TORONTO, (April 29, 2005) — Sears Canada’s wholly-owned for-hire carrier SLH Transport may want to start reserving some capacity the next time a Harry Potter book gets released.

That’s because SHL’s parent company Sears Canada plans to join forces with Amazon.ca — Canada’s largest Internet retailer of books and music — in a deal that could eventually see the department store retailer delivering books and CDs along with clothes and household goods all across the country.

Under the agreement, subsidiary Amazon Services would run Sears’ Internet site, providing similar features to its own online product, while SLH would deliver the goods, Sears CEO Brent Hollister said at a press conference yesterday.

Sears’ Internet sales have jumped by 20 per cent this year, Hollister said, adding that the Amazon.ca alliance will improve on that by helping Sears make most of its 100,000 available for sale and delivery online.

SLH is one of Canada’s largest trucking carriers with 625 power units, almost 3,500 trailers, and 380 owner-ops.

— with files from the Toronto Star