need to continue the boycott." AFA also called off a boycott on Sears after the chain decided to include...

Washington DC, Dec. 09, 2005 (CNA) - Intervening in the heated debate about the mention of Christmas on the public square, Concerned Women for America (CWA) presented a first Christmas list showing which businesses are honouring the Reason for the Season (the birth of Jesus), which ones are not, and which have mixed records. It first lists the corporation ‘Nice’ or friendly to the Original Christmas tradition.  This year Macy's joins the NICE list because it has returned the explicit mention of Christmas and Merry Christmas to its stores and its ads. L.L. Bean, on the other hand, just barely...

Update for those who might have missed the news. After the pressure from the American Family Association and customer calls, Sears is installing MERRY CHRISTMAS signs in all of its stores. Their customers spoke, and they listened. I spoked with a local Sears manager who confirmed the story. After I said thank you and that I will be shopping at Sears again, she said --- MERRY CHRISTMAS. I just finished a phone conversation with an employee at Wal-Mart. I asked for management, but I may have been connected with someone in customer service. The conversation began with me asking if...

Sears Puts 'Merry Christmas' Signs in Its Stores Sears has notified the American Family Association (AFA) that "Merry Christmas” signs have been shipped and are now on display in all its stores. In addition, the retailer notified AFA that the "Christmas" greeting has also been posted on the Sears.com Web site. Sears was one of the companies identified by AFA as banning "Christmas" in its in-store promotions and retail advertising. A list of companies banning Christmas and their responses can be found at www.afa.net. According to AFA, other companies are also making changes to include "Christmas" in their promotions and...

HOLIDAY BLUESLowe's listens: 'Christmas trees' Chain dumps 'holiday' reference after WND report, complaints One day after a WorldNetDaily story brought national exposure, the home-improvement retailer Lowe's dropped references to "Holiday Trees" in favor of "Christmas Trees" only. As WND reported, a Lowe's store in Austin, Texas, featured a banner that referred in English to "Holiday Trees" but in Spanish said "Christmas Trees." The American Family Association says its supporters contacted Lowe's to express their displeasure. The company responded in a statement: "To ensure consistency of our message and to avoid confusion among our customers, we are now referring to the...

Below find a list of the major department stores across the country and where they stand on using Christmas in their holiday advertising and other promotions. JCPenney: "Christmas" mentioned in print ads & other advertising Federated Department Stores (Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Filene's, Marshall Fields): "Christmas" mentioned in print ads & other advertising Employees are free to use any holiday greeting that they feel is appropriate Dillard's: "Christmas" mentioned in print ads & other advertising FAO Schwarz: Using "Holiday" this year in advertising materials Employees are free to use any holiday greeting that they feel is appropriate Toys 'R'...

Sears- has a "Christmas Shop" on their website Michael's- extensive use of Christmas Hobby Lobby- extensive use of Christmas Kroger- not afraid to use Christmas Dillards- was advertising a sweater for Christmas as early as this morning on their website, but have gone more generic now Walmart- not overt, but at least they are using it now Home Shopping Network - 23 days until Christmas QVC- Christmas Shoppe Hickory Farms- Christmas gifts Kirklands- has a Christmas section on their website

Ahhhhhhhh yes...the softer side of Sears. Upon my trip to the retail "giant" I walk by and notice the price of the Christmas Trees they were pushing...but oh...what is this? They are not called Christmas Trees...nope. They are not called Holiday Trees...nope. They are not called Festive Trees...nope. They are called...................... WISHING TREES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2005 – Defense officials have lauded Sears, Roebuck and Co. for the many benefits they provide employees who have been called to the colors. The war on terror demands much of reserve-component military personnel. The sacrifices they and their families make are legion. But increasingly, the war is demanding much of reserve-component servicemembers' civilian employers. The National Committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve presented companies that go the extra mile for reservists with the Freedom Award during a ceremony here Oct. 15. The Freedom Awards are the highest given by the organization. A Guard...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2005 – Representatives of the nation's top organizations in supporting their Reserve and National Guard employees are here today to meet President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and to receive the 2005 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. The award, to be presented here during an Oct. 15 ceremony, publicly recognizes employers for exceptional support above what the law requires. The Freedom Award is the highest in a series of Defense Department employer awards that include the Patriot Award, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Above and Beyond Award, and the Pro Patria Award....

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2005 – Excellence deserves to be recognized, and an Alabama National Guardsman made sure it was when he nominated his employer for support above and beyond what the law requires. Army Spc. John Winkler nominated the Huntsville (Ala.) Sears, Roebuck & Co. store where he works as a customer service adviser in the automotive department for the support they have shown him when he drills or is deployed. The nomination was made through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve's Web site, and when ESGR officials checked out the Sears corporate policy toward Guard and Reserve...

DETROIT (AP) - Kmart Holding Corp. announced plans Wednesday to convert more than a quarter of its stores to a Sears format following its merger with Sears, Roebuck and Co. Troy-based Kmart disclosed the plans on the same day that it posted a $309 million profit for the fourth quarter, a 14 percent increase over the previous year. The retailer also said sales at stores open at least a year continued to fall, though at a much lower rate than they had been. In trading Wednesday, Kmart's stock rose $2.42, or 2.2 percent, to close at $111.66 on the Nasdaq...

The bottom line is, there will be less choice for the consumer with the same merchandise being offered at all stores. It's the MacDonaldization of retailing. Where consistency trumps quality and selection, and low prices trumps service and a knowledgeable staff. There will be less variety in clothing since there will be fewer buyers making the choices. As a kid, I can recall when going downtown to shop used to be a special outing, almost an entertainment event. People actually used to get all dressed up to go "to the stores," believe it or not. Well-dressed ladies would lunch in...

After 95 years, shareholders of Sears, Roebuck and Co. should get ready to say goodbye to the letter S. When the Hoffman Estates-based retailer merges with Kmart Holding Corp. in an $11 billion deal expected to close next month, the new company plans to trade shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange, according to a regulatory filing. That means Sears will give up the single-letter ticker designation that it has used on the New York Stock Exchange since 1910. The new Sears Holdings Corp. hasn't chosen a trading symbol, but in a filing Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the...

This is pretty commendable, imo-anyone else heard about this? Sears.com Announces Free Holiday Shipping to APO/FPO Addresses, Reduced Shipping Rates Post-Holiday; Change Helps Families Spread Holiday Cheer and Good Wishes to Troops and Others Serving Abroad PR Newswire Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl.net. Get started now. (It's free.)HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing effort to support the families and friends of U.S. military troops and civilians serving abroad, Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s online channel, Sears.com today announced that it is extending its free holiday shipping...

Let's all shop at Sears!!!!!! I assume you have all seen the reports about how Sears is treating its reservist employees who are called up? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up..Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years. I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its...

Sears.com makes holiday gifting overseas affordable & convenient 30th November 2004 Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s online channel, Sears.com today announced that it is extending its free holiday shipping promotion to include APO/FPO addresses. Sears.com is also reducing its shipping rates to APO/FPO addresses to match those of standard U.S. addresses. The changes will help families and friends of loved ones serving abroad send gifts and good wishes more affordably and more conveniently. Sears.com (http://www.Sears.com) had previously offered free holiday shipping only to standard U.S. addresses. "With record numbers of military and civilian personnel deployed, we feel strongly that we need...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Officials are investigating the theft of about 30 propane tanks from a local hardware store, NBC 4's Nancy Burton reported. The propane tanks were stolen at about 10 p.m. Monday from the Sears Hardware store in the Northwest Center at Henderson and Reed roads. The tanks were being stored outside in locked cages, Burton reported. Police said thieves broke the locks on the last two cages and stole about 30 tanks. Burton said a witness called the store as the theft occurred. The manager on duty then called police, but the suspects left the scene before police...

Average customers know the same thing that ministers of high finance understand: It's all about the price. Shoppers Thursday at the Billings Sears store were eager to find out what a proposed merger between Sears and Kmart means to their pocketbooks. "I'm going to go where the prices are the cheapest," said Mary Chenoweth, of Shepherd. Wes Peterson, of Wolf Point, pointed out that the quality of Sears goods would probably benefit Kmart. "I see a bigger benefit for Kmart than for Sears," he said. The $11 billion merger will create the third-largest retailer behind Wal-Mart and Home Depot, with...

The retail industry received another shake-up today as Sears Holding Corp. (NYSE: S), the parent company behind the recent merger of Sears and Kmart, announced the acquisition of embattled European cheesemaker France (NASDAQ: FROG). The buyout deal, estimated at $2.7 billion, will position Sears/Kmart/France as the world's third largest retailer and 15th ranked military power. Reaction of Wall Street was mixed, with shares of Paris-based France rising 11% in late trading after the announcement, while Hoffman Estates, IL-based Sears Holdings dropped 19%. "The acquisition of France indicates there will be further consolidation within the low-end, weird-smelling retail segment," said Ivan...

November 17, 2004 | Get Your Local News and Weather ABC News Kmart to Acquire Sears in $11 Billion DealDiscount Retailer Kmart to Acquire Once-Dominant Sears Department Store Chain in $11 Billion Deal A Kmart employee collects shopping carts in the parking of Kmart store in the Northridge section of Los Angeles Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004. Kmart is acquiring Sears, one of the most venerable names in U.S. retailing, in a surprise $11 billion deal that will create the nation's third-largest retailer. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian) The Associated Press NEW YORK Nov 17, 2004 — A resurgent Kmart, home of the...