Sears and Kmart are leveraging mobile to give members of the Shop Your Way loyalty program early, online access to Black Friday specials days before in-store shoppers.

The online pre-sales event will start on Nov. 22 for Sears and Nov. 24 for Kmart, with customers able to take advantage of offers such as 40 percent off an RCA 42” LED TV or half-off a Craftsman Bolt-On 20 Volt MAX Lithium Ion Drill. The pre-sale is available exclusively to Shop Your Way members, who can access the early sales on the Shop Your Way Web site and mobile app.

“This year we’re offering the ultimate holiday shopping perk – early access to Black Friday doorbusters – one full week early for Sears and five days early for Kmart,” said Brian Hanover, a spokesman for Sears Holdings, Hoffman Estates, IL.

“Mobile is the glue to seamless offline and online ecommerce,” he said. “Sears is meeting the changing demands of our members and customers by offering smarter, more flexible and convenient ways to shop through seamlessly connecting the mobile, online and in-store shopping channels.”

Early bird
The mobile component of the campaign also includes giving Shop Your Way members an early look at Thanksgiving and Black Friday deals at searslocalad.com or kmartlocalad.com, which is accessible via a tablet or mobile device as well as on desktop. Here, customers will also find in-store discounts on overstock inventory unique to specific local stores.

Sears and Kmart are among a growing number of retailers who are starting their Thanksgiving weekend sales early this and in many cases making these sales available via mobile to reach busy, on-the-go shoppers.

Loyalty members making pre-sale purchases will be able to take advantage of services such as layaway, ship-to-home and free in-store pickup.

Mobile check-ins
Shoppers can also take advantage of a holiday bonus being offered to Shop Your Way members, who can get 10 percent back in points on qualifying purchases made with a Sears credit card or three percent back when using another form of payment. The offer runs through Dec. 26, and points must be redeemed by Jan. 31, 2014.

Sears recently enhanced the Shop Your Way mobile app with a feature called Shop’In, enabling members to check-in while shopping at their local store to access exclusive sales, browse merchandise and load coupons to their account from a smartphones.

“The way to win this holiday season is by connecting members with products they want and offers that resonate, at a time when shoppers are looking for the hottest deals,” Mr. Hanover said. “Shoppers are extremely busy this time of year – they want, they need to shop whenever, wherever they can, and often times this means via their mobile device.

“Quite simply, mobile provides the convenience, speed and flexibility demanded by the holiday shopping,” he said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York