Sears Auto Center Adds New Stores To Amazon Partnership

A month after Sears Auto Center announced a deal with Amazon to provide full-service tire installation and balancing for customers, the company is bringing the offering to more of its locations. Sears Auto Center has added an additional 71 shops to the program — on top of the 47 centers originally announced, CNBC reported.

“Amazon customer reviews have been very positive and we are two months ahead of schedule,” said Sears Automotive Vice President and General Manager Mike McCarthy in a statement. McCarthy added that customers are also “taking advantage” of services, such as oil changes.

The market greeted news of the expansion positively: Shares of Sears jumped as high as 12 percent following the news in pre-market trading. The stock was still up 7 percent later in the morning.

In a press release, Sears Auto had said it will be the first auto service center around the country to offer Amazon customers a Ship-to-Store option at Amazon checkout. Amazon customers choose their tires, Sears Auto location, and the date and time of the installation. An employee at Sears Auto Center will confirm the appointment. What’s more, Sears had said it marks the first time DieHard all-season passenger tires will be sold on Amazon — and customers can purchase any tire brand and get the installation.

The Ship-to-Store feature was originally to be available in 47 Sears Auto Center stores in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Sears Auto Center plans on quickly expanding the service to more Amazon customers.

Tom Park, president of Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands, had said in the press release, “Amazon.com customers can expect terrific performance and reliability from DieHard tires, and professional installation from Sears Auto Centers. We’re thrilled to expand our assortment of this iconic brand to include passenger tires on Amazon.com.”

In July of last year, Sears started selling Kenmore appliances on Amazon — and in December, DieHard products were added to the lineup.