The IBM group exploring the business opportunities of virtual worlds and Sears announced that they are launching a Sears presence in Second Life at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier today. According to Mark Wallace of 3PointD, the build will consist of floors showing off different consumer goods and allowing greater interactivity with the products than a conventional website would allow. Users will be able to customize the look and feel of both appliances and the environment, allowing them to test out how the appliance would work in their actual spaces.

It is refreshing to see Sears taking the initiative in embracing new technologies and markets as they are emerging. Sears has a track record of pioneering new methods of sales, with the Sears catalog redefining sales in the late 19th century. Hopefully this will be a reemergence of the brand as a pillar of innovation.

Update1: I removed the original image on Mark Wallace's request (See the comment 1 below). Mark I am sorry for any problems this may have caused you. Also I removed the language of "the store seems to have languished in recent years," as I think it may have been stronger then what I was trying to convey.