Sears brings back Wish Book holiday catalog

Sears is bringing back its Wish Book holiday catalog after a six-year hiatus.

“Our members told us they missed the Wish Book, so we had to bring it back, but in a special way that lets you share more joy wherever you are,” Kelly Cook, chief marketing officer for Hoffman Estates-based Sears and Kmart, said in a news release Wednesday.

It came out almost every year — with a gap in 1993 and 1994 — until 2011, when Sears decided to focus on other holiday initiatives, Cook said. Wish Books varied in size, but they often topped 600 pages, she said.

You won’t find live birds in this year’s 120-page book, which includes holiday decorations, toys, apparel, tools and appliances, including a KitchenAid stand mixer.

The move to bring back the catalog comes as Sears continues to struggle to turn around years of shrinking sales. The company has closed or announced plans to close more than 330 Sears and Kmart stores this year and borrowed $140 million — with the ability to borrow up to $100 million more — from affiliates of CEO Edward Lampert this month alone.
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