JOLIET, Ill., May 30 (UPI) -- Sears is testing a new type of store in Joliet, Ill., where customers use a drive-through to purchase goods, the store's manager says.
The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday that MyGofer debuted May 9 in Joliet. Shoppers order online or from kiosks inside the showroom and pick up their purchases at a drive-through.
"We are still ironing out a lot of the processes and making sure things run smoothly, so we haven't shouted to the world yet to come on in," said Neal Siegler, who runs the Joliet store. "We're relying on word of mouth."
Retail consultant Mara Devitt said she is skeptical MyGofer will be successful because shoppers can already order many of the same products at Sears.com and pick them up at the store.
"The idea is valid, and that's why they're testing it," said Devitt, a partner at McMillan Doolittle in Chicago. "But getting people to change their behavior is very tough."
