Martha, Martha everywhere: Stewart’S Brand Ubiquity Running Throughout Retail

The Marthaverse started with a Big Bang at Big K, but it is now coalescing in several quarters of the retailing cosmos, taking what is among the most highly recognized licensed labels around today to a new stage of evolution.

A fundamental change for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s so-called merchandising division is more evidence that a new day is dawning. No longer is MSLO looking to focus sweeping efforts on single banners. Its treatment of Martha Stewart brands has become more narrowed.

Monday, Sept. 10 marked the official launch of the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s. The Martha Stewart Collection, an exclusive variation on the doyen’s namesake branding statement, represents the largest brand rollout in Macy.s history. The assortment includes bed, bath, entertaining and cooking products inspired by Martha’s personal collections and favorite things.

Things, of course, being good.

To put the launch over the top, and take advantage of her position in media, Martha Stewart surprised a studio audience at the season premiere of The Martha Stewart Show with a shopping spree at Macy’s famous Herald Square store in New York City. Footage from the store visit show aired on Sept. 11. It also was projected on the Macy’s Jumbotron in Herald Square that day.

In launching the Martha Stewart Collection rollout, Tim Adams, Macy’s Home Store chairman and ceo, said, “The new Martha Stewart Collection takes Macy’s home assortment to a whole new level of interest and relevance for our customer, supported by an editorial voice that is one of the world’s most-recognized authorities on home decorating, cooking and entertaining. In the spirit of Martha’s own love of collecting, the new product at Macy’s is an authentic expression of the Martha Stewart perspective, articulated throughout the collection with personal inspirations like design references from her antique linen collection to new interpretations of faux bois.”

The Macy’s rollout follows the announcement of a line of grocery, fresh and frozen products at Costco dubbed Kirkland Signature by Martha Stewart. The co-branded product line, based on recipes developed at MSLO kitchens, will debut at Costco’s warehouse clubs in 2008.

In May, Michaels Stores began an initial rollout of more than 600 Martha Stewart Crafts SKUs as part of a major effort by the retailer to elevate its profile in the sector to consumers. Crafts are a major focal point of MSLO efforts. About the same time as the rollout, MSLO announced an endorsement deal between Martha and SVP Worldwide, maker of Singer, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff sewing machines, proving that Martha isn’t only serious about crafts, but also about finding new ways to use her eponymous brand in the marketplace today.

Of course, Martha labels never quietly languished at Kmart. In Canada, Martha Stewart Everyday launched at Zellers a few years after it first rolled at Kmart. The delay was, in part, due to the withdrawal of Kmart from Canada and the end of talks to bring the Martha brand north of the border under that banner. When George Heller, who had been at Kmart Canada, moved over to Zellers, he started negotiations to acquire the Martha Stewart Everyday brand. And to Zellers it went— for a time.

When Zellers and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia couldn’t reach new terms as the initial license terms expired, Sears Canada bid for the brand and got it. Some observers wondered if Martha wanted her housewares brand in Sears Canada to test the possibility of developing a more upscale version of the brand. After all, a Martha label paint line—the paint segment wasn’t covered in the Kmart agreement—was in place at Sears in the United States. But something happened around that time. Martha went to jail, making the Sears Canada rollout of her namesake line a little nerve-wracking, even if it ultimately proved successful, encouraging MSLO to extend its agreement with Kmart to 2008.

The soap opera continued. Edward Lampert took charge of Sears and Kmart and his regime couldn’t see eye to eye with the Martha folks on a licensing deal for Sears. Thus, it appears ever more likely that time is running out on the affiliation between Martha and the Sears Holding banners, at least in the United States. But time marches on and Martha marches with it, as her brands expand to new parts of the mass-market universe.