Nick Grayston

John Goodman, the chief of Sears Holdings Corp.'s apparel and home division, left the company, Sears confirmed. The Hoffman Estates-based retailer hired Goodman two years ago as executive vice president of apparel and home, charging him with reviving Sears' troubled clothing business and refocusing its clothing line to attract younger and trendier shoppers. Goodman left last week, according to Sears spokeswoman Amy Dimond. His departure follows the arrival of Ron Boire, the former Brookstone president and CEO, as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Sears and Kmart brands. Sears hired Boire on Jan. 3. It is the

Pro athletes Deion Branch and Roger Mason, Jr. help launch special "giveback" campaign HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Protege(R), the affordable footwear and apparel collection available exclusively at Kmart(R) and Kmart.com, takes its "giveback" philosophy one step further with the Protege Movement, a social campaign featuring a public service pledge championed by Roger Mason, Jr. (New York Knicks) and Deion Branch (New England Patriots). (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110831/LA59099-a) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110831/LA59099-b) Declaring September "Protege Month," the campaign's Protege Pledge aims to rally young men to give back to their communities and can be digitally signed on

Sears has driven new traffic to its brick-and-mortar locations by partnering with SCVNGR, a social gaming and check-in service. Here's how the partnership works: While in a Sears store, consumers can pull out their smartphone, launch the SCVNGR app and check in to the Sears location they're currently at. These consumers then create a profile and begin participating in various challenges. For example, Sears' fitness and footwear department's challenge reads: "Tread Softly: Make yourself at home in the shoe aisle and find the coolest tread. Snap a photo and then caption it with where you want to leave your mark in the world!"