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U.S. $4,000,000,000 FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT

Loan Agreement

U.S. $4,000,000,000 FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT | Document Parties: BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | Bank of New York | Bank of Nova Scotia | Bank of Oklahoma | BARCLAYS BANK PLC | Bear Stearns Corporate Lending Inc | Bear, Stearns & Co, Inc | Branch Banking and Trust Company | CIBC World Markets Corp | CIBC, Inc | CIT Group/Business Credit, Inc | CITICORP USA, INC | CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC | Deal Management | Erin M Merritt, JPMorgan Loan Services | First Hawaiian Bank | First Tennessee Bank National Association | Harborside Financial | Harris Nesbitt Financing, Inc | HSBC BANK | International Commercial Bank of China | JP MORGAN SECURITIES INC | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NA | KeyBank National Association | KMART CORPORATION | Lehman Brothers Bank | LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC | MERRILL LYNCH BANK | Mizuho Corporate Bank | MORGAN STANLEY BANK | National City Bank | Northern Trust Company | Royal Bank of Canada | ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, PLC | SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION | SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP | Siemens Financial Services, Inc | United Overseas Bank Limited | US Bank National Association | WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION You are currently viewing:
This Loan Agreement involves

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | Bank of New York | Bank of Nova Scotia | Bank of Oklahoma | BARCLAYS BANK PLC | Bear Stearns Corporate Lending Inc | Bear, Stearns & Co, Inc | Branch Banking and Trust Company | CIBC World Markets Corp | CIBC, Inc | CIT Group/Business Credit, Inc | CITICORP USA, INC | CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC | Deal Management | Erin M Merritt, JPMorgan Loan Services | First Hawaiian Bank | First Tennessee Bank National Association | Harborside Financial | Harris Nesbitt Financing, Inc | HSBC BANK | International Commercial Bank of China | JP MORGAN SECURITIES INC | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NA | KeyBank National Association | KMART CORPORATION | Lehman Brothers Bank | LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC | MERRILL LYNCH BANK | Mizuho Corporate Bank | MORGAN STANLEY BANK | National City Bank | Northern Trust Company | Royal Bank of Canada | ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, PLC | SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION | SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP | Siemens Financial Services, Inc | United Overseas Bank Limited | US Bank National Association | WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

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Title: U.S. $4,000,000,000 FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT
Governing Law: New York     Date: 2/28/2005
Law Firm: Wachtell Lipton    

U.S. $4,000,000,000 FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT, Parties: banc of america securities llc , bank of america  n.a. , bank of new york , bank of nova scotia , bank of oklahoma , barclays bank plc , bear stearns corporate lending inc , bear  stearns & co  inc , branch banking and trust company , cibc world markets corp , cibc  inc , cit group/business credit  inc , citicorp usa  inc , citigroup global markets inc , deal management , erin m merritt  jpmorgan loan services , first hawaiian bank , first tennessee bank national association , harborside financial , harris nesbitt financing  inc , hsbc bank , international commercial bank of china , jp morgan securities inc , jpmorgan chase bank  na , keybank national association , kmart corporation , lehman brothers bank , lehman commercial paper inc , merrill lynch bank , mizuho corporate bank , morgan stanley bank , national city bank , northern trust company , royal bank of canada , royal bank of scotland  plc , sears holdings corporation , sears roebuck acceptance corp , siemens financial services  inc , united overseas bank limited , us bank national association , wachovia bank national association
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EXHIBIT 10(a)

 

EXECUTION COPY

 

 

U.S. $4,000,000,000

FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT

Dated as of February 22, 2005

Among

SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION

and

SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
and
KMART CORPORATION,
as Borrowers

and

THE INITIAL LENDERS NAMED HEREIN,
as Initial Lenders

and

CITICORP USA, INC.
and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Syndication Agents

and


BARCLAYS BANK PLC,

LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC.,

HSBC BANK USA,

MERRILL LYNCH BANK USA,

MORGAN STANLEY BANK,

THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, PLC

and
WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Documentation Agents

and

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.,
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
and
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC,
as Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners

and

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Page
ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS
SECTION 1.01.   Certain Defined Terms   1
SECTION 1.02.   Computation of Time Periods     19
SECTION 1.03.   Accounting Terms     19

ARTICLE II

 

AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES

SECTION 2.01.   The Revolving Advances     19
SECTION 2.02.   Making the Revolving Advances     19
SECTION 2.03.   The Swingline Advances     20
SECTION 2.04.   Making the Swingline Advances     21
SECTION 2.05.   Fees     22
SECTION 2.06.   Optional Termination or Reduction of the Commitments     22
SECTION 2.07.   Repayment of Advances     22
SECTION 2.08.   Interest on Advances     22
SECTION 2.09.   Interest Rate Determination     23
SECTION 2.10.   Optional Conversion of Revolving Advances     23
SECTION 2.11.   Optional and Mandatory Prepayments of Advances     23
SECTION 2.12.   Increased Costs     24
SECTION 2.13.   Illegality     25
SECTION 2.14.   Payments and Computations     25
SECTION 2.15.   Taxes     25
SECTION 2.16.   Sharing of Payments, Etc.     27
SECTION 2.17.   Use of Proceeds of Advances     28

ARTICLE III  

  

AMOUNT AND TERMS OF THE LETTERS OF CREDIT  

SECTION 3.01.   L/C Commitment     28
SECTION 3.02.   Procedure for Issuance of Letter of Credit     28
SECTION 3.03.   Fees and Other Charges     28
SECTION 3.04.   Letter of Credit Participations     29
SECTION 3.05.   Reimbursement Obligation of the Borrowers     29
SECTION 3.06.   Obligations Absolute     30
SECTION 3.07.   Letter of Credit Payments     30
SECTION 3.08.   Applications     30
SECTION 3.09.   Use of Letters of Credit     30
ARTICLE IV  

 

CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS  

 

SECTION 4.01.   Conditions Precedent to Effectiveness     30
SECTION 4.02.   Conditions Precedent to Each Extension of Credit     32
SECTION 4.03.   Effective Date     32

ARTICLE V  

  

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES  

SECTION 5.01.   Representations and Warranties of the Borrowers     32

ARTICLE VI  

  

COVENANTS  

SECTION 6.01.   Affirmative Covenants     35
SECTION 6.02.   Negative Covenants     38
SECTION 6.03.   Financial Covenant     41
 

ARTICLE VII  

 

  

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT  

 
SECTION 7.01.   Events of Default     41

ARTICLE VIII  

  

THE AGENT  

SECTION 8.01.   Appointment     43
SECTION 8.02.   Delegation of Duties     43
SECTION 8.03.   Exculpatory Provisions     43
SECTION 8.04.   Reliance by Agent     44
SECTION 8.05.   Notice of Default     44
SECTION 8.06.   Non-Reliance on Agents and Other Lenders     44
SECTION 8.07.   Indemnification     44
SECTION 8.08.   Agent in Its Individual Capacity     45
SECTION 8.09.   Successor Agent     45
SECTION 8.10.   Documentation Agents and Syndication Agents     45

ARTICLE IX  

  

MISCELLANEOUS  

SECTION 9.01.   Amendments, Etc.     45
SECTION 9.02.   Notices, Etc.     46
SECTION 9.03.   No Waiver; Remedies     47
SECTION 9.04.   Costs and Expenses     47
SECTION 9.05.   Right of Set-off     48
SECTION 9.06.   Binding Effect; Effectiveness     48
SECTION 9.07.   Assignments and Participations     48
SECTION 9.08.   Confidentiality     50
SECTION 9.09.   Governing Law     50
SECTION 9.10.   Execution in Counterparts     50
SECTION 9.11.   Jurisdiction, Etc.     51
SECTION 9.12.   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL     51
SECTION 9.13.   Release of Collateral     51
SECTION 9.14.   USA PATRIOT Act Notice     52
SECTION 9.15.   Integration     52

Schedules

Schedule IA - Pricing Grid

Schedule 5.01(r) -UCC Filing Jurisdictions

Schedule 6.02(a) -Existing Liens

Exhibits

Exhibit A - Form of Notice of Borrowing

Exhibit B - Form of Assignment and Acceptance

Exhibit C - Form of Borrowing Base Certificate

Exhibit D - Form of Guarantee and Collateral Agreement

Exhibit E-1 - Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Borrowers (Sears Law Department)

Exhibit E-2 - Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Borrowers (Kmart Law Department)

Exhibit E-3 - Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Borrowers (Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz)

FIVE-YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT

Dated as of February 22, 2005

SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (" Holdings "), SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP., a Delaware corporation (" SRAC "), KMART CORPORATION, a Michigan corporation (" Kmart Corp. "), the banks, financial institutions and other institutional lenders (the " Initial Lenders ") listed on the signature pages hereof, CITICORP USA, INC. and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as syndication agents, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC., HSBC BANK USA, MERRILL LYNCH BANK USA, MORGAN STANLEY BANK, THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, PLC and WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as documentation agents, J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC., CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC. and BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC, as lead arrangers and joint bookrunners (the " Lead Arrangers "), and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. (" JPMorgan Chase Bank "), as administrative agent (the " Agent ") for the Lenders (as hereinafter defined), agree as follows:


 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

SECTION 1.01.   Certain Defined Terms . As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

" Adjustment Date " has the meaning set forth in the Pricing Grid.

" Advance " means any advance by a Lender to any Borrower as part of a Borrowing.

" Affiliate " means, as to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person or is a director or officer of such Person. For purposes of this definition, the term "control" (including the terms "controlling", "controlled by" and "under common control with") of a Person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person by contract or otherwise.

" Agent's Account " means the account of the Agent maintained by the Agent at JPMorgan Chase Bank at its office at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017, Account No. 304288446, Attention: Bank Loan Syndications.

" Applicable Lending Office " means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender's Domestic Lending Office in the case of a Base Rate Advance and such Lender's Eurodollar Lending Office in the case of a Eurodollar Rate Advance.

" Applicable Margin " means, initially, (a) 0.875% per annum for Eurodollar Rate Advances and (b) 0% per annum for Base Rate Advances; provided , that on and after the first Adjustment Date occurring after the Effective Date, the Applicable Margin will be determined pursuant to the Pricing Grid.

" Application " means an application, in such form as the Issuing Lender may specify from time to time, requesting the Issuing Lender to open a Letter of Credit.

" Assignment and Acceptance " means an assignment and acceptance entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee, and accepted by the Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto.

" Authorized Officer " means, as to Holdings or any Borrower, its president, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, vice


president and controller, vice president and treasurer, vice president, finance, executive vice president, finance or any other person designated by it and acceptable to the Required Lenders.

" Available Cash " means, on any date, (a) the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents of Holdings and its Subsidiaries on such date (determined on a Consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP) minus (b) $125,000,000.

" Available Commitment " means as to any Lender at any time, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (a) such Lender's Commitment then in effect over (b) such Lender's Extensions of Credit then outstanding; provided , that in calculating any Lender's Extensions of Credit for the purpose of determining such Lender's Available Commitment pursuant to Section 2.05(a), the aggregate principal amount of Swingline Advances then outstanding shall be deemed to be zero.

" Base Rate " means a fluctuating interest rate per annum in effect from time to time, which rate per annum shall at all times be equal to the higher of:

(a) the rate of interest announced publicly by JPMorgan Chase Bank in New York, New York, from time to time, as its prime rate; and

(b) 1/2 of one percent per annum above the Federal Funds Rate.

" Base Rate Advance " means an Advance that bears interest as provided in Section 2.08(a)(i).

" Borrower Information " has the meaning specified in Section 9.08.

" Borrowers " means, collectively, SRAC and Kmart Corp.; provided that in the event SRAC is dissolved, merged with and into Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings or otherwise ceases to exist in accordance with Section 6.01(d), then Sears shall designate that Sears or a direct wholly owned Domestic Subsidiary of Sears become a Borrower for all purposes of the Loan Documents.

" Borrowing " means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Advances of the same Type made by each of the applicable Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01 or Section 2.03.

" Borrowing Base " means, at any time, an amount equal to (a) 85% of the aggregate outstanding Eligible Credit Card Accounts Receivable at such time plus (b) the lesser of (i) 70% of the Net Eligible Inventory at such time minus 100% of Other Borrowing Base Reserves and (ii) 85% of the Net Orderly Liquidation Value at such time. The Agent may, in its Permitted Discretion and with 5 days notice to the Borrowers, reduce the advance rates set forth above or adjust one or more of the other elements used in computing the Borrowing Base.

" Borrowing Base Certificate " means a certificate, signed by an Authorized Officer of Holdings, in the form of Exhibit C or another form which is acceptable to the Agent in its Permitted Discretion.

" Business Day " means a day of the year on which banks are not required or authorized by law to close in New York, New York or, in the case of matters relating to SRAC, Greenville, Delaware or, in the case of matters relating to Kmart Corp., Detroit, Michigan, and, if the applicable Business Day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Advances, a day of the year on which dealings are carried on in the London interbank market.

" Cash Equivalents " means investments of Holdings and its Subsidiaries recorded as cash or cash equivalents in accordance with GAAP.

" Collateral " means all property of the Loan Parties, now owned or hereafter acquired, upon which a Lien is purported to be created by any Security Document.

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" Collateral Release Date " means the date on which the Collateral is released from the Liens of the Agent pursuant to Section 9.13(c).

" Commercial L/C " means a commercial documentary Letter of Credit under which the Issuing Lender agrees to make payments in Dollars for the account of any Borrower, on behalf of any Group Member, in respect of obligations of such Group Member in connection with the purchase of goods or services in the ordinary course of business.

" Commitment " means, as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Revolving Advances and participate in Swingline Advances and Letters of Credit in an aggregate principal amount and/or face amount up to (a) the amount set forth opposite such Lender's name on the signature pages hereof or (b) if such Lender has entered into any Assignment and Acceptance, the amount set forth for such Lender in the Register maintained by the Agent pursuant to Section 9.07(d), as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 2.06.

" Commitment Fee Rate " means, initially, 0.175% per annum; provided , that on and after the first Adjustment Date occurring after the Effective Date, the Commitment Fee Rate will be determined pursuant to the Pricing Grid.

" Commitment Percentage " means, as to any Lender at any time, the percentage which such Lender's Commitment then constitutes of the aggregate Commitments of all Lenders or, at any time after the Commitments shall have expired or terminated, the percentage which the aggregate principal amount of such Lender's Advances then outstanding constitutes of the aggregate principal amount of the Advances then outstanding, provided , that, in the event that the Advances are paid in full prior to the reduction to zero of the Total Extensions of Credit, the Commitment Percentage shall be determined in a manner designed to ensure that the other outstanding Extensions of Credit shall be held by the Lenders on a comparable basis.

" Commonly Controlled Entity " means an entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with any Borrower within the meaning of Section 4001 of ERISA or is part of a group that includes any Borrower and that is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code.

" Consolidated " refers to the consolidation of accounts of Holdings, excluding Sears Canada, in accordance with GAAP and as presented on a GAAP basis.

" Consolidated Adjusted Leverage Ratio " means, as of any given day, the ratio of (a) the sum of (i) Consolidated Average Net Debt on such day and (ii) the product of Consolidated Rent Expense for the four immediately preceding fiscal quarters for which financial statements are available and 6 to (b) Consolidated EBITDAR for the four immediately preceding fiscal quarters for which financial statements are available.

" Consolidated Average Net Debt " means, as of the last day of any period, (a) the sum of (i) Consolidated Net Debt as of such day and (ii) the sum of Consolidated Net Debt as of the end of each of the three immediately preceding fiscal quarters divided by (b) 4.

" Consolidated EBITDA " means for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such period plus , without duplication and to the extent reflected as a charge in the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for such period, the sum of (a) provision for income taxes, (b) interest expense, (c) depreciation and amortization expense, (d) results attributable to the minority interest owned by any Person in a non-wholly owned Subsidiary of Holdings to the extent such Subsidiary is a Loan Party, (e) expenses relating to the Kmart Corp. bankruptcy case in an amount not to exceed $12,000,000 in any twelve month period, (f) the impact of conforming accounting policies as a result of the Merger through the first full fiscal year following the Merger, (g) all non-recurring expenses and special charges related to the Merger incurred within twelve months after the date of the Merger, (h) non-cash charges arising from share-based payments (as defined in accordance with GAAP) to employees or

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directors and (i) any extraordinary or other non-recurring non-cash expenses or losses, and minus , to the extent included in the statement of such Consolidated Net Income for such period, any cash payments made during such period in respect of items added back pursuant to clause (i) above subsequent to the fiscal quarter in which the relevant non-cash expenses or losses were reflected as a charge in the statement of Consolidated Net Income, all as determined on a Consolidated basis. For the purposes of calculating Consolidated EBITDA for any fiscal quarter pursuant to any determination of the Consolidated Adjusted Leverage Ratio or the Consolidated Leverage Ratio, (i) if at any time during such fiscal quarter Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Sears Canada) shall have made any Material Disposition, the Consolidated EBITDA for such fiscal quarter shall be reduced by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if positive) attributable to the property that is the subject of such Material Disposition for such fiscal quarter or increased by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if negative) attributable thereto for such fiscal quarter and (ii) if during such fiscal quarter Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Sears Canada) shall have made a Material Acquisition, Consolidated EBITDA for such fiscal quarter shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Material Acquisition occurred on the first day of such fiscal quarter. As used in this definition, "Material Acquisition" means any acquisition of property or series of related acquisitions of property that (a) constitutes assets comprising all or substantially all of an operating unit of a business or constitutes all or substantially all of the common stock of a Person and (b) involves the payment of consideration by Holdings and its Subsidiaries (other than Sears Canada) in excess of $100,000,000; and "Material Disposition" means any Disposition of property or series of related Dispositions of property that yields gross proceeds to Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries in excess of $100,000,000.

" Consolidated EBITDAR " means, for any period, the sum of (a) Consolidated EBITDA for such period plus (b) Consolidated Rent Expense for such period.

" Consolidated Inventory Coverage Ratio " means, as of the last day of any period, the ratio of (a) Gross Domestic Inventory on such day to (b) Total Net Extensions of Credit on such day.

" Consolidated Leverage Ratio " means, as of any given day, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Average Net Debt on such day to (b) Consolidated EBITDA for the four immediately preceding fiscal quarters for which financial statements are available. For purposes of determining the Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of the end of the first four fiscal quarters following the Effective Date, Consolidated Average Net Debt and Consolidated EBITDA shall be calculated to give pro forma effect to the Merger as if the Merger had occurred on the first day of the relevant period of four consecutive fiscal quarters.

" Consolidated Net Debt " means, on any date, Consolidated Total Debt minus Available Cash.

" Consolidated Net Income " means, for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) of Holdings and its Subsidiaries, determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded (a) the income (or deficit) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Subsidiary of Holdings or is merged into or consolidated with Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) the income (or deficit) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary of Holdings) in which Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries has an ownership interest, except to the extent that any such income is actually received by Holdings or such Subsidiary in the form of dividends or similar distributions and (c) the undistributed earnings of any Subsidiary of Holdings (other than a Loan Party) to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by the terms of any contractual obligation (other than under any Loan Document) or Requirement of Law applicable to such Subsidiary.

" Consolidated Rent Expense " means, for any period, the aggregate amount of fixed and contingent rentals payable by Holdings and its Subsidiaries for such period with respect to operating leases of real estate, determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

" Consolidated Total Debt " means, at any date, the aggregate principal amount of all Debt of Holdings and its Subsidiaries at such date, determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, but excluding (i) issued but not funded letters of

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credit, (ii) reimbursement obligations which are characterized as trade payables and are not overdue with respect to trade letters of credit (other than Letters of Credit issued hereunder) and (iii) contingent obligations.

" Convert ", " Conversion " and " Converted " each refers to a conversion of Advances of one Type into Advances of the other Type pursuant to Section 2.09 or 2.10.

" Credit Card Accounts Receivable " means each "Account" (as defined in the UCC) together with all income, payments and proceeds thereof, owed by an issuer of credit cards to a Loan Party resulting from charges by a customer of a Group Member (other than Sears Canada) on credit cards issued by such issuer in connection with the sale of goods by a Group Member (other than Sears Canada), or services performed by a Group Member (other than Sears Canada), in each case in the ordinary course of its business.

" DC " means any distribution center owned or leased and operated by any Loan Party.

" Debt " of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money (excluding interest payable thereon unless such interest is to be accrued and added to the principal amount of such indebtedness), (b) all obligations of such Person for the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than (i) trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of such Person's business and (ii) any such obligations which are due less than twelve months from the date of incurrence), (c) all obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments (other than performance, surety and appeals bonds arising in the ordinary course of business and other than the endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business) or in respect of acceptances or letters of credit, (d) all obligations of such Person created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to property acquired by such Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (e) all obligations of such Person as lessee under leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases, (f) all direct recourse payment obligations of such Person in respect of any accounts receivable sold by such Person, (g) all Debt of others referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above or clause (h) below and other payment obligations guaranteed directly or indirectly in any manner by such Person, or in effect guaranteed directly or indirectly by such Person through an agreement (1) to pay or purchase such Debt or to advance or supply funds for the payment or purchase of such Debt, (2) to purchase, sell or lease (as lessee or lessor) property, or to purchase or sell services, primarily for the purpose of enabling the debtor to make payment of such Debt or to assure the holder of such Debt against loss, (3) to supply funds to or in any other manner invest in the debtor (including any agreement to pay for property or services irrespective of whether such property is received or such services are rendered) or (4) otherwise to assure a creditor against loss, and (h) all Debt referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property (including accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such Debt.

" Default " means any Event of Default or any event that would constitute an Event of Default but for the requirement that notice be given or time elapse or both.

" Disposition " means any sale of property other than goods held for sale in the ordinary course of business.

" Dollars " and " $ " refers to lawful money of the United States.

" Domestic Lending Office " means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its "Domestic Lending Office" on the signature pages hereof or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender, or such other office of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrowers and the Agent.

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" Domestic Subsidiary " means any Subsidiary organized under the laws of any jurisdiction within the United States.

" Effective Date " means the date on which the conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.01 shall have been satisfied.

" Eligible Assignee " means any Person approved by the Agent, the Issuing Lender and, unless (a) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time any assignment is effected in accordance with Section 9.07 or (b) the assignee is an existing Lender or an Affiliate of an existing Lender, the Borrowers, in each case such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided that neither the Borrowers nor an Affiliate of the Borrowers shall qualify as an Eligible Assignee.

" Eligible Credit Card Accounts Receivable " means at the time of any determination thereof, each Credit Card Accounts Receivable that satisfies the following criteria at the time of creation and continues to meet the same at the time of such determination: such Credit Card Account Receivable (i) has been earned and represents the bona fide amounts due to a Loan Party from a credit card payment processor and/or credit card issuer, and in each case originated in the ordinary course of business of the applicable Loan Party and (ii) is not ineligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Borrowing Base pursuant to any of clauses (a) through (i) below. Without limiting the foregoing, to qualify as an Eligible Credit Card Account Receivable, an Account shall indicate no person other than a Loan Party as payee or remittance party. In determining the amount to be so included, the face amount of an Account shall be reduced by, without duplication, to the extent not reflected in such face amount, (i) the amount of all accrued and actual discounts, claims, credits or credits pending, promotional program allowances, price adjustments, finance charges, credit card processor fees or other allowances (including any amount that the applicable Loan Party may be obligated to rebate to a customer, a credit card payment processor, or credit card issuer pursuant to the terms of any agreement or understanding (written or oral)) and (ii) the aggregate amount of all cash received in respect of such Account but not yet applied by the applicable Loan Party to reduce the amount of such Credit Card Account Receivable. Unless otherwise approved from time to time in writing by the Agent, no Credit Card Accounts Receivable shall be Eligible Credit Card Accounts Receivable if, without duplication:

(a) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable are not owned by a Loan Party and such Loan Party does not have good or marketable title to such Credit Card Accounts Receivable free and clear of any Lien of any Person other than the Agent;

(b) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable do not constitute "Accounts" (as defined in the UCC) or such Credit Card Accounts Receivable have been outstanding for more than seven (7) business days;

(c) the issuer or payment processor of the applicable credit card with respect to such Credit Card Accounts Receivable is the subject of any bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings;

(d) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable are not valid, legally enforceable obligations of the applicable issuer with respect thereto;

(e) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable are not subject to a properly perfected security interest in favor of the Agent, or are not in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, or are subject to any Lien whatsoever other than Permitted Liens contemplated by the processor agreements and for which appropriate reserves (as determined by the Agent) have been established or maintained by the Loan Parties;

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(f) the Credit Card Accounts Receivable do not conform to all representations, warranties or other provisions in the Loan Documents relating to Credit Card Accounts Receivable;

(g) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable are subject to risk of set-off, non-collection or not being processed due to unpaid and/or accrued credit card processor fee balances, limited to the lesser of the balance of Credit Card Accounts Receivable or unpaid credit card processor fees;

(h) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable are evidenced by "chattel paper" or an "instrument" of any kind unless such "chattel paper" or "instrument" is in the possession of the Agent, and to the extent necessary or appropriate, endorsed to the Agent; or

(i) such Credit Card Accounts Receivable do not meet such other usual and customary eligibility criteria for Credit Card Accounts Receivable as the Agent may determine from time to time in its Permitted Discretion.

" Eligible Inventory " means, at any time, the Inventory of any Loan Party held for sale to third party customers that is not ineligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Borrowing Base pursuant to any of clauses (a) through (s) below. Without limiting the foregoing, to qualify as "Eligible Inventory" no Person other than the Loan Parties shall have any direct or indirect ownership, interest or title to such Inventory and no Person other than the Loan Parties shall be indicated on any purchase order or invoice with respect to such Inventory as having or purporting to have an interest therein. Unless otherwise from time to time approved in writing by the Agent, no Inventory shall be deemed Eligible Inventory if, without duplication:

(a) the Loan Parties do not have sole and good, valid and unencumbered title thereto (except for Liens of the type described in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (e) of the definition of Permitted Liens); or

(b) it is not located in the United States, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands; or

(c) it is not located at property owned or leased by the Loan Parties (except to the extent such Inventory is in transit between such locations or is located at a dealer's store or is deemed eligible pursuant to clause (h)) or is located at a third party warehouse or is located at a closed Store (except pursuant to clause (f)) or is located at a closed DC; or

(d) it is identified as accrued Inventory without a receiver in the applicable Loan Party's stockledger; or

(e) it is not subject to a valid and perfected first priority Lien in favor of the Agent for the benefit of the Agent and the Lenders; or

(f) it is Inventory located at a Store which is being closed; provided however that such Inventory will be deemed eligible for the first four (4) weeks after the commencement of the Store Closure Sale for that Store; or

(g) it is consigned from a vendor or is at a customer location but still accounted for in the applicable Loan Party's inventory balance; or

(h) it is in-transit from a vendor and has not yet been received into a DC or Store; provided that in-transit inventory purchased under "private label" letters of credit issued by SRAC or Letters of Credit issued

7


hereunder shall be deemed Eligible Inventory, subject to a 25% reserve, if (i) the relevant Loan Party has sole title (including Inventory delivered on a FOB shipping point basis and whether or not payment has been made to the letter of credit beneficiary and/or the issuer of such letter of credit), (ii) the relevant Loan Party has possession or control over title documents relating to such Inventory, (iii) the Inventory is fully insured and (iv) the Inventory would not be deemed ineligible pursuant to any other provision of this definition; or

(i) it is considered perishable goods or is identified in the stockledger of the applicable Loan Party as any of the following departments or consists of Inventory which is ordinarily classified by such Loan Party consistent with its historical practices as the following: bakery; dairy; deli; floral; gasoline; live plants; meat; miscellaneous or other as classified on the Loan Party's stockledger; produce; books; magazines; restaurant operations; or seafood; or it is identified per the applicable Loan Party's stockledger as candy, provided that it will only be considered ineligible to the extent that the Inventory Value thereof is greater than 2% of Gross Inventory Value; or

(j) it is Inventory that is packed-away and stored at a DC or a Store for future sale, including merchandise of Sears and its Subsidiaries that has been carried over for more than 9 months as currently reported as XOM status per the RIM merchandising system; or

(k) from and after the delivery by Holdings of the first monthly Borrowing Base Certificate after a specified holiday or event has occurred, any Inventory (other than seasonal apparel) identified as seasonal per the Loan Parties' stockledger for sale for such specific holiday or event; or

(l) it is identified as wholesaler freight fees; or

(m) from and after any date that is more than four (4) weeks past a specified selling season, any Inventory that is seasonal apparel and that the Loan Parties have identified, in accordance in all material respects with the Loan Parties' current or historical accounting practices, as related to such specific selling season, including merchandise of Sears and its Subsidiaries that is currently reported by the SAMS database; or

(n) it is Inventory which is ordinarily classified by such Loan Party consistent with its historical practices as repair services, provided that 50% of the value of such Inventory shall constitute Eligible Inventory; or

(o) it is Inventory on layaway or is Inventory which has been sold but not delivered or as to which any Loan Party has accepted a deposit from a third party; or

(p) it is identified per the Loan Parties' stockledger as Inventory that is in a leased department, including digital imaging, photofinishing and 1 hour lab; or

(q) it is otherwise deemed ineligible by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion on at least five (5) Business Days' notice to Holdings; or

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(r) it is operating supplies, packaging or shipping materials, cartons, labels or other such materials not considered used for sale in the ordinary course of business by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion; or

(s) it is Inventory which exhibits, includes or is identified by any trademark, tradename or other Intellectual Property right which trademark, tradename or other Intellectual Property right (i) is subject to a restriction that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Agent's ability to liquidate such Inventory or (ii) the relevant Loan Party does not have the right to use in connection with the sale of such Inventory, either through direct ownership or through a written license or sublicense.

" Environmental Action " means any action, suit, demand, demand letter, claim, notice of non-compliance or violation, notice of liability or potential liability, investigation, proceeding, consent order or consent agreement relating in any way to any Environmental Law, Environmental Permit or Hazardous Materials or arising from alleged injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the environment, including (a) by any governmental or regulatory authority for enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial or other actions or damages and (b) by any governmental or regulatory authority or any third party for damages, contribution, indemnification, cost recovery, compensation or injunctive relief.

" Environmental Law " means any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation, code, order, judgment, decree or judicial or agency interpretation, policy or guidance relating to pollution or protection of the environment, health, safety or natural resources, including those relating to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous Materials.

" Environmental Liability " means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrowers or any of their Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

" Environmental Permit " means any permit, approval, identification number, license or other authorization required under any Environmental Law.

" ERISA " means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued thereunder.

" ERISA Affiliate " means any Person that for purposes of Title IV of ERISA is a member of any Borrower's controlled group, or under common control with such Borrower, within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code.

" ERISA Event " means (a) (i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, with respect to any Plan unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect to such event has been waived by the PBGC, or (ii) the requirements of subsection (1) of Section 4043(b) of ERISA (without regard to subsection (2) of such Section) are met with respect to a contributing sponsor, as defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan, and an event described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of Section 4043(c) of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with respect to such Plan within the following 30 days; (b) the application for a minimum funding waiver with respect to a Plan; (c) the provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice of intent to terminate such Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA (including any such notice with respect to a plan amendment referred to in Section 4041(e) of ERISA); (d) the cessation of operations at a facility of any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in the circumstances described in Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (e) the withdrawal

9


by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year for which it was a substantial employer, as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA; (f)  the conditions for the imposition of a lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA shall have been met with respect to any Plan; (g) the adoption of an amendment to a Plan requiring the provision of security to such Plan pursuant to Section 307 of ERISA; or (h) the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Plan pursuant to Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or condition described in Section 4042 of ERISA that constitutes grounds for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, a Plan.

" Eurocurrency Liabilities " has the meaning assigned to that term in Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as in effect from time to time.

" Eurodollar Lending Office " means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its "Eurodollar Lending Office" on the signature pages hereof or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender (or, if no such office is specified, its Domestic Lending Office), or such other office of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrowers and the Agent.

" Eurodollar Rate " means, for any Interest Period for each Eurodollar Rate Advance comprising part of the same Borrowing, the rate per annum determined on the basis of the rate for deposits in Dollars for a period equal to such Interest Period commencing on the first day of such Interest Period appearing on Page 3750 of the Telerate screen as of 11:00 A.M., London time, two Business Days prior to the beginning of such Interest Period. In the event that such rate does not appear on Page 3750 of the Telerate screen (or otherwise on such screen), the " Eurodollar Rate " shall be determined by reference to such other comparable publicly available service for displaying eurodollar rates as may be selected by the Agent or, in the absence of such availability, by reference to the rate at which the Agent is offered Dollar deposits at or about 11:00 A.M., New York City time, two Business Days prior to the beginning of such Interest Period in the interbank eurodollar market where its eurodollar and foreign currency and exchange operations are then being conducted for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period for the number of days comprised therein.

" Eurodollar Rate Advance " means an Advance that bears interest as provided in Section 2.08(a)(ii).

" Eurodollar Rate Reserve Percentage " for any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Advance by any Lender means the reserve percentage applicable to such Lender two Business Days before the first day of such Interest Period under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency Liabilities (or with respect to any other category of liabilities that includes deposits by reference to which the interest rate on Eurodollar Rate Advances is determined) having a term equal to such Interest Period.

" Events of Default " has the meaning specified in Section 7.01.

" Extensions of Credit " means as to any Lender at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Advances held by such Lender then outstanding, (b) such Lender's Commitment Percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Swingline Advances then outstanding and (c) such Lender's Commitment Percentage of the L/C Obligations then outstanding.

" Federal Funds Rate " means, for any period, a fluctuating interest rate per annum equal for each day during such period to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for the next preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the

10


average of the quotations for such day on such transactions received by the Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing reasonably selected by it.

" GAAP " has the meaning specified in Section 1.03.

" Gift Card Liability Reserve " shall mean, at any fiscal month end, as the case may be, a reserve equal to the total value of all gift cards outstanding.

" Governmental Authority " means any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, any securities exchange and any self-regulatory organization (including the National Association of Insurance Commissioners).

" Gross Domestic Inventory " means, on any day, the cost of all Inventory of Holdings and its Subsidiaries (determined on a first-in-first-out basis either under the retail or average cost method) located in the United States, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands on such day (other than consignment Inventory (including Inventory subject to "sale or return" arrangements) and import Inventory that is in transit from a location outside of the United States) less reserves taken in accordance with GAAP, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that, until the Collateral Release Date, Inventory shall only be included in the calculation of Gross Domestic Inventory if such Inventory is subject to a perfected first-priority Lien in favor of the Agent pursuant to the terms of the Security Documents.

" Gross Inventory Value " shall mean, at any month end, the Inventory Value of the domestic Inventory for Stores and DCs per the Loan Parties' stockledger as calculated in Exhibit C hereto under the heading of "Inventory Subject to Net Recovery Rate".

" Group Members " means, collectively, Holdings, the Borrowers and their respective Subsidiaries.

" Guarantee and Collateral Agreement " means the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement to be executed and delivered by Holdings, Sears, Kmart, Kmart Management Corporation, the Borrowers and each Subsidiary Guarantor, substantially in the form of Exhibit D.

" Hazardous Materials " means (a) petroleum and petroleum products, byproducts or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and radon gas and (b) any other chemicals, materials or substances designated, classified or regulated as hazardous or toxic or as a pollutant or contaminant under any Environmental Law.

" Information Memorandum " means the information memorandum dated January 2005, as amended or supplemented from time to time, used by the Agent in connection with the syndication of the Commitments.

" Insolvency " means with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that such Plan is insolvent within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA.

" Insolvent " means pertaining to a condition of Insolvency.

" Intellectual Property " means the collective reference to all rights, priorities and privileges relating to intellectual property, whether arising under United States, multinational or foreign laws or otherwise, including copyrights, copyright licenses, patents, patent licenses, trademarks, trademark licenses, technology, know-how and processes, and all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement or other impairment thereof, including the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom.

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" Interest Period " means, for each Eurodollar Rate Advance comprising part of the same Borrowing of Revolving Advances, the period commencing on the date of such Eurodollar Rate Advance or the date of the Conversion of any Base Rate Advance into such Eurodollar Rate Advance and ending on the last day of the period selected by the applicable Borrower pursuant to the provisions below and, thereafter, each subsequent period commencing on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period and ending on the last day of the period selected by the applicable Borrower pursuant to the provisions below. The duration of each such Interest Period shall be one, two, three or six months, or, subject to clause (c) of this definition, 7 days or nine or twelve months, as the applicable Borrower may, upon notice received by the Agent not later than 12:00 noon on the third Business Day prior to the first day of such Interest Period, select; provided , however , that:

(a) a Borrower may not select any Interest Period that ends after the Termination Date;

(b) Interest Periods commencing on the same date for Eurodollar Rate Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing shall be of the same duration;

(c) in the case of any such Borrowing, a Borrower shall not be entitled to select an Interest Period having duration of 7 days or nine or twelve months unless, by 2:00 P.M. on the third Business Day prior to the first day of such Interest Period, each Lender notifies the Agent that such Lender will be providing funding for such Borrowing with such Interest Period (the failure of any Lender to so respond by such time being deemed for all purposes of this Agreement as an objection by such Lender to the requested duration of such Interest Period); provided that, if any or all of the Lenders object to the requested duration of such Interest Period, the duration of the Interest Period for such Borrowing shall be one, two, three or six months, as specified by the applicable Borrower in the applicable Notice of Borrowing as the desired alternative to an Interest Period of 7 days or nine or twelve months;

(d) whenever the last day of any Interest Period would otherwise occur on a day other than a Business Day, the last day of such Interest Period shall be extended to occur on the next succeeding Business Day, provided , however , that, if such extension would cause the last day of such Interest Period of one month or longer to occur in the next following calendar month, the last day of such Interest Period shall occur on the next preceding Business Day; and

(e) whenever the first day of any Interest Period of one month or longer occurs on a day of an initial calendar month for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that succeeds such initial calendar month by the number of months equal to the number of months in such Interest Period, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such succeeding calendar month.

" Internal Revenue Code " means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued thereunder.

" Inventory " as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York.

" Inventory Reserves " means the following:

(a) a reserve for shrink, or discrepancies that arise between Inventory quantities on hand per the Loan Parties' unit inventory system, and physical counts of the Inventory which will be equal to the greater of (i) the mathematical average of the historical shrink results expressed as a percent of sales, multiplied by sales for the relevant year-to-date period and adjusted for the cost complement for the relevant year-to-date period, but only to the extent such amount exceeds reserves already netted out of the Gross Inventory Value per the

12


stockledger; or (ii) an amount determined by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion on five (5) Business Days' notice to Holdings; and

(b) a reserve for intracompany profit, equal to the most recent three (3) fiscal months of capitalized cost of the foreign buying offices owned and operated by any Loan Party, with the time frame subject to change on five (5) Business Days' notice to Holdings based on Inventory performance, or the Agent's Permitted Discretion; and

(c) to the extent not already netted out of the Gross Inventory Value per the stockledger or not treated as ineligible pursuant to the definition of Eligible Inventory, a reserve for (i) hard (permanent) markdowns, (ii) seasonal merchandise, (iii) discontinued and clearance merchandise, (iv) change in product mix of merchandise, (v) change in pricing strategy or markon percentages, (vi) damaged merchandise, (vii) price changes, or (viii) other adjustments as deemed appropriate; and

(d) a reserve for Inventory returned (other than as a result of reclamations) to either the return goods center (" RGC "), the vendor, given to charity, or otherwise considered non-saleable, whether defective or non-defective. This reserve is to be calculated as the monthly average for the most recent rolling 12 fiscal month period of return (other than as a result of reclamations) activity to the vendors, the RGC, given to charity, or otherwise considered non-saleable, whether defective or non-defective, both from the Stores and DCs, and is subject to change on five (5) Business Days' notice to Holdings at the Agent's Permitted Discretion; and such reserve to be recalculated by the 10th day after each month-end and to be reflected on each Borrowing Base Certificate delivered by Holdings after such date until the amount of such reserve is recalculated pursuant hereto.

" Inventory Value " shall mean, with respect to any Inventory of the Loan Parties, the value of such Inventory valued at cost on a basis consistent with the Loan Parties' current and historical accounting practice per the stockledger (without giving effect to LIFO reserves and general ledger reserves for discontinued inventory, markdowns, intercompany profit, rebates and discounts, any cut off adjustments, revaluation adjustments, purchase price adjustments or adjustments with respect to the capitalization of buying, occupancy, distribution and other overhead costs reflected on the balance sheet of the Loan Parties in respect of Inventory). The value of the Inventory as set forth above will, without duplication for any Inventory Reserves, be calculated net of the reserve established by the Loan Parties on a basis consistent with the Loan Parties' current and historical practice in respect of lost, misplaced or stolen Inventory at such time.

" Investment Grade Ratings " shall consist of ratings of at least (i) Baa3 from Moody's, (ii) BBB- from S&P or (iii) BBB- from Fitch Ratings; provided that solely in the case that the rating at issue is the minimum rating provided under this definition, such rating shall, in addition, have a stable or better outlook.

" Issuing Lender " means, collectively, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, N.A. or Fleet National Bank, Citibank, N.A. (provided that any reimbursement or payment on account of a Letter of Credit issued by Citibank, N.A. hereunder shall be made to Citicorp USA, Inc.), and any other Lender which at the request of any Borrower and with the consent of the Agent, not to be unreasonably withheld, agrees to become an Issuing Lender, it being understood that with the consent of the requesting Borrower (not to be unreasonably withheld) the Issuing Lender may arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by affiliates of such Issuing Lender, in which case the term "Issuing Lender" shall include any such affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such affiliate. Each reference herein to "the Issuing Lender" shall be deemed to be a reference to the relevant Issuing Lender with respect to the relevant Letter of Credit.

" Kmart " means Kmart Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

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" L/C Commitment " means $1,500,000,000.

" L/C Obligations " means at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount of the then outstanding Letters of Credit and (b) the aggregate amount of drawings under Letters of Credit that have not then been reimbursed or discharged pursuant to Section 3.05 (after giving effect to the proviso thereof).

" Lenders " means the Initial Lenders and each Person that shall become a party hereto pursuant to Section 9.07.

" Letters of Credit " means the collective reference to Commercial L/Cs and Standby L/Cs; individually, a " Letter of Credit ".

" Lien " means any lien, security interest or other charge or encumbrance of any kind, or any other type of preferential arrangement, including the lien or retained security title of a conditional vendor and any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, but excluding consignments or bailments of goods of third parties and the interests of lessors under operating leases.

" Loan Documents " means this Agreement, the Security Documents, the Notes, any Application and any amendment, waiver, supplement or other modification to any of the foregoing.

" Loan Parties " means each Group Member that is a party to a Loan Document.

" Martha Stewart Reserve " shall mean, at any fiscal month end, a reserve equal to the then current accrued and unpaid royalty in excess of $25,000,000 earned for Martha Stewart merchandise sold as reflected on the most recent Borrowing Base Certificate.

" Material Adverse Change " means a material adverse change in the business, condition (financial or otherwise) or operations of Holdings and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

" Material Adverse Effect " means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, condition (financial or otherwise) or operations of Holdings and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (b) the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or the rights and remedies of the Agent and the Lenders thereunder.

" Merger " has the meaning specified in Section 4.01(a).

" Moody's " means Moody's Investors Service, Inc.

" Multiemployer Plan " means a multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions, or has within any of the preceding five plan years made or accrued an obligation to make contributions.

" Multiple Employer Plan " means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate and at least one Person other than Holdings and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which Holdings or any ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4064 or 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

" Net Eligible Inventory " means, at any time, an amount equal to the Inventory Value of Eligible Inventory less Inventory Reserves.

" Net Orderly Liquidation Value " means the product of (i) Net Recovery Rate and (ii) the Gross Inventory Value.

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" Net Recovery Rate " means the quotient of (x) the estimated net income, payments and proceeds (net of expenses) which could reasonably be realized in connection with an orderly liquidation of each Loan Party's Inventory given a reasonable period of time for soliciting offers for the sale of such Inventory on an "as is, where is" basis based on an appraisal provided by an independent third party appraiser retained or approved by the Agent in consultation with the Borrowers and (y) the Gross Inventory Value as of the effective date of the estimate provided pursuant to clause (x) of this definition

" Note " means a promissory note of any Borrower payable to the order of any Lender evidencing the Commitment of such Lender.

" Notice of Borrowing " has the meaning specified in Section 2.02(a).

" Other Borrowing Base Reserves " means, to the extent that relevant merchandise is not treated as ineligible pursuant to the definition of Eligible Inventory, the following:

(a) a reserve in an amount to be determined by the Agent in its Permitted Discretion for rent expense at leased Store and DC locations;

(b) a reserve for royalties payable to non-Loan Parties in respect of licensed merchandise (other than the Martha Stewart Reserve);

(c) the Martha Stewart Reserve;

(d) the Gift Card Liability Reserve;

(e) PACA Liability Reserves; and

(f) PASA Liability Reserves.

" Other Taxes " has the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

" PACA " means the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930, as amended.

" PACA Liability Reserve " means an amount calculated on a monthly basis by the Agent to provide for vendor liabilities pursuant to PACA.

" PASA " means the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, as amended.

" PASA Liability Reserve " means the liability for vendor liabilities pursuant to PASA.

" PBGC " means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (or any successor).

" Permitted Discretion " means a determination made in good faith and in the exercise of commercially reasonable business judgment.

" Permitted Holder " means ESL Investments, Inc. and any of its Affiliates other than a Group Member.

" Permitted Liens " means: (a) Liens for taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies to the extent such taxes, assessments or governmental charges are being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings and as to which appropriate reserves are being maintained; (b) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen's, mechanics', carriers', workmen's and repairmen's Liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business securing obligations that are not overdue for a period of more than 30 days or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which

15


appropriate reserves are being maintained; (c) landlords' Liens arising in the ordinary course of business securing (i) rents not yet due and payable, (ii) rent for Stores in an amount not to exceed the monthly base rent due for the immediately preceding calendar month and (iii) rents for Stores in excess of the amount set forth in the preceding clause (ii) so long as such amounts are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which appropriate reserves are being maintained; (d)any attachment or judgment lien not constituting an Event of Default under Section 7.01(f); (e) Liens presently existing or hereafter created in favor of the Agent, on behalf of the Lenders; (f) Liens arising by the terms of commercial letters of credit entered into in the ordinary course of business to secure reimbursement obligations thereunder, provided that such Liens only encumber the title documents and underlying goods relating to such letters of credit; (g) consignments and claims under PACA and PASA; and (h) Liens in favor of issuers of credit cards arising in the ordinary course of business securing the obligation to pay customary fees and expenses in connection with credit card arrangements.

" Person " means an individual, partnership, corporation (including a business trust), joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, or a government or any political subdivision or agency thereof.

" Plan " means a Single Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.

" Pricing Grid " means the pricing grid set forth on Schedule IA.

" Pro Forma Financial Information " means the pro forma financial data of Holdings contained in the Registration Statement.

" Refunded Swingline Advances " has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(b).

" Register " has the meaning specified in Section 9.07(d).

" Registration Statement " means the Registration Statement of Holdings on Form S-4 filed with the SEC (Registration No. 333-120954) and declared effective on February 18, 2005.

" Reimbursement Obligation " means the obligation of the Borrowers to reimburse the Issuing Lender pursuant to Section 3.05 for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit.

" Related Intellectual Property " means such rights with respect to the Intellectual Property of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries (other than Sears Canada) as are reasonably necessary to permit the Agent to enforce its remedies under the Loan Documents with respect to the Collateral.

" Reorganization " means with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that such Plan is in reorganization within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA.

" Reportable Event " means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than (i) those events as to which the thirty day notice period is waived under subsections .27, .28, .29, .30, .31, .32, .34 or .35 of PBGC Reg. Section 4043 and (ii) any event that must be reported solely as a result of the bankruptcy filing by Kmart Corp. and certain of its Subsidiaries on January 22, 2002 in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

" Required Lenders " means, at any time, the holders of more than 50% of the Commitments then in effect or, if the Commitments have been terminated, the holders of more than 50% of the Total Extensions of Credit then outstanding.

" Requirements of Law " means as to any Person, the Certificate of Incorporation and By Laws or other organizational or governing documents of such Person, and any law, treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or a court or other

16


Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject.

" Restricted Payment " means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any equity interests in Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such equity interests in Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such equity interests in Holdings or any Subsidiary of Holdings.

" Revolving Advance " has the meaning specified in Section 2.01. A Revolving Advance may be a Base Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Rate Advance (each of which shall be a " Type " of Revolving Advance).

" S&P " means Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

" Sears " means Sears, Roebuck and Co., a New York corporation.

" Sears Canada " means the collective reference to Sears Canada Inc., a Canadian corporation, and its Subsidiaries.

" SEC " means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

" Security Documents " means the collective reference to the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, and all other security documents hereafter delivered to the Agent granting a Lien on any property of any Person to secure the obligations and liabilities of any Loan Party under any Loan Document.

" Single Employer Plan " means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and no Person other than such Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

" Solvent " means, when used with respect to any Person, that, as of any date of determination, (a) the amount of the "present fair saleable value" of the assets of such Person will, as of such date, exceed the amount of all "liabilities of such Person, contingent or otherwise", as of such date, as such quoted terms are determined in accordance with applicable federal and state laws governing determinations of the insolvency of debtors, (b) the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person will, as of such date, be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the liability of such Person on its debts as such debts become absolute and matured, (c) such Person will not have, as of such date, an unreasonably small amount of capital with which to conduct its business, and (d) such Person will be able to pay its debts as they mature. For purposes of this definition, (i) "debt" means liability on a "claim", and (ii) "claim" means any (x) right to payment, whether or not such a right is reduced to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured or (y) right to an equitable remedy for breach of performance if such breach gives rise to a right to payment, whether or not such right to an equitable remedy is reduced to judgment, fixed, contingent, matured or unmatured, disputed, undisputed, secured or unsecured.

" Standby L/C " means an irrevocable letter of credit under which the Issuing Lender agrees to make payments in Dollars for the account of any Borrower, on behalf of any Group Member in respect of obligations of such Group Member incurred pursuant to contracts made or performances undertaken or to be undertaken or like matters relating to contracts to which such Group Member is or proposes to become a party, including, without limiting the foregoing, for insurance purposes or in respect of

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advance payments or as bid or performance bonds or for any other purpose for which a standby letter of credit might be issued.

" Store " means any store owned or leased and operated by any Loan Party.

" Store Closure Sale " means a store closure sale that is properly advertised and professionally managed over a defined period that is anticipated by the Borrowers not to exceed 12 weeks (on average) from the date of the same commencement.

" Subsidiary " of any Person means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than 50% of (a) the issued and outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the Board of Directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether at the time capital stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall or might have voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency), (b) the interest in the capital or profits of such limited liability company, partnership or joint venture or (c) the beneficial interest in such trust or estate is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person, by such Person and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such Person's other Subsidiaries.

" Subsidiary Guarantor " means each Domestic Subsidiary of Holdings which owns Inventory or Credit Card Accounts Receivable.

" Supermajority Lenders " means, at any time, the holders of 66-2/3% or more of Commitments then in effect or, if the Commitments have been terminated, the holders of 66-2/3% or more of the Total Extensions of Credit then outstanding.

" Swingline Advances " has the meaning specified in Section 2.03.

" Swingline Commitment " means the obligation of the Swingline Lender to make Swingline Advances pursuant to Section 2.03 in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed $100,000,000.

" Swingline Lender " means JPMorgan Chase Bank, in its capacity as the lender of Swingline Advances.

" Swingline Participation Amount " has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(c).

" Taxes " has the meaning specified in Section 2.15.

" Termination Date " means the earlier of (a) the date that is five years after the Effective Date and (b) the date of termination in whole of the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06 or 7.01.

" Total Availability " means the amount at any time by which (a) the lesser of (i) aggregate Commitments or (ii) the Borrowing Base, if applicable, exceeds (b) the Total Extensions of Credit at such time.

" Total Extensions of Credit " means at any time, the aggregate amount of the Extensions of Credit of the Lenders outstanding at such time.

" Total Net Extensions of Credit " means, on any day, (a) Total Extensions of Credit on such day less (b) Available Cash on such day.

" Type " means either a Base Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Rate Advance.

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" UCC " means the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York.

" Voting Stock " means capital stock issued by a corporation, or equivalent interests in any other Person, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person, even if the right so to vote has been suspended by the happening of such a contingency.

SECTION 1.02.   Computation of Time Periods . In this Agreement (a) in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word "from" means "from and including" and the words "to" and "until" each mean "to but excluding" (b) "including" means "including without limitation"; and (c) unless otherwise specified, any reference to a time of day means such time in New York City.

SECTION 1.03.   Accounting Terms . All accounting terms not specifically defined herein or in the other Loan Documents shall be construed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (" GAAP ") which for purposes of Section 6.03 shall be consistently applied. If at any time any change in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth herein, and either the Borrowers or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Agent, the Lenders and the Borrowers shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders which shall not be unreasonably withheld), provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles prior to such change in principles and (ii) the Borrowers shall provide to the Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. For the avoidance of doubt, no retroactive change in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles shall apply to the construction of accounting terms under this Agreement in the absence of an amendment hereto in accordance with the terms of this Section 1.03.

ARTICLE II

AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES

SECTION 2.01.   The Revolving Advances . Each Lender severally agrees, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, to make revolving advances (the " Revolving Advances ") to the Borrowers from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Effective Date until the Termination Date in an aggregate amount at any one time outstanding which, when added to such Lender's Commitment Percentage of the sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount of the Swingline Advances then outstanding and (ii) the L/C Obligations then outstanding, equals the amount of such Lender's Commitment; provided , that the aggregate principal amount of any Borrowing made at any time shall not exceed the Total Availability at such time. Each Borrowing under this Section 2.01 shall be in an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (provided, that the Swingline Lender may request, on behalf of the applicable Borrower, Borrowings that are Base Rate Advances in other amounts pursuant to Section 2.04(b)) and shall consist of Revolving Advances of the same Type made on the same day by the Lenders ratably according to their respective Commitments. Within the limits set forth in this Section 2.01, the Borrowers may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay pursuant to Section 2.11 and reborrow under this Section 2.01.

SECTION 2.02.   Making the Revolving Advances .  (a)  Each Borrowing under Section 2.01 shall be made on notice, given not later than (x) 12:00 noon on the third Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Eurodollar Rate Advances or (y) 12:00 noon on the date of the proposed Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Base Rate Advances, by the applicable Borrower to the Agent, which shall give to each Lender prompt notice thereof by telecopier. Each such notice of a Borrowing (a " Notice of Borrowing ") shall be by telephone, confirmed immediately in writing, by email attachment or by telecopier, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, specifying therein the requested (i) date of such Borrowing, (ii) Type of Revolving Advances comprising such Borrowing,

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(iii) aggregate amount of such Borrowing, and (iv) in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Eurodollar Rate Advances, initial Interest Period for each such Revolving Advance. Each Lender shall, before 1:00 P.M. on the date of such Borrowing make available for the account of its Applicable Lending Office to the Agent at the Agent's Account, in same day funds, such Lender's ratable (in accordance with its Commitment Percentage) portion of such Borrowing. After the Agent's receipt of such funds and upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set forth in Article IV, the Agent will make such funds available to the Borrower requesting such Borrowing at the Agent's address referred to in Section 9.02.

(b) Anything in subsection (a) above to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) a Borrower may not select Eurodollar Rate Advances for any Borrowing if the aggregate amount of such Borrowing is less than $5,000,000 or if the obligation of the Lenders to make Eurodollar Rate Advances shall then be suspended pursuant to Section 2.09 or 2.13 and (ii) the Eurodollar Rate Advances may not be outstanding as part of more than ten separate Borrowings.

(c) Each Notice of Borrowing shall be irrevocable and binding on the applicable Borrower. In the case of any Borrowing that the related Notice of Borrowing specifies is to be comprised of Eurodollar Rate Advances, the applicable Borrower shall indemnify each Lender against any loss, cost or expense incurred by such Lender as a result of any failure to fulfill on or before the date specified in such Notice of Borrowing for such Borrowing the applicable conditions set forth in Article IV, including any loss (including loss of anticipated profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender to fund the Revolving Advance to be made by such Lender as part of such Borrowing when such Revolving Advance, as a result of such failure, is not made on such date.

(d) Unless the Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the time of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Agent such Lender's ratable portion of such Borrowing, the Agent may assume that such Lender has made such portion available to the Agent on the date of such Borrowing in accordance with subsection (a) of this Section 2.02 and the Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower on such date a corresponding amount. If and to the extent that such Lender shall not have so made such ratable portion available to the Agent, such Lender and the applicable Borrower severally agree to repay to the Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount together with interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is made available to such Borrower until the date such amount is repaid to the Agent, at (i) in the case of such Borrower, the interest rate applicable at the time to Revolving Advances comprising such Borrowing and (ii) in the case of such Lender, the Federal Funds Rate. If such Lender shall repay to the Agent such corresponding amount, such amount so repaid shall be made available to the applicable Borrower and shall constitute such Lender's Revolving Advance as part of such Borrowing for purposes of this Agreement.

(e) The failure of any Lender to make the Revolving Advance to be made by it as part of any Borrowing shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligation, if any, hereunder to make its Revolving Advance on the date of such Borrowing, but no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make the Revolving Advance to be made by such other Lender on the date of any Borrowing.

SECTION 2.03.   The Swingline Advances .  (a)   Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swingline Lender agrees to make a portion of the credit otherwise available to the Borrowers under the Commitments from time to time during the period from the Effective Date until the Termination Date by making swing line advances (" Swingline Advances ") to the Borrowers; provided that (i) the aggregate principal amount of Swingline Advances outstanding at any time shall not exceed the Swingline Commitment then in effect (notwithstanding that the Swingline Advances outstanding at any time, when aggregated with the Swingline Lender's other outstanding Revolving Advances, may exceed the Swingline Commitment then in effect) and (ii) the amount of any Swingline Advance made at any time shall not exceed the Total Availability at such time. During the period from the Effective Date until the Termination Date, the Borrowers may use the Swingline Commitment by borrowing, repaying and reborrowing, all in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof. Swingline Advances shall be available as Base Rate Advances only.

(b) Each Borrower shall repay to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Advance made to it on the earlier of the Termination Date and the first date after such Swingline Advance is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least

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 two Business Days after such Swingline Advance is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Advance is borrowed by a Borrower, such Borrower shall repay all Swingline Advances then outstanding, if any, and may use all or a portion of such Revolving Advance to fund such repayment.

SECTION 2.04.   Making the Swingline Advances .  (a)   Each Borrowing under Section 2.03 shall be made on notice, given not later than 1:00 P.M. on the date of the proposed Borrowing, by the applicable Borrower to the Agent and Swingline Lender. Each such Notice of a Borrowing shall be by telephone, confirmed immediately in writing, by email attachment or by telecopier, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto, specifying therein the requested (i) date of such Borrowing and (ii) aggregate amount of such Borrowing. Each Borrowing under the Swingline Commitment shall be in an amount equal to $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Not later than 3:00 P.M. on the date of the proposed Borrowing, the Swingline Lender shall make available to the Agent at the Agent's Account an amount in immediately available funds equal to the amount of the Swingline Advance to be made by the Swingline Lender. Upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set forth in Article IV, the Agent shall make the proceeds of such Swingline Advance available to the Borrower requesting such Borrowing at the Agent's address referred to in Section 9.02.

(b) The Swingline Lender, at any time and from time to time in its sole and absolute discretion may, on behalf of the Borrowers (which hereby irrevocably direct the Swingline Lender to act on their behalf), by notice given by the Swingline Lender no later than 12:00 noon, request each Lender to make, and each Lender hereby agrees to make, a Revolving Advance, in an amount equal to such Lender's Commitment Percentage of the aggregate amount of the Swingline Advances (the " Refunded Swingline Advances ") outstanding on the date of such notice, to repay the Swingline Lender. Each Lender shall make the amount of such Revolving Advance available to the Agent at the Agent's Account in same day funds, not later than 1:00 P.M. on the date of such notice. The proceeds of such Revolving Advances shall be immediately made available by the Agent to the Swingline Lender for application by the Swingline Lender to the repayment of the Refunded Swingline Advances. Each Borrower irrevocably authorizes the Swingline Lender to charge such Borrower's accounts with the Agent (up to the amount available in each such account) in order to immediately pay the amount of such Refunded Swingline Advances to the extent amounts received from the Lenders are not sufficient to repay in full such Refunded Swingline Advances.

(c) If prior to the time a Revolving Advance would have otherwise been made pursuant to Section 2.04(b), one of the events described in Section 7.01 shall have occurred and be continuing or if for any other reason, as determined by the Swingline Lender in its sole discretion, Revolving Advances may not be made as contemplated by Section 2.04(b), each Lender shall, on the date such Revolving Advance was to have been made pursuant to the notice referred to in Section 2.04(b), purchase for cash an undivided participating interest in the then outstanding Swingline Advances by paying to the Swingline Lender an amount (the " Swingline Participation Amount ") equal to (i) such Lender's Commitment Percentage multiplied by (ii) the sum of the aggregate principal amount of Swingline Advances then outstanding that were to have been repaid with such Revolving Advances.

(d) Whenever, at any time after the Swingline Lender has received from any Lender such Lender's Swingline Participation Amount, the Swingline Lender receives any payment on account of the Swingline Advances, the Swingline Lender will distribute to such Lender its Swingline Participation Amount (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender's participating interest was outstanding and funded and, in the case of principal and interest payments, to reflect such Lender's pro rata portion of such payment if such payment is not sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on all Swingline Advances then due); provided , however , that in the event that such payment received by the Swingline Lender is required to be returned, such Lender will return to the Swingline Lender any portion thereof previously distributed to it by the Swingline Lender.

(e) Each Lender's obligation to make the Advances referred to in Section 2.04(b) and to purchase participating interests pursuant to Section 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (i) any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right that such Lender or any Borrower may have against the Swingline Lender, any Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (ii) the occurrence or continuance of a Default or an Event of Default or the failure to satisfy any of the other conditions specified in Article IV, (iii) any adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise) of any Borrower, (iv) any breach of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by any Borrower, any other Loan Party or any other Lender or (v) any other circumstance, happening or event whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing.

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SECTION 2.05.   Fees .  (a)   Commitment Fee . The Borrowers jointly and severally agree to pay to the Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment fee commencing on the Effective Date on the average daily amount of the Available Commitment of such Lender during the period for which payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Commitment Fee Rate in effect from time to time, payable in arrears quarterly on the 5 th day subsequent to the last day of each April, July, October and January, commencing April 30, 2005, and on the Termination Date.

(b) Agent's Fees . The Borrowers shall pay to the Agent for its own account such fees as may from time to time be agreed between the Borrowers and the Agent.

SECTION 2.06.   Optional Termination or Reduction of the Commitments .   The Borrowers shall have the right, without penalty or premium and upon at least three Business Days' notice to the Agent, to permanently terminate in whole or permanently reduce ratably in part the unused portions of the respective Commitments of the Lenders, provided that no such termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permitted if, after giving effect thereof and to any prepayments of the Advances made on the effective date thereof, the Total Extensions of Credit would exceed the aggregate amount of the Commitments as so reduced. Any partial reduction of the Commitments shall be in the aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof.

SECTION 2.07.   Repayment of Advances .  Each Borrower shall repay to the Agent for the ratable account of the Lenders on the Termination Date the aggregate principal amount of the Advances made to it then outstanding.

SECTION 2.08.   Interest on Advances . (a)  Scheduled Interest . Each Borrower shall pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Advance made to it and owing to each Lender from the date of such Advance until such principal amount shall be paid in full, at the following rates per annum:

(i) Base Rate Advances . During such periods as such Advance is a Base Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times to the sum of (x) the Base Rate in effect from time to time plus (y) the Applicable Margin in effect from time to time, payable (I) in the case of any Base Rate Advance other than a Swingline Advance, in arrears quarterly on the 5 th day subsequent to the last day of each April, July, October and January during such periods and on the date such Base Rate Advance shall be Converted or paid in full and (II) in the case of any Swingline Advance, on the date that such Swingline Advance is required to be repaid.

(ii) Eurodollar Rate Advances . During such periods as such Advance is a Eurodollar Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times during each Interest Period for such Advance to the sum of (x) the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period for such Advance plus (y) the Applicable Margin in effect from time to time, payable in arrears on the last day of such Interest Period and, if such Interest Period has a duration of more than three months, on each day that occurs during such Interest Period every three months from the first day of such Interest Period and on the date such Eurodollar Rate Advance shall be Converted or paid in full.

(b) Default Interest . Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default under Section 7.01(a) in respect of principal amounts, the Borrowers shall pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Advance and Reimbursement Obligation owing to each Lender, payable in arrears on the dates referred to in clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above, at a rate per annum equal to 2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on such Advance or Reimbursement Obligation pursuant to clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above. Further, the Borrowers shall pay interest, to the fullest extent permitted by law, on the amount of any interest, fee or other amount (other than principal) payable hereunder that is not paid when due, from the date such amount shall be due until such amount shall be paid in full, payable in arrears on the date such amount shall be paid in full and on demand, at a rate per annum equal to 2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on Base Rate Advances pursuant to clause (a)(i) above.

(c) Regulation D Compensation . Each Lender that is subject to reserve requirements of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) may require the Borrowers to pay, contemporaneously with each payment of interest on the

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Eurodollar Rate Advances, additional interest on the related Eurodollar Rate Advances of such Lender at the rate per annum equal to the excess of (i) (A) the applicable Eurodollar Rate divided by (B) one minus the Eurodollar Rate Reserve Percentage over (ii) the applicable Eurodollar Rate. Any Lender wishing to require payment of such additional interest (x) shall so notify the Agent and the Borrowers, in which case such additional interest on the Eurodollar Rate Advances of such Lender shall be payable to such Lender at the place indicated in such notice with respect to each Interest Period commencing at least five Business Days after the giving of such notice and (y) shall notify the Agent and the Borrowers at least five Business Days prior to each date on which interest is payable on the amount then due it under this Section. Each such notification shall be accompanied by such information as the Borrowers may reasonably request.

SECTION 2.09.   Interest Rate Determination .  (a)  The Agent shall give prompt notice to the Borrowers and the Lenders of the applicable interest rate determined by the Agent for purposes of Section 2.08(a)(i) or (ii).

(b) If, with respect to any Eurodollar Rate Advances, the Required Lenders notify the Agent at least one Business Day before the date of any proposed Eurodollar Rate Advance that the Eurodollar Rate for any Interest Period for such Advances will not adequately reflect the cost to such Required Lenders of making, funding or maintaining their respective Eurodollar Rate Advances for such Interest Period, the Agent shall forthwith so notify the Borrowers and the Lenders, whereupon (i) each Eurodollar Rate Advance will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into a Base Rate Advance, and (ii) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Advances into, Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.

(c) If any Borrower shall fail to select the duration of any Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate Advances in accordance with the provisions contained in the definition of "Interest Period" in Section 1.01, the Agent will forthwith so notify such Borrower and the Lenders and such Advances will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into Base Rate Advances.

(d) On the date on which the aggregate unpaid principal amount of Eurodollar Rate Advances comprising any Borrowing shall be reduced, by payment or prepayment or otherwise, to less than $5,000,000, such Advances shall automatically Convert into Base Rate Advances.

(e) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default under Section 7.01(a), (i) each Eurodollar Rate Advance will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into a Base Rate Advance and (ii) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Revolving Advances into, Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended.

SECTION 2.10.   Optional Conversion of Revolving Advances . The Borrowers may on any Business Day, upon notice given to the Agent not later than 12:00 noon on the third Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Conversion and subject to the provisions of Sections 2.09 and 2.13, Convert all Revolving Advances of one Type comprising the same Borrowing into Revolving Advances of the other Type; provided , however , that any Conversion of Eurodollar Rate Advances into Base Rate Advances shall be made only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Advances, any Conversion of Base Rate Advances into Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be in an amount not less than the minimum amount specified in Section 2.02(b) and no Conversion of any Revolving Advances shall result in more separate Borrowings than permitted under Section 2.02(b). Each such notice of a Conversion shall, within the restrictions specified above, specify (i) the date of such Conversion, (ii) the Revolving Advances to be Converted, and (iii) if such Conversion is into Eurodollar Rate Advances, the duration of the initial Interest Period for each such Revolving Advance. Each notice of Conversion shall be irrevocable and binding on the applicable Borrower.

SECTION 2.11.   Optional and Mandatory Prepayments of Advances .  (a)  Any Borrower may, without penalty or premium and upon notice given not later than 12:00 noon on the date of such prepayment to the Agent stating the proposed date and aggregate principal amount of the

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prepayment, and if such notice is given such Borrower shall, prepay the outstanding principal amount of the Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing in whole or ratably in part, together with accrued interest to the date of such prepayment on the principal amount prepaid; provided , however , that (x) each partial prepayment shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or, in the case of partial prepayments of Swingline Advances, $100,000 or a whole multiple thereof) and (y) in the event of any such prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Advance, the applicable Borrower shall be obligated to reimburse the Lenders in respect thereof pursuant to Section 9.04(c).

(b) On the date of delivery of any Borrowing Base Certificate, if the amount described in clause (b) of the definition of Total Availability exceeds the amount described in clause (a) of such definition, the Borrowers shall prepay Advances in an amount equal to such excess, provided that if the aggregate principal amount of Advances then outstanding is less than the amount of such excess (because L/C Obligations constitute a portion thereof), the Borrowers shall, to the extent of the balance of such excess, replace outstanding Letters of Credit and/or deposit an amount in cash in a cash collateral account established with the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Agent. Any prepayment of Loans pursuant to this Section 2.11(b) shall be applied, first, to any Base Rate Advances then outstanding and the balance of such prepayment, if any, to the Eurodollar Rate Advances then outstanding.

SECTION 2.12.   Increased Costs .  (a)   If, due to either (i) after the date of this Agreement the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation or (ii) the compliance with any guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental authority (whether or not having the force of law) made or issued after the date of this Agreement, there shall be any increase in the cost to any Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining Eurodollar Rate Advances or issuing or participating in Letters of Credit (excluding for purposes of this Section 2.12 any such increased costs resulting from (i) Taxes or Other Taxes (as to which Section 2.15 shall govern) and (ii) changes in the basis of taxation of overall net income or overall gross income by the United States or by the foreign jurisdiction or state under the laws of which such Lender is organized or has its Applicable Lending Office or any political subdivision thereof), then the Borrowers shall from time to time, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Agent), pay to the Agent for the account of such Lender additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increased cost; provided that a Lender claiming additional amounts under this Section 2.12(a) agrees to use reasonable efforts (consistent with its internal policy and legal and regulatory restrictions) to designate a different Applicable Lending Office and/or take other commercially reasonable action if the making of such a designation or the taking of such actions would avoid the need for, or reduce the amount of, such increased cost that may thereafter accrue and would not, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, be otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender. A certificate as to the amount of such increased cost, submitted to the Borrowers and the Agent by such Lender, shall be entitled to a presumption of correctness. If any Borrower so notifies the Agent after any Lender notifies the Borrowers of any increased cost pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.12(a), such Borrower may, upon payment of such increased cost to such Lender, replace such Lender with a Person that is an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the terms of Section 9.07 (and the Lender being so replaced shall take all action as may be necessary to assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to such Eligible Assignee).

(b) If any Lender determines that compliance with any change after the date of this Agreement in law or regulation or any guideline or request after the date of this Agreement from any central bank or other governmental authority (whether or not having the force of law) affects or would affect the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or any entity controlling such Lender and that the amount of such capital is increased by or based upon the existence of such Lender's commitment to lend hereunder and other commitments of this type, then, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Agent), the Borrowers shall pay to the Agent for the account of such Lender, from time to time as specified by such Lender, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender or such entity in the light of such circumstances, to the extent that such Lender reasonably determines such increase in capital to be allocable to the existence of such Lender's commitment to lend hereunder. A certificate as to such amounts submitted to the Borrowers and the Agent by such Lender shall be entitled to a presumption of correctness.

(c) The Borrowers shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or capital or reserve requirement or pursuant to Section 2.15 for any taxes incurred more than six months prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrowers of the change or issuance giving rise to such increased costs or capital or reserve requirement or tax and of such Lender's intention to claim compensation therefor; provided that if the change or issuance giving rise to such

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increased costs or capital or reserve requirement or tax is retroactive, then the six-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

SECTION 2.13.   Illegality . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any Lender shall notify the Agent that the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation makes it unlawful, or any central bank or other governmental authority asserts that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its Eurodollar Lending Office to perform its obligations hereunder to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to fund or maintain Eurodollar Rate Advances hereunder, (a) each Eurodollar Rate Advance will automatically, upon such demand, Convert into a Base Rate Advance or an Advance that bears interest at the rate set forth in Section 2.08(a)(i), as the case may be, and (b) the obligation of the Lenders to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to Convert Advances into Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Agent shall notify the Borrowers and the Lenders that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.

SECTION 2.14.   Payments and Computations .  (a)   The Borrowers shall make each payment hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, without any right of counterclaim or set-off, not later than 1:00 P.M. on the day when due in U.S. dollars to the Agent at the Agent's Account in same day funds. The Agent will promptly thereafter cause to be distributed like funds relating to the payment of principal or interest or commitment fees ratably (other than amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.12, 2.15 or 10.04(c)) to the Lenders for the account of their respective Applicable Lending Offices, and like funds relating to the payment of any other amount payable to any Lender to such Lender for the account of its Applicable Lending Office, in each case to be applied in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon its acceptance of an Assignment and Acceptance and recording of the information contained therein in the Register pursuant to Section 9.07(c), from and after the effective date specified in s


 
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