Sears expands its Amazon autos partnership as the department store struggles to survive

• Sears is expanding its Auto Center partnership with Amazon to a total of 118 stores nationwide, adding to the previously available 41, CNBC's Lauren Thomas reported Tuesday morning.
• Under the new program, all tires ordered on Amazon can be shipped to a participating Sears location for installation and balancing, the firms said in May.
• Shares of the struggling department store popped more than 5% in early trading Tuesday.
• Sears has had a rough year, announcing this week it would add another 68 stores to its list of 166 planned to close this year, Business Insider's Haley Peterson reported. It's also selling some locations as part of a lease-back program where Sears would pay rent to a potential property buyer.
• Follow Sears' stock price, down more than 90% from its highs in 2015, here.

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