Sears Opens E-Commerce Site

Forget the softer side. Sears is now hoping customers will come see its cyber side.

The nation’s largest department store chain today began selling 2,000 major brands and models of appliances over the Internet, becoming the first brick-and-mortar retailer seeking to cash in on the big-ticket items over the Web.

“Customers are jazzed about the amount of control the Internet affords them - for both research and buying,” said Alice M. Peterson, vice president and general manager of Sears Online. “In essence, they’re time-starved and want us to make life simpler for them.”

The site - www.Sears.com - can walk a user through the various options, including the ability to narrow the search to a particular color, brand or size, check within a price range and determine if a pictured item is on sale. It also provides links to sales of Sears’ Craftsman tool line and Part Direct store.