Sears Canada Wins 2010 BC Hydro Power Smart Award for Appliance Retailer

VANCOUVER, Oct. 27 /CNW/ - Sears Canada Inc (TSX: SCC) has won the 2010 BC Hydro Power Smart Excellence Award in the category of Appliance Retailer. This is the third Power Smart Excellence Award for the Company, winning in 2008 for Outstanding Energy Efficiency Project and in 2005 as Customer Award Recipient.

"Sears is proud to receive the 2010 BC Hydro Power Smart Excellence Award for Appliance Retailer," said Dr. James Gray-Donald, Sustainability Leader, Sears Canada. "Major appliances account for about 20 per cent of the energy used in a typical B.C. home. As a Company, we are committed to making it easy for Canadians to choose the most energy-efficient appliances for their homes so they can save energy and save money." 

Each year BC Hydro recognizes the people and organizations that have best demonstrated a commitment to energy conservation and whose practices exemplify energy management and efficiency. The Power Smart Excellence Awards honour candidates from a range of categories including: Workplace Conservation Leadership, New Construction, New Technology, Appliance Retailer, Conservation Partner, Sustainable Communities and more. The energy conservation leadership of these organizations yields positive and meaningful change to generations of British Columbians. The Appliance Retailer award honours a retailer who has shown strong commitment to the promotion of energy-efficient appliances to British Columbians. By embracing innovative appliance technologies, the winner in this category has worked with BC Hydro to introduce consumers to new energy-saving products.

"Sears partnership with BC Hydro builds on our sustainability commitment to make it easy for customers to "live green", reduce the impact of our operations and nurture a culture of sustainability with our associates," continued Dr. Gray-Donald. "Through our close working relationship with BC Hydro, we can offer our customers rebates on energy-efficient products, help our associates learn more through training, and participate in conferences. The partnership also promotes conservation of energy in our stores through a number of initiatives including a pilot program of replacing incandescent lighting with LED spotlights."

Sears educates its customers about the benefits of purchasing ENERGY STAR^® qualified products and services through its Live Green program, which provides Canadians with environmentally-friendly solutions in four categories: Renewable Resources, Uses Less Power, Healthy Home and Saving Water. Sears also hosts events staffed by BC Hydro's Community Outreach team to promote the Power Smart program. Sears stores display collateral promoting BC Hydro programs to increase awareness and educate customers. Sears has also collaborated with BC Hydro for the recent launch of its Cost and Carbon Savings Calculator, available on interactive touch-screen kiosks at select Sears stores in BC, and both participated onstage at the 2010 EPIC Sustainable Living Expo in Vancouver to launch the new kiosks.

Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network of 197 corporate stores, 241 hometown dealer stores, 31 home improvement showrooms, over 1,800 catalogue merchandise pick-up locations, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and installation network.  The Company also publishes Canada's most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

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Media Contact: Eliana Cugini - [email protected] - 416-941-4426