Sears Canada and Nygard Partnerships Enter Into Strategic Alliance to Install Nygard Slims Shops Across Canada

Nygard Slims will also be available at www.sears.ca and through the Sears Catalogue

TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Sears Canada Inc. (TSX: SCC; NASDAQ: SRSC) and Nygard Partnerships announced today that they have entered into a strategic alliance to grow the installed base of Nygard Slims™ shops to more than half of Sears Canada's 95 full-line stores by November 2015. This deepening of the relationship with Nygard Partnerships advances Sears Canada's strategy to deliver a store network where Canadians can outfit their lives with brands they love.

The expansion of the Nygard Slims shops reflects the efforts Sears Canada is making to develop a best-in-class model for vendor-branded areas within its stores, and follows a highly successful pilot program conducted over the past year.  When complete, the rollout of the Nygard Slims shops will constitute an increase in Nygard's investment in Sears Canada stores of more than three-fold in Nygard Slims shops, and two-fold overall in Nygard branded products.

"Nygard's investment in Sears Canada is a statement of their confidence that they can continue to reach the right customers for their brand both on the selling floor in Sears Canada's stores and online at sears.ca.  Partnerships like this provide an opportunity for us and our business partners to grow and strengthen branded businesses in our stores.  Nygard's investment in store fixtures, labour, replenishment, and marketing will provide an enhanced shopping experience for Sears Canada's customers," said Brandon G. Stranzl, Executive Chairman, Sears Canada Inc.  "Managing our stores as a valuable distribution footprint for the branded products shoppers want is a critical part of improving our operations and financial results. Sears Canada has one of the most extensive and hard-to-replicate store networks in the country. The vendor-branded 'shop in shop' model allows for a creative and engaging use of this network by dedicating square footage to a refreshed shopping environment for important brands like Nygard."

Nygard Slims shops will represent dedicated space with fresh, branded fixtures showcasing the most impressive new product design in the 48 year history of Peter Nygard.  Nygard developed, designed and engineered Nygard Slims and the response nationally and internationally has been extraordinary, with millions of woman embracing it as their "Go to Bottom."  In order to keep up with demand, Nygard Slims has done a major roll-out in Canada in 2014 with international expansion plans underway in 2015, bringing Nygard Slims to the UK, Germany, Italy, India, China, Japan, and Australia. This revolutionary, most slimming and fashionable product is priced from $49 to $69 and available in Regular, Petite, and Women's sizes. The hip and thigh compression features result in a significantly smaller appearance and the Slimcurve Technology^TM lifts, shapes, curves and sculpts the lower body. Nygard Slims are for every size, for every culture and for every occasion. Several styles will be available within the new shops and the lineup will also be available on www.sears.ca and through the Sears Canada Catalogue, extending the reach of Nygard Slims to even the most remote markets in Canada. 

"We've enjoyed a multi-decade relationship with Sears Canada focused on superior product, improved business potential and great customer service," said Peter Nygard, Chairman and CEO, Nygard Partnerships.  "Our newest investment in Sears Canada for Nygard Slims is expected to be another success for both our companies.  Sears Canada provides an unmatched distribution network in stores as well as online and in their catalogue that reaches our core customer, and we are thrilled to see this exceptionally designed and constructed product have the potential to reach even more women than ever before."

About Sears Canada

Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network that includes 167 corporate stores, 197 Hometown stores, over 1,300 catalogue and online merchandise pick-up locations, 85 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide repair and service network. The Company also publishes Canada's most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

About Nygard Partnerships

NYGÅRD is a privately held company controlled by its Founder & Chairman, Peter Nygård. The company was founded in 1967, & is the North American fashion industry leader in developing & operating a "fast to market" automated supply chain merchandising & logistics systems (NR5) that electronically manages garment flow from original design to FMO (Floor Model Order) to shop-floor manufacturing to wholesale warehousing & distribution. NYGÅRD's proprietary systems are fully integrated with retail customer Point-of-Sale systems for real-time performance tracking & SRI (Size Replenishment Inventory) automated replenishment of fashion inventory.

The company has continuously expanded over the last 40 years, its steadily & rapidly growing Retail division consists of over 150 dedicated stores in North America, over 6,000 Department Store 'soft shops' worldwide, & over 1 million square feet of distribution space in North America - shipping close to 40 million garments annually. NYGÅRD also maintains its vibrant online presence at  www.Nygard.com.

Along with its new World Headquarters located in the heart of Times Square, the company lays claim to complete design, production & distribution facilities in Los Angeles, Toronto & Winnipeg, superb research & design studios in New York & Shanghai, & sales offices throughout Canada & the US. NYGÅRD brands; Peter Nygård, NYGÅRD SLIMS, Bianca Nygård, NYGÅRD Collection, TanJay, ALIA, Allison Daley & private brands - offer great fashion, value, quality & a consistent fit - for consumers at all price points. In addition to its various product lines, Nygård now offers an array of licensed products currently include Outerwear, Swimwear, Dresses, Footwear, Handbags, Jewellery, Accessories (Scarves, Hats & Gloves), Sunglasses,  and Luggage.

Although Sears Canada believes that the forward-looking information represented here is reasonable, such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information

SOURCE Sears Canada Inc.

Contact for Media: Vincent Power, Sears Canada, Corporate Communications, [email protected]; Sharon Clarke, Nygard, [email protected]