Shop Talk
Retailers, consumers and prices
from MediaFile:
Martha Stewart KA-Bars Kmart
After seeing Martha Stewart on CNBC this morning, I was surprised to find that she doesn't sell a Martha Stewart-branded KA-Bar knife because she seems like she knows how to use one.
Stewart appeared on TV to talk about the company's new merchandising agreement with Home Depot. The hardware big-box retailer will offer a line of products sold under the Martha Stewart brand. Before they got too far into the interview, they talked about a similar program with discount retailer Kmart that ends in January 2010 -- the same time that the Home Depot deal begins.
Here is an excerpt:
The new [Kmart] ownership really has let our line deteriorate. It's been kind of ripped off, I would say, and really diminished, and the quality is really not what I am proud of. Have you been into a Kmart lately? it's not the nicest place to shop. ...
The stores are not what they were. The shopping experience is not what it was. The products are not there that people go in for. And it's not a good situation. And as a designer-supplier, I have been extremely disappointed.
Howard Schultz wakes up and smells the media
Perhaps he woke up one day and smelled his own coffee shops struggling in the weak economy. So, 
Starbucks Corp Chief Executive Howard Schultz is waking up to a fresh brew by percolating new business in the media world.
Starbucks has become the official naming sponsor of CNBC’s “Morning Joe” television show. The move is a throwback to the 1950s, when television programs were underwritten by manufacturers ranging from soap to cigarettes, and it comes as traditional advertising dollars are shrinking for publishers, television networks and other ad-reliant businesses.
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