By George Anderson
Cheap chic - it worked for Target and Kmart plans on making it work for itself, too.
According to a report by The New York Times, Kmart is hipper than it used to be and plans on becoming even more closely identified with products that are both cool and inexpensive at the same time.
The retailer's new Essential Home line of tableware, rugs, lamps, towels, bedding and furniture has made a positive impression.
Sarah Gray Miller, editor in chief of Budget Living magazine, said of the Essential Home furniture line, "It's the best thing to happen to affordable furniture since Ikea."
Kim France, editor in chief of the shopping magazine Lucky thinks the new line, which is said to be a contemporary complement to the Martha Stewart Everyday catalog of products, is a positive move by Kmart since the retailer has not sacrificed quality to get to a reasonable price point.
"They've got the Martha stuff covered," she said. "The test for people is getting their hands on it. That was the delight of the Martha line: It was all good."
Moderator's Comment: Is Kmart moving in the right direction under the design leadership of Lisa Schultz and Matthew Morris? Can the retailer compete for the same space as Target?
We're not ready to call ourselves believers in Kmart and Sears yet. We do have to acknowledge, however, that Kmart has made fairly sizeable strides since it set up its design group in New York. - George Anderson - Moderator