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[Fender Bender]

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyN ... WZ20090811

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - Sears stuck its toe back into the toy business on Tuesday, with 20 stores clearing space for kids to interact with the latest best-sellers and nostalgic throwbacks like tin tops.

The retailer hopes the toy departments will fill a void left by the demise of mall specialty stores such as KB Toys.

"That's what we're hearing more and more from our core consumer, that they would like to buy (toys) in the mall," said Julia Fitzgerald, chief marketing officer for Sears' toy business.

Sears, a unit of Sears Holding Corp (SHLD.O), plans to dedicate about 1,500 square feet of floor space in each of the 20 stores and offer roughly 600 different items.

The venture returns Sears to a segment with which it has a rocky history. Earlier this decade, Sears experimented with "store-within-a-store" partnerships with KB Toys, but ultimately pulled the plug.

Since KB Toys went out of business earlier this year, closing its 460 stand-alone stores, a niche has opened for Sears, Fitzgerald said.

Sears operates 929 department stores.

Popular toy destinations now include stand-alone stores like Toys "R" Us, as well as discounters Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) and Target Corp (TGT.N).

Fitzgerald said Sears will carry toys made by Hasbro Inc (HAS.N) and Mattel Inc (MAT.N) as well as Leapfrog Enterprises Inc (LF.N), which makes educational toys, and Schylling, a maker of retro products such as tin jack-in-the-boxes.

Sears Holdings, formed in 2005 when hedge fund manager Edward Lampert merged Sears and Kmart, has struggled to sell its mainstay Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances amid a housing market crash.

The other focus of its retail operations, its apparel business, has been squeezed by discounters such as Wal-Mart and Target and a slumping economy. As a result, analysts have said Sears has a glut of floor space in most locations.

Sears has been experimenting with different pathways to growth, such as offering lay-away plans and letting customers buy online and return or pick up in stores.

The company's shares, which have doubled since the stock market bottomed in early March, were down 2.1 percent at $75.32 in afternoon Nasdaq trading.

[WolfDawg]

Finally. From what I can remember from when I was a kid, my dad bought several G1 figures from Sears. I remember looking through the Sears catalog and picking out the toys I wanted for Christmas.

[Gauntlet101010]

The Sears nearest to me already has a toy section. Although it's TF selection is always behind the times.

[dabattousai]

Awesome, I remember Sears having a small toy section where my parents purchased a Power Wheels Jeep and The Joker's Van from the Tim Burton Batman film.

[SentaiPRFan]

Damn just Transformers and Leapfrog crap where's the love for Power Rangers and other action figures of the like?

[Bouncy X]

the Sears stores in my city always had a toy section, granted its always been pretty crappy and small but yeah...it never disappeared. lol

[Sabrblade]

It sure will feel good to be able to walk into a mall with a store that sells action figures again.

[tom brokaw]

nice! i remember the last time i saw TFs at sear was about when the TF movie came out in 07.... they had movie and cybertron figures

[shonenfan4]

one more stop along the road while searching for desired Transformers.

[Lord Grimlock]

this is exciting to know my father is a tailor and at the time when i was a kid in the 80s my dad worked at the sears in oak brook illinois in the tailor shop they dont have a tailor shop no more and i can remember he bought me the g-1 optimus prime that i still have today mint box and mint prime i have about 97% of my g-1 toys still with packages that now sit displayed.