Help: Sears On The Verge Of Bankruptcy

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The emphasis has shifted under Mr. Lampert. Known for ruminating over every expense, he is loath to pour money into Sears's crumbling stores, say people familiar with his thinking. He is far more bullish on Web ventures, with their small capital requirements and vast potential audiences. While e-commerce represents between 5% and 7% of U.S. retail today, many in the industry believe the figure might grow to be as high as 20%.

"If they can do this right, it may save the company," says Maggie Gilliam, president of the retail consulting firm Gilliam & Co. "There is a sea change happening in retail right now and it is not clear what stores are going to look like in 10 years, so why spend money now? It may make sense for some companies, like Wal-Mart, as a defensive posture, but that is not the position Sears is in."

On a recent morning at the flagship Sears in downtown Chicago, the youthful, caffeine-fueled team of e-commerce designers and engineers was abuzz. Among their latest projects: mobile applications that tap into smart-phone global-positioning systems and offer customers merchandise based on their location: Yankees sweat shirts in New York, Dodgers caps in Los Angeles.

To test their phone creations, the engineers descend into the department store with handsets and grab customers in the aisles. To obtain feedback on Web sites, workers take shoppers upstairs to a small laboratory that resembles a recording studio.

Inside, testers sit across a plate-glass window from the subjects and speak to them via microphone while a camera watches their eyes wander the computer screen. A recent quiz gauges shopper reaction to a new application that lets people check out shoes from every angle.
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