Sears Holdings Corp. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) has been named the 2010 Energy Star Retail Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through its initiatives focusing on educating customers about energy-efficient products.
“We're honored to be named this year's Retail Partner of the Year for our efforts to make Energy Star-qualified products more accessible and understandable to our customers,” said Bruce Johnson, interim ceo and president for Sears Holdings. “Energy Star-qualified products address environmental concerns while simultaneously providing great value to our customers.”
Since 1998, Sears Holdings has been an Energy Start partner. Sears reports that its home appliance business increased sales of Energy Star-qualified products during the recession and that 91 percent of its home electronics products sold were Energy Star-qualified.
Among its initiatives are a Responsible Appliance Disposal service, increased Energy-Star qualified product offering and customer awareness and marketing. The retailer also recently introduced the Home Appliance Research center and online rebate center as a means for consumers to get product information, access utility rebates and find competitive pricing, all while in the store or online.
“Sears Holdings is leading the way in creating solutions to climate change through greater energy efficiency,” says Gina McCarthy, EPA assistant administrator for Air and Radiation.
Sears Holdings Corp. operates approximately 3900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the U.S. and Canada.