Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings reported a second-quarter net loss of $132 million, compared with a loss of $146 million in the year-ago period.

Sears Holdings said Friday it has again been selected to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings.

For the third consecutive year, Sears will participate in the competition, this year entering 56 facilities that will compete against thousands of other teams representing buildings across the country. All efforts will be focused on eliminating waste through improvements in energy efficiency with help from EPA's Energy Star program.

Orchard Supply Hardware will open a 50,000-sq.-ft. store in Torrance, Calif., showcasing the company’s new store format. 

The South Bay store at 19330 Hawthorne Blvd., the site of a former Kmart store, will open Sept. 1 and marks the company’s 89th store in the state of California.

Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings posted net income of $189 million in the quarter, compared with a loss of $165 million in the prior-year period.

After several rounds of closings of Kmart and Sears full-line stores in the past months, revenues decreased $270 million to $9.3 billion for the quarter ended April 28. Domestic comp-store sales declined 1.3% -- 1.0% at Sears Domestic and 1.6% at Kmart. Sears also saw declines in its home appliances and consumer electronics categories.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the closing of 43 Sears hometown dealer stores and 10 Sears Hardware stores are planned for the first half of 2012.

The latest revelation on Sears' plans to cut its expenses and transform its business came from its annual report, which was released late Wednesday. 

Sears quietly added all nine of its Great Indoors stores to the list of store closings on Feb. 23.

Store managers were informed on Thursday, a Sears spokeswoman confirmed, but no exact date has been given for the closings.  

The upscale remodeling and home décor stores began opening in 1998, long before the Sears and Kmart merger. At one point, Sears operated 20 of the units, but they were never a big moneymaker for the company. 

Sears Holdings Corp. has reported a loss of $2.4 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with a profit of $374 million in the year-ago period. And in a move long anticipated by some analysts, the chain also announced plans to tap into its massive real estate holdings to help make up for its faltering retail performance.

Revenue slipped 4% to $12.5 billion from $13 billion. Same-store sales fell 4.1% during the quarter at Sears and 2.7% at Kmart.

Sears Holdings hired Ron Boire as executive VP and chief merchandising officer. Boire, who previously was president and CEO of Brookstone, will lead merchandising and retail stores for both the Sears and Kmart brands.  

He will work with the company's leadership team to better serve its customers and Shop Your Way Rewards Members by integrating their experiences across stores, online, services and mobile capabilities, the company said.

Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings has identified 80 of the 100 to 120 stores it plans to close as part of a strategy it announced earlier this week.

The list of 80 stores-to-be-closed includes 39 Kmart stores, 25 Sears full-line stores, and 14 Grand/Essentials and two Sears Hardlines Only stores. The list can be seen here.

Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings plans to close 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears full-line stores after reporting a disappointing recent performance. The Tuesday morning announcement -- contained in a press release titled "Sears Holdings Provides Update" --  reported a 5.2% comp-store sales decline for the quarter-to-date period, and a 2.6% decline in the year-to-date period, ended Dec. 25. 

Craftsman Tools will soon be sold through Costco, adding another retailer to the list of outlets that includes brand-owner Sears, Kmart and, more recently, Ace Hardware stores.

Losses at Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings Corp. widened in the second quarter ended July 30. The company's net loss was $146 million, compared with a loss of $39 million in the same quarter last year.

Total revenues decreased to $10.3 billion for the quarter, down slightly from $10.5 billion for the quarter ended July 31, 2010. Kmart's comparable-store sales were flat, and Sears Domestic comparable store sales declined 1.2%.